Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Smile Like You Mean It	By : AeraVale Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 6676 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- 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. DM/OC, M/F

Chapter List
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- 43
Chapter 42 - Goodbye
Draco glanced up and down the corridor before opening the door. It was during the last class of the day, but you couldn’t be too careful. The note Weasley had slipped him during Potions had been specific, both in place and time.
The three of them were there, their expressions pictures of determination. Granger was standing very close to Weasley, her hand on his arm. Harry stood alone, waiting patiently by all visible signs.
“Is it time?”
Draco nodded and handed Potter the note from his father. He scanned through it quickly, frowning slightly. “Not very informative. You’re sure he means your house? That he isn’t meeting you there to take you on to somewhere else?”
“I’m certain.” Draco said in a dry voice. The Dark Lord was never careless, but that level of caution was not in his nature. His followers were trapped by their fear, most would never even consider betraying him.
“Okay,” said Harry faintly, then gave himself a small shake. “Okay, we’re doing this tonight.” he said more firmly. “Ron, Hermione, you know I should go alone - ”
“Shut it, mate.” Ron cut in with a barking laugh, “You should know by now that we aren’t getting left behind so don’t bother.”
Hermione nodded vehemently at his side. Harry hesitated, then sighed and nodded shortly. Draco arched an eyebrow at them. He hadn’t really believed Potter could be that noble. If he was in this position he would have wanted every Joe Soap at his side.
“You’ll apparate us to your house then?” Harry asked, sounding almost as though he believed Draco would back out.
“Meet me in the Entrance Hall at quarter to eight. My father will have arranged for me to leave the school at that time. Do you have a plan for how to leave the grounds undetected?”
There were glances between them, as if even now they were reluctant to give up any of their secrets. “We have an Invisibility Cloak.” Harry said finally.
Draco tried not to look impressed. Invisibility Cloaks were rare, and amazingly expensive. He himself had never bought one, simply because he did not want to imagine the dent it would make in his allowance.
“Good. Then we will apparate to the Atrium and take out my father first. He will be waiting for me. After that we - ”
“No.” It was said so softly, yet it stopped Draco short. His lips thinned into a hard line as Harry went on. “You have my thanks for your help, but I haven’t changed my mind. Take us to a storeroom, or the garden. Then you go. Wait in the Astronomy Tower for us.”
Draco held his temper tightly in check. “You think it’s going to be easy? Even with four of us we’d be outnumbered! And you want to march in there with just you three?”
“You leave, Malfoy! And you hide all of this from Aera until we return.”
“And if you don’t?” Draco asked softly.
Harry hesitated, then looked Draco deep in the eyes. “Then you take my sister and hide her. You better than anyone else we have know Voldemort’s plans. Keep her safe from him, and don’t let her get herself killed trying anything stupid.”
He said it so calmly. At first Draco thought Potter was saying it offhandedly, not really believing they would fail and so seeing no reason to make such plans.
Then he took a proper look into those clear green eyes and it struck him. Potter understood they were likely to fail, Understood and accepted. Beneath that skim of calm was pain and sadness. He was scared for his friends, the ones who would not be left behind, but he would not make this choice for them. Aera, he refused to watch walk into this danger. He would do anything necessary to keep her safe. And the bone-deep sorrow in his eyes was there because he knew he would probably never see his sister again.
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“Ginny?”
The red-haired girl looked up, marking her place in the large book on her lap with one slender finger. Night was falling in the Common Room and she was seated by her favourite window, reading by the light of a few floating candles.
She grinned as she met Harry’s beautiful green eyes. He smiled down at her, but he looked sad. “Can I join you?”
“Of course,” she said, surprised. He settled down across from her and she promptly let the book fall to the ground so she could drop into his lap. A much more comfortable seat that the cushions. “What’s up, lover boy?”
He brushed her hair behind her ear, leaning in to kiss her gently on the neck. She leaned into him with a contented sigh. It had taken them a while to relax from the intensity of the first few days together, and in some ways, this comfortable repose was nicer. They talked now, sharing all the secrets they had never shared before. He had learnt some funny stories of Ron and her other brothers, she had discovered some interesting facts about his two friends.
“I love you, Ginny.”
Her face split into a huge grin and she twisted in his lap to face him. This was a first. “I love you too, Harry.” she said, meaning every word.
But her smile faded. There was still that sadness in his eyes, though he was trying hard to hide it. She put her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Harry, what’s going on?”
He smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re worried because I’m telling you I love you?”
“No, you dolt. I’m worried because I’m not stupid and you’re hiding something from me.”
He looked away, out the window. She liked this seat so much because it showed a fine view of the lake and the distant snow-touched mountains beyond. Harry seemed to be looking much further. A bell chimed the half hour. She was surprised. It was past seven, later than she had thought.
“I should go down.” he said quietly, still staring out into the falling night.
She frowned. “Dinner’s not for another half hour.”
He sighed and lifted her gently off him. He turned to face her. “ I have to meet someone.”
She opened her mouth to ask who but he bent swiftly, placing a kiss on her lips. It wasn’t soft, but it wasn’t with the usual intense passion either. And then he was gone, sliding out of the portrait door before she could say a word.
Ginny stared after him, uncomprehending. Her hand lifted to unconsciously trace her lips.
If she didn’t know better, she would have said it was a kiss good-bye.

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I know it’s short! I’m sorry! But it’s worth the wait, I promise . . .
Once again, if you want me to send you an email when I update, just put your email address in a review. Or you can email me at osh@eircom.net
xxx Aera
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Smile Like You Mean It