Beautiful Soul

Beautiful Soul ~ Chapter 4
Beautiful Soul

Title: Beautiful Soul
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: PG (for now)
Summary: Harry falls in love
Warnings: SLASH
A/N: This is for xingou who absolutely refuses to read anything Lucius related, but we still love her. Wonderful thanks to my lovely betas butterflymist, snapefantasy, glitterlioness, and duendeoflorien my poor loves...all sick this week!! *hugs* i want you all better!

Beautiful Soul
Chapter 4


Harry and Hermione stayed at the Leaky Cauldron that night. Granted, Harry saw very little of Hermione after Ron showed up. That was fine with him. He really did not feel up to company. He was still upset over not getting the tickets and trying to find a way to get to the concert.

The next afternoon, Hermione and Ron found Harry sitting in the dining area at the Leaky Cauldron totally absorbed in writing. He had books and papers spread out in front of him.

“Harry what are you doing? Don’t tell me you are starting your schoolwork already.” Ron inquired with a grimace as he picked up one of the books. He just couldn’t think of doing anything school related unless he absolutely had to.

“Honestly, Ron, you should think of doing the same. You know we have to take our NEWT’s this year and it is only a few short months away. It wouldn’t hurt you to crack a book open.” Hermione droned on in her typical librarian manner.

“A few months?! We haven’t even started school yet, Hermione!!” Ron looked down at the book in his hands, “John Keats?! Harry, what is this?”

“Just a book of poems; give it back.” Harry grabbed the book back and started to put it up. “For your information, I was writing a fan letter to Jesse. I was telling him all about…”

“Harry, are you ready to celebrate your birthday, or do you want to sit here in a dark room and write while it is absolutely gorgeous outside?” Hermione interrupted.

“Come on, Harry, let’s go party. I promised you some ice cream for your birthday, remember?” Ron added with a gleam in his eye.
“Sure that sounds great, Ron. I was just finishing up this letter. Let me run it up to the room and put it with the others.”

“OTHERS?!” Hermione and Ron groaned.

“Yes, this is the twenty-fifth one I have written,” Harry said, as they walked up to his room. “All set? Where are we going, Ron?”

“I told you Harry, we are going to go have some ice cream. Ice cream is a staple on birthdays and I can’t believe you have never had ice cream on your birthday.”

Harry placed his book and letters in his trunk. It looked like there might be a few stuffed animals in the trunk as well. Ron just shook his head and whispered to Hermione, “You said he was bad, but not this bad.”

Hermione just looked at him and nodded her head. She led the boys out of the hotel room and out to the doors leading to Diagon Alley.

They stepped into the sunshine and instantly felt warmed. It was a beautiful day. The trio laughed and joked as Ron took the lead. He was leading them to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. They maneuvered their way through the throngs of people who were out and about on the hot summer day.

Ron and Hermione walked slightly ahead of Harry. He was lost in thought, realizing that this was the first birthday he had ever really celebrated with anyone. They walked into the shop just ahead of him. Harry opened the door and was shocked.

“SURPRISE!!” Harry looked around, stunned. He saw Remus, most of the Weasley clan, Hagrid, Tonks, Seamus, Dean, and many others who were there, gathering around the door. Ron was grinning like a Cheshire cat while Hermione was jumping up and down and clapping. Everyone started to crowd in around Harry, but not before he noticed the shop decorated. The Gryffindor colors were splattered everywhere with golden snitches flying around the room.
Harry managed to catch a snitch even though he was standing there in shock. Harry didn’t know what to say. For the first time in his life, Harry felt loved and appreciated by the people in his life.

“Harry, dear, come on in and say hello to everyone, “Mrs. Weasley said as she wrapped Harry in a deep hug. “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”

“Wow,” was all he managed.

“Ha! Ha!” a voice from the back said, “the Boy Wonder speechless at a party. This must be a first.”

“Oh very funny, Lee!” Harry yelled back. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you. Thank you so much. You guys…” Harry choked, “you are each so special and I love each and every one of you. Oh Merlin! RON! You kept a secret!!”

Ron turned a brilliant shade of red. “Well, mate, why do you think you went to Mione’s house after you left your aunt’s house?”

“I did wonder why I didn’t go to the Burrow,” Harry said as he hugged his best friend. “Thanks.”

“Happy Birthday, Harry,” Hermione whispered as she joined the hug. At that moment a flash went off, recording the happiest moment of Harry’s life.

“Colin!” the three yelled at the photographer. They looked at each other and laughed.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved to the table where the guest of honor would be sitting. The crowd began to settle down and move to their seats as well. At the far end of the table, the Fred and George were showing Lee Jordan a few of their new gags. Colin and Dennis Creevey were sitting at a table to themselves, with their photography equipment spread around them. Seamus, Dean, and Neville, sitting across from Harry, were spreading tales of the summer so far. Lavender, Parvati, Ginny, and Luna were gossiping over the latest Teen Witch Weekly. Remus and Mr. Weasley were seated at a table a bit away from the kids, talking. Harry looked around and smiled. Everyone was there for him. So many faces, so many people he knew from not only Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. He was surprised, and so touched that so many people cared about him, just him.

The lights dimmed as Mrs. Weasley walked into the room carrying a birthday cake, singing. Everyone joined in the song while she placed the cake in front of Harry. “Now make a wish, dear, for these are special candles. When you make your wish and blow them all out, your wish will come true, almost immediately.” Mrs. Weasley explained.

“But I have nothing to wish for. Right now, I know I have a family that loves me and friends that care for me. There isn’t anything more that I can think of to wish for,” Harry said quietly.

“Are you sure you have everything you have ever wanted?” Hermione questioned.

Harry thought for a moment and his face lit up. “You are right, ‘Mione, there is something I could wish for.” Harry closed his eyes and thought his wish out carefully. He took a deep breath and blew all of the candles out. As the flames disappeared a tinkling sound was heard, something similar to windchimes.

“You did it Harry!”

“What a set of lungs.”

“Happy Birthday!”

“What’d you wish for?”

All the comments were said over each other, with everyone talking all at once. Mrs. Weasley began slicing the large cake and passing pieces around to all the guests.
“Ice cream cake?!? Harry you are so lucky. Mum never gets me an ice cream cake and she knows they are my favorites,” Ron whined.

Harry looked at the sulking boy and said with a grin, “Get over it Ron! We all know she loves me more anyway.” With that being said he put icing all over Ron’s nose.

“You big wanker” Ron said while wiping off the icing. The boys laughed.

The pandemonium was dying down as people began to eat their cake. A few words were said here and there, but mostly the only sounds heard were the scraping of forks against the plates.

Suddenly the front door burst open and Draco strutted in. The radiance of the sunlight framing Draco in the doorway made the once enemy of Harry look like an angel. He walked into the room followed by Pansy Parkinson, who immediately put her arm through his. “Bloody hell, did I get lost on my way to Fortescue's? All this red and gold is beginning to make me lose my appetite,” he said to the girl beside him.

“Oh Draco,” she simpered clinging to his arm.

“Sorry, ferret-boy, the store is closed for a private party.” Ron jumped up, ready for a fight.

“Of course, only a Weasel would decorate like this,” Draco sneered. He glared at Ron then glanced over at Harry. “Oh I guess this means it’s your birthday, Potty-Potter.”

“Malfoy,” Harry said threateningly.

“Oh do sit down. I don’t wish to interrupt. Pansy, why don’t you go order our ice cream, while I think of a proper hex for Potter for his birthday,” Draco drawled as he gave Pansy the money for the ice cream. Pansy walked to the counter and ordered the ice cream. She watched the school rivals pair off against each other.
“A new hex? Right, shall I just let Ginny have at you again? She is a wonder at hexes,” Harry replied.

“Oh, going to hide behind a girl’s skirts again? Are you afraid to actually face me?”

“Never, Malfoy.”

“Boys, settle down,” Mrs. Weasley jumped in. “Mr. Malfoy would you and your friend like some cake? There is more than enough to go around. There is no need for all this fussing on such a fine day,” she said ever the essence of a perfect hostess.

Ron could not believe his mother had just said that. “But, mum…”

“Ronald, you will sit there and be the polite gentleman I raised or I shall deal with you when I get home,” his mother threatened.

“Yes, mum,” Ron mumbled.

Draco spoke up this time and said, “No thank you Mrs. Weasley. It is a lovely offer, but I’m afraid that now that Pansy has our ice cream we must be on our way. Thank you for the invitation and I hope you have a lovely time celebrating Harry’s birthday.”

Everyone’s jaw dropped. Not a single person in there had ever seen Draco be so polite to anyone before. Just then he shot a look at Harry and sneered, “I’ll see you at school and then we can take care of our unfinished business.” He took Pansy’s arm and walked out of the ice cream shop into the sunlight.

“Well now, wasn’t that interesting? Ron, dear, I do believe it is time for Harry to open his presents, don’t you?” Mrs. Weasley said to the shocked crowd. This seemed to get everyone motivated, and they piled their presents around Harry.

Harry had received presents from his close friends before, but never this many. He tore into the presents excitedly. He received the latest book on Quidditch from Hermione, a new broom care kit from Seamus, a painting of Hogwarts done by Dean, and so many other gifts. Each one was thoughtful and meant something special to Harry.

As Harry finished opening the last present Ron stood up. “Harry,” Ron cleared his throat. He looked almost as if he didn’t know what to say, but rushed through the speech anyway. “Harry, you are as much a brother to me as Fred and George, and I love you. I just wanted you to know that upfront. In the interest of brotherly love, all of us, Fred, George, Mione, Mum, Dad, and Ginny, well we all came up with the perfect gift for you for your birthday.”

“Ron, you have done enough!” Harry started.

“No, hear me out Harry. This is the most important gift. I had Hermione help me keep you occupied so that the rest of us could take care of it for you. Well, anyway, here. I think you will love this.” Ron said as he held out an envelope to Harry.

Harry took the envelope and opened it up. He pulled out three backstage passes to the Jesse McCartney concert for that night. Harry looked stunned. He didn’t know what to say. He looked at his adopted family with absolute adoration.

“Wow, first a party and now this. How am I ever going to repay you for this?” Harry said.

“We don’t want to be paid for it Harry, it is our gift to you. It is to make up for all those times we wanted to be with you on your birthday and couldn’t. It is for all the times you wished you had a family to call your own. Bloody hell, it is so you will stop talking about the bloody boy!” Ron said.

“Ron…” Harry leaned over and hugged his best friend. He then walked around to the rest of his “adopted” family and hugged them as well. “Thank you so much.”

“Well, Harry, did your wish come true already?” Hermione asked with a devilish grin on her face.

Harry looked at her. “Honestly, Hermione, I didn’t wish for this. I wasn’t even thinking about the concert when Mrs. Weasley came in with the cake.”

“Really? Then what did you wish for?”

“Can’t tell you, Mione. Don’t you know, if you tell your wish, it won’t come true.” Harry said with a gleam in his eye.