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Then He Opened His Mouth	By : sherdelune Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 7524 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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 List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Disclaimer: Not mine, obviously. I'm only borrowing the lads for a bit, and will return them virtually unscathed. I am writing for fun, not profit, although I do so love a good review. But I won't beg for them!

Rating: PG-13 to R currently for language, more heated things to follow

Warning: SLASH! 'Nuff said.

Thanks: My beta reader, goldenpaw72 and Taran. Any errors left behind are mine alone.

Chapter Eleven

Midnight, Moonlight, and the Mirror

~@~

"I'm in love with him..."

That simple statement, which played over and over in Hermione's head, coupled with the ardent look in Draco's eyes left little doubt in her mind as to the veracity of his intent. Although she believed that what Draco was saying was absolutely the truth, she just couldn't wrap her head around this unexpected turn of events, and decided she wanted to try to understand the earnest young man sitting across from her.

She ruminated over what to say before finally choosing the most direct approach. "May I ask you a question, Malfoy?" Her voice punctuated the silence that had overtaken their compartment, and Draco looked up at her, nodding his consent. She took a steadying breath, slightly fearing how he might react, then forged ahead. "First of all, I want you to know that I believe that your feelings for Harry are genuine, but I'm having a really hard time understanding why. I just can't help wondering what's happened to you, Malfoy. Why this sudden change of heart as far as Harry is concerned?" Draco's usual haughty air vanished before her eyes, replaced with an nearly imperceptible smile as he began to tell her everything.

He leaned back against his seat, unable to meet her gaze as he began to speak. It would be the first time that he had voiced it for someone other than himself to hear, and he was nervous. The fact that it was Granger he was telling made it slightly surreal, and only managed to increase his panic about what he was about to do. "It's really quite a long story, Granger, and certainly not the sudden change of heart it might appear to be." He shifted uncomfortably and raised his eyes to hers, hoping that she would just drop it and save him from making a complete fool of himself. However, understanding that this was going to take a while, Hermione merely nodded for him to continue. "All right, then. The first time I met Harry was at the end of the summer, before we began our first year. It was in Madame Malkin's shop, we were both there being fitted for our robes. Merlin, he was such a scrawny thing, wearing these horribly worn, baggy clothes. But there was something special about him, despite his bedraggled appearance. I found myself drawn to him, I wanted to impress him, needed him to like me. Of course at the time I had no idea that he was Harry Potter, but I was certain that he and I were destined to be great friends."

Draco switched his position, leaning back against the window, stretching his legs out in front of him, his shoulders dropping slightly. "However, our friendship just wasn't meant to be after all. By the time I offered him my hand in friendship, he'd already been befriended by Weasley and turned me down flat." Hermione couldn't help herself and snorted at this comment, rolling her eyes dramatically. Draco glared at her, the smile replaced with his usual sneer. "What?"

The bushy-haired girl looked at him incredulously. "Really, Malfoy! For being the intelligent person that you are, you sure can be thick when you choose to be." She shook her head. "Your idea of offering him your friendship also included insulting one of the very first friends Harry ever made after learning he was a Wizard! In retrospect, don't you think you might have handled that just a bit better than you did?" Her voice grew soft, she understood that Malfoy's attitudes and opinions had been force fed to him by his father since birth. No matter how much of a prat he had been over the years, she was aware that he had only been spouting his father's rhetoric.

He knew that technically, she was right. But at age eleven, his entire world had been comprised entirely of his family and their associates, and any ideas or opinions he had formulated had come directly from their mouths. It wasn't until a few years after he'd arrived at Hogwarts that he'd begun to think for himself and his own opinions began to take precedence, not that he would have allowed anyone to know that his ideas had taken a strikingly different turn from those of his father. For the sake of self preservation, however, he had decided to keep his thoughts to himself and adopted a persona of superiority and disdain for anything that didn't fit into his father's view of the world. It was something he eventually grew comfortable with, and something he had become very good at.

He allowed a mask of indifference to settle over his features and began to defend his actions. "I know I totally screwed it up, and I suppose I could have done things differently, Granger, but I was just eleven years old, and my ego was bruised. Being a Malfoy, I couldn't really comprehend why he would refuse me over someone like the Weasel. What else could I possibly have done?" He sighed deeply, understanding all too well the ramifications that his past with Harry may have on any possible future he wanted with the other young man. But anything worth having was worth working for. As far as Draco was concerned, Harry was more than worth the work he was going to have to do to overcome all of the injustices he had perpetrated against him.

"Oh, gods, I was such an arrogant prick, wasn't I?" Looking across the compartment, his eyes met Hermione's. All she could do was nod her head bleakly. "I just didn't like being ignored, okay?" He fidgeted in his seat slightly. "I could handle his animosity, but his total disregard..." His voice trailed off slightly before he finally leaned forward and began to tell her all about The Big Lie. It was the story about two boys that got off on the wrong foot, and the hatred, at least for him, that never really existed. She listened without prejudice, and before the day was done Draco felt that he may have found a strong ally in Hermione Granger.

~@~

A few compartments back, two Gryffindors did not fail to notice the companionable nature of the conversation taking place in the prefect's car. Ron felt a lump forming in his throat. It certainly looked to him as though Hermione was completely enthralled with whatever it was Malfoy was talking with her about. Ron could only see the back of her head, but she was leaning forward and appeared very much into Malfoy, and by the absolutely passionate look on his face as he was speaking, Malfoy appeared to be very much into her as well. Ron's heart sank considerably.

Harry noticed the change in Ron's demeanour and wondered if it had anything to do with the longing glances the red-head kept shooting towards the prefect's compartment. It very well could be, because from what he could tell, it looked like Malfoy and 'Mione were getting pretty chummy indeed. He closed his eyes and swallowed the bitterness that threatened to rise in his throat. Witnessing their closeness only served to cement in Harry's mind the hard truth that Malfoy definitely could not be Glenn, not that he wanted Malfoy to be Glenn, although that idea was not completely repugnant to him. He recovered quickly and set about trying to lighten the mood by distracting Ron with some Chocolate Frogs. Not that he was in any way successful, and they both spent the remainder of the trip to Hogwarts in miserable silence.

~@~

Hermione's eyes were opened to several home truths that day. First of all, Draco Malfoy was not the person she had always thought him to be. He'd taken every misconception that she and her friends had ever had about him and effectively blown them out of the water. Then he'd pointed out the major mood a certain red-headed Gryffindor was in as he watched the two of them conversing, leaving her to wonder why she'd never noticed the attention Ron had paid to her in the past, and resolved then and there to do something about it as soon as possible. Finally, she discovered that while she could not yet consider him a friend, Draco was someone she felt that she understood and could see him becoming a good friend in the future. So the two of them called a truce. She agreed not to reveal the information she'd discovered in regard to 'Glenn,' and he agreed to forget about her momentary lapse in judgment, although he might never let her live down her anagram; the rather saucy "A Lusty Offer, My Own" for "I Want You For Myself." The two of them spent the last half hour of the trip joking and laughing, causing members of their respective houses to scratch their heads wondering just what had gotten into their housemates.

~@~

"Obtainable grass

observable timeliness,

yesterday forgives"

Trelawney's voice quivered with anticipation as she went into a trance in order to foretell Harry's most recent fate. Her already buggy eyes bulged even more behind her owlish glasses when she realised that this was not the usual prediction of doom, gloom or death. "That's very strange indeed, Mr. Potter. Perhaps I shall have to read you again after a fortnight, just to be sure that the spirits are in wit with your psyche." Harry could only roll his eyes at the dotty professor and her equally dotty reading. 'Yesterday forgives?' He had no idea what that was supposed to mean, and shrugged it off as merely one more of Trelawney's mindless ramblings. He was glad when the class finally ended so he could go to Defense Against the Dark Arts, which was his favourite class.

And so began Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts. Classes resumed, as did his correspondence with 'Glenn.' Throughout September, the two of them shared all of their thoughts with one another, taking time to really get to know as much about the other as they possibly could. 'Glenn' chided Harry for telling him about the blood magic surrounding the Dursely home, and made him promise to be more careful about who he divulged this information to in the future. Harry started feeling more cared for than he ever had, aside from the familial bonds he felt from the Weasley family, which was a different kind of connection, of course.

Not too much had changed in regard to the usual House conflicts over the summer holidays. Malfoy and his Merry Band of Slytherin still goaded the Golden Trio, but Malfoy's actions lacked the spitefulness that had fueled their rivalry over the past years. Both Ron and Harry believed that he was going easier on them because of the relationship they had witnessed blossoming between Hermione and Malfoy on the Hogwarts Express. Both were completely surprised (and incredibly relieved) when Hermione started openly flirting with Ron three weeks into the term. By the beginning of October the two of them could be seen mooning over one another in the Gryffindor Common Room, and they soon became a regular fixture in the Astronomy Tower. Ron was delirious that Hermione did not fancy Malfoy after all, as was Harry, but for a reason that no one other than himself understood.

He hated to admit it, but even though 'Glenn' was in his life, Harry still found Malfoy incredibly attractive. It didn't help matters that Malfoy was there at every turn, his silver-grey eyes like limpid pools that Harry wanted to dive into. And with 'Glenn' still reticent about revealing himself, Harry was becoming increasingly frustrated. He longed to make a real connection with 'Glenn.' and wished that the other boy would just trust him enough to make himself known.

Things were about to take an interesting turn.

~@~

Harry sat in Divination, bored out of his mis Trs Trelawney prattled on about divination and it's relation to Samhain, which was only a week away, falling on the last day in October.

"Samhain is a significant time for divination, perhaps even more so than May or Midsummer's Eve, because this is the chief of the three Spirit Nights. Divination customs and games frequently feature apples and nuts from the recent harvest, and candles play an important part in adding atmosphere to the mysteries. Before the stroke of midnight, one can sit in front of a mirror in a room lit only by one candle or the moon." Trelawney's voice took on a ethereal quality, as if she were divulging the secrets of the universe to them. "Go into the silence, and slice an apple through the equator to reveal the five-pointed star within, then eat it by candlelight before a mirror. Your future spouse will then appear over your shoulder."

Harry was just desperate enough to try one of Trelawney's crackpot methods of divination to find out once and for all who 'Glenn deWedlour' truly was. He never used to take stock in such nonsense, but he was ready to know, and 'Glenn' himself was not being very forthcoming. Hell, he was willing to do whatever it took to find out what he needed to know. He made a note to himself to pay Dobby and Winky a visit in the kitchens to pick up an apple for his upcoming journey into the oh so fascinating world of divination.

~@~

Lunch was finishing up in the Great Hall, and Albus Dumbledore was rising, tapping his wand on the side of his goblet to get the attention of the students as the rest of the staff at the head table looked on.

"I have an announcement I would like to make. As you know, Samhain is fast approaching. This year we have decided to do things a little differently than we have in previous years." His blue eyes twinkled as he surveyed the students, who sat rapt at what he was telling them. "Yes, this year we have decided to have Samhain Ceilidh* for all fifth, sixth, and seventh year students. The festivities will begin on Thursday, the Thirty-first of October at nine o'clock, and will end...Well, whenever it ends. Therefore, classes on Friday the first of November will be cancelled."

Excitement overtook the Great Hall, as everyone made plans about who they might ask, and what they would wear to the ceilidh. Some of the Muggle-borns had questioning looks on their faces. They had no idea what a 'Samhain Ceilidh' was. Over at the Gryffindor table, Dean Thomas was about to ask his housemates just what it was when Hermione caught the confusion on his face. Taking pity on the young man, she set about explaining the ancient traditions of Samhain, and how it had morphed into the modern day Halloween.

To Hermione's delight, Ron asked her if she would like to accompany him to the party, while Harry's eyes swept the Great Hall looking for a sign that 'Glenn' might approach him and ask him to go as well. When no one showed, Harry could not hide his disappointment, causing Hermione to sneak a glance at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was engrossed in conversation with some of his housemates, but did manage to notice the piteous way Harry was sitting at the Gryffindor table just waiting for something to happen. He cursed his cowardice, wishing he could just get up on his feet and go ask Harry to attend the party with him. But he was still worried that Harry may not accept that he was 'Glenn,' and once again he wondered if he had done the right thing by inventing his alter-ego.

~@~

October thirty-first arrived quickly, and at sundown the celebration of the New Year, or Samhain, began. As the veil between the worlds of life and death is thin on this night, time was taken to remember those who had come before them. "The Feast of the Dead" was laid out to welcome otherworldly visitors, and to gain their favour for the coming year.

Harry prepared his dorm room for the rite he would be performing at midnight. He'd gotten two apples from the kitchen earlier, one for the ceremony, and a spare just in case the first attempt failed. He'd set up a small altar which he covered with a black altar cloth. On top of the altar were several photographs of his parents, as well as the mirror Sirius gave him before... Autumn leaves, nuts, and fruits, including the apples, also adorned the top of his altar as did three white candles to represent his mother, father, and Sirius. There was a spot to rest his wand when the time came. He then transfigured a nut into a medium sized free standing mirror, which he placed to the side of his window, next to his bed. A small silver knife rested on his bedside table beside the single candle that he would use for the divination ceremony later that night.

At nine o'clock, the students began to stream into the Great Hall for the Ceilidh. Lively music filled the hall, and students and teachers alike began celebrating the wizarding equivalent of the New Year. Most were dressed in robes ablaze with autumnal colours; red, brown, golden yellows, silver and gold. One table was laid with foods of the season; pumpkin pasties, apple pies, and loaves of whole grain bread with thick clotted cream to spread upon it. There were also jugs of apple cider, pumpkin juice and fresh pomegranate juice to slake the thirst of hearty revellers after too much dancing.

Harry sat alone watching his classmates enjoying themselves, waiting for the moment he could sneak away to his room to find out if the mirror would reveal the identity of his secret letter writer. At a quarter before midnight, he quietly slipped out of the Great Hall, completely unaware that silver-grey eyes discreetly watched his every move. The young man belonging to those eyes followed silently behind him, finally ready to end the charade that had brought them both such happiness over the past several months. Granted, it wasn't the method he had planned on using, but the moment he'd heard Trelawney nattering about midnight, moonlight, and the mirror he knew what Harry was going to do. All that was left for him to do was take advantage of this perfect opportunity.

Draco was intercepted on his way out of the Great Hall by a very excitable Hermione. "Are you going to tell him now?" The look on her face told him that she meant business, and that if he did not tell Harry the truth, she would have no trouble doing it herself.

"I would have been had you not stopped me!" Draco was flushed from the anticipation of finally coming clean to the one person who meant everything to him. He ran his hands through his hair nervously and tried to calm down. "I have a good idea about where he is going and what he is about to do, and I daresay time is of the essence. So if you'll excuse me?"

Hermione brushed her hand over his arm. "Go to him." She smiled and whispered some more words of encouragement to him before rejoining Ron at the table.

Draco arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait in time to watch as Harry disappeared through the portal door into the Gryffindor Common room. "Here goes nothing." He spoke out loud mainly to steel his resolve.

Harry sat on the floor in front of the mirror, then lit the single candle and placed it on the bedside table. He picked up an apple and the knife and carefully cut the apple in half, exposing the seeds in the five pointed star shape he was expecting to find. He closed his eyes and began to focus, hoping that when he opened his eyes, a reflection of 'Glenn' would appear in the mirror. Moonlight streamed in through the window, bathing Harry in an almost unearthly light.

The first bite was taken from the apple, quickly followed by a second and a third. His thoughts of 'Glenn' became his mantra as he chewed and swallowed each bite.

He took the last bite of the apple, and took a deep breath. Then he opened his eyes. His vision was momentarily blurred as he focused on the mirror in front of him. His breath hitched in his throat. A pale figure began ateraterialise behind him, he could see a reflection there in the mirror. Blonde hair, falling in soft waves around a pale, pointed face. Silver-grey eyes which were gazing out at him from the depths of the mirror. Harry's eyes widened at the realisation. "Malfoy...?"

"In the flesh."

*pronounced KAY-lee

TBC
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Then He Opened His Mouth