It wasn't until Pansy actually picked up Crookshanks and started fussing over him when Goyle realised they had made a mistake. Kind of…
"Hey, haven't we missed something?" They all exchanged curious looks. Then Draco's face fell into a highly un-amused expression.
"We haven't done the fireplace yet." As soon as the words had left Draco's mouth everyone's expressions matched his, apart from Pansy who looked disgusted at the ginger fur in her hands and instantly let go of it then walked back out the room to take another 'lush' bath, this called for chocolate and a magazine, it was horrible being the only girl, she would need extra comfort tonight.
Blaise and Harry stared worriedly at Draco as he got up to go to bed. Suddenly Crabbe stood up glaring at them.
"Draco, Pansy, stop right there, if we work together we'll get the fireplace finished by morning, we can't leave Snape and Hermione there much longer can we?" Ron stood up as well, knowing they had to do this.
He looked around the room, Pansy had gone back into the bathroom, Draco was laying fully clothed on the bed, Harry had bursted into tears because he wasn't going to save Hermione and Snape and Blaise started crying because Harry was upset. This was ridiculous.
"Blaise, Draco's upset, I need to save him!" Harry wailed into his boyfriends shoulder. Ron tutted, these bloody soul expressions!
"EVERYONE GET YOUR ARSES BACK IN HERE AND HELP ME WITH THE FIRE PLACE, BLOODY HELL, PANSY I MEANT FOR YOU TO GET DRESSED FIRST!" Ron yelled, turning the other way and going bright red. That girl had been normal before her soul expression.
Harry stood up; wiping tears from his face with a determined look on his face, Blaise instantly stopped crying, an admiring look on his face. Harry walked over to the table with the Marauders Map above it and picked up Professor Lupin's letter, he then sat cross legged on the floor in front of Draco.
"The method I'll be teaching you children by paper is quite complicated but I'm sure between the seven of you, you will master it. It is not a standard floo spell because you are all to floo at the same time. The floo powder has been provided in the grey envelope, DO NOT LOSE IT! IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE!" Draco sniffled and sat up taking the letter off Harry, who smiled.
"To open the fire place, use the standard floo clearing spell (Draco you should know this.)" Draco read. "Oh, and I do by the way." He added then looked back down. "Anyway, you are to channel it only to Professor Snape's house and to the room of requirement, no-where else!"
"After you've set the channels, you all need to step into the fire place at the same time with a strand of your hair and the floo powder, drop them one after the other and the last person is to say the destination. I have wrote that you should also link it to the room of requirement because I want you to practise by going there first, in case the spell isn't working properly, okay? By using this method of floo, it enables more security; it only opens the floo for anyone travelling with you seven. No-one can floo on their own it won't allow it, it's two or more, and anyone accompanying you will have to hold onto you; kind of like side along flooing. So no-one but you children can get in and out of that fireplace, okay? I can't have you all being murdered in your sleep, I'd never forgive myself."
"If you are all clear with that go and do it, floo into the room of requirement to activate it, and then you can go on your little mission thing. Only, if you write to me telling me when you're going, who is going, and update me when you get back. Good luck. Professor Lupin. PS. This letter did not happen, it doesn't exist, you haven't heard from me in weeks. I'm not part of this plan, is that clear? Otherwise I'll disclose childhood secrets this includes, Blaise, Draconis, Gregory, Vincent and Pansy, I have my sources." Draco frowned at the last part… he sounded like looked up from the instructions and was startled to see everyone had sat in front of him on the bed and floor.
"I don't get it." Crabbe said scratching his head.
"What don't you get, the threatening?" Blaise asked. "Because it sounded pretty clear to me, we'll be doomed, I was a demon child."
"I won't." Said Ron. "I've got Fred and George for brothers, no-one can beat them. My childhood is daisies compared to theirs."
"I meant the floo." Crabbe confirmed.
"You wouldn't." Pansy muttered, now dressed, and rolled her eyes.
"Don't be mean, Pansy, apologise now." Draco said crossly, no-one could fall out, they needed to save Hermione.
"Fine, sorry."
"Maybe I don't want to accept it Pansy, everyone treats me inferior because I'm not as smart as you all." Crabbe fumed; Goyle patted him on the back.
"Accept it now." Draco narrowed his eyes.
"Okay, Draco!" He said cheerfully causing Pansy to roll her eyes again.
"So what are we doing now?" Goyle asked.
"Well the floo channeling is simple, I can have that finished in a few hours, you guys can just relax I guess. Then we can all floo to the room of requirement." Everyone nodded.
"Does this mean I can go for my bath now?" Pansy asked hesitantly, she didn't want Ron to yell at her again.
"Yeah, suppose." Blaise yawned. He lay back onto the bed and Harry sat down beside him. The other five all wandered off doing there different things.
"Do you think we'll get them back, Harry?" Blaise looked up, Harry was hovering above him smiling, but his smile wavered at the question.
"I hope so, I need to save them. Hermione was my second friend ever, I don't want to lose her, she wants to work at the ministry and change animal enslavement laws, and she wants to publish a book, and she did mention travelling to Egypt to translate runes at one point and I want to watch her do them amazing things, I want to be there every step of the way." Harry felt a sting in his eyes but blinked back any tears, he didn't like crying in front of Blaise because of the whole 'don't show weakness' thing.
"She will go far, that Granger. I've got a good feeling about that one, Draco and her are good for each other." Harry nodded in agreement. It was weird to thing how fast everything had happened, two weeks ago, he and Blaise had been running around behind their friends backs, Draco and Hermione had hated each other. Ron wouldn't be seen flirting with Pansy, but now that was becoming a regular occurrence as well. The eight of them had bonded so much and it was all thanks to the boy lying down in his lap. Harry suddenly grinned; this light haired angel was his boyfriend. He was his first serious relationship, who he gave his virginity to and who had captured his heart, the grin spread further. And he had taken off his ring. Harry had noted that Draco still wore his, less proudly than before, but it was still there.
A growl of frustration redirected his attention. He watched Draco in fascination as Blaise played with his left hand, grasping it between his own and kissing along his palm, Harry wasn't really registering the sweet gesture though. Draco was kneeled in the soot of the fireplace, his hair had been tousled at the back, a black hand print was along the side of his face and his uniform was ruined. He looked totally pissed off that that moment, he had a book in his left hand, his wand in his right and was sat facing the back wall of the fireplace. The grey ashes were ruining his socks and trousers; he didn't seem to care though. Harry watched as Draco stood up and kicked the fireplaces back wall in frustration then made a strangled sort of gasp and glared at it.
"Bloody fire place, it's not co-operating. Work with me, damn it!" Draco yelled into the ashes.
"Draco do you want some…"
"I DON'T NEED HELP I CAN DO IT!"
"…hot chocolate; I'm going to the kitchen…" Ron finished trying to keep the smile of his face, Draco blushed.
"Oh, erm thanks Weasley that would be great, oh and can you get me some food, we didn't eat did we?"
"Oh yeah I know, I'm starving, I'll just bring Dobby up then." Draco nodded and turned to the fireplace again as Ron walked out the portrait under the invisibility cloak. Harry was so glad that those two were getting on. He had been worried about Ron hating Blaise, but then he found Hermione was courting Draco he wasn't worried about it anymore, after all, Blaise would be the last thing on Ron's mind. But thankfully, he had accustomed to both Blaise and Draco wonderfully.
After a while Blaise noticed Harry watching Draco, he turned and looked at him as well, leaning on his elbow no longer in Harry's lap.
"He hasn't sung in ages, do you think he has finally fallen?" Harry whispered, realising Blaise's focus.
"I don't think so, he was humming earlier."
"But you said he used to do that before."
"Well Harry, he has more important things on his mind, like Hermione." Blaise gestured looking at the soot covered Draco just to prove his point. He thought he'd never see anything like this; Draco Malfoy was now standing INSIDE a fireplace. Blaise jumped as he turned around and looked straight at them.
"Yeah it does. And she could have been murdered, raped, run over, shot, assassinated, crucio'ed, buried alive, held captive, tortured, burned at the stake…"
"Cheering charm." Everyone said in agreement from different parts of the tower.
"Joyeusement." Blaise muttered just as Draco sat back down, the white light hit the marble of the fireplace and fanned out.
"DUCK!" Harry yelled, pushing him and Blaise off the bed, and then popping his head above it to see if anyone had been hit. To everyone's utter horror, Pansy was standing in a towel having just walked out the bathroom, eyes wide and a huge smile on her face, she was bouncing up and down and twitching and could be mistaken easily for a five year old with a sugar rush.
"This isn't even funny." Crabbe and Goyle then locked themselves in the bathroom as Pansy started almost literally bouncing off the walls, Draco sat in the fireplace oblivious, either that or he could ignore yells of terror and breaking vases. In reality he was accustomed to it.
"Hello there, Deidre!" Pansy said suddenly and stopped bouncing on the bed. (This was scarring because she was in her towel.)
"No, I'm Harry."
"Oh, sorry. Hi there, Margaret."
"I'm Har-ry." He pronounced clearly.
"Well Ethel is Harry." Blaise bursted out laughing, Harry shot him a look of disapproval.
"Come on Pansy, why don't you give me a hug!" Harry said holding his wand behind his back.
"Who am I?" Pansy sat down on the floor confused, thinking deeply to herself.
"You're Pansy, now will you give me a hug?" Blaise tried.
"I know who I am, I'm Blaise Zabini!" She stood up looking pleased with herself. Blaise tried not to laugh.
"You just keep telling yourself that honey." Blaise said tapping her on the back, the portrait was closed this time, there was nowhere she could go really, and he walked off and flopped onto the couch.
"I know who I am, I'm Blaise Zabini, I know who I am, I'm Blaise…"
It was at that moment that Draco started kicking the fireplace, tears of frustration pouring down his face. Harry turned from Pansy and stood behind Draco wand raised, he was sure to aim correctly before he cast the spell.
"Draco, why don't you tell me about Hermione?" He asked as sweetly as possible. Draco span around a huge grin on his face and his eyes glittering.
"So many emotions, I just couldn't tell, I kept it to myself, I trusted no-one else." Draco sang advancing on Harry who backed away slightly. He nodded and smiled too scared to do anything else as Draco sang. "Should have let my feelings show, now it's time to let it go!" It was quite a high song, Harry noticed and he realised Draco had a brilliant voice, he would never be able to hit that note but Draco did it with ease that left Harry wondering whether it was the potion or not.
"That's nice Draco. Now why don't you finish the…"
"I got a feeling it's coming my way, I got a feeling, her love is to stay, I got a feeling and I'm so amazed!" Draco nodded at Harry enthusiastically.
"Aww isn't that nice Draco." He agreed with him, not daring to do anything else to the boy who was manically happy in front of him.
"Hmm, yes it is, we're going to get married and have millions of children, and then we're… Going to the chapel and we're, gonna get married, going to the chapel and we're going to get married! Gee I really love you and we're…"
"Real cute Draco, fireplace." Blaise said picking him up from behind and turning him to face the fireplace. Draco looked intent at it.
"I know lets save Hermione!" He picked up the book and started reciting spells again. Harry looked relieved; he might have cast it a bit strong, even for Draco. He turned as the portrait opened and Ron walked in followed by Dobby who was hovering seven plates. Pansy went running over to him and started crying in his shoulder.
"They tried to feed me to the Easter bunny, Ron!" She wailed, sobbing loudly. He tapped her back and looked at Harry and Blaise confused. They mouth 'cheering charm' and he nodded hugging her back properly.
Draco's attention moved from the fire place when food finally arrived, there were seven plates each containing bacon and sausage sandwiches, Draco looked offended.
"Where's mine?" He whined. Blaise leaned over the sandwiches and lifted the top slice of bread off a few before casting a quick cleaning charm on Draco then handing it to him. Ron looked questionly at Draco as he double checked the contents of his sandwich before taking a bite.
"Vegetarian." He said a mouthful of Quorn, a huge smile on his face at Ron's disgusted look.
"You don't eat meat?" Draco shook his head 'no'.
"Really?" Ron looked perplexed. "No sausages, bacon, steak,"
"Ew, no! You're making me feel sick, Weasley." Draco screwed up his face.
"Fish?" Ron said trying to catch him out.
"NO!"
"But that's not normal, do you not have Sunday dinner with potatoes and…"
"Yes, but just not meat, Weasley, get over it."
Silence.
"No wonder you're so skinny Malfoy. You don't get any fat."
"I get plenty of fat, shut up Weasley! It's normal; some people don't eat meat get over it okay."
Silence.
"So not even white meat?"
"WEASLEY!"
It wasn't until around midnight that Draco finally cracked it and managed to finish the fireplace connections. He told them all with a triumphant smirk.
"Well done Draco." Pansy yawned, the charm had worn off and she'd tired herself out by trying to climb inside a suit of armour, resulting in Ron getting a black eye. They all picked up an energy potion off the table and clanked them together with a 'cheers' before downing them.
"Right, we gonna try this then?"
"Of course," Harry smiled, they stepping into the fireplace one by one dropping the powder and one of their hairs then finally Goyle yelled,
"ROOM OF REQUIREMENT!"
Fanfiction is by Faith Valconbridge . This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author Notes:
Thankful for all the reviews everyone and a big sorry to the delay with the update. ~ducks as thing are thrown~ I do apologise though! I got so much positive feedback from the last chapter, thank you all!
Songs included in this chapter were 'Beautiful Girls' by Sean Kingston, 'Fantasy' by Appleton and 'Everytime we touch' by previously mentioned Cascada, 'I got a feeling' was by Headhunters featuring Karen Danzing and finally, "Chapel of Love" is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector, and made famous by The Dixie Cups in 1964.