Once again, it may be a little while until the next update. Until then, enjoy this! (and review, pretty please with a cookie on top [who likes cherries, really?])
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Harry had to laugh at the looks he was getting. He and Blaise were sitting with Hermione in the Gryffindor section of the Quidditch stands, cheering. People weren't quite sure what was weirdest, the fact that two Slytherins were in the Gryffindor section, sitting with Hermione Granger of all people, or the cheering. It was common knowledge that Blaise was going out with Ginny, so they could understand him being there, but the fact that Draco Malfoy (Harry in disguise, of course) was cheering for the Gryffindors of his own accord was messing with the other students confused little minds. Hermione and Blaise had noticed and were laughing as one girl wouldn't stop staring at him, as if she was wondering if she was dreaming. Blaise sent a neat blast of light to explode at the side of her face, which made her fall out of her seat in fright. Thankfully, after that she stopped staring. The game was in full swing, the score currently seventy-thirty to Gryffindor.
Ginny scored. Blaise jumped to his feet and yelled, pumping his fist. Ginny flew past the stands, and winked at him. Hermione and Harry exchanged grins as Blaise slumped back in his seat. He saw them smirking at him.
"What? I have a girlfriend and I'm proud of it."
Ron made a spectacular save, kicking it right to the centre of the stadium, where Ginny caught it and proceeded to score again. Blaise and Hermione stood on the benches and waved their arms and cheered loudly. Harry looked at his feet awkwardly.
"Just think," Hermione whispered as she sat back down, "maybe soon you'll be able to cheer for Draco at matches."
Harry elbowed her and kept watching the game. Or specifically Draco, or himself, depending on how you look at it. He had to admit to himself that did look like he was born to be on a broom. Maybe that was just Draco and his talent, but Harry couldn't help but wonder if he looked like that whilst flying. The only time he'd ever be graceful. He watched as Draco flew into a perfect dive. Harry could see the Snitch from his seat in the stands and was on the edge of his seat as the Hufflepuff Seeker set off after Draco.
"Potter! Potter! Potter!"came the chant from the stands. Harry instinctively turned around at the call of his name, and then realised it was just cheering for the person pretending to be him.
"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, shooting a sideways grin at the real Harry.
"Come on, Potter! Surely the Saviour can beat a bunch of Hufflepuffs!" Blaise yelled at twice the volume of Hermione's shout. They saw Draco grin even though he was in hot pursuit of the Snitch and halfway across the stadium. Blaise and Hermione looked expectantly at Harry.
Harry rolled his eyes and was about to yell something when he saw the Snitch suddenly completely change its course, leaving the two Seekers reeling, and desperately looking for it again. Harry, ever the Seeker, could see it hovering a few inches above the ground.
"Potter, you pillock!" he bellowed, "Is your eyesight really that bad that you can't see what's on the ground?"
Draco clearly heard the majestic echo of his own voice. He understood what was being said, and set off into another dive, the Hufflepuff Seeker nowhere near him, having flown around to the other side of the stadium. He could already taste victory, and when his hand was closed around the Snitch he rocketed straight upwards, and waved it above his head in triumph. The whistle blew, signalling the end of the match.
"Gryffindor wins!"
Hermione, Blaise and Harry all hugged each other and cheered. The noise from the crowd was deafening. Draco caught Harry's eye from where he was seated on his broom in the centre of the pitch, soaring high above everyone, still euphoric from winning. He gave him a curt nod, and a genuine smile spread across his face. Harry nearly fainted from joy.
...
Draco had to hand it to the Gryffindors. They threw one hell of a party. The common room was suddenly full of more red and gold banners, and there was an array of snacks and drinks laid out, and music was blaring through the room. Draco, was enjoying himself immensely, being the man of the match he was getting near-on all the attention. Another reason to enjoy being Harry Potter. The unbridled amount of respect and awe he received. He was now seated on top of Ron and Seamus' soldiers while everyone paid their respects to him. Well, more victorious, appreciative yelling, slurred by the effects of alcohol. He wondered why he was permitting Ron and Seamus to lift him up, but also blamed that on the alcohol. He also grudgingly respected them for the aforementioned alcohol. They had managed to slip it past Hermione and Professor McGonagall's watchful eyes under the guise of Butterbeer and pumpkin juice. Or maybe the two notoriously eagle eyed women were letting it slide. Draco didn't know nor care. He was enjoying his victory too much. He jumped off of his perch and landed neatly on the floor.
"Nice jump, mate," Ron slurred, clapping him on the shoulder, "Nice catch too."
Draco smirked at him. "Of course it was."
He set out across the room to get to Hermione and Ginny who were dancing together.
"Having a nice time, Draco?" Ginny asked, smiling as she shimmied in time to the music.
"Yeah. In Slytherin, victory is just expected. You get a few Congratulations if you win, and you get hell if you lose. I guess Gryffindor are just so used to losing that when they do win they have to celebrate."
"Unbelievable," Hermione exclaimed, "you're still insulting even though you're heavily intoxicated."
"And you're still a smart-arse," Draco retorted.
Hermione stuck her tongue out at him.
Ginny grabbed his arms. "Well, are you going to dance or not?"
Draco rolled his eyes and quickly got into the rhythm of the song and moved his body accordingly.
"Hey, you're pretty good," Ginny said approvingly.
"Too good to be Harry," Hermione commented.
"True, Harry dances worse than my dad does."
"I think every girl felt dreadful for poor Parvati that evening at the Yule Ball."
"We should really give him some dance lessons."
"Draco could teach him! He seems to be pretty good."
Draco wasn't really listened to the two girl's chatter. It was too high-pitched for his ears. He snapped back into it when he heard his name.
"Huh?"
"We said you could give Harry dance lessons," Hermione repeated.
Draco shrugged non-comittally. "He needs them. Don't you remember that time at the Yu-"
"Yule Ball?" Ginny and Hermione chorused.
Draco nodded. "Poor Parvati."
...
Harry was lying on the sofa in the Slytherin common room. Blaise was sitting in the armchair opposite him, Pansy perched on the armrest.
"Stop moping," Blaise said, poking at Harry with his foot, and glaring at him over the top of his magazine.
"I'm not moping."
"Yes, you are," chirped Pansy, who seemed to take pleasure whenever Harry showed any signs of unhappiness. Sadistic bint, Harry thought savagely.
"I just wish I was still a Gryffindor. I know exactly what's going on in the common room right now."
"What?"
"A party! A victory party! With my friends! With Firewhiskey!" Harry moaned and then slammed his head into a cushion.
"Booze?" Blaise's head jerked up.
Harry nodded mournfully against the cushion.
"I love parties, even if they're with Gryffindorks," Pansy said.
Blaise let a smirk split his face. "Well, my friends. What say you that we go and gatecrash?"
Harry sat upright. "I'd say I'm in."
The three of them stood up and immediately started walking towards Gryffindor tower. Harry started wondering why it felt so normal, that he was gatecrashing a party that he should have been at, with two Slytherins. He guessed he'd never know.
I would rather there was the Marauders Era, a prequel series. I loved the flashback chapters, and I'd want to know how exactly Lily went from hating James to falling in love with him, more about Snape and sob uncontrollably thinking about what his future holds, and of course, the rest of the Marauders. Maybe scream "WHY?!" every time Wormtail pops up, seeing as he was their friend back then...("HE WAS THEIR FRIEND!")
Plus, if there was a Next-Generation book, we would be forced to accept canon ships, and where's the fun there? Except Ron&Hermione. I have no problems with that, whatsoever. I'm referring to Harry&Ginny and Draco&Astoria. You all knew that though, right? But really, I'd just be happy for the rest of my life to be able to experience Hogwarts again through new character's eyes. (that sounded really cheesy, didn't it?...sorry.)
This chapter's question:
Would you rather be an Animagus (what form would you take) or be an Occlumens/Leglimens?
Also, I'm very sorry about the randomness of this author note. It's late, I'm tired and I need to now write Chapter 17 as I put this up without thinking. Whoops.