:P
Harry got out of bed and wandered down into the common room to sit in a chair and stare at the fire. He went to rest his head on his cheek, but yanked it back when a stinging sensation reminded him of the beating he'd received last night from Ronald. He recalled the anger the redhead had expressed at seeing the Slytherin scarf drapped over his shoulders. He remembered the fist hitting his face so suddenly he had wondered where it had come from. He had fought back. He had kicked and punched and he swore he'd even bitten at least once. Ronald had been pulling hair and clawing and had grabbed Harry's head to shove it down into the ground so hard it'd broken Harry's glasses in two, a shard of glass piercing into Harry's nose, far too close to his eye. He recalled the scarf being initially used to strangle him and then it flying abruptly into the fire after the Weasley twins had intervened and pulled Ronald away.
It had all been too much and Harry was glad Ronald had chosen to go home for the Christmas holidays. If only Hermione had decided to stay, but he figured she wanted to go home and get away from the castle where most everyone else was growing closer to their particeps while hers was no where in sight. He got up and left the common room and walked through the castle, feeling worse and worse by the minute.
He was alone. He was the only person in Gryffindor Tower.
Aimlessly, he wandered through the corridors, stopping by the empty library, and in the Great Hall, not meaning to search, but searching anyways. After some time, he found himself facing the Slytherin Common Room entrance, completley in awe over how he'd found it. Staring at the blank stone, he wondered if maybe he should abandon the rising idea of trying to break in. Theodore wasn't even here and it'd be pointless to break in if he wasn't going to be visiting him. He continued to stare at the entrance, willing it to open. Maybe, if it opened, Theodore would come out, having decided to stay, but Harry knew this wouldn't happen. Though he had been told that particeps, over time, could sense emotions and feel the connection, Harry had been unable to feel anything over the past few weeks...until today. He knew, without a doubt, that the Slytherin boy was miles away from here and getting further and further away with each passing second. The feeling in his chest was like someone had latched a hook to his heart and was tugging on the string, but the more time that passed the weaker the tugs became until finally he couldn't feel anything...except one thing: the raw ache the repeated tugging had left behind.
"Pure-Blood." He said without thinking and stared at the stone that refused to move. "Salazar. Slytherin. Potions. Basilisk. Chamber of Secrets."
Nothing happened and he felt surges of anger and frustration crash like waves against him. "Open. Open. Open. Please. Come on..."
"What!" The voice made Harry quite literally jump with fright, his hairs standing on end. He spun and stared in wide-eyed horror at Professor Snape, who looked livid with his ears pinned back and his tail swishing violently. "What are you doing, Potter!"
"I'm looking for Nott." Harry replied as casually as he could manage. "Isn't the Slytherin dormitories somewhere down here?"
"It is against all House policies to permit students into their House who are not from it." Snape spat, hair rising. "That's ten points for snooping around where you shouldn't be, Potter."
"I was only looking for Nott."
"He isn't here." Snape stated sternly, but something had changed. The violence had gone and his ears were now perked forward and his tail had stilled. "Surely you know that."
"I...do..." Harry was surprised he admitted this and decided it was time to leave. "Sorry."
As he walked away, he looked back only to see Snape leaving as well without coming after him with more snide reprimandings, for which Harry was grateful.
The following day found Harry at Hagrid's after the man had received a letter from the Ministry, who would apparently be holding a hearing concerning Buckbeak's future. This caused Harry to spend the rest of the days leading up to Christmas in the library, trying to find a solution for Hagrid, but he honestly had no idea where to look.
On Christmas Day, the only brightening moment was when he'd found a Firebolt amongst his gifts, but it had no nametag. He thought, perhaps, it was from Dumbledore, but then reconsidered. Maybe...McGonagall? She'd bought him his last broom...but this broom was significantly greater in price than his Nimbus 2000. He pondered this and then a glimmer of hope rushed through his mind. Maybe...no...but maybe...Theodore? He doubted it. From what he had learned (through Hermione), the Nott family was one of the old wizarding families and Theodore and his father were the last of the line carrying the name. She didn't know much else about them aside from the fact every single member had been sorted into Slytherin. It was assumed they had plenty of riches, but no one knew for sure.
Making a mental note to try to ask without actually asking, Harry slipped the Firebolt under his bed and made his way down for lunch in the Great Hall. With so few people (all the Heads of Houses, Dumbledore, Filch, two first years from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and a fifth-year Slytherin), they were not sitting at the House Tables, but a small table set for just the right number. Harry wondered if he should maybe not have come as he sat down at the table.
As they all started eating, Professor Trelawney made her way in and took a seat with them. McGonagall and Trelawney clearly did not get along as they bickered about why Lupin wasn't there (Harry focused even more pointedly at his food) and hoped no one would notice him acting differently.
"I got a wonderful pair of socks this year." Dumbledore announced through the meal as if this was of incredible importance. His white ears were twitching elatedly on his head. "One can never have enough, of course. These ones are pink with little stars and moons all over them. I must say, they're very soft."
McGonagall was red as she hid her smile with a napkin she was pretending to clean up with. "Yes. We all know your infatuation with socks...socks and lemon drops."
"Ah, yes." Dumbledore smiled at her. "Thank you for sending me the gift of lemon drops. I've really taken a liking to them."
"We know." Her eyes were amused.
"And what of you, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked conversationally. "What was the greatest gift you got this year?"
"A card." She answered, but she didn't seem upset. "From a first year. She made it herself. Beautiful magic. Rusty, but beautiful."
Dumbledore grinned. "And Pomona?"
"Oh, my sister sent me a wonderfully rare herb." She gave a giggle. "It'll sing a new song every day. It's quite lovely. Right now, I believe it is singing a Muggle tune, but I can't remember the name of it. It's still a young herb, so it gets shrill every once in a while."
Dumbledore gave a chuckle. "Ah, yes. Transitioning years. What of you, Filius?"
"A cousin of mine sent me a box of sugar mice." Filius laughed lightly. "Oh, but he charmed them to dance the moment I opened the box. It was very exciting. The charm was already wearing off though once they got to me. They weren't doing much dancing, but the gesture was so nice. Honestly, I didn't think he could perform a single charm."
"What about you, Severus?" Dumbledore turned to the man beside him. "I know you like to hide what you get for Christmas, but surely you got something you'd be willing to tell us about."
"Someone sent me potion ingredients." Snape answered shortly, ears swiveling backwards. "Rare and difficult to find potion ingredients."
"That must have made your year." McGonagall muttered, rolling her eyes slightly. Harry swore she mumbled, "Or your life..." under her breath.
"And Sibyll?" Dumbledore continued while Snape and McGonagall glared at each other.
"A new set of tea cups." She had a surprisingly happy look in her eyes that made them look watery. "They have little frogs painted on them. Quite lovely."
"How about you, Derek?"
The first year jumped at being addressed by the Headmaster, tail suddenly fidgeting. "I-I-I got a...um...an owl."
"Oh, a pet is always a wonderful thing." Dumbledore smiled down at the boy. "Have you already named it?"
"M-Maybe."
"You might have a name for it?" Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling.
"N-no..." The boy was very red. "That's...the owl's...name."
The Ravenclaw first year gave a laugh and Harry could see smiles spreading around the teachers, who were trying to act like this was an acceptable owl name. The Slytherin looked thoroughly disgusted and Snape was emotionless. Dumbledore, of course, thought it was brilliant.
"And you, Melissa?"
The Ravenclaw's cheeks flushed. "Some books."
"Books make incredible gifts." He turned to the Slytherin. "And what did you get this year for Christmas, Maverick?"
"A new broom."
"I got a new broom too." Harry blurted unintentionally and everyone seemed interested, though the Slytherin gave him a dark look. Amending his mistake, he asked, "What did you get?"
"A Nimbus 2001." The boy answered curtly. "You?"
"Um..." Harry didn't want to say suddenly. All eyes were on him and he felt immediate embarrassment because he felt incredibly rude for jutting in. It seemed, even to him, like all he wanted to do was share what he'd gotten and didn't care what anyone else had gotten. Snape's eyes narrowed. "Well, I actually can't keep it."
"Why is that, Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked, alarmed.
Knowing this would happen the moment Hermione returned anways, he finally consented. "I don't know who sent it to me."
Her brows rose in surprise and he saw Snape stiffen.
"Why can't you keep it?" The Ravenclaw was confused.
"Because there could be a jinx on it." Flitwick answered quickly. "It is always best to check for jinxes on anything that hasn't been signed. Correct, Headmaster?"
"Well, if it is obvious who the sender is then I see no reason." Dumbledore smiled kindly. "It is always wise to know when to be suspicious. What broomstick did you receive, Harry? Perhaps that will be answer alone to whether or not it should be checked."
"It should be checked." Harry sighed, looking down at his nearly empty plate with disappointment.
"Must be a good broom then." Maverick huffed, eying Harry.
"Irresistible." Harry muttered then finally relented. "It's a Firebolt."
Harry practically ran down into the entrance hall the day everyone returned from break and, spotting Theodore, started towards him, but stopped when he saw the boy laughing...actually genuinely laughing...alongside Malfoy and Zabini. His gut jolted as he watched, wanting to be in the middle of it all and involved with Theodore's happiness. Hermione approached him, smiling and seemingly more alive from her vacation, but this smile vanished at sight of Harry's distraught look.
"What?" She asked as Gryffindors began to shove past them.
The words came out before he could think to stop them and somehow they seemed to echo through the hall even though he had been talking in a normal voice. They had silenced everyone and brought steel blue eyes up to his own to stare in surprise.
"I wish I wasn't in Gryffindor."
Harry sat in McGonagall's office wishing he was buried in a hole somewhere in the Forbidden Forest where no one could find him...or maybe at the bottom of the Black Lake. His Head of House was on the other side of the desk looking very concerned, her normally serious look now lined with worry marks.
"Mr. Potter." She began after a long moment. "I...know that being in a different House from your particep can be difficult. My own was in Ravenclaw and so I understand a little of what you're going through. Regardless, it is really unwise and incredibly rude to wish you were in a different House."
"I'm sorry, Professor." He mumbled, ears backwards on his head and tail fidgeting nervously.
"Now, I do know how much...tunnel vision a new connection can give students." McGonagall told him seriously. "It is especially strong for more...well, for certain people whose lives have been hard and who have spent a good portion of their life wanting a deep connection with someone. Finding that your particep is in a different House and less readily available is incredibly difficult on anyone. I can only imagine how much more difficult it is for you when your particep comes from a House which Gryffindor has had a lot of...tension with."
"Professor..."
"I am not done speaking, Mr. Potter." She interrupted. "Now, Professor Snape has already informed me of a great heap of issues he has noticed and we both agree that the few sessions of lock-ins with Mr. Nott is simply not enough for you. We have already made arrangements for a study group for the two of you."
"A study group?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Yes." She said calmly. "There are a couple other cross-House pairs who are struggling, so we believe it would be best if you all studied together."
"Other cross-House pairs?"
"Ella Reese was paired with Wayne Hopkins, Megan Jones with Lisa Turpin, and Stephen Cornfoot with Terence Higgs." She smiled slightly. "This is incredibly lucky in a way because in this group there will be two members from each House and no one will feel outnumbered."
"W-when do we start?" Harry mumbled weakly.
"You will study together every day after classes." She told him strictly. "You are to all meet in classroom eleven on the first floor. This is a requirement."
"Yes, Professor." Harry nodded.
"And, Mr. Potter." The concerned frown had returned. "If you are having any troubles...any at all...I would like you to bring them to me."
"Yes...Professor." He stood and left as soon as she let him, desperate to get away from her and the new stress she had added.
A study group for the cross-House pairs? Like they needed to be pointed out and separated any further from everyone else!
Hope you are enjoying. :D