Viper Weed (Remix)

Chapter 10... Are you listening?

Draco slumped onto his bed. It was pretty much exactly the same as Harry's only done out in a silvers rather than green. His rooms were pretty similar too. The bathroom was on the other side of the main room where he slept, and the window was on a different wall, but otherwise they were the same simple white walls and dark floorboards.


He was worried. It had been a day since Harry had prodded his Veela genes into action, and he was already coming into his powers. Of course, he'd done a lot of reading and knew what to expect. That had allowed him to get a good grasp on how to use them.


Students were already starting to drool mindlessly over him, and he had even come into full power yet. It wasn't as if he was unused to the attention; he had got quite enough when he was a human thank you very much.


He could make his charms flare into action when he wanted them to, although he knew his current technique lacked a lot of finesse. What had happened with him and Potter though, that was something else. He'd read about the creation of a powerful magical field, but what he'd neglected to tell the other boy was that it could only be created between another magical being of extreme power, his mate.


Luckily Harry had bought his excuse of the dare and learning self control and he'd got to try it out on the other boy. And Merlin it had been worth it. He'd felt the power rushing into him just like that time when Potter had actually turned him into a Veela.


He knew that he was playing with fire when he kept coming back to Harry, but this was just too rare an opportunity to miss. He was as the peak of his sexual and magical prowess, he had Harry curled around his little finger, and could create a large amount of magic just by kissing the boy. That was well worth the threat of death by having his power sucked out…right?


---

By the time the weekend swung around Harry could be found in Hogsmeade. It had been his inclination to head to the Two Broomsticks, but considering the already odd looks he'd received he decided to head for the quieter, if less pleasant Hogs Head.

He'd agreed to meet Hermione and Ron there after they'd finished their shopping, and was currently sitting at a table and nursing a Butterbeer, listening idly to the conversation around him.


There had been a few whispers around him as he'd entered, but he'd kept his head low and his hair covering his eyes and scar so that he simply looked rather ill. Of course, it was difficult to disguise the slight glow that came off his skin, but once he'd pulled the hood of his cloak up he was barely noticed.


For the second time since his change he was glad for his improved hearing. It was currently allowing him to listen to a very interesting conversation going on, on the other side of the room.


"-I tell you. There have been sightings. It's on the move." Came the low voice of a tall gaunt looking man with mousy hair.


"Yeah? An' who ‘ave you bin ‘earing this stuff from eh?" The voice of the second man was lower and gruffer.


"I have my sources. I reckon it's coming to Hogwarts." Harry listened closer.


"Now tha' I can believe. You must ‘ave read about young ‘arry Potter bein' bitten eh? I'll bet ya anythin' you like that it's comin' for ‘im."


"So? We have to catch it. That plant's got to be worth more galleons that a man like you will ever hope to see in your lifetime. But I don't know what sedatives would work on a plant like that." Harry felt a shiver of anger go through him at the men's words but forced himself to stay still.


"Hey, that's your concern mate, not mine. What I figure is tha' it's gotta be in the Forbidden Forest. ‘Ain't nothing for it. We gotta go there."


"Barnaby, old friend. I'm not so sure about that…there's an awful lot of rumours-"

At that point Harry tuned out however. He was filled with rage that the two men over there would be trying to catch this mystical plant. Harry had to get there first. He had to find it and warn it. Everything in his body was screaming for him to go over to the two men and knock them senseless so that they couldn't go.


He was suddenly jumped out of his reverie when twin yelps of surprise carried over from the two men. It looked like their drinks had exploded in shards of glass and Firewhiskey. He cast a quick glance over at them but was drawn back by a tugging feeling in his hands.


Harry looked down with slow horror dawning on his face as he watched angry green vines slither out from under the tight bandages, ripping and tearing them apart. No! This can't be happening! Harry thought frantically. This wasn't like before. The tips of his fingers were turning a dark and violent green, spreading down his hands and up his arms.


Frantically he pulled his sleeves further over his hands and slunk back into the shadows, desperately willing the vines and colour away. It took him a full five minutes to stop them growing and another to make the vines retreat. Several more glasses had shattered around him, and the patrons were starting to look a bit worried.


Finally he managed to get himself under control and took a long swig of his Butterbeer, considering the idea of getting something stronger. However he didn't like the idea that it might react badly with the plant side of him.


When he finally returned his attention to the rest of the room he noticed that the pair he'd been listening to had left, apparently without paying the bill since the barman was shouting obscenities out the door.


Harry thought. He needed a plan. He knew he had to find that giant plant before they did, because Merlin knows what they'd do with it. Harry also knew that if people like that were drinking in the Hogs Head then they probably weren't the only ones following the Prophet's rumours and articles. That meant that he had to act fast.

Thinking about it, there was probably a large chance that it was coming to Hogwarts to find him, if he'd interpreted Nightshade's ‘tales' correctly. It would probably be hiding in the Forbidden Forest too, since it was the only area of dark forest around, and although there were other forests around Hogwarts, none were as close or as dense as the Forbidden Forest. If the pair he'd overheard had figured that out then the chase must really be on.


Harry had gathered from the brief conversations with Hermione and Ron that the Daily Prophet was really whirling up a storm about these sightings. It was the first time in a few centuries that a previously undocumented creature had been sighted. Naturally there would be witches and wizards everywhere hunting for the thing.


So how am I going to get to the thing first? Harry thought. What he had to do was lay all his cards on the table and pick the best strategy. He spent a moment mulling over what he could do before an idea sparked. Of course! I'm a parselmouth right? So all I have to do is spread the word among the snakes in the forest, and they'll be able to seek out the creature and tell me if it's there.


Harry was so pleased with his idea that he nearly got up and left then and there, but he remembered at the last minute about his promise to meet Ron and Hermione. Damn, I'll have to make this quick.


He knew that both of them had noticed how distracted he was, but he couldn't help it. There was just so much going on: a reasonably pleasant Malfoy, his changes to a plant, and these rumours about the giant Viper Weed. He knew that they were worried, but he also knew that this wasn't something they could help with.


The door swung open and in they walked, unsubtly disconnecting their hands when they spotted Harry. It was about time that they got together. Harry sighed. His plans would have to wait until the evening.

--- TBC ---

Yet another update, my lovelies. More to come soon but feed the muse.

ta,

Juno