Love, Lies & Loneliness

Chapter 13
(Paradox and Punishment)

Harry had woken in the best moods the following day. Having changed into his school robes and gathered together his books for the day’s classes, Harry had waltzed downstairs from his room and straight into the Slytherin common room. During his first week Harry hadn’t dared go anywhere near the common room and so when he showed his face for the first time amongst the Slytherin’s relaxing before breakfast a silence fell over them as they glared.

“Potter? What do you think you’re doing?” Malfoy stood up from the couch he had been relaxing in with Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini over a copy of the daily prophet.

“What does it look like ferret features, I’m going to breakfast.” Harry felt his confidence rise in his chest as his hand fiddled with the handle of his wand tucked in his robes, knowing now that he could use magic again.

“I don’t know how you dare Potter?” Malfoy spat at Harry from across the room his hand reaching into his robes for his own wand.

“You know what Malfoy I don’t care what you think, I’m hear until the end of the year so you better fucking get used to me.” Harry went to shove past the blond boy blocking his bath but froze immediately as Draco pulled out his wand and aimed it squarely at the other boy’s head.

“Perhaps you don’t understand the meaning of ‘fuck off’ Potter, but I can arrange another lesson for you.” Mirroring Draco’s stance Potter pulled out his own wand and pointed it determinedly at Malfoy. The entire population of the Slytherin common room seemed to take cover, as the two boys began circling each other.

“Yeah? Just try me Malfoy and then we’ll see who’s teaching who.” Draco sneered in his familiar way at Harry whose confidence had returned ten fold since the previous week.

Harry wasn’t sure who made the first move but the green flash of magic that screamed through the air barely missed him but shattered a pile of books on the desk behind him. Without thinking of the consequences Harry let his own curse fly from his lips.

“Expelliarmus!” Almost immediately Harry knew something was wrong but by the time he registered the purple flame it was too late to stop. The curse grazed Malfoy’s left shoulder and the blonde boy screamed in pain as he fell to the floor clutching at his arm. The flame didn’t stop however and all eyes watched as the curse hit the wall of the Slytherin common room igniting instantly the Slytherin banners reducing them to powdered ashes in a second. There was silence in the common room as the last of the purple flame was swallowed into the castle walls; only the pitifully sobbing of Draco punctuated the emptiness. Kicking his brain into motion Harry moved swiftly over to Draco and without thinking dropped to his knees beside the boy who did his best to pull away.

“You just tried to kill me Potter.” Potter rolled his eyes at Draco’s melodramatic outburst as he tucked his wand back into his robes and reached for where Draco was clutching his shoulder.

“Oh don’t be a dick Malfoy, since when has disarming your opponent ever killed anyone.” Harry ignored Draco’s hiss of pain as he peeled back the charred remains of the boy’s school robes to inspect the damage. It was obvious almost immediately as Harry saw the size and blood of Draco’s wound that the charm he’d just cast had certainly not been Expelliarmus but he chose to stay silent on the matter. “I think you should go see Pomfrey. I think I may have….”

“Your in transition.” Harry looked startled up into the blonde haired boys deep blue eyes stunned by what Malfoy had just said. For a split moment there seemed to be a feared understanding between them but the moment was gone in an instant as Snape’s familiar growl drew their attention.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Snape strode over to the two boys and Harry could barely breath as the professor grabbed hold of Harry’s collar and pulled the boy up to his feet, all but throwing him away from Draco.

“They were duelling sir.”

“Harry Potter started it.”

“He tried to kill Draco Sir.” The slytherins were too quick for Harry to reply to Snape’s question and almost immediately they started pointing fingers at him. Snape looked up from where he’d inspected Draco’s wound, his hand guiding the blond boy shakily to his feet.

“Potter? Get out of my sight, I’ll deal with you later.” Harry wasn’t sure what made him quiver inside whether it was Snape’s harsh tone or the way concern flickered in the man’s eyes as he looked deep into Harry’s. What ever it was Harry wasn’t about to stand around and find out, turning on his heels Harry sprinted out of the common room and headed to the great hall for breakfast.

The hall was awash with chatter and laughter as Harry moved swiftly over to his seat between Seamus and Ron. Despite the niggling fear in the pit of his stomach, that Draco knew what was happening to him, Harry was well pleased with himself.

“What are you so happy about?” Ron muttered between mouthfuls of his breakfast, the latest edition of Quidditch ‘Pitch’ open in front of him. Obviously the post had arrived early and judging from the small pile of letters sitting in his place he’d have something to look forward to reading in bed that evening.

“I hexed Malfoy for the first time this year.” Ron nearly spat his breakfast all over Hermione as he laughed out loud. Congratulations flowed from the entire Gryfindor table everyone interested in the details of the events.

“It’s about time, the little shit was getting away with far too much last week, we’re glad your back.” Seamus eyes lit up in delight, having been himself victim of Malfoy’s malicious mood last week during Herbology.

“Here, Here.” Fred seconded from half way down the table, he and George already up to their old tricks.

“Yeah we knew you’d get off Harry besides we’re glad your back cause we need you for the next Quidditch game against Slytherin.” George winked at Harry knowingly, the mischievous smile lighting up the two senior students faces.

“Harry. You shouldn’t have done that, what if you’d have seriously hurt Malfoy. Your in ‘Transition’ remember.” Hermione was the voice of reason and Harry despite himself rolled his eyes, just as Ron did.

“Hermione he can’t stop doing magic just because of that, besides I’ve seen no difference in Harry’s magic.” Ron looked supportively across at Harry who smiled in thanks.

“Ronald, we haven’t see Harry use magic at all since school started cause he hasn’t been in classes how would we know if Harry’s magic was different.” Ron poked his tongue out at Hermione who merely huffed and went back to reading her Arithmacy text.

“Well I don’t care what she says, I reckon it’s great and the best part is you didn’t get caught by Snape.” Ron looked brightly across at Harry but Harry’s smile faltered a little. “You didn’t get caught did you?” Ron pressed having seen the change in Harry’s facial expression.

“Not exactly.” Harry lied but before Ron could further question him about it, Hermione was standing from the table with her potions textbooks.

“Come on Harry you shouldn’t be late for your first potions lesson, Snape expects us to be waiting ready for him now we’re in the advanced class.” Hermione gestured for Harry to come with her and after saying goodbye to Ron Harry obediently followed her. Hermione talked continuously all the way down to the dungeons about the potion they’d brewed last week in class. Harry already knew about that potion as he did about today’s one having read ahead by three weeks in his textbook.

It seemed familiar to be back in Snape’s potions classroom and Harry automatically took up the stool next to Hermione on the second backbench. With such a small select class all four houses had been combined together and there were a few faces Harry didn’t know names to. Hermione went about introducing him to the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff’s around him. Hermione and he were the only Gryfindor’s in the class, which was hardly surprising considering Snape’s dislike of Gryfindor’s. As if on cue Snape swept into the class room and strode to the front of the class flicking his wand decisively about the room, opening cabinets, handing out cauldrons and flicking the chalk board around to reveal the ingredients list for the potion. Reaching the head of the class Snape turned around glared daggers at Harry who was poised to begin writing.

“Mr Potter, Miss Granger has already been assigned a lab partner. Move.” It was a command rather than a polite request, the potion masters wand pointed directly at the front bench on the predominantly Slytherin side of the room. Collecting his things Harry moved himself quickly to sit at the empty bench. No he thought about it everyone did in fact already have a partner at their bench and Harry had been quite obviously the third wheel at Hermione’s bench. “Today’s potion is a variant form of the aging potion we covered in third year….” Snape quickly moved on to begin the class not even sparing Harry a second glance as he began to teach. Harry paid the closest attention he’d ever done in any class. Unwittingly Harry had become accustomed to Snape’s voice while he’d sat in the office just next door, and it was almost relief to see the facial expressions the potions professor made as he taught, the hand gestures beautiful accompaniment to the perfectly melodic voice. Harry had never appreciated Snape’s teaching style before but then he’d never really understood potions until now. With a final wave of his wand the class was dismissed to begin making the potion in their pairs. Harry obediently went to work.

It didn’t take long before Harry was lost in grinding his Daisy Roots, his cauldron already simmering in a controlled mist of light blue steam. Snape as usual wove his way between the pairs commenting in places and taking points in others. Harry was almost on the edge of his seat by the time the professor made it to his bench. Snape said nothing and merely watched as he slowly anti-clockwise stirred in the last ingredient – Syrup of Hellebore. Harry set a timer spell quickly over the cauldron and sat back from his work. Snape leant towards the cauldron and inhaled a little of the vapour hovering above the liquid.

“A little too much daisy root but surprisingly usable Mr Potter.” Harry looked up at Snape as if he’d been hit by a shovel so shocked to hear what Harry assumed was Snape’s way of giving a compliment. Smiling up at his professor Harry turned his attention back to his notes. Harry was further surprised as Snape leant closer to Harry his voice barely above a whisper as he spoke. “You’ll be pleased to know Mr Malfoy is not seriously injured after your little stunt this morning in the common room, and I did assure him that his potions partner would be more than willing to provide him with the notes on the mornings class that he has missed.” Harry turned to look at Snape in horror of what the professor had just implied. He and Malfoy in the same room as each other was volatile combination but actually working together on a potion that was a disaster waiting to happen. Harry could do little though but stutter as the timer on his cauldron chirped and Harry quickly doused the flames on the cauldron to stop the heating process.

“Bottle your potions and leave the labelled samples on my desk for grading. Your observations will be due next week, class dismissed.” Harry watched Snape disappear into his office and finally allowed himself to relax again. Bottling his potion quickly Harry cleared his lab area without fuss and joined Hermione who was now waiting outside for him.

“I can’t believe it Harry, he gave you a compliment and he never does that. He didn’t even take points off you at all?” Almost immediately Hermione began questioning Snape’s strange behaviour but Harry merely shrugged his shoulders deliberately avoiding questions that pertained to anything that happened the week previously in Snape’s office. Hermione continually pestered Harry the entire way to Defence Against the Dark Arts Class, where they met up with Ron again. Harry was sure Hermione would have replayed the entire potions class to Ron had the teacher not arrived on time to begin the class. The things that Hermione seemed worried about however were not what was bothering Harry. Snape’s deliberate retaliation and punishment to the mornings incident was far worse than any detention the professor could have dealt out but then in a way it was punishing Draco as well, cause surely the blonde haired boy didn’t want to be partner with Potter either. It was a conundrum really to Harry, who Snape was actually punishing, Harry or Draco. Harry pushed his thoughts aside and concentrated on his favourite subject.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>