A Twisted Web We Weave

CHAPTER 6

“Malfoy’s your lab partner, you’ve got to be kidding me. How did that happen?” Ron looked sympathetically at Harry who was sitting on the floor beside the coffee table in the Gryfindor common room neatly filling out the first page in his potions diary. Judging from Snape’s lecture in class Harry was determined to keep on top of his homework.

“Snape.” Harry whispered by way of explanation as he dated and book marked his first day’s entry in the dairy and placed it carefully back into his book bag for tomorrow along with his other homework he’d completed.

“That figures. The more time we spend here at Hogwarts the more I’m becoming convinced that wizards a sadistic sod. It’s like he feeds of your suffering.” Harry nodded but then shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

“Well there’s nothing I can do now, he said nothing but death would make him separate lab partners.” Harry looked up at Ron who grinned mischievously

“That could be arranged Harry, a well aimed bludger to the chest during next weeks Quidditch Game and Malfoy would go down like anyone else.” Harry chuckled as Ron raised his eyebrows knowingly, and winked suggestively at his best friend. Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head quietly.

“Nah, Snape would know it was me, besides we agreed to a truce during class.” Harry kicked off his shoes and stretched his feet out towards the roaring fire, eager to warm his icy cold toes.

“A truce? That won’t last long, Malfoy’s never keep their word.” Harry nodded doubtfully as well but he had to give the Slytherin boy the benefit of proving himself, at least until he was sure this was going to work. After all it was in both their interests to keep the peace, because neither of them it seemed wanted to spent more time than necessary in the potions masters company.

Just at that moment the portrait swung open, and a small wave of girls coming back from the bathrooms swept into the common room. The smell of the combined beauty products was almost over powering and Ron transfigured his pencil into a peg to put on his nose as the group of chattering girl’s swaned past them. Hermione was the last through the portrait hole, which shut behind her. Harry and Ron both smiled strangely at their friend whose hair for the first time was perfectly straight and was shining in the light of the fire.

“Whoa, what’s with the hair?” Ron droned the peg on his nose making his voice squeaky and strange sounding. Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron as she sat down next to her friend on the couch, casually flicking a stray length of brown hair back behind her ear.

“It’s a new potion designed especially to straighten extremely curly hair, I thought I might try it and see if it worked, the other girls helped me put it on” Hermione smiled at her two friends who were still staring at her. Hermione was like a different person with straight hair, and Harry was quite stunned at how pretty she looked with the unruly curls gone.

“Is it permanent?” Ron whispered as he took the peg off his nose and reached forward to touch the silky hair, almost impressed that the potion had worked on Hermione’s completely uncontrollable hair.

“No, about a week it lasts. If I like it I was thinking of having it like this to the Yule Ball.” Harry nodded at Hermione’s suggestion before glancing knowingly across at where Ron was now attempting to twirl a length of Hermione’s hair around his finger, in an attempt at getting the curls back. Harry and Ron had come to an agreement during his weeklong stay at the burrow at the end of the summer holidays that Ron had to ask Hermione to the Yule Ball this year. It was so painfully obviously how much Ron liked Hermione yet the red haired boy refused to do anything about it. So in the spirit of friendship they’d made a promise Ron had to ask Hermione, if Harry asked Ginny. To Harry it wasn’t much of a sacrifice to see his two best friends finally getting together. “What do you think of it Harry?” Harry practically bit his tongue as he smiled weakly up at Hermione. Harry was no good at giving his opinion on things like this and so diplomatically pushed the conversation on.

“It’s…different.” Harry whispered cautiously watching as Ron nodded in agreement. Hermione wasn’t stupid and sighed heavily.

“Alright I get the hint, I’ll change it back tomorrow morning.” Harry and Ron sighed in relief as Hermione tucked her nightdress under her and tucked her feet into the cushions beside Ron. “So what do you two think about the new professor?” Hermione had been dying to discuss Professor Julius Snape all afternoon with her friends, having herself found him absolutely fascinating.

“Oh he’s brilliant, so funny, Defense is going to be a breeze this year with him teaching.” Ron was practically bouncing off the couch as he addressed his friends. Hermione seemed just as enthusiastic as Ron was.

“Yeah and Ginny told me then that he’s agreed to become a supervisor in the dueling club.” Ron’s smile widened at the news Hermione had brought with her back from the bathroom.

“Yes, finally we might have someone who can best old Snivelrus. Brother against Brother that’ll be cool.” Ron beamed enthusiastically at Harry who had remained strangely silent as he stared into the fire. “What do you think of him Harry?” Ron inquired hoping to draw his friend into conversation. Harry glanced back over his shoulder at his friends for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and turning back to fact the fire. As much as he liked the new professor there was just something in the way his skin seemed to crawl when in the other man’s presence. Admittedly those brilliant green eyes were amazing but apart from that Harry felt at unease with him.

“He’s…” Harry paused not wanting to upset his friends and create cause for a lengthy questioning session. “…different.” Harry continued watching as his friends took that as a good sign rather than a bad one and began animatedly discussing the aspects of their newest defense professor that they liked. Harry remained silent and having heard enough of Julius Snape to last him a lifetime, excused himself and retired to bed early.

As he lay quietly staring up at the canopy of his bed, the curtains drawn Harry tried not to think about his godfather, and rather focus on what he had to do tomorrow in his classes. It was useless trying to fight it though and as his eyes began to drop closed the memories of the battle in the Ministry building began to flood his mind, leaving behind the nightmare he’d fallen to sleep with for the past three months. In the quiet undisturbed privacy of his bed tears fell silently down Harry’s cheeks onto the pillow below as finally he gave over to the ache in his heart again, and cried himself to sleep for another night.

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