Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Emancipation	By : BadGirlgoesworse Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 14093 -:- Recommendations : 5 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Anything recognisable does not belong to me. Story is based on the books by JKR and inspired by other writers of this genre. I do not make any money with this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
THE END OF YEAR
The sun was shining cheerfully through the high windows of the hospital wing when Hermione decided she had lain in enough, or rather the rumbling of her stomach decided it for her. Nonetheless, she was happy to notice that she had an appetite again. The long treatment with the Tissue Knitting Potion had the effect of curbing it almost entirely. Madam Pomfrey had promised to allow her to join the Leaving Feast tonight on the condition that she’d take it easy on the rich food, and return back here afterwards.
She turned on her back and stretched languidly, very happy to be finally able to do that as well. Then, a glimpse of scarlet caught the corner of her eye and she sat up to investigate it. A dozen most luscious, red roses she had ever seen sat on her bedside table in a simple crystal vase. There was no card, but since they had not been there yesterday when she went to sleep, it was not hard to guess who they were from. She looked around to make sure she was alone, before getting closer to breathe in their scent... sweet, but unobtrusively so... perfect.
She sighed feeling her insides melt and unable to help it. She had received heaps of sweets and get well cards, but no one, not even Harry, had thought of bringing her flowers. She was a girl, all right! A very rational and practical one, yes, but still a girl! She wanted all that stuff too, you know, the flowers, the chocolates, the perfume, the jewellery... How hard was that to get?
This was it, she decided she did not care that he was a Slytherin, a son of a Death Eater and not quite right in the head. As long as he kept doing this, he was most welcome to her hair, her face, her body and her heart.
xxxoooxxx
Neville woke up in the gloom of the deep blue bed curtains with Luna’s comforting weight half on his chest. They had sneaked into her dorm last evening, because she had complained about cold stone walls and floors. It had been far easier than he had expected, but having the greater part of the common room with their heads in a book was of enormous advantage he supposed. He caressed her long hair lovingly noting that it was stuck between dirty blonde and flax now. It would turn completely white shortly after her seventeenth birthday he knew, revealing her powers to the world.
Luna raised her head suddenly and shifted so she was entirely on top of him, before folding her arms on his chest and putting her chin on them, regarding him curiously. He noticed her eyes had now more silver in them as well when he cupped her face with both his hands and bent forward to kiss her on the forehead, as a form of morning greeting.
“You love me,” she stated just like that. Neville smiled amused. There was no hiding from oneself in her presence indeed.
“I will ask grandmother to organise a betrothal contract for us,” he told her straight away, then pouted, “unless you are a cruel witch and have been just out to break my heart all this time.”
She smiled and kissed him, which was answer enough he supposed... or maybe not when he felt her slender hand wrap around his morning wood...
xxxoooxxx
Harry was pursuing the morning paper in an excellent mood, no Death Eater activity so far and he was still basking in the glory of yesterday’s triumph. More so, unless he had imagined it, for whatever reason Snape seemed to be not quite pleased with the Headmaster at the moment. This was good, very good even! Of all Dumbledore’s henchmen Snape was by far the most dangerous. If only he could learn what had caused it... to drive them further asunder, or dare he hope... to gain Snape’s loyalty for himself.
Not in this lifetime, or any lifetime for that matter, he chuckled to himself. But there might be a realistic possibility for them to at least come to an understanding. It was definitely worth a try.
He put the paper aside and looked over to Ron and Ginny sitting across from him. “Want to go and visit Hermione? Unless you’ve got yourself detention again,” he added smiling innocently.
“It was bloody unfair!” Ron protested, “I’ve been defending my sister’s honour!”
“Your sister is perfectly capable of defending herself, brotherkins,” Ginny shot at him dragging him up and away from the table. “And she had dealt with the problem a day before already. No need for you to put in your five Knuts.”
Harry followed them shaking his head, then looked back remembering Neville, but was unable to see him anywhere. Looking over to the Ravenclaw table and not seeing Luna there either he decided he’d better not know and went on.
Ron and Ginny were bickering all the way to the hospital wing, leaving Harry to wonder yet again how on earth they had survived each other since childhood and during every summer holidays. Thankfully, they shut up entering Madam Pomfrey’s domain.
Hermione was sitting on the bed with a book as usual, but it was the dozen red roses sitting on her bedside table, which caught his eye first.
“Ohhh...” Ginny bent down to smell them before plopping herself on the bed and pocking Hermione in the ribs. “Now spill it, girl, I want all the sordid details, and don’t tell me those are from an old friend or something!”
Harry looked over to Ron and could clearly see a storm was about to break, Hermione though seemed not to care.
“Old friend,” she snorted turning to them with a playful glare, “I’ll be old myself before I get even a daisy out of them.”
“Who are they from?” It was delivered as a demand. Harry exchanged a look with Ginny and was about to say something to ease the tension, but Hermione had obviously other things in mind.
“My boyfriend,” she stated simply, her face neutral.
“And who may that be?”
“Do you really think I’m going to tell you, Ron?” she asked angrily. “So you can go after him and try your fists against him, or your wand?” She straightened crossing her arms and looked at him down her nose. “What’s your problem anyway? If you truly had any feelings for me, it would be your roses over there and not his.”
Ron balled his fists and stormed out with Harry on his heels. “Ron...”
“Leave me alone!” he snapped back and was through the door before Harry could reach him.
Madam Pomfrey appeared in her office door. “What is going on here?” She regarded them disapprovingly searching for potential trouble.
“Nothing Madam,” Harry returned to Hermione’s bed sitting down.
Madam Pomfrey huffed, but let it be going back to her work to their relief.
“Was it really necessary?” Harry asked her.
“It was,” Hermione stated forcefully, “it has been long in coming. He doesn’t want me, but he doesn’t want anyone else to have me either.” She turned to Ginny. “How in Merlin’s name are you dealing with him?”
“Bat-Bogey Hex,” Ginny informed her smirking.
Harry could not help laughing with them.
xxxoooxxx
Ron chose to sit as far away from Hermione as possible that evening. Completely over the top Harry found, but normal for him when in a snit. He sighed taking the last of his treacle tart. He would give him an evening to cool off before trying to talk some reason into him, hoping against hope that it would have some effect. Ron had definitely a lot of growing up to do, but Harry decided not to give up on him yet, five years of friendship were still what they were.
The entire atmosphere, though festive, was not the same as it once was either. On some level everyone seemed to be aware that the world they were going back to tomorrow was not safe anymore. Dumbledore’s speech was a call for unity and could not have been more hypocritical in Harry’s opinion, seeing as he had given the House Cup to Gryffindor again, despite Ravenclaw being in the lead by the end of day.
He looked over to the Ravenclaw table and could see quite a few angry faces there. All for the better though. The more people he insults, the more willing allies for me.
Politics aside, he was darn curious about Hermione’s boyfriend. No matter how hard he and Ginny had tried they were unable to get it out of her. This lead to the conclusion that she was either embarrassed or unsure of their reaction, and since Hermione was not one to be embarrassed about her own boyfriend, it meant he must be a Slytherin. Harry decided if this was indeed the case, he was alright with it, but knew as well that no way in hell Ron would ever accept that. It did not matter though, because he had already chosen his side should a conflict arise in the near future, and it was definitely not Ron’s.
xxxoooxxx
Next morning however it turned out that Ron did need a bit more than just one evening.
As if anticipating a talking to from him, he rose uncharacteristically early to finish the last of his packing and get on the way to breakfast long before Harry even stirred. Dean and Seamus absolutely amazed by this kept on pestering him until Harry saw no other way but simply tell them, which had led to a lot of snickering and head shaking on their part. Harry only hoped that the news would take their time until the next year to spread or Hermione was going to have his head.
After breakfast Harry, Neville, Ginny and Luna waited up for Hermione to share a carriage to the station. She appeared carrying her roses still in the vase, telling them it would be a shame to throw them away and not giving a damn about the curious glances she received. Harry could only applaud her. The ride was less comfortable than it had been in the previous years, with five almost grown people squeezed together, but thankfully quite short. Wading through the crowd trunks and pet-cages in hand they chose an empty compartment at the end of the train and settled in. Crookshanks was occupying the last empty seat, which was observed with a few sad glances.
“Don’t you feel guilty about this,” Ginny snorted. “He’s behaving like an absolute arse. Not worth much regrets, if you ask me.”
Neville nodded. “There is truly not much you can do here. He’s the one with the issues, not the two of you.” He put his arm around Luna, who leaned into his shoulder opening the latest Quibbler and promptly turning it upside down.
“We’ll need to make our rounds together later,” Hermione sighed. “It’s going to be fun I can tell.”
“I could go with you,” Harry offered.
“No, it’s alright, but thank you. Professors McGonagall and Snape are accompanying the train, so it should be pretty quiet anyway.”
They settled on wizard chess and Exploding Snap to pass the time, until the witch with the lunch-cart arrived interrupting them. Buying an almost obscene amount of sweets Harry returned into the compartment, dumping them on his own seat, before starting dealing out.
“What?” He smirked at their astonishment. “It’s going to be a long summer after all.”
Hermione left for her prefect duties soon afterwards. She was only halfway down the corridor when Ginny leaned over smirking conspiratorially.
“So, how about a betting pool on the sender of these?” she gestured at the roses. They all, even Luna, grinned wickedly digging for their coins.
xxxoooxxx
Draco felt the beginnings of a huge headache building in the region of his temples, sitting in a compartment with his friends and enduring Pansy draping her unwelcome self all over him. The talk was kept to plans for the summer and other inane things thankfully, he was not ready to risk testing out the political waters in his circle yet. Not that he hadn’t a notion of the outcome already.
Crabbe and Goyle were mere followers and would do what their fathers told them, no matter their affiliations at the moment. Pansy belonged to the same category. Blaise and Daphne though he had the notion would rather want to stay out of this whole mess, if they could. It was therefore likely, if he presented it just right, that they would see things his way and join him on the neutral side, neutral because he had decided it would be the safest one in the upcoming conflict. Others in his year, like Moon, Bulstrode and Nott, he didn’t know well enough to consider.
He looked towards the door just in time to see Weasley stomp past their compartment sporting a scowl. He wondered for a moment why he wasn’t with Potter and Granger somewhere, before remembering the latest bit of gossip this morning. Apparently, the mudblood had decided she could do far better than Ronald Weasley. Draco could only congratulate her on showing good taste. She was a powerful witch after all and pretty enough for a mudblood, though he probably should stop using the M-word in public, if he was going to try and gain Potter’s support he supposed.
Then he remembered something else and stood up suddenly ignoring Pansy’s protests. “We need to make our rounds,” he told Daphne and made his way out, holding in his sigh of relief.
xxxoooxxx
They arrived at King’s Cross far too soon in Harry’s opinion, even with the idea that this summer might actually turn out somewhat enjoyable. Nothing for it though and they carefully made their way through the masses. Neville spotted his grandmother and he and Luna took their leave with promises to stay in contact. Harry supposed he wanted to introduce his fiancée to her properly. Oh, to be the fly on the wall to witness the old lady’s face he smirked to himself.
Ginny tugged on his sleeve to point at the group of redheads standing with Tonks and Moody close to the exit, so they grabbed their luggage and followed the stream of bodies towards them. Ron was already there moving out of the way when Mrs. Weasley greeted them all with a hug and asked after their wellbeing, thankfully not noticing the scowl he graced Hermione with. Harry was slowly getting really annoyed at his stupidity, but refrained from showing it in front of his parents.
They waited a bit for the crowd to dissipate, before moving through the barrier and immediately saw the Grangers standing not far away. His own relatives were taking their time it seemed. After talking for a while they finally made their farewells. Hermione gave him and Ginny a big hug, ignoring Ron entirely. Mrs. Weasley did notice this time, but did not say anything, only looked between them questioningly. Harry had seen Ginny mouth “later” to her though.
The Dursleys appeared about half an hour too late, Harry reckoned to avoid meeting any wizards by chance, too bad for them in this case. He received one last hug from Ginny and Mrs. Weasley making a point to say goodbye to Ron as well, getting only a mumbled one in return. Better than nothing he supposed collecting his trunk and Hedwig’s cage and making his way towards his relatives. Surprisingly, Tonks, Moody and Mr. Weasley followed him.
“Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,” Mr. Weasley addressed them, “Arthur Weasley is my name. We already had the pleasure of meeting two years ago, if you remember.”
The Dursleys only stared at him completely taken aback and looked around rather uncomfortable to be seen talking to this strange assortment of people in public. Mr. Weasley seemed unaffected though, looking them directly in the eyes.
“Well, it has come to our attention that your treatment of your nephew, Harry, here leaves much to be desired and we have decided a warning is in order.”
Vernon Dursley spluttered turning purple at this. “Are you threatening us, sir?”
Moody stepped forward and lifted his bowler hat a bit to size them up with his magical eye, making the Dursleys blanch and step back in fright.
“I believe we are,” Mr. Weasley said with a rather uncharacteristic hardness in his voice. “We do understand each other then?”
The Dursleys nodded swallowing visibly. Mr. Weasley smiled returning to his usual self.
“Very well, I wish you a good day, and a good summer to you, Harry.”
“Thank you, sir, and goodbye,” Harry took their hands and followed his almost fleeing aunt and uncle to the car.
It was touching to know that they cared enough to interfere, yet Harry could not help feeling a bitter aftertaste. It was, like many other things this year, far too late.
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Emancipation