Spell Master

Author: Babychan

email: baby_chan1778@yahoo.com or babychan1778@yahoo.com

Title: Spell Master

Rating: R but it will become NC17 later

Series: Yes. Chapter 30/?

Parings: H/D S/N/L

Summary: The wizarding world is going to find out that Harry Potter is not the only one with awesome powers. It’s a Pro-Slytherin and Pro-Draco fic. This is slash fiction. This is also the re-edited version.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its characters do NOT belong to me :( (pout) I’m just writing for the fun of it. I get no money for it whatsoever.

Harry had been in the Great Hall for about 40 minutes before anyone else started to arrive, but he didn’t mind becauseDraco promised him a great gift. The gift of knowledge about his family and he would wait all day if he had too.

It was about 7:20 before anyone from Slytherin arrived. Crabbe and Goyle were first to arrive from Malfoy’s Court. They didn’t sit with Harry, of course. Since the ex-Gryffindor started eating in the Great Hall again, he usually sat with the first years or at the section, of the long table, which was closets to the teachers. On the other hand, the Slytherin Court resided at the portion of the tables which was the *furthest* away from the professors. The very last –and most coveted– section of the table.

Neville arrived five minutes later. The first thing the boy did, after he walked through the grand double doors, was look for Blaise. Disappointment was clearly etched across his face when he didn’t find his boyfriend. Then the brown-haired boy glanced around the Hall and looked to see if any other Prefects had made it to breakfast. After he realized that none of them were in there, he moped into the dining area and sat down next to Harry with a disappointed sigh.

“I would say good morning…” Harry teased. “But you look like someone just killed your pet frog.”

“No, Trevor’s alright” Neville assured. “It’s just that… I really thought they would get out early today, or at least *on time.*” He sighed, but this time there was a bit of anger behind it. “I bet Granger is being difficult again.”

“Why do you think it’s Hermione?” Harry defended. “It could just as easily be something —”

“It’s always her.” Longbottom interrupted in a pout. “I read the roster, of things to be discussed this morning, and there was *no* reason for them to take this long. She’s probably just being difficult. Blaise said it might happen because Draco made a few *minor* changes to one of her ideas. He made it his own, but Blaise assured me that the new provisions made it better.”

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Neville’s blind and unwavering loyalty for his boyfriend, and didn’t deny Neville’s claim. But only because everyone knew that Hermione’s and Draco’s bid for votes were technically *fights.* Though, Draco’s participation in these disputes was more of an eloquent manipulation to cast votes *away* from Grangers ideas, while Hermione found fault and debated every suggestion Malfoy had, every step of the way. Despite this, teachers refused to label these fight for what they were. Seeing how the participants were the Head Boy and Head Girl. However, there was talk about future meetings being monitored by the professors because emotions were becoming more heated with every meeting.

“So did you get to talk to him?” Neville asked, with a smile, as he prepared his breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon, fried ham, grits and an American buttermilk biscuit. “He was there, right? Just like I said.”

“Um.. yeah.” Harry replied as he grabbed a piece of toast and buttered it. He wasn’t hungry. He was too excited to be hungry, but he didn’t want to just sit there like a dork, and not eat, while everyone else was eating “About that…. Neville, may I ask you something?”

“Sure.” He answered as he stuffed the fried ham in between his biscuit and took a bite.

Harry took a deep breath and tried to make his question come out as nonchalant as possible. “How did you know about it? I mean… Malfoy’s meeting… Did he tell you? Are you guys really close?” Ugh! Harry couldn’t believe that just came out of his mouth! Because that was *not* what he meant to say! I mean it *was* what he wanted to say. But he had hoped to be more cool about it. More, blasé if you will.

He did *not* want to sound like a jealous, love sick Hufflepuff!

Neville turned his attention toward his friend, blinked a couple of times, then gave a small knowing smile. “No, he didn’t tell me.” He assured. “Blaise, told me right before I told you.” He gave Harry a friendly wink. “Personally, I try never to get into a conversation about business with Draco.”

Harry breathed out in relief. “Really?” He wasn’t sure why he felt so relieved. He just was. He wasn’t so much worried about Blaise either, because everyone knew that the other boy was completely obsessed, and I mean OBSESSED, with Neville.

“Yes.” The boy assured whole heartedly. “I tend to run from those conversations. Blaise, on the other hand, is never as quick as I.” The brown-haired boy chuckled at the memory. “He’s too proud to run, you see. He thinks it’s mugglish.”

Harry snorted. Zabini was such an arse, in his opinion. And he had no idea what Neville saw in the bastard. Besides the fact that Zabini utterly adored him. “You ran from Malfoy?” He asked to change the subject.

“Of course!” Neville replied with wide eyes. “You know Draco’s been working, I mean *really* working since his 4th year, right?”

Harry shook his head no.

“Oh, you didn’t? Well, he has! And he’s like this financial genius!”

“Uh..I think I remember you telling me this before.”

Neville nodded eagerly. Not because he remembered having this conversation, because he didn’t, but because what he said was true. “Draco’s so focused and determined to be a success, that when he starts discussing his ambitions, he has a way of making you feel like a lazy bum!” As he spoke, Neville started gesturing with his hands, and dangerously waving the knife he was using to jam his toast. “It’s like he has no idea that we’re still kids! And when he works, he does the job of *three*. Trust me…” He leaned in close toward Harry, as if he were telling a great secret. “I’ve seen him work. AND I’ve worked for him a bit over the summer!”

“You have?” Harry asked wide eyed.

“Unfortunately.” Neville nodded with a grimace. “And it was horrible.”

“When?” Harry didn’t understand why he couldn’t just let the subject drop! Because for some unknown reason it was only serving to piss him off.

“When he to stay over at Blaise’s… during the water turning into blood incident.” Neville shuddered at the memory. “I got exhausted just by watching him work, and I think I exhausted his patience with all of my mistakes.”

“So you helped him fix his house?”

Neville shook his head. “No, we were working on something else. But it’s a secret so please don’t ask. He will be pissed if I babbled. And I’ve *already* done so well keeping it to myself” He gave Harry a pleading look. He was begging for Harry to back off because he had already said too much as it is, and he knew that when, or if, Draco found out, he was going to be hexed to Timbuktu.

Harry narrowed his eyes and whispered. “Does Blaise know?”

Neville was taken back by the question “Yes, of course! I would *never* do anything behind his back. He was there the whole time!”

“Oh…” Harry shifted his gaze away from his friend and glared at his toast. His appetite was really gone now. He wasn’t angry though…He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. He was just…Numb. “So…it’s hard working for him?” He asked to change the subject away from the secret.

“Yes.” Neville nodded gratefully. “But what’s worse is that it’s really really REALLY bad for ones self esteem to be around him too long.”

“Why?” Harry glanced at him .“Is it because he keeps putting you down?”

“If only!” Neville groaned and shook his head. “Believe it or not…” He paused, tilted his head to the side, and looked lost in thought. “Draco’s, actually, a rather quiet person… once you get to know him.”

“Oh…” That’s all Harry could say. Mostly because he couldn’t believe it. “Then if he’s so silent… why is it so hard to be around him?”

The boy sighed again as he tried to put his memory into words. “It’s because…He *likes* to work.”

“So he’s a workaholic.” Harry offered as he tried to understand. “So what did he do? Try to work you to death?”

“No.” Neville quickly answered, then remembered something and change it to. “Yes.. Well, sometimes. But that’s not the point I am trying to make.” He gave an exasperated sigh.. “Harry, let’s just put it this way… I myself, never really tried to compete with him, or compare myself to him, but you just can’t help yourself from doing it when you are around him for extended periods of time..,”

“What so horrible about that?” Harry asked curiously. So what, Malfoy was good at everything he did. Harry didn’t see the big deal.

“Well, let’s just say…. It took *days* for me to reassure Blaise, after Draco went home, that I didn’t think he was a failure!”

“Oh.” Harry turned away from Neville as he tried to picture evil arse Zabini balled up in the fetal position, with his thumb in his mouth, and stuck in a complex of self doubt. Harry tried not to smirk, though it did make for a funny picture.

“Did I tell you what he got me for my birthday?” Neville asked as his expression turned a bit sour.

Who Zabini?”

“No, Draco,” Neville continued after Harry shook his head no. “Draco leased me a plot of land in South America for ten years, free of charge.”

Another flare of…something…erupted in Harry’s stomach, and he tried not to grit his teeth as he responded with. “What’s so bad about that?” Actually, he thought it was rather nice of Draco. Too nice. Though, Harry didn’t know what he’d do with a plot of land in South America.

“Nothing’s bad about it…” The other boy sighed. “But…Don’t get me wrong, because I don’t want to sound ungrateful, because it *is* prime property. It’s in the middle of the Amazon. It’s just that…the land was not all I got.”

“Oh.” Harry tried not to sound disappointed as he wondered how long this torment was going to last. And he felt guilty that the reason for his torment was because Malfoy was being nice to someone. Not just someone, mind you. But…someone… who wasn’t him.

Then in a passing thought, Harry wondered why he even cared that Draco was giving gifts to Neville at all. He should be glad that his friend had finally received a bit of kindness. Merlin knew Longbottom rarely got any, in Gryffindor. More than that, it was a *birthday* gift Draco gave him. People usually got gifts for their birthday. Harry should be happy for his friend.

*Should* being the operative word.

And that was why Harry wondered why he *couldn’t* stand the thought of it!

Unaware of Harry’s inner torment, Longbottom continued. “He even made sure that I had an internship with Sprout this year, and a plot of land, on Hogwarts, so I could cultivate the seedlings that I will be planting in South America.”

“What’s so bad about that?” Harry asked again. But really, he didn’t want to know the answer. Because Neville might whine about getting more gifts, then Harry would have to hex him. And what kind of friend would *that* make him. Hmm?

“Nothing except that I never asked for this *job!*” Neville hissed. “My Gram wasn’t trying to make me *work* while I was in school. She was letting me *enjoy* my childhood! But now that’s gone!” He made a wild hand gestures toward the enchanted ceiling. “And you know Why?! Because I had mentioned that I was pretty good at Herbology!” Neville looked at him in distress. “I don’t even *remember* saying it, but Blaise said that I did. Though, he did assure me that it was in *idle* chitchat. *Idle!*.As in me just prattling along about nothing in particular! But he said that he wasn’t surprised that Draco remembered and latched on to it.”

“So he gave you the land because you mentioned it *once*?” Harry was starting to see red. Literally.

“Yeah” Neville sighed as his shoulders slumped. “So now I guess I’m going to be a *herbologist* My grandmum thought it was such *wonderful* and thoughtful gift because now I was going to have an occupation after I get my license.”

“So she was worried about you?” Harry prodded. Because it made sense. For her to be worried, that is. Neville had his moments of brilliance, but most of the time he was a very inept wizard. And Herbology really didn’t require magic. It was perfect for him.

Neville shrugged. “I suppose… but at the time, I didn’t’ *know* she was worried about my future, but I guess she was. She even *hugged* him! HUGGED him! Can you believe that?” Neville sat up with new vigor. “And just hours before the party, she was complaining about me inviting him to my birthday and upset with *him* for having the gall to R.S.V.P.!”

“Malfoy went to your party?” This was the first he heard of it. But to be honest,, he couldn’t hardly hear it now, with his heart beating a mile a minute and all of his blood rushing into his ears.

Neville smiled and blushed. “It was no where near as nice as his, of course. Actually, compared his, mine was rather dull. Usually, I only celebrate it with family.” Because he had no friends in Gryffindor, but he didn’t mention that. “And they are mostly Aurors. So you can imagine how tense it was. But he came anyway. I was surprised because I wasn’t sure if he’d come. I had just invited him because…well .. I guess I *wanted* him there. He was so...well, I wouldn’t say *nice* to me, after everything happened in Gryffindor.” Neville’s eyes narrowed at the memory of what happened in the bathroom. “But… he did offer to protect me. He *did* protect me, no strings attached.”

Harry remembered, but was surprised that Malfoy didn’t demand payment for his services. He then remembered that Draco didn’t demand anything for researching his family history either. Maybe there was a nice guy under all of that asshatness. Then again, maybe not.

“I really thought he was going to blow me off.” Neville continued. “So it was a real shock to receive his R.S.V.P. And the others too! Well, of course I *knew* Blaise was going to come. He loves me.” Neville smiled sweetly, tilted his head to the side, and did a little happy wiggle in his seat before he continued. “So I thought it was going to be just him and my family. But everyone else…well, lets just say it was a shock that they came because they blew off *a lot* of parties that summer! And this was the first *real* party I ever had!” Neville beamed.

And sometimes Harry really hated talking to his friend. But he was *trying* to be happy for Neville. He really was. “Oh.. So I take it, your Grandmum likes him now?” Harry found that hard to believe since it was Malfoy’s aunt who put her son and daughter-in-law in St. Mungos.

“I wouldn’t go *that* far.” Longbottom mused. “They do disagree on most things… But she does like that he is a hard worker and plans for the future. She also likes that he thought enough of me to plan for *mine.* Even though he never really asked me if this was what I wanted to do.” A frown settled on that chubby face. “I mean, just because I am good at something doesn’t mean I want it to be my life’s goal!”

“So you *don’t* want to be a herbologist?” Harry tried to clarify. Because sometimes it was really hard trying to figure out what Longbottom was saying.

“No… I do….I guess.” Neville admitted reluctantly. “I mean,… now that I’ve thought about. Mayhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.” He sighed in resignation. “It’s just that… It would have been nice if he discussed this with me, before he went out and planned my life. You know what I mean?”

Harry nodded solemnly because he *did* understand what his friend was feeling. All his life, he had been told what to do. Even if what they wanted him to do, meant his own death.

When Neville noticed Potter’s melancholy expression, he put a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Ignore me, Harry. I’m just cranky because I haven’t spent enough time with my boyfriend.” He tilted his head to the side and gave Harry a tender smile. “Blaise works for his father too and the man keeps comparing him to Draco, then if that was not bad enough, there’s Quidditch. He’s really stressed about the up coming game with Gryffindor. He’s keeper you know.”

Harry knew. Zabini was damn good too. Probably the best keeper in the school. The *only* reason Gryffindor could beat Slytherin was because he always caught the snitch before Draco. It was one of the few victories Harry still relished because no other seeker had that luxury. Draco was one of the best Seekers in the history of Hogwarts and only Harry was better.

“And then with his Prefect responsibilities…” Neville continued a little morosely. “And me, and my internship, and then school, and our NEWTS coming up—”

“NEWTS?!” Harry interrupted. “That’s at the end of the year! Why are you worried about them now?”

“I’m not.” The brown-haired boy assured. “Blaise is. He’s going for 13. You know… like Draco did *last* year.”

Harry just shook his head. He was not even going to think about those final exams until at *least* a month before he was going to take them.

“I’m just saying…” Neville said with a heavy blush. “We haven’t had enough quality time. So I am kind of cranky.” He made quotation marks with fingers when he said the word “quality time”, so that Harry would understand the double meaning.

Harry blushed and looked away because that was just way too much information. “But don’t you guys…uhmm..stay together.. in the same room?”

“Yeah, but he has so many responsibilities, I’m usually asleep before he gets them done, and he’s usually gone by the time I wake up.”

“Oh…you mean, he works early too?”

“…No.” Neville tilted his head to the side and thought about the hours his boyfriend worked. “Not really. It’s just that Draco keeps calling early morning Prefect meetings or Quidditch practices.” He shifted toward Harry, as he shifted the topic of the conversation. “Did you know that you are allowed to schedule the Quidditch pitch as early as 5am?” He huffed in a pout. “I swear Draco must be an insomniac. Because I can’t imagine when he sleeps. Blaise said that he just needs a girlfriend. Then, once he’s sated he’ll—”

Instantly, Neville slapped a hand over his mouth.

His eyes widened fearfully,

And he quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard him, and his ridiculously, stupid comment. Inwardly, he cursed his mouth and thanked the stars that the first years hadn’t, yet, mastered the art of being nosy.

He then turned back to Harry–who was giving him a queer look –and whispered. “You won’t tell Draco I said that will you? You won’t tell him Blaise said that either, will you? Please, Harry!”

Harry shook his head no. “Whatever is said between us, stays between us. Promise.” Actually, he wasn’t even thinking about repeating any of this conversation to anyone. Especially Malfoy. Hell, he didn’t even want to hear it himself.

“Thank you so much!” Neville breathed out gratefully. “You truly are a wonderful friend, Harry!”

The boy addressed gave a sheepish smile at the endearment. However, inwardly he was wondering about Draco’s sexual orientation. Not that he really cared, but… There had been rumors that he slept with boys too. But they were just that. Rumors. No one knew exactly which boys they were. Moreover, it was always the *girls* who captured the blond’s attention. Weird looking ones, like this morning. Those were the ones who were always scheduled those special “meetings.” On the other hand, Harry knew that he would have had sex with Malfoy if Lupin hadn’t stopped them, not that the wanted to, mind you.

Because he didn’t!

But Malfoy seemed disgusted after he realized what he was doing. And Remus had made an acrid under-the-breath comment about Veela lust. So maybe, Malfoy was straight. Rumor also had it that he had been dating Pansy since their first year. As Harry pondered on this, he found that it didn’t upset him. Actually, it made him feel more relieved. Because Draco had yet to tell him the payment of his services, and Harry didn’t want it to be anything sexual. After what Sirius did to him, sex was the last thing he ever wanted to do again.

When Harry left his thoughts and glanced at his friend, Neville was still going on about the woes of early morning Quidditch practices.

“Malfoy’s really serious about winning this year. Isn’t he?” Harry asked.

“You have no idea!” Neville groaned as he bit into his ham biscuit. “They trained all June and July. The only reason they didn’t practice in August was because Snape had Draco on lockdown for his apprenticeship.”

“It’s a shame I can’t play against them then.” The raven-haired boy replied sadly. He would have loved to see Draco’s face after he caught the snitch, despite the other boy’s hard work.

“Oh Harry, I’m soooo sorry!” Neville cried out as he clasped Harry’s arm. “I’m so stupid! I completely forgot that you wouldn’t be playing this year!”

Harry looked into Neville’s eyes and could tell that the other boy really was sad about it. “Uh… it’s okay… I don’t have a broom anymore anyway.”

“What?!” Neville gasped completely shocked “What happened to your Firebolt? Did *they* do something to it?”

But before Harry could even begin to answer that question, Slivanius Skeeter ran recklessly into the Great Hall, and yelled…

“Draco Malfoy has just been disqualified from playing Quidditch!”

tbc.
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A.N Okay I know I said I would only cut this chapter into two, but it was really too long. And I haven’t found the ending I want on the last part … and I kinda wanted to ~originally~ end the first part here. But I also liked that last ending too.… and I still felt like this was a good place to stop again. (sheepish grin) I know. I’m a goof.

I love Neville. He is such a gossip goose! I also love that Blaise is jealous of Harry. And Harry is jealous of Neville. And neither boy has anything to worry about. I love it! You see, Jealousy is sooooo irrational. ^_~ But it sure is fun to write.

I wonder if Draco’s scar is burning? Hmm…

Oh and yes, Draco is bisexual. Or in other words. Sexually greedy. ^_~ Unfortunately for him, Harry’s no easy conquest. Remember, Harry doesn’t want sex. He wants love. And remember, Draco doesn’t want love, he wants sex. ^_~ But slowly but surely our to loverboys will meet each other in the middle. (happy sigh)

Oh and I promise the owls will arrive before I finish this going-on-forty-page chapter. _^_~ I’ll get the next installment out as soon as I can. Promise

Please review. It keeps my muse from straying.
Love ya
babychan


Oh I love this story!!!