Hi everyone! Sera here! Um, I havent really done this before, but I just wanted to give a quick notice that I might not update as regularly from now on as I am back to school, but I will continue to write as often as I can. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
And spend the next few days mute he did. Every time he spotted the Malfoy in the corridors or in Transfiguration, he would religiously ignore the other boy. For a couple of days, Malfoy triumphantly took every opportunity to hurl insults at Harry across the corridors, but when days went by and he still did not receive any retaliation, he instead just took to staring Harry disdainfully whenever he went by.
Lessons were particularly awkward too, and Ron and Hermione had to help him communicate to the teachers that he was unable to speak. As a result, most of the teaching staff at Hogwarts was under the impression that Harry was under some kind of a modified liplock jinx, but that he had the situation under control and was sorting it out. His interactions with his friends were also understandably awkward, and Harry just found himself mostly ignored as they all talked and laughed.
After a few days, Harry was completely and utterly done with this. It was obvious that this wasn't going away anytime soon, and he felt so isolated like this. He hadn't felt this lonely since the holidays of second year, when he thought he had been abandoned by his friends, and this was even worse, as they were right there but he was unable to speak to them. He was frustrated and ready for this forced silence to be over, and the only way he could think of to get rid of it was to get Malfoy to tell him to speak.
So, he went on a hunt for the other boy. It was surprisingly difficult, as Malfoy clearly avoided spending much time in places he could be cornered by other students who thought he should be in a cell in Azkaban. As a result, Harry had taken to pulling out the Marauders map every time he had a free period, but the other boy was always either in class or somewhere in the Slytherin dorms.
However, on Thursday afternoon, Harry finally spotted Malfoy on the map, making his way towards the library. He chucked the map onto his bed, unable to wipe it without his voice, and raced towards the corridor he knew Malfoy would have to walk through to get to the library. It was fairly far away, but Harry was fast, and, thanks to several years of the map and the tw- George, knew several shortcuts that would get him there.
He sprinted through the corridors, eventually bursting through a fake tapestry and into the corridor just as Malfoy turned the corner into it. Malfoy jumped slightly in surprise, but then smirked slightly at the challenge, and headed towards him. "Fancy seeing you here Potter." Malfoy taunted. "Thinking about your dead mudblood mother?"
Rage boiled inside Harry at the taunt, but he couldn't retaliate, despite desperately wanting to. This appeared to confuse Malfoy. "What is wrong with you at the moment Potter?" The blond boy asked in disgust. "Just retaliate you fucking twat."
Harry smiled slightly, having achieved his aim in getting the other boy to tell him to speak, and opened his mouth to say something offensive in return, but nothing came out. He felt like screaming in irritation, but Malfoy clearly hadn't been irritated enough to use his Alpha voice instinctively.
So, after a moment's thought, Harry raised his wand, not to cast a jinx or curse, but to do something that Malfoy would probably find much more infuriating. He cast a non-verbal spell to simply change Malfoy's hair… to be as orange as Ron's and as messy as his own had been before the transformation. It was an invention of George's own, a fairly simple spell that changed your hair's colour, texture and length for 48 hours, but once the spell was cast, it was impossible to change your hair back to it's original state until the allotted time was up.
At first Malfoy couldn't figure out why Harry was silently laughing hysterically, but then his hand flew to his hair in horror, as his hair lengthened slightly, turning orange and exploding into a complete mess. He conjured a mirror, and at first glared at Harry, seething , but then seemed to calm down. "Really Potter? Transfiguration? How juvenile." He asked in a patronising drawl, already casting a spell to return his hair back to it's normal state. When it didn't work, he frowned. He tried another spell, but when this also want successful, fury dawned in his eyes. "This better not be fucking PERMANENT Potter!" He yelled. When Harry, of course, didn't respond, only silently giggled even more, he got even angrier. "At least say something you asshole!" Malfoy yelled, and this time the alpha tone was audible in his voice. Harry felt his voice go back to him, and took in a deep breath, that felt like he had held it for a week, and smiled.
However, with one glance at Malfoy, who was absolutely fuming at the damage to his precious hair, Harry decided that his best bet would probably be to leg it. He darted back through the tapestry, and headed down a confusing maze of passages that Malfoy would not be able to follow him through. He stepped through trick walls, tickled doors to make them open and slid down the banister of an otherwise non corporeal staircase, before arriving at Gryffindor tower.
"Leonem!" Harry blurted as soon as the Fat Lady was within earshot, and scrambled inside the portrait as it swung open.
As Harry reached his door, he laughed for the first time in days. It felt good to have his voice back again.
~oOo~
Draco was enraged. More than enraged. He was fucking livid.
It was one thing to insult his parents or his blood purity, or even hex or jinx him, but how DARE Potter turn him into some WEASLEY lookalike. His hair was ruined, and he even looked like a total blood traitor! This was awful, especially when Draco had no idea of the permanence of this spell. He ran a hand through his thick, messy ginger hair that he now had to deal with. He couldn't let anyone else see him like this, his entire reputation would be ruined!
He sighed and grabbed a hat out of his suitcase.
~oOo~
The next day, Harry ambled into the eighth year common room, a huge smile on his face. Not only had he got his voice back, he had got one over on Malfoy. "Hi Ron, Hi Hermione." He greeted his two friends, who were waiting for him. Hermione gasped and immediately dropped the book that she always seemed to read in the common room on the floor.
"Harry! Your voice!" She squealed excitedly.
"It wore off then?" Ron asked Harry, grinning.
At this Harry pulled a face. "Well, not really…" He admitted, and explained what had transpired between him and Malfoy the previous day.
By the end, Ron's grin was so wide, it seemed like his face was going to split completely in two. "Good one mate! You've hit him right where it will hurt – his precious hair… I would have loved to see his face, the smug git."
Hermione, however, looked troubled. "Harry, you realise that when he works out that he is your dominant, he is going to want revenge?"
Ron brushed her off. "C'mon 'mione, you don't have to be such a downer about it. Just be happy that Harry has his voice back!"
So, by the time Harry ambled down to Care of Magical creatures later on, he was in particularly high spirits. He even arrived at Hagrid's cabin early!
When Hagrid saw him, he smiled from under his bushy beard, and his eyes crinkled happily. He strode forward to Harry and hugged him. "Hello 'Arry!" The half giant grinned. "Was so chuffed when I foun' out that you were takin' me class again, you 'ave no idea!" Harry grinned too, unable to resist Hagrid's enthusiasm. "I've got a righ' good lesson lined up today, somethin' I', sure you will be very well acquainted with!"
For the first time that day, Harry felt a twinge of unease. What Hagrid called a "Right good lesson" usually turned out to be somebody else's worst nightmare. He smiled hesitantly at Hagrid nonetheless, and turned to look around.
By this time, most of the class had arrived, and Hagrid strode forward to start the lesson. And then, of course, because Harr';s life was just like this, Hagrid started leading them directly into the forbidden forest. Fighting off twinges of unease, Harry, and the rest of the rather small class followed him. "I 'ad to get permission from McGonagall to show this to ya, its only in 'ere temporarily." He called behind him cheerfully, making nobody feel any better.
After a few minutes of walking through undergrowth, the class emerged into a vaguely familiar clearing, with a paddock. And, inside the paddock, was a dragon.
~oOo~
Draco was only five minutes into his Arithmancy class, when he felt a light tug in his stomach. He shifted uncomfortably. The lower part of his wings were squished against his chair, and now tugging too? He ignored it, and there was another tug, stronger. His mate must feel uncomfortable…
When the next tug actually pulled him right out of his seat, the class turned to him, with various expressions ranging from curiosity to hostility. "Erm… can I use the bathroom?" He asked awkwardly, fairly aware that he would be leaving the classroom whether he liked it or not. When Professor Vector said yes, he hurried out of the door. He walked, following the general direction of the tug, which began to increase in strength, until Draco was jogging to stay on his feet.
Suddenly, the tug intensified, tripping him up. Draco fell, his hat flying away from him. He landed on his front, and as he reached for the hat to cover his mop of orange hair, the tug pulled him away from it. With no dignity left, Draco allowed himself to be dragged along the floor towards his supposed mate, faster and faster. He was soon whizzing out of the Hogwarts building, his surroundings a blur.
However, when Draco approached the forbidden forest, he grew more wary. What the fuck was his mate doing in the forbidden forest? He was still being pulled, when suddenly he turned a corner and was confronted with a group of people, and something very big.
The tug suddenly changed direction, pulling him suddenly to his feet in time to collide directly with someone smaller, knocking them out if the way instinctively as a jet of fire shot behind them. He wasn't quite fast enough though, and he felt the flame lick a tongue of fire his arm. He hissed in pain, as he and the other person fell to the floor, landing in an undignified heap, with Draco directly above.
Shaking his head dazedly, Draco turned his head to take in his surroundings for the first time. He was in a clearing, surrounded by what seemed to be a small class… and a dragon. That oaf, Hagrid, was wrestling some kind of fireproof muzzle onto it. And, underneath him, must be his mate. "Umm, are you ok, whoever you are?" Asked a voice.
Draco looked down, and his eyes met emerald ones, blinking at him in confusion, a pair of glasses lying to the side of him.
No.
Draco climbed off of the smaller boy, immediately wincing at the burn on his arm. Potter scrambled to his feet as well, picking up his glasses and putting them on, as he dusted off his robes. He then looked up, and, upon seeing Malfoy, his mouth widened into a shocked "O".
At this point, Hagrid noticed him, and apparently the burn on his arm. "Where'd you come from Malfoy?" He asked, baffled. When he got no response, he continued. "Oh, nevermin' , can you take 'im to the 'hospital wing 'arry?" He said, clearly confused.
Potter nodded stiffly, and turned to exit the clearing. Malfoy followed, unsure of the way out anyway. Neither of them spoke until they were a fair distance from the class. "Dragons Potter? Really?" Asked Draco in disbelief. "How did that even happen?"
Potter sighed. "It wasn't on purpose. Hagrid brought in a dragon for today's creatures class, and it was looking at me all lesson. We started doing a thing, trying to approach it, but everyone was fine because it just looked at me… Then it was my turn and… well… you were there…. Actually, why were you there Malfoy? You just seemed to appear out of nowhere and knock me out of the way…"
This brought him back to himself. "Because I turned into a veela in the holidays and It's my job to rescue my twat of a mate whenever he does anything stupid!" To illustrate his point, he removed the glamour over his wings, showingthem to the other boy.
At this, Potter's eyes widened, but not in shock. It seemed to be more like… the expression of someone who had just been caught in a lie. "Look I… don't know what you're talking about Malfoy. Just… take your fucking self to the hospital wing." Potter spat, his tone becoming more hostile, though it still lacked any real hatred and seemed to be tinged with fear, as he headed into the woods.
Draco decided to test his theory. "Potter, stop." He told the retreating back of the smaller boy. "Potter, I said stop!" He yelled. When Potter came to an abrupt halt, Malfoy grinned. This could make for an interesting year.
