Like Ripples In a Pond
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
5
Views:
3,682
Reviews:
11
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
2
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
5
Views:
3,682
Reviews:
11
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
2
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter Four
***
~ Chapter Four ~
Aboard the Hogwarts Express
Harry and the other children had laughed together, only a little at Draco’s expense, and that had helped to start a tentative bond. After the last giggle and guffaw died down, Harry found he now felt much more comfortable amongst these strangers.
Almost… normal.
They began to talk of everything; what they had done over the summer, what kind of new wands they all had, pets they had gotten.
Harry proudly displayed Hedwig in all her glory, who was sleeping with her head tucked underneath her wing, still managing to look majestic. Everyone made proper sounds of appreciation; Pansy making little cooing noises that Hedwig ignored.
“Lovely owl,” Blaise agreed amiably, “But I’ve got one that tops everything!” He lifted the collar of his robe, and slowly, something small and black peeked glittering eyes outside.
“Oh!” Harry was captivated; it was a beautiful little black snake, draped around Blaise's neck like a piece of living jewelry. It was a slim little thing, barely more than two finger-widths around. The snake looked all about as it crawled further outside of the depths of the robe, trying to see everything it could.
“Ooh, wicked,” exclaimed Greg.
“Very wicked,” agreed Vince.
“His name is Eclipse,” Blaise bragged. “My uncle got him from America as a familiar for me, since I’m starting Hogwarts. He’s incredibly intelligent.”
Harry leaned over to get a better look, practically lying in Draco’s lap. “Aren’t you a gorgeous thing,” he murmured at the snake, and couldn’t resist giving him a friendly scratch on the cream-colored patch under his chin.**
Onyx eyes stared at Harry gratefully, and the snake began to hiss with pleasure. “Oh, that feelsss nice, thanksss.”
“You’re welcome,” Harry said happily, and reluctantly pulled himself back over Draco’s knees until he was seated properly. He grinned around at the rest of the room’s occupants, only to find that everyone was once again staring at him. His grin faded.
“What?” Harry asked nervously. “Why’s everyone looking at me funny?”
“Harry,” Draco whispered reverently, “That was amazing!”
“Bloody brilliant,” Vince and Greg said together.
Pansy looked fascinated. “How long have you been able to do that? Did you teach yourself?”
Blaise was gobsmacked and silent. He stared from Harry, to his snake, and back to Harry again.
“What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything,” Harry said, but then paused, uncertain. “…Did I?”
Draco seemed about to burst. “Harry! You’re a Parselmouth. You can speak to snakes!”
“Oh, that. I know,” Harry said with no small amount of relief. “I thought you meant something else. Surely loads of people can talk to snakes, right?”
“No.” Blaise finally spoke up, firmly. “It’s incredibly rare! Not even one wizard in five thousand can do that.”
“Really?” Harry’s heart began to sink. Here was something else to set him apart; to show everyone how much of a freak he was.
“I wish I could do it,” Draco chimed in, much to Harry’s surprise, while everyone else nodded their agreement.
“So…. it doesn’t make me… a freak?” Harry asked timidly.
“NO!” Everyone replied at once, taking Harry aback.
“Oh Harry, it’s wonderful!” Pansy beamed at him.
“It is a great gift,” Draco added. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“Huh?” was Harry’s succinct reply.
Blaise, Pansy and Draco all seemed to hesitate, but it was Vince who jumped in.
“Some of the stick-in-the-mud wizards talk like it’s a dark power, but you can’t always believe everything people say. They seem to think anyone speaking Parseltongue is evil.”
Greg added his bit as well. “You-Know-Who could speak to snakes, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be anything like him. It’s like both of you being good at maths or something.”
“But if he could do it, and I can do it… I mean, he killed my parents, and…” Harry floundered for words.
Draco reached out to lay a calming hand on Harry’s knee. “Harry, it doesn’t have to matter unless you want it to.”
Blaise gave him a wink. “We all still like you.”
Everyone tried to offer reassurance at the same time. “Extremely cool.” “No kidding!” “I knew this year would be exciting.”
Draco held Harry’s knee a little more firmly. “You’re still my friend,” he said with all seriousness.
“Our friend,” said Pansy decisively, and it seemed to be the consensus of the group.
The warmth inside Harry this time was like a comfortable fire, heating every part of him from head to toe. He wanted to clutch this feeling to him like a tangible thing, and revel in it forever. How could he be so lucky? Not just one friend, but five!
When the witch with the snack trolley stopped by, Harry shared a huge feast off the cart with everyone. Draco tried to insist upon paying, but Harry wouldn’t have it.
“My treat,” Harry insisted with good-willed stubbornness, and Draco graciously acquiesced.
The rest of the train ride Harry would remember fondly as the happiest time so far in his young life.
**The snake here is an Eastern Indigo, found in the southeastern states of the U.S.A. They are bluish-black with orange, red, yellow, or cream patches under their chins. They are non-venomous, eat small mammals/rodents, birds, amphibians, and even other reptiles and snakes; killing their prey by thrashing them to death. Small when young, they can grow up to 9 feet in the proper conditions.
***
~ Chapter Four ~
Aboard the Hogwarts Express
Harry and the other children had laughed together, only a little at Draco’s expense, and that had helped to start a tentative bond. After the last giggle and guffaw died down, Harry found he now felt much more comfortable amongst these strangers.
Almost… normal.
They began to talk of everything; what they had done over the summer, what kind of new wands they all had, pets they had gotten.
Harry proudly displayed Hedwig in all her glory, who was sleeping with her head tucked underneath her wing, still managing to look majestic. Everyone made proper sounds of appreciation; Pansy making little cooing noises that Hedwig ignored.
“Lovely owl,” Blaise agreed amiably, “But I’ve got one that tops everything!” He lifted the collar of his robe, and slowly, something small and black peeked glittering eyes outside.
“Oh!” Harry was captivated; it was a beautiful little black snake, draped around Blaise's neck like a piece of living jewelry. It was a slim little thing, barely more than two finger-widths around. The snake looked all about as it crawled further outside of the depths of the robe, trying to see everything it could.
“Ooh, wicked,” exclaimed Greg.
“Very wicked,” agreed Vince.
“His name is Eclipse,” Blaise bragged. “My uncle got him from America as a familiar for me, since I’m starting Hogwarts. He’s incredibly intelligent.”
Harry leaned over to get a better look, practically lying in Draco’s lap. “Aren’t you a gorgeous thing,” he murmured at the snake, and couldn’t resist giving him a friendly scratch on the cream-colored patch under his chin.**
Onyx eyes stared at Harry gratefully, and the snake began to hiss with pleasure. “Oh, that feelsss nice, thanksss.”
“You’re welcome,” Harry said happily, and reluctantly pulled himself back over Draco’s knees until he was seated properly. He grinned around at the rest of the room’s occupants, only to find that everyone was once again staring at him. His grin faded.
“What?” Harry asked nervously. “Why’s everyone looking at me funny?”
“Harry,” Draco whispered reverently, “That was amazing!”
“Bloody brilliant,” Vince and Greg said together.
Pansy looked fascinated. “How long have you been able to do that? Did you teach yourself?”
Blaise was gobsmacked and silent. He stared from Harry, to his snake, and back to Harry again.
“What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything,” Harry said, but then paused, uncertain. “…Did I?”
Draco seemed about to burst. “Harry! You’re a Parselmouth. You can speak to snakes!”
“Oh, that. I know,” Harry said with no small amount of relief. “I thought you meant something else. Surely loads of people can talk to snakes, right?”
“No.” Blaise finally spoke up, firmly. “It’s incredibly rare! Not even one wizard in five thousand can do that.”
“Really?” Harry’s heart began to sink. Here was something else to set him apart; to show everyone how much of a freak he was.
“I wish I could do it,” Draco chimed in, much to Harry’s surprise, while everyone else nodded their agreement.
“So…. it doesn’t make me… a freak?” Harry asked timidly.
“NO!” Everyone replied at once, taking Harry aback.
“Oh Harry, it’s wonderful!” Pansy beamed at him.
“It is a great gift,” Draco added. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“Huh?” was Harry’s succinct reply.
Blaise, Pansy and Draco all seemed to hesitate, but it was Vince who jumped in.
“Some of the stick-in-the-mud wizards talk like it’s a dark power, but you can’t always believe everything people say. They seem to think anyone speaking Parseltongue is evil.”
Greg added his bit as well. “You-Know-Who could speak to snakes, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be anything like him. It’s like both of you being good at maths or something.”
“But if he could do it, and I can do it… I mean, he killed my parents, and…” Harry floundered for words.
Draco reached out to lay a calming hand on Harry’s knee. “Harry, it doesn’t have to matter unless you want it to.”
Blaise gave him a wink. “We all still like you.”
Everyone tried to offer reassurance at the same time. “Extremely cool.” “No kidding!” “I knew this year would be exciting.”
Draco held Harry’s knee a little more firmly. “You’re still my friend,” he said with all seriousness.
“Our friend,” said Pansy decisively, and it seemed to be the consensus of the group.
The warmth inside Harry this time was like a comfortable fire, heating every part of him from head to toe. He wanted to clutch this feeling to him like a tangible thing, and revel in it forever. How could he be so lucky? Not just one friend, but five!
When the witch with the snack trolley stopped by, Harry shared a huge feast off the cart with everyone. Draco tried to insist upon paying, but Harry wouldn’t have it.
“My treat,” Harry insisted with good-willed stubbornness, and Draco graciously acquiesced.
The rest of the train ride Harry would remember fondly as the happiest time so far in his young life.
**The snake here is an Eastern Indigo, found in the southeastern states of the U.S.A. They are bluish-black with orange, red, yellow, or cream patches under their chins. They are non-venomous, eat small mammals/rodents, birds, amphibians, and even other reptiles and snakes; killing their prey by thrashing them to death. Small when young, they can grow up to 9 feet in the proper conditions.
***