Title: I Devise My Own Demise
Author: Kyra aka Demon-childe619
Disclaimer: I own nothing, so please don't sue! The song used in chapter 1 is 'I Devise My Own Demise' by Papa Roach.
Summary: Harry's tired of everyone expecting him and him alone to save the world, or die trying.
Spoilers: Through Book 5, takes place the following summer.
Warnings: Slight slash, nothing hardcore though, mostly just hints of it for now.
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Chapter 4: Preparing For Diagon Alley
Draco walked into Harry's room and had to immediately duck as a shoe came flying across the room. "Whoa! Watch where you're throwing that shit, you almost took my head off!" Draco exclaimed.
Harry paused in his task of emptying his trunk via throwing it across the room and looked up to see Draco leaning against the door jam. "Oh, sorry. Didn't hear you come in." He apologized with a shrug and turned back to his trunk. He continued throwing stuff over his shoulder, though not quite as hard so that it wouldn't fly far enough to hit Draco.
Draco lightly pushed off the wall and carefully made his way over to Harry's bed. Once there he laid down on his stomach with his head at the foot of the bed so that he was facing Harry, though all he could see over the top of the Gryffindor's trunk was a messy mop of black hair. "So, what exactly are you doing? Other than trying to cause unsuspecting people bodily harm that is?" He asked curiously.
Harry glanced up real quick as he gently set his photo album next to him before digging back into his trunk. "Emptying this thing out. Most of the stuff I own is a hand-me-down from the Dursleys. Mostly Dudley's old clothes and Uncle Vernon's old socks, a couple pairs of Dudley's old shoes, stuff like that. And after today I'll have my own clothes and shit and won't need this garbage. I have big plans for this crap. There, that's the last of it!" He said, a large tent-like shirt flying over his shoulder to land with the rest of the stuff he had thrown out. He quickly and carefully placed what was left of his belongings - his invisibility cloak, photo album, the Firebolt he had gotten from Sirius, the Marauders' Map, old school books, and robes – back into the trunk and closed the lid.
"Plans? What kind of plans?" Draco asked, looking at the pile of clothes skeptically, trying to find out just what the other boy could possibly plan on doing with them.
Harry gave him a mysterious smile, mischief dancing in his eyes, "You'll see," he replied as he kicked the clothes into a corner. "So, are you coming to Diagon and Muggle London with me?" He asked as they made their way out of the room and towards the front hall.
The blonde smirked, "Of course, how else can I be sure that you don't end up buying more rags? Plus it'll really piss Weasel and the Bookwork off to have me there."
Harry laughed a bit at that. "You have a point, Ron and Hermione will be pissed. The only bad part of that is that we'll have to listen to Ron bitch about it the whole time. And I don't think I'd do too bad picking out my own clothes, thank you very much! Though speaking of clothes, thanks again for letting me borrow this." He said, motioning towards the black shirt he was still wearing.
"No problem. It looks good on you." Draco said looking Harry over. 'Really good!' he thought as he took in the way the shirt fell on Harry's frame, slightly loose because of Harry's slighter build but still much better fitting than anything else he had ever seen the boy in outside of robes. As he realized his thoughts he shook his head slightly. "I'm a bit surprised that no one noticed you were wearing a shirt that actually fit, though. Especially with discussion about you needing clothes that fit."
Harry snorted, "Yeah, like they'd notice a shirt that fits when they haven't noticed that I've been getting drunk every night for the past week."
"Good point," The blonde nodded as the two of them stepped off the stairs and into the entrance hall.
The boys looked up to see Molly, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Remus Lupin and Tonks standing there talking amongst themselves. Both boys quickly noticed that the group was blocking the way to the door. They glanced at each other, wondering if the adults were going to try and tell them that they couldn't go. Harry cleared his throat loudly causing everyone to look towards him and the Slytherin next to him. "Excuse us, but you're in our way." He stated coolly.
"Hello, Harry. Mr. Malfoy," Remus greeted. "How are you boys today? Harry, Molly was just telling us that you and Mr. Malfoy wanted to go into Diagon Alley and Muggle London today. And that she doesn't think that you should be allowed, that it's too dangerous. Hermione agrees with her. Ron wants to go to Diagon but not Muggle London and doesn't want Mr. Malfoy to go with. And Ginny agrees with the two of you completely."
"Really? Well, isn't that interesting? But you're still in our way." Harry replied, his voice still cool, though he sent a glare Ron and Hermione's ways.
"Now, Harry Dear, it's just too dangerous. You can't –" Mrs. Weasley started only to be cut off by Harry.
"I thought I made my thoughts on this clear, Mrs. Weasley. You are not my mother and therefore have no say in what I can and can not do! I'm going!" The raven-haired boy practically growled out.
"Oh, come on, Mum! Harry already consented to wearing a glamour in the Alley! Why can't you just let him go?" Ginny exclaimed glaring at her mother.
"Ginny!" Hermione sounded scandalized that Ginny would talk back to her mother that way. "Your mother is right. It's much too dangerous for Harry to leave the house!"
Tonks stood there watching the argument with wide eyes, not having any desire to get involved.
"He needs out of this house, Hermione! This place is freakin' depressing! I think it's depressing and I barely even knew Sirius! It has to be a million times more depressing to Harry! He needs a day out of here! We all do! It's just one day, we'll be back at Hogwarts in two weeks." Ginny retorted. "And, Ron, Malfoy can come if he wants! He's not evil! I think the condition he arrived here in is enough proof of that! If you have a problem with him going then you can just say here! You know what? If you think it's so dangerous then why don't you stay here too, Hermione?"
Harry and Draco both blinked at her a few times before sharing a quick glance and returning to staring at the youngest Weasley in surprise. Neither of them had expected her to come to their defense so fiercely.
Ron angrily opened his mouth to yell back but was cut off by Remus once again making his presence known.
"I am in agreement with Harry, Mr. Malfoy, and Ginny." Remus said, raising his voice a bit so that everybody would hear him. "Harry has been cooped up in this house for the past two weeks and I think it would do him some good to get out for a day, the same goes for the rest of you."
"But –" Hermione started.
"Hermione, I am in agreement with Ginny. If you think it is too dangerous, then stay here. We can get your supplies for you. The same applies to you, Ron, concerning Mr. Malfoy. If you have a problem with him going, stay here. I don't want to put up with bickering all day." Remus said.
Mrs. Weasley looked slightly shocked. "Remus! You can't honestly be thinking about allowing them to leave the house! It's too dangerous, I tell you!" She cried indignantly.
At this point Tonks tentatively spoke up. "Actually, Molly, if they use glamours, it really shouldn't be too dangerous. And Remus and I will be there in case anything does happen. Besides, Harry does have a point…You aren't his mum or his guardian so you have no say over what he does. Same goes for Draco. Actually if anyone had any say over what Draco did it would be me since I'm his older cousin. And I don't mind if he goes, so long as he uses a glamour and behaves. Not that I actually have any say over what he does, but still. The only ones that you can actually forbid from going are Ron and Ginny, but I don't think you should. They need a day out of this house." The currently purple-haired metamorphmagus said.
The Weasley Matriarch huffed, "Fine. Go! But you are all wearing glamours!"
Harry and Draco both rolled their eyes. "Right, because we so wanted her permission!" Draco mumbled under his breath causing Harry to snort lightly. Remus sent him a sharp look, having heard his comment because of his werewolf hearing. Draco just gave him an innocent look in return.
"Well, I'm not going!" Hermione declared. "It's too dangerous and I don't think any of you should go either!"
"What about you, Ron? Are you staying here or going with?" Tonks asked.
"I'm staying here if the Ferret goes with," He replied looking at Harry like he expected Harry say that Draco couldn't go.
Harry merely shrugged, "Guess you're staying here then."
"Well, I'm definitely going," Ginny said as her brother looked at Harry in shock before stalking up the stairs, Hermione close behind him.
"So, who's doing the glamours?" Draco asked looking between Remus and Tonks.
"Remus will," Tonks said, "I'm not real great at them since I don't need to use them."
"Alright, why don't I start with you, Mr. Malfoy?" Remus questioned, "Any preference on how you'd like to look?"
"Um, how about messy, brown hair – about two and a half inches long - intense hazel eyes, and a bit of a tan?" Draco said questioningly.
Remus nodded and pulled out his wand, a quick spell later and a very different looking Draco Malfoy was standing in front of them.
"Alright, Ginny, your turn, what do you want to look like?" Remus asked turning towards the redhead.
"Let's see here…Let's go with longish blonde hair, blue eyes and a bit of a tan as well." She replied.
Remus nodded and moments later the spell was done. "Alright, Harry, what are we doing for you?"
"I want blonde hair just past the nape of my neck, with the front of my hair long enough that I can tuck it behind my ear and really blue eyes." Harry described what he wanted.
"Alright," Remus said and once again performed the spell. Once he was done with Harry he turned his wand on himself and changed his own appearance. In the place of a man with messy, short brown hair, amber eyes and facial stubble there was now a man with a clean-shaven face, brown eyes, and chin-length black hair with red highlights who looked about 10 years younger than Remus. "Okay, all we need now are new names and we're ready to go. I'll be Ash."
"Taryn," Ginny said.
"I'll be Apollo," Draco said.
"And I'm Hunter, Taryn's older brother." Harry stated.
"Hey, did you guys forget about me?" Tonks questioned and the others turned to look at her. She now had long brown hair, brown eyes and a tan. She gave a bright grin and 'introduced' herself, "My name's Artemis and I'm Apollo's older sister."
Remus smiled at her and looked over the others. "Well, it looks like we're ready. What do you think Molly? Do you think anyone will suspect that the five of us are who we are?" He asked as he turned to Mrs. Weasley who had stood off to the side and watched as the glamours were applied.
Molly looked over the five of them before grudgingly admitting, "No, I don't think anyone will suspect. Even so, you lot be careful! No go, before I change my mind." That said, she spun around and disappeared back into the kitchen.
"Come on, we have to floo to the Leaky Cauldron," Remus said as he lead the others into the sitting room and towards the fireplace. "Alright, Tonks – er, I mean Artemis will go through first, then Apollo, Taryn, Hunter and myself."
Tonks quickly threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace, stepped in, called out "Diagon Alley!" and disappeared in a flash of green flames. After a few minutes Draco followed her. Ginny stepped up to the fireplace and took some floo powder but paused before throwing it in and turned to Harry.
"Oh, I almost forgot, Harry, I like that shirt. It looks really good on you!" With that she tossed the floo powder into the fire, stepped in, shouted "Diagon Alley!" and was gone in a flash of green flames.
Harry blinked at the place where Ginny had been for a moment before shaking himself and reaching out for the floo powder. 'Maybe she's not too bad,' He thought. He was stopped just before he threw the powder by Remus's voice.
"She's right, you know. That shirt does look good on you. I'm guessing its on loan from Mr. Malfoy?" He said.
Harry just nodded and threw the powder into the flames and stepped in. "Diagon Alley!" He said and moments later he tumbled out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron, stumbling into Draco as he exited. He quickly grabbed on to the blonde-turned-temporarily-brunette so that he wouldn't fall to the floor. Draco's arms wrapped around Harry to help steady him. Once the Gryffindor finally had his footing he slowly loosened his hold on Draco, breathing in deeply before stepping back. 'Merlin, he smells good! Wait! Bad, bad Harry! No sniffing of the Malfoy!' He thought, taking an extra step back so that he wouldn't be tempted to breathe in the other boy's scent again.
Draco reluctantly let his arms fall from around Harry's waist as the other boy stepped back. When Harry had stumbled into Draco he had gaped at the unexpected impact, getting a lungful of Harry's scent in the process. 'Wow, he smells delicious...' He thought. Anything else that he may have thought was interrupted by the arrival of the last member of their group as Remus stepped out of the fireplace, the now-brown eyes glancing around making sure that everyone had made it okay.
Harry cleared his throat slightly, "Well, everyone's here so…Shopping!" He exclaimed, an excited gleam in his now-bright-blue eyes and a grin on his face, "Let's go!" He quickly grabbed Ginny's hand and started pulling her toward the back door of the Cauldron. "Come on, 'Sis!' Time to shop!"
Draco smirked and chuckled as he watched his new friend drag the now-blonde Weasley out the back door towards the entrance to Diagon Alley.
Remus merely shook his head in amusement before offering his arm to Tonks who giggled and looped her arm through his.
The three of them made it out back just as the entrance to Diagon Alley finished opening.
Harry was practically bouncing in place as he once more grabbed Ginny's hand and started pulling her away. He glanced back over his shoulder at the others with a grin, "Come on, let's go! Places to go, people to see…Things to buy!" And with that he was headed off down the Alley, pulling a laughing Ginny along behind him.
Draco watched them in amusement for a moment before turning to Remus and Tonks, "Well, looks like it's time to shop!" He said and took off after the others, throwing his arm over Harry's shoulder once he caught up with them. "So, Gringott's first?" The adults heard him ask.
The two adults shared an amused glance as the headed after the three teens, keeping them well within their line of sight but not worrying too much about catching up to them at the moment. "Oh yeah, they definitely needed this," Tonks stated.
Remus merely nodded as the two of them trailed after the teens, 'Yes,' He thought, 'They definitely needed this.'
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Yay! Another chapter done! Please don't hate me for leaving it there! I have a pretty good idea of how the shopping trips will go but I didn't want all of it to go in this chapter or else it would take me forever to update again. It still might take me at least a couple weeks if not longer to update again after this one. Also, a major reason I decided to end it here is that it's 1:30 in the morning and I started working on this chapter at noon! I didn't even stop to eat; I stopped to make my food but ate while typing!
Oh, if anyone wants to see what I had in mind for the finished effect on the glamours check out these pics:
For Harry/Hunter I used is Chris Jericho, a former WWE Supertar –
http:// fozzy rock . com / Chris commentary . htm
For Draco/Apollo I used Drew Fuller who played Chris Halliwell on Charmed –
http:// charmed ones world . com / Drew Fuller 1000204 . JPG
For Remus/Ash I used Criss Angel, a magician/illusionist –
http:// www . flickr . com / photos / streetmagic / 431361026 /
For Ginny/Taryn I used Lilian Garcia, the WWE Raw ring announcer –
http:// www . body slamming . com / wwe / lilian . html
And for Tonks/Artemis I used Charisma Carpenter who played Cordelia on Buffy and Angel – http:// buffy gallery . free servers . com / cgi-bin / i / Cordelia . jpg
So, if you wanna know what I had in mind for their glamour appearances check those out. Just copy and paste the addresses into your address bar and remove the spaces.
And if anyone cares, this chapter was 7 pages and 2,651 words long, about 1,000 words longer than the last one and the longest chapter in the story so far! Yay!
Anyway, please, please, please review and let me know what you think!
Until Next Time,
Kyra