Hi everyone! I want to thank you all so much for liking and leaving reviews on this story. I appreciate it so much. Please enjoy chapter 2 of Wrong Assumptions.
I do not own Harry Potter. All rights belong to the proper creators. Please support the official release.
September 7th. Saturday.
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Tracey threw her head back and huffed loudly. Some of the students around the library threw dirty looks her way, but the irate Slytherin didn't much notice. "Daphne, for the last time, mind your own business!"
The Greengrass heiress scowled, "I just can't believe you agreed, especially after what he said to you!" A cough from the boy sitting opposite them made both girls glare as he said.
"I normally am not one to agree with snobby over there-"
"Shut it!" Daphne snapped.
"But this time, I admittedly have to." The boy looked like he was gonna be sick from the mere prospect of agreeing with Tracey's best friend. "Besides, I thought you didn't think Potter was all what he was cracked up to be?"
Tracey sighed and layed her cheek in the palm of her hand, "I don't." Daphne went to speak her piece again, but Tracey had enough of defending her choice, "That doesn't mean he isn't the top-ranking defence student in our year, does it." That shut Daphne up.
"Well, you can't deny that, Greengrass," the boy smirked. "Potter has obvious talent if he beats even you for the top spot." That set the grumpy Greengrass girl off again, and Tracey could only sigh.
"Do you have to do that to her, Ritchie?"
"I live for it," he shrugged, his eyes dancing with joy at the reaction he was getting from the heiress. Daphne grew more incensed with the apparent pleasure the boy was getting at her rage. Tracey could only sigh as the conversation was largely forgotten, but she knew it wasn't the last time she'd hear it.
'I wonder if Potter has told his friends yet?' she wondered with a frown.
"Are you out of your bloody mind, mate?!"
"Ronald, language! You are a prefect, for goodness sake!"
"Mione, did you not just hear what he said?! He is tutoring a snake!"
Harry didn't bother interrupting the duo when they got like this. Sitting with a deadpan expression, he stayed silent, waiting for the storm to settle before speaking his defence. However, a seed of annoyance was planted in his gut as the two talked as if he wasn't even there.
"Yes, I heard him, Ron," Hermione sighed as she sat the quill she held down to rub the bridge of her nose, "I just don't see what you are screaming for."
Ron's eyes were wide as he looked back and forth between his two friends as if he couldn't believe what he saw and heard, "Mione, she's a Slytherin! A slimy snake! A dungeon dweller! She is probably planning to kill him for you-know-who!"
Hermione scoffed, "Really, Ronald! Get a grip on yourself. She is a fifteen-year-old girl."
"When has age ever mattered to us?" Ron asked with a head shake. "We were only eleven when we had to save the Philosophers' Stone." Hermione didn't quite look convinced, so Ron turned to Harry. "Like, mate, you get why I am worried, don't you?"
Harry sighed as he nodded. "Ha, I told you!" Ron exclaimed smugly to Hermione.
"Now, just wait," Harry quickly cut him off before he could say more, "Yes, Davis is a Slytherin, but she seemed sincere."
"She's a Slytherin. They wouldn't know sincere if it bit them in the arse."
"Ronald!" Ron held his hands up in defence as Hermione rounded on him again. Shaking her head, Hermione faced Harry and said, "Well, I think it was nice of you to accept her offer. God knows this school could use more house unity."
Harry smiled his thanks, but that guilt he felt about what he said to Davis last night let itself be known. He hadn't told his friends what he said and did not want to. Harry could already feel the disappointed look Hermione would give him.
Shaking himself out of his inner turmoil, he faced Hermione and asked, "Do you know what I could use as study material? Umbridge is useless, so there is no point using anything she assigns."
Hermione lit up like a Christmas tree at the question as she began to list off lists of book titles, study guides, and spells to focus on. Ron gave Harry a look that screamed, 'Really had to go and get her started, didn't you?' Harry shrugged and listened as best he could.
He'd take any help he could get, after all.
September 8th. Sunday.
Harry waited quietly under his invisibility cloak outside the empty classroom on the third floor. It was a little after supper, so most of the student body was on their way to their dorms or the library. So, the halls were empty for the most part. He hadn't brought the Marauder's map, so he left it with Ron and Hermione to watch in case he needed help. Without it, Harry had no clue when Davis was coming.
He had only been waiting for a few minutes before some voices echoed down the empty halls. Around the corner came Davis with a boy in tow that was dawned in Hufflepuff robes. Davis had a severe look on her face, and the boy following looked smug. Harry cocked a brow as he watched the duo. Davis never mentioned bringing a friend along.
"Ritchie, I say this with love, piss off. I'll be fine!" Davis snapped as she spun to face the boy. Who's name was Ritchie, Harry guessed.
"I'm just making sure you are okay. Who knows when Potter is going to get here. He could be late for all we know," Ritchie explained as he shrugged off the girl's frustration.
"That's the only reason?" she quipped sarcastically with an eye roll.
"On Hufflepuffs honour!"
"I'm sure," Davis muttered as she pushed the door to the classroom open and slammed it shut behind her. Ritchie giggled to himself as he turned to leave. His mission of pissing off the brunette Slytherin was complete.
Once the Hufflepuff was down the hall and turning the corner, Harry removed his cloak and shoved it into his bag. Hesitating momentarily at the door, Harry settled his nerves and turned the handle. "Ritchie, I swear to god-!" Davis's voice shouted as Harry pushed the door open, only to falter into silence once seeing the Gryffindor boy.
"Ritchie?" Harry asked with a raised brow. "I didn't realize I had a name change." The Slytherin girl huffed and rolled her eyes. Davis had situated herself at the front of the class, her bag plopped down on one of the desks.
"Shut up and get in here, Potter."
Closing the door with a gentle click, Harry held his bag up as he explained, "So, I wasn't sure if you wanted to study anything in particular, so I brought a bunch of things that might help." Davis seemed surprised by his preparedness. She held a hand out for his bag, and after a moment's hesitation, Harry handed it over reluctantly.
"Wow, you are more prepared than I anticipated you to be," the Slytherin commented as she pulled out books and notes from his bag. "I guess I should have explained, but I just need help with wand work and practical. I can handle theory myself."
'Well, that makes things easier,' Harry thought to himself, relieved that he wouldn't have to tackle the complex theoretical aspects of magic. She'd have to go to Hermione for that. "Do you have anything in particular you wish to start with?"
Biting her lip, Davis looked at the notes in her hands. Her eyes scanned the pages up and down, and her teeth sunk deeper into her lip. "I, um, maybe, uhhhhh-"
Feeling bad for her, Harry cut the girl off gently. "Can I make a suggestion?"
Relief flooded her eyes, and her lip was freed from the torture of her teeth as it widened into a thankful smile. "Please do!"
It was strange teaching someone something. Actually, this whole tutoring thing has been weird so far. Harry had decided to teach his signature spell, Expelliarmus. He half expected the girl to be dismissive or upset at his suggestion, but she acted quite the opposite. Davis took the suggestion happily and hung onto every word Harry said. She didn't get mad when he corrected her technique. Nor did she get upset when she couldn't disarm him on the first try when he insisted she practice.
An hour flew by, and at the end of it, Tracey Davis could safely say she now had Expelliarmus down pat. The girl was all smiles and sunshine. Harry almost wondered if she knew she was letting him, a Gryffindor, see her like this. It was most curious when the walls came up, and the smile faded once he declared that was enough for one night.
That familiar frown took form once more.
As Harry packed away the notes he brought (He wouldn't need most of them if Davis only needed practical help), he glanced at the brunette. The Slytherin girl was writing in a notebook, the pen in her hand (A pen?!) flying a mile a minute.
"You did excellent tonight," Harry said, looking away to ensure she didn't see him watching her. Her writing stopped, and her frown turned to him.
"You sound surprised," she deadpanned.
"I'll admit, I am a bit," he shrugged with a lopsided grin. "When you asked me to tutor you, I assumed you would be a complete mess, especially if you came to me for help."
"What do you mean by that?" she asked, her hackles raised. Harry gulped as he noticed the girl's defences rising, his shoulders tensed as he faced her.
"I-I just meant that, well, I assumed you would be god awful." The Slytherin's eyes narrowed, and her forehead creased. "But I was wrong about that! Honestly, you surprised me!" he exclaimed quickly to settle any anger forming. Davis eyed the boy for a moment before snorting, her features relaxing.
"You were not bad yourself tonight, Potter," Davis claimed before turning and walking away. She paused at the door, facing him again, and said, "We will meet here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after supper. Sunday as well if you think I need it. Good night, Potter." Then she was gone, and the door clicked closed, Leaving Harry all alone in the classroom.
Harry stood there silently for a moment, his eyes wide in surprise. Once he regained his bearings and digested her words, Harry shook his head. "Merlin, she's bossy," he muttered as he threw his bag over his shoulder and his invisibility cloak over himself.
The Slytherin dormitory was silent except for the soft sound of pages turning. Daphne held her book up with her knees as she read. Parkinson and Bulstrode were studying somewhere in the common room, so Daphne gladly took the chance to have some peace and quiet.
Daphne wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually, the door to the dorm opened and closed, and the sound of a body hitting one of the mattresses got the girl's attention. Flinging the curtain around her bed open, Daphne couldn't contain the chuckles that escaped at the sight she saw. "Had a productive night?"
Tracey was lying face down, her face buried in her pillows. A classic case of a heavy faceplant into her bed. She grumbled something unintelligible, and Daphne cackled with glee. "That bad, I take it? I told you it would be a bad idea. But did you listen to me, noooope! You had to go and meet the ponce."
"It actually went brilliantly, thank you very much!" Tracey snapped as she flung her pillow at the blonde heiress, hitting her smack dab in the face. Daphne scowled and hurled it back at her, but it lacked the same satisfaction as it only hit Tracey in the back.
"Then what's with the glum and down attitude?"
"It's called being tired. That normally happens when someone is working hard-"
"-Save your explanation," Daphne sighed as she ran a hand down her face, "So it went well?"
Tracey nodded as she sat up, pulling her robe over her head, "Surprisingly, yes." Daphne blinked at her as she began to change into her pyjamas, causing Tracey to pause as she began to undo her bra. "Can you not? Jeez, you are worse than most boys."
"I'm not checking you out!" Daphne snapped as she crossed her arms across her chest, "I am waiting for you to share more! Don't hold out on me now. What happened? What did you both do? Did he show up alone?"
Shaking her head as she turned away from her best friend to continue undressing, she said, "Yes, he came alone. Ritchie followed me to the classroom, though. He claimed to want to wait to make sure I was safe. I was on the third floor! It isn't like I was walking down the shady streets of London."
"Well, it is his right, I suppose," Daphne started with a smirk. "Aren't brothers supposed to protect their sisters or whatever?"
"When I need protection, I'll let him know," Tracey huffed with an irritated breath. "Once Ritchie left, Potter turned up. He had all these books and notes with him. Totally the work of Granger. I then explained I only needed practical help, and he looked mildly relieved."
"Makes sense. I doubt Potter is the type to focus on magical theory all too much if the rest of his classes are any indication."
"My thoughts exactly. After that, I panicked a bit; he offered a suggestion and taught me the disarming charm, which is the end of the story."
Daphne was silent as Tracey finished putting on her nightwear, only speaking again when Tracey could see the look of disbelief on her face. "That's it?"
"What else could there have been?" Tracey asked as she slid into bed. "We only studied for an hour." Daphne sputtered and shook her head in seeming denial.
"B-b-but what about the fact Potter hates Slytherin's!"
"Well, to be fair, we don't know that for a fact." Although, that was something Tracey herself was thinking about. Perhaps Malfoy and the rest of the Gryffindors didn't speak for Harry Potter.
When Harry returned to the common room, Ron and Hermione were waiting up for him. Judging from the look of despair on Ron's face, Hermione had to have had him studying. "It's OWL year, Ron," she probably said. And, knowing his best mate, Harry knew for a fact that Ron had folded soon after that.
"Harry!" Hermione greeted when she noticed him, causing Ron to smile with relief.
"Mate, bout bloody time! I was about to start a search party if you didn't show up soon."
Harry threw himself into one of the couches by the fire, "No need to worry about that. What you both up to?" Hermione's eyes gleamed as she began to explain the new and improved study guide she came up with to help the three of them study for their OWLs.
Luckily for Ron and Harry, Sirius fire called before Hermione could really get going. As Harry and his friends talked with Sirius, the ministry and Delores Umbridge were making moves.
That next morning, staff and students alike bore witness to the first Educational Decree. Delores Jane Umbridge was appointed High Inquisitor. A letter from Percy Weasley arrived, begging Ron and the rest of his family to shun the boy who lived. Harry's ever-consuming anger got him another detention for his remarks made in DADA.
Harry had a bad feeling about this. Especially when Umbridge was near. And the pink parasite was making sure to latch onto Harry with every ounce of her being. And worse, Harry's schedule was already packed due to Davis's bossyness. Add in all the detention, and Harry was screwed.
"Fantastic," Harry muttered as he slammed his head into his desk.
