Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Cannot Save You Now	By : tigrelilje Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 15706 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter fandom nor do I make any money from writing this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
{Parseltongue}
Chapter 6
Harry awoke to a startling amount of green before he remembered that he was in his new bed within the Slytherin dorms. Ciaran was curled up on the pillow next to him. Harry raised a finger and trailed it gently down the length of the snake’s body in an attempt to wake him.
{What is it?} Ciaran hissed grumpily as he opened one eye to observe Harry.
{I need to go and shower, and then I think maybe I should give you a bit of a tour of Hogwarts before everyone else wakes up, yes?} Harry asked. Ciaran hissed an affirmative before Harry covered him with a blanket and headed off to the bathrooms to get ready for the day.
As a vampire, Harry did not require more than a few hours of sleep a night and easily woke up long before the others that he was now living with. He needed all the time he could get to start carrying out all the plans he wanted fulfilled.
Harry slowly undressed while he waited for the shower to heat up. Yesterday had been tense and stressful, and Harry was still feeling it. He needed some sort of release to calm down so he could face the new day with at least a modicum of calmness about him.
When steam began to billow out of the stall, Harry slipped inside and sighed in contentment as the hot water pounded against his back. He felt his muscles begin to relax of their own accord and smiled slightly to himself as he absently trailed one of his hands down his body. He needed to relax, and he might as well start discouraging his vampiric desire for sexual intimacy with a very human approach.
Harry closed his eyes as he blocked everything else out of his mind except for the feel of his hand on his body. Though, of course, he imagined it was someone else’s hand. A pleasant tingling spread from the tips of his fingers through his body and directly to his groin, allowing it to swell quickly.
As Harry’s arousal grew, his skin became more sensitive to touch. He wasn’t much in a mood to take his time and one of his hands dropped to fondle his balls while the other gently teased a nipple. Little jolts of pleasure shot through Harry’s stomach to his cock, making it twitch slightly.
Impatiently, Harry grabbed his cock and began to stroke it lazily as he leaned back against the shower wall, pretending that someone else was stroking him as they pushed him back. The faceless person ran their hand up over the head of his cock before moving down again. Harry could almost feel ghostly lips kissing their way down his neck and the hand giving him pleasure sped up.
The person in front of him kissed further down his body, across his chest and down his abdomen before completely sinking to their knees. Harry moaned quietly to himself and had to quickly stifle a gasp as they swallowed him and began to bob their head.
Harry’s orgasm was fast approaching and his head fell back against the shower tile as the sensations began to overwhelm him. He slid his hands into platinum blonde hair and his grip automatically tightened as the pleasure began to reach its peak.
Harry tilted his head back down and gazed into smirking grey eyes as his orgasm hit. He cried out softly and he screwed his eyes shut.
As they waves of pleasure died down and Harry came back from his vivid daydream, he stood in disbelieving shock for a moment. This couldn’t be happening. His Sire had assured him that vampires did not have to accept their mates. It was a suggestion more than anything else. After all, vampires couldn’t reproduce, so why have a mate?
He had only been around Draco – no, Malfoy! – for less than a full day, how could this be happening. Harry had hoped he would not find the one meant to be the perfect mate for him, but he had acknowledged that if he found them, he would probably accept them, eventually. But it wasn’t supposed to be Dra- Malfoy! After everything that had happened between them, Harry couldn’t just roll over and let the prat win because Harry’s instincts were taking control.
His mind was definitely at war with itself. One part acknowledged that he was being a childish fool to ignore his instincts when they were directing him to the one that could truly make him happy. But another part of his mind, the most bitter part that felt he had experienced nothing but pain thus far in his existence, wanted to be irrationally stubborn and fight against the whole unreasonable mate thing. His head almost felt like it was going to split open.
He and Dr- Malf- Draco had been competing and trying to outdo each other ever since they met. Part of Harry felt like just accepting this new turn of events would be handing Draco a win over Harry; that Draco could hurt him so much more this way than anything that had occurred in the past. And then the much more rational part of Harry tried to reason that Harry would also be winning in this situation.
Harry slowly came out of his frozen state and quickly washed the rest of his body before turning off the shower. He wasn’t sure he was ready to think about this situation any more at the moment. But if his reactions were already changing this much without his permission, he wondered how much longer there would be something to think about before all his old mental barriers in regards to one Draco Malfoy were no longer there to be a problem.
Right now he had other things he could think about, like showing Ciaran his way around Hogwarts and particular areas where the snake could spy.
He dressed quickly and hissed to Ciaran that he was ready to go so that the snake could wind his way up Harry’s arm before they both quietly left the dormitory.
{What is bothering you, Master} Ciaran hissed once they were in the hallway in front of the Slytherin common room entrance.
{Why do you think something is wrong?} Harry asked, startled.
{You’re muscles feel very tense under me and your skin is prickling to the touch} Ciaran explained.
{Sorry} Harry said as he quickly fought to calm his evidently churning magic, hoping that’s what Ciaran meant by prickling. {I just… I… I found my mate}
{That is wonderful. Will you claim them now?} Ciaran asked matter-of-factly.
{I- what? Of course not!} Harry countered, taken aback slightly. {I don’t want a mate. I don’t need one. I won’t have anything controlling me now that I have a second chance at life}
{That’s foolish. Why would you not want your mate?} Ciaran asked in confusion. {They will make you happy. Do you not want to be happy?}
Harry scowled as his snake made him feel stupid. When it was phrased so bluntly like that, Harry couldn’t really give any credence to that irrational voice in the far recesses of his mind.
{Of course I want to be happy} Harry sighed. {But my mate… we have history, and it is not pretty. I have no reason to trust him and I have never seen any sign that he is a person that I could want to be with. It’s just too much to think over when I have so many other things that I need to take care of}
{I think you are making it more difficult than it needs to be} Ciaran insisted. {You should just go and tell your mate that you want to be with them and enjoy your happiness}
{We’re done discussing this, Ciaran} Harry hissed quietly. {You wanted to know why I was upset, now you know. And now we have other things to speak of}
{Fine, fine. Where are these places you need me to sneak into and what am I listening for?} Ciaran asked.
{The most important is Headmaster Dumbledore’s office. Anything he says that refers to Harry Potter, the Chosen One, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Dursleys, or the prophesy. Possibly the Potters, Longbottoms, or anything that sounds suspicious, like something a good man shouldn’t be involved in. Maybe if something is mentioned about a weapon as well. That might refer to me as well} Harry responded.
{Headmaster Dumbledore is the one with long white fur and blue eyes?} Ciaran asked.
{Yes, he used to be my mentor. Someone I wanted to be like. That I respected} Harry said bitterly. {And then I saw who the man really was; what he was hiding behind the façade of the old man he wished to be}
{I will watch him, I promise} Ciaran assured.
{The other area I may want you to watch is the Gryffindor Tower} Harry said. {But hopefully, I may be able to find some allies there. I wouldn’t want to risk you. Snakes aren’t exactly welcome in that territory}
{Then let us hope you find an ally or two} Ciaran agreed.
{You need to be especially careful in Dumbledore’s office} Harry warned. {His phoenix, Fawkes, lives in there, and the walls are covered in portraits of the previous Headmasters who can report your presence to the old man}
{His phoenix?} Ciaran questioned. {Phoenixes have no masters}
{Perhaps just a friend then} Harry commented. {But it doesn’t matter. Either way, Fawkes is not to be trusted}
{Alright, I will avoid him to the best of my ability} Ciaran said. {Is there anyone you trust enough to know of my presence?}
{Only Blaise} Harry said. {I want no one else to be aware of you, and especially not that I can speak to you. I may as well announce that I was once Harry Potter if anyone found out I can converse with serpents}
{Very well, I’ll try my best not to distract you and encourage conversation unless we are alone} Ciaran agreed. {If you want me on your person at all times, then maybe you should find a way to ensure that I am concealed}
{Yes, I thought of that} Harry said. {I was hoping you would allow me to cast a Disillusionment Charm on you}
{Fine, I have no objection} Ciaran responded. Harry nodded before quickly pulling out his wand and casting the spell. He hated using a wand but he had to train himself to remember it if he was going to spend time at Hogwarts again. As he put away his wand, he entered the hallway that held the entrance to Dumbledore’s office and stopped by a window as if he were looking out at the landscape.
{Ciaran, do you see that statue of a gargoyle down the hall a ways?} Harry hissed as quietly as he could.
{Yes} Ciaran nodded his head a bit.
{That is the guardian to Dumbledore’s office area. Behind that statue is a moving staircase that goes up to the room. If I’m lucky, I will be called up to meet with him soon so you can see what the room is like and if you want, I could leave you there at that time. I would leave the Disillusionment Charm on you but the rest would be up to you to find your way back to me. Do you remember the way back to the dungeons from here?} Harry asked.
{Yes, I can find it} Ciaran reassured. It was sort of weird for Harry to be speaking to what appeared to be a disembodied voice. It brought back vague memories of his second year.
{Then I think it is time to head for breakfast before I am missed} Harry said before heading back the way they came.
***
It has to be some sort of predetermined fate that will survive the ages, Harry thought sarcastically as he headed to his first class of the year, the Gryffindor/Slytherin Potions class. He wondered what idiot thought it would be smart to put the two volatile houses together in a class that could be potentially explosive. It was asking for a disaster.
He had been hopeless at potions in life, but he had studied the theory behind it over the summer and realized that Potions wasn’t nearly as hard as he had made it. By allowing himself to take after Ron’s lazy attitude, he had just made school more difficult in the end for himself. He was by no means a Potions Master, but he was confident enough that he would blend into this class as at least an average potions student.
He settled into a chair next to Blaise and waited for Snape’s typical dramatic entrance. He had to wait only a few minutes before Snape swept into the room and began his beginning of the year intimidation.
“I am surprised to see some of your faces in this N.E.W.T. level class. I can’t imagine how you got in, but hopefully you can hold your own unless you plan on encountering many injuries this year,” Snape said scathingly. “I shouldn’t have to teach you what to do by now, the potion we are brewing is on the board, directions are in your book.”
Harry and the other students began to open their books to the correct page before Snape added, “Oh, and I will be partnering you together before you begin. We’ll keep it within the houses this time as I have no desire to witness a disaster so early in the year. These,” Snape flicked his wand at the board again for more writing to appear, “are your partners. Now get to work.”
Harry briefly considered leaving the class or maiming his human father for a moment when he saw his partner. Was the universe playing a grand prank on him? It must be, since he was paired with Malfoy for the day. He took a moment to squash every ounce of emotion into nothingness within him before he gathered his things and made his way over to where the blonde was sitting. He could not slip up. He was at Hogwarts for revenge. No other reason.
He set his things on the workbench he was to be using and saw that Malfoy was already setting up a cauldron for them.
“I’ll get the ingredients,” Harry offered neutrally before heading toward the supply cabinet. He waited behind the other student who had gotten there before him and let his mind wander for a moment. He was amused that Blaise had been paired with Pansy for the class, but was far less amused to see Ron paired with Neville. He thought Snape had been trying to prevent disaster, but he had just created one. Harry was planning on keeping an eye on them throughout the class period. He had no desire to spend the rest of the day in the hospital wing. Or, more likely, attempting to explain why he didn’t need to spend the day in the hospital wing.
He gathered the supplies and made his way back to Malfoy. He calmly set them down between the two of them and watched Malfoy take the first one that needed to be prepared without making any comment. It looked like Harry wasn’t the only one who had opted for peaceful silence.
Harry glanced at his book before picking out the next ingredient they would need. He hoped that he could concentrate solely on his work and hand movements and avoid any possible lapses in control like the one that had occurred in the shower just that morning.
He was horrified for a moment when he felt a stirring of arousal just at the mere thought of his unexpected daydream. That was completely unacceptable. He should have better control over his body. Control was the vampire mantra. They wouldn’t be able to exist among humans without it.
{Master, is that your mate?} Ciaran hissed in an almost silent whisper. He could feel the black adder slowly moving toward his wrist, probably in hopes of getting a look at Draco. {You suddenly smell of pheromones}
It seemed his infernal snake wasn’t able to keep silent in this. Lifting his left arm as if to run his hand through his hair, Harry responded {Yes, shut up}
He let his hand fall back to his side and hoped that if Draco had heard anything, he would think it was only Harry sighing through his teeth or something.
Harry glanced over at his partner and saw that Draco seemed to be completely immersed in his preparation. He had proceeded to perfectly prepare their first ingredient with precise and deliberate hand movements. Harry found himself staring at the blonde’s hands as they moved with graceful confidence before moving up to his face. Draco’s expression was one of concentration and what appeared to be enjoyment. He looked calm and peaceful, not as if he was faking the emotions the way Harry currently was.
“Are you planning to help with our potion or were you planning on staring at me while I do all the work?” came Malfoy’s whisper suddenly. He was still looking at the ingredient that he was almost finished with but Harry saw him dart a sideways glance at him before looking away with annoyance.
Fully prepared to retort with something scathing to cover up his embarrassment with failing his exercise in control, Harry opened his mouth to respond, “I can’t help but appreciate beauty when I see it. It’s not something most people seem to want to take the time to do anymore. Sometimes I get easily distracted because of it, forgive me.”
Although what Harry really wanted to do was slap a hand to his mouth, or take back the damning words that had not had his permission to be said in the first place, he instead finished his comment with the most dazzling smile he could manage. He wasn’t going to let Malfoy know just how out of sorts he felt by letting the simple compliment slip, so he would act like it was deliberate.
And figure out what to do about their apparently inevitable relationship later when his mind was no longer trying to embarrass him.
Although he was mortified by what he had said, he was happy to note that Malfoy couldn’t hide the faint blush that was dusting his cheeks at the moment. So maybe he hadn’t completely alienated the blonde on the train. Or maybe his blush was from anger. Harry quickly turned back to the ingredient he had and prepared it in record time before moving onto the next one.
He only had an hour and a half left of class. Hopefully he could refrain from making a fool of himself again.
***
Draco was very irritated that he had such pale skin at the moment. He did not lose his composure in front of other Slytherins. It was something they could exploit later. Only Potter had been able to make him lose it in the past.
He subtly watched Renard throughout the rest of the class, only speaking when absolutely necessary. The boy was a mystery and Draco couldn’t help being intrigued. Nor could he seem to help being drawn to the other teen, much to his consternation.
The Renards couldn’t be very a powerful in France, otherwise Draco was sure he would have heard of them. His family visited France often and were recognized there almost as much as they were in England. But Draco had never heard of the Renards or met anyone by the name.
And there was something strange about Henry. Draco almost had the feeling that he was at odds with himself at times. One moment he seemed to be a shameless flirt and the next time they met he casually insulted Draco like he wasn’t worth noticing. And then today he seemed to compliment him without thinking about it and then proceeded to ignore Draco as much as he could with them being partners for this class period.
Draco hadn’t interacted with Henry since the train, but now that they were working together today, he kept having odd moments of déjà vu as if he knew Henry in some way. The way he held a knife, or the facial expression he made when a particular ingredient wasn’t cutting as easily as he wanted. Draco was sure they had never met, but there was something familiar about him.
It was going to make Draco crazy. As much as he didn’t want to be, Draco knew he was going to be endlessly curious about Henry until he learned more about him. It was a mystery he was going to have to solve if he wanted any peace of mind.
As class came to an end, he watched as Renard calmly, but quickly, put all of his things back in his bag and immediately made for the door. It almost looked casual but Draco thought his movements looked strained. He watched as Zabini took off after him and Draco’s interested instantly doubled. He couldn’t help himself as he left the classroom and tried to follow them from a distance.
He wasn’t quite sure where the two had gone by the time he caught up to the hallway he thought they might have disappeared down. He was going to give up when he heard what sounded suspiciously like a moan from a door that was ajar further down the hall. He silently stepped up to the door and peaked inside.
Blaise was pushed up against a dusty desk with his head tilted back and his eyes closed and Draco quickly realized that it was a moan he had heard from Blaise. His stomach clenched and he felt a hot surge of heat quickly spread throughout his body when he recognized the back of Henry’s head at Blaise’s throat. He could only assume Henry was sucking on his neck, probably leaving a lovebite, since he couldn’t see his face at all. As he saw Blaise’s hand come up to card through Henry’s hair, Draco abruptly spun around and walked as quickly as he could in the direction he had just come from before he could see anything else.
All Draco could hear was his thundering heart and he couldn’t understand why he was feeling so jealous and betrayed. He didn’t know Henry at all and he and Blaise were barely tolerant friends. But he was jealous, of Blaise, and felt betrayed, by Henry. Why was he so drawn to the mysterious newcomer?
He was better than this. These emotions were ridiculous and rationally he knew this. But hearts were notoriously irrational, even his well-trained Slytherin one, apparently.
He needed to push these thoughts away and concentrate on what mattered. As he absently rubbed his left forearm he reminded himself that he had far bigger problems now.
***
Harry pulled away from Blaise’s neck to quickly lick the wounds he had just created there and watched them close before his eyes. After he was sure there was no trace at all of their recent activities, he stepped away from Blaise completely so he could look at his friend’s face.
“What happened to already make you feel out of control?” Blaise asked after a moment.
Harry wanted to scowl at him for being so perceptive even if he was grateful that he had someone he could talk to.
“I was partnered with Malfoy today,” Harry answered evasively. Apparently Blaise knew that that, alone, wasn’t the problem and simply raised an eyebrow at Harry until he continued. Scowling for real now, he said, “I found my mate.”
“And you are unhappy about this,” Blaise stated. “Can I assume it is because you do not like this person, or are you worried about having such a fragile weakness?”
Harry was sure his face showed how stricken he felt with that second question. How had it not occurred to him earlier, especially after his Father’s own warning? He knew he was a weakness for Tristan, but he could easily protect himself. But a human mate? That was a major weakness for Harry if any of his enemies found out. And right now, everyone was his enemy for the most part.
“Well, I was going to say that the person would not have been my first choice,” Harry finally replied, “But you are right. This is a huge weakness I cannot afford to have right now.”
Harry began to pace back and forth in his state of agitation and Blaise silently watched for a moment before voicing the suspicion he had as to the identity of this mate.
“May I also assume,” he began, “from your first statement, that your mate is Malfoy?”
“Of course,” Harry growled. “Who else would it possibly be? Of course the snarky bastard would be my mate.”
“So I can’t watch you exact revenge on him then, huh?” Blaise asked. Harry had a moment where his instincts made him want to attack Blaise for even suggesting it while his mind wanted him to smack himself for not keeping his vampiric instincts better suppressed.
“Why is this happening?!” Harry burst out, instead of answering Blaise’s foolish question. “Father said that vampires do not have to accept their mates. We don’t need them to survive and their rejection cannot harm us. Now, if this is the case, why do I feel myself being pulled with every passing moment to become closer to Malfoy? Why does the very thought of him being hurt make me furious? Why does it seem more ridiculous by the second that I would ever consider not accepting him? I was controlled my entire human life by others, am I doomed to be controlled my entire immortal life by my instincts? I thought I was going to be able to make my own choices from now on. I wasn’t supposed to be controlled anymore!”
“Interesting,” Blaise commented softly, to which Harry directed him a fierce glare. “Not that I am not sympathetic, but think about this for a moment. In the past, if a vampire did not want to accept their mate, do you think they would continue to stay in close proximity to that individual? No, they probably left. But you are near Malfoy all the time. It’s one thing to be in the same town, or something. But you share a dorm room to sleep and attend the same classes. You eat meals at the same table and spend your free time in the same common room. Perhaps your mind did not want to accept him, but your continued close proximity is telling your vampiric instincts something else.”
Harry pondered that for a moment before he nodded his head slowly. That made sense. If he had the choice, he would have gotten as far away from Malfoy as he could after realizing that he was his mate. He wouldn’t want to be around that pull all the time when he knew he wasn’t planning on acting on it. And now, it seemed his decision to stay at Hogwarts was as good as making the decision of accepting Draco as his mate.
“What am I going to do, Blaise?” Harry asked quietly after a few minutes of silence. “I have no reason to trust him. I have never been shown any hint of a person I could come to care about. I don’t even know how to interact with him without completely losing it now!”
“I’m not sure what to tell you, my friend,” Blaise said. “I can only suggest that maybe you should try studying with him, something very casual at first. Something neutral. Then maybe you can begin to learn something about him. But don’t forget, Harry, that he is your mate because, ultimately, he would be the best match for your personality to make you happy. Which means there is a lot about Draco Malfoy that neither of us know.”
“You’re right, of course,” Harry agreed. “But that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he added petulantly, which only caused Blaise to laugh at him.
“Now you’re just being childish,” Blaise smiled. “We need to get moving if we want to get to our next class. Come on.”
***
Harry was relieved that the first week of classes were over. He needed some time to himself, away from constantly interacting with humans. He felt like he needed to meditate, or go on a killing spree. He felt like he was losing who he was, or forgetting which personality was his. Was he the human Slytherin student or the violent and shameless vampire? Maybe he was both?
He wanted to get out of the castle, but he also thought it might be time to attempt to strike up a new friendship with Hermione. He still wasn’t sure exactly what to do about her. She was clearly a loyal friend and had not used him for any reason while he was alive. And she was clearly devastated by his death. She barely spoke in classes anymore and only answered a question if specifically asked by a teacher. Harry hadn’t seen her raise her hand in any of the classes they shared.
If he was honest with himself, he was worried about her but wasn’t sure there was anything he could do to make her feel better. She was loyal to him, but what would she still feel that way if she saw what he had become? He was fairly certain that his vampirism would not bother her, at least not after she was given reliable facts that weren’t in any books she might have read.
No, he wondered if she would still care about him or be relieved that he was alive after she realized that he was not going to be saving anyone and that his loyalty went to the vampires now instead of wizards. But maybe she would understand if he explained everything that had happened and his reasons.
He would cross that bridge if it ever came but for now he was going to be selfish and try to reconnect to an old friend. Even though it was the weekend, Harry knew he would find Hermione in the library. Especially now that she seemed to be avoiding the other Gryffindors, particularly Ron. Harry had been watching her for the past week and saw that Ron was being his typically insensitive self and treating her cruelly. What was really sad, though, was that Harry could tell Ron fancied Hermione.
An idea began forming in his head and Harry smirked gleefully as he made his way to the library. He wondered if Hermione would help him in his revenge.
Harry entered an almost deserted library a few minutes later. He turned toward the back of the library knowing Hermione was most likely sequestered there. He reached a far corner and paused behind the final stack of books when he caught sight of his old friend. It had only been a week since the start of term and she already looked as exhausted as she had in third year. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hair had reached new levels of bushiness.
Harry finally stepped out in front of Hermione slowly. She noticed him right away and, though she didn’t immediately jump up and flee, she became instantly wary and watchful of his every move. She didn’t say anything, just watched him so Harry decided he would try to break the ice first.
“May I join you?” he asked in the most innocent and unassuming voice he was capable of.
“If you wish,” Hermione replied after a moment. Harry slowly stepped forward and slid into the chair across from her. He felt more than ever like the predator he really was as he watched the wariness in his former friend’s eyes. And for once, he wasn’t enjoying it. He felt like she would startle like an animal of prey if he made the slightest wrong move.
“Would you mind a study partner?” Harry asked.
“What do you really want?” Hermione asked instead, in typical blunt fashion. “You’re new here, so I can’t imagine you have any reason to torment me like the rest of your housemates but maybe your house has more loyalty to each other than the rest of us realized. So whose dirty work are you doing?”
“I don’t do anyone’s dirty work except my own,” Harry replied with a smile. “And I’m sure you have noticed that the only member of my house that I tend to socialize with is Blaise. And correct me if I’m wrong, but you really have no history with him, yes?”
“Fine,” Hermione acknowledged. “You still haven’t answered me, though. What do you want from me?”
“Would it be impossible to believe that I may want to form a friendship?” Harry asked with a curious expression.
Hermione gave a harsh laugh before answering, “Yes, actually. I know exactly what Slytherins think of witches like me.”
“They may look down on your for your blood status, but it doesn’t mean they don’t recognize your intelligence,” Harry countered, “though you’ll never hear them admit it. And you’re right, I’m new here. But why should I let anyone tell me how to live?”
“Give me a real reason why you want to talk to me,” Hermione pressed.
“It is obvious to me that you are highly intelligent and you can function above your emotions if you need to,” Harry said. “That’s something I can respect and it seems foolish to me to limit my friends to only those in my house if I see someone else who I think I could get along with. And you look like you could use a friend right now,” Harry finished, almost embarrassed by expressing concern.
“Perhaps,” Hermione responded with a small smile.
“And perhaps I should officially introduce myself,” Harry said. “My name is Henry Renard.”
“I’m Hermione Granger,” Hermione held out her hand for a brief hand shake. Harry felt that she was still suspicious of him, but hopeful that he was genuine in his request for friendship when he touched her hand.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I have to ask, as your new friend, why do you let that Weasley fellow push you around?” Harry asked. “You don’t need him; I can’t imagine he has the same goals or priorities that you do.”
“You would be right,” Hermione agreed with a sad smile. “But I really would be alone if I cut him out completely.” She paused a moment before saying shrewdly, “I’m sure you know that we were best friends with Harry Potter, or at least I was. Now that Harry’s gone, I’m beginning to understand his frustration with fake friends. Many people suddenly want to talk to me and it’s becoming apparent that they only want to hear about Harry’s life, or the story behind the drama with Ron, or that they just want help with homework.”
“You miss him,” Harry stated, but he also just wanted to hear it confirmed by her.
“Of course I do,” Hermione replied fiercely. Now that she had someone willing to listen to her, it seemed Hermione couldn’t stop talking. “I’m not sure what is said about Harry in Slytherin, but he is the most amazing friend I could have ever asked for. Our personalities and interests were different, but he always accepted me. He never tried to change who I was, even if he did try to expose my adventurous side. I feel like he was caught between Ron and I a lot, but I wasn’t going to be the one to make him choose. But Ron did. And I couldn’t even be mad at Harry when he tried not to take a side. I could see that he didn’t want to hurt either of the people he considered his best friend.”
“He was lucky to have you then,” Harry said, feeling happy that he had at least one true friend in the past and regretful that he hadn’t been stronger for her then.
“I’d like to think so,” Hermione agreed. “But I know he kept a lot of secrets, even from me. And especially from Ron. I wish he would have known that I would have accepted him, no matter what he was hiding. How could I not, when he accepted me?”
Well, that was almost a solid endorsement that Harry could tell Hermione that he was, in fact, alive, but he held back for now. He had some other things he wanted to discuss with her.
“Forgive me ahead of time for butting in where I don’t belong,” Harry began with a hopefully sheepish smile, “But if you were as loyal to Potter as you say you were, why do you allow Weasley to say such awful things about him, and treat you poorly? I would want to make him pay, or show everyone else that he’s just trying to keep attention on himself now that his claim to fame has disappeared.”
“Of course you would, that’s a very Slytherin thing to do,” Hermione replied, though she sounded thoughtful instead of insulting, which Harry took as a promising sign. “It’s not something I would have thought about. I’d rather avoid a confrontation and leave it be. But you are right, I suppose, to an extent. I should be showing my loyalty to everyone, something a Gryffindor would do,” Hermione smiled. “I might even be open to making him regret speaking so harshly about Harry, now that you’ve brought it up. Harry deserves to be remembered as the hero he was,” she finished sadly.
“Perhaps we can discuss this at a later date,” Harry said with a reassuring smile. “However, for now, I believe I asked if you wanted a study partner and all I’ve been doing is distracting you. So, milady, what are we studying today?”
Hermione laughed quietly before telling Harry that she was working on her Transfiguration essay. Harry wasn’t sure what was going to happen between them, but for now, he was content to spend some time in the company of his old friend.
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