Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Just Another Perfect Soldier ❯ The Fire in his Eyes ( Chapter 10 )

A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait. Even more so for those of you who are waiting for PLL to be updated. I ended up getting very sick- not once but twice before this came out. Work went crazy and then…well let's just say home life decided to act up.

 

Let's just all be thankful old sparkly isn't dead right now, hm?

 

So, in hopes of convincing you all from burning me alive for not updating sooner, this chapter is longer than usual and I've given you some 1XHp slashy moments. Harry is getting more in touch with his hormones and Heero…..Heero is repressed. He needs to get laid.

 

On with the fic!

 

Chapter Ten: The Fire in His Eyes

 

Everyone was buzzing with an almost nervous excitement as the week drew to a close. News of Blaise Zabini's trial and subsequent punishment, by a sentence of life in Azkaban, and of the destruction of one of Voldemort's many bases had the student population wondering just what the end of the week would bring.

It didn't help any when the Headmaster had stood up at breakfast to announce that he would be making another announcement after Dinner that Friday. Zero had a rather scathing remark on the efficiency of that action, prompting Harry to tell himself to stuff it and startle a group of Hufflepuff First Years.

All day the professors and Harry were tormented with the whispers and giggles of the students. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patel had even gone so far as to start up rumors of what exactly the upcoming announcement could be. Another Triwizard tournament? A new student? A new professor?

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan scoffed at such a show before calmly setting up bets on what the news would be (“Good or bad, ladies and gents. You-Know-Who is gone or you-Know-who is gone mad…... more so than usual!”)

Even Zero seemed in be in on the action once his bad mood had disappeared. The Gryffindor host wondered briefly if computer programs could get into a snit

`It is not something that would herald a negative outcome.' The program pointed out wisely. `Dumbledore wants to bring hope to his students.'

Harry agreed. Dumbledore had this slightly creepy need to make everything better for everyone around him. As far as the Gryffindor could tell, no one had died recently and everyone with a subscription to the Prophet and a working set of ears knew Zabini's fate.

The other pilots seemed to find the situation either irritating, amusing or a complete waste of time and efficiency.

Duo placed 2 galleons on the announcement being good news while his lover snapped at many of the groups of the giggling witches that lined the halls and blocked the corridors.

Quatre smiled serenely at the upbeat attitudes and innocent hopefulness and let the positive atmosphere keep his spirits up as he chatted away with Trowa.

The blond's oddly quiet boyfriend didn't seem to even notice the change in the student population as he listened to his lover, not even when he had to take alternate routes to get to his classes. What he really thought of the mysterious announcement was unknown to Harry, much to Zero's distress.

Heero……

The Japanese wizard nearly vibrated with his immense dislike of the whole bloody affair. The larger crowds and excited whispered had him jumping for a concealed weapon more than once during the course of the day.

Not that Harry had been any better- he just made his flinches look more like nervous reactions than an attempt at defense against loud noises.

Snape was in a foul mood by the time Seventh Year Potions rolled around. The class was held either right before dinner or right after breakfast on the schedule and therefore was the subject to being the haven of over-excited children or sleepy idiotic dunderheads.

His voice was soft but carried easily over the hissing of cauldrons and the shifting of robes.

“If I hear one more giggle, laugh or fearful chatter of teeth I will personally see to it that you spend the next week gathering potions ingredients in the Forbidden Forest, thus missing the Headmaster's `big announcement'. Understood?” Some words were all but spat at them.

Nearly fifteen heads all nodded in unison. Duo shot the man a double thumbs up which earned him a dark glare.

Harry ignored the whole event for the most part- Zero recorded anything that could be used later but Harry had better things on his mind.

He'd successfully destroyed one of Voldemort's bases nearly a week ago. One of many situated in Europe. His mind quickly brought up a detailed list of the ones he knew of, ones that were still standing and in full operation. Harry needed to move faster if he wanted to end the war before he turned thirty.

There was still another base hidden on the south east coast of France……

Another to the north-west of Spain………

Two in Greece……….

Portugal held one of Dr. J's labs……….

One in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and even as far away as Russia-

“Potter?”

Harry blinked at Trowa's near-blank expression in mild surprise. Zero scolded him for not paying more attention to his warnings before flitting off to add a mental photograph of Trowa's expression to their collective databa- memory. He was not a computer damn it!

“Are you alright?” Quatre had leant over his desk a bit more than normal to look around his boyfriend. His eyes were suspiciously bright and glinting as he surveyed Harry's form.

The jade-eyed wizard nodded. “Just curious about this evening's announcement- must have dozed off. Did you want something?”

Quatre nodded. “Do you have an extra inkwell- mine won't last until I get back to our rooms?”

Harry dug through his pack before pulling out one of his extra wells and tossing it to the blond. Quatre caught it and smiled brightly. “Thank you, Harry.”

The Gryffindor nodded back in response and looked down at his own parchment, noticing very neat and precise notes on the paper. Apparently multi-tasking was child's play for Zero-upgraded Harry now.

“Granger, what would be the reason for splitting the Mandrake leaves exactly down the middle?”

Harry tuned out again as Hermione answered the question easily. That would be another complication in his somewhat self-appointed mission. Ron and Hermione had been both uncomfortably closer to him since his return and yet saddeningly distant. While they might have been more wrapped up in each other- and Harry felt that distinct, embarrassing `third wheel' vibe a lot these days- Zero was ill-at-ease at the thought of spending too much time around Hermione and Ron. Each one would notice his off-behavior perhaps even more than his bodyguards, simply because they had known the `old' Harry.

If he wanted to hit another base- and soon- Harry needed to think of another way of distracting his constant, Big Brother group. Mandrake leaves were out this time; constant use did tend to build up immunity and Harry refused to tamper with his friends' memories again. There was a bigger chance of getting caught or even damaging them.

Unfortunately, their last foray into Memory Charms had shown Harry that Zero couldn't be trusted to be……rational when they entered Heero's mind. The sudden entrance and harsh scanning of the Japanese wizard's memories could have left mental scarring had Harry not recovered fast enough, and he didn't relish trying to explain why Heero suddenly couldn't form basic sentences for no apparent reason.

Something would have to be planned out before his next attack. That last French base would be the most logical choice, and then he could focus on cornering Voldemort and Dr. J in England. On home soil.

Decided, Harry spread his focus more outward than internally and hoped Snape wouldn't try to question him this class- he didn't like loosing house points because he was right for a change.

 

 

 

Potions ended with excitement and the Gryffindor hourglass thirty points lighter much to Harry's disappointment. Squeezing out into the crowded corridor, he had barely a split-second's warning before Heero's hand clamped down on his arm and yanked him closer. His dark blue eyes glared angrily at the mass of students all trying to get to back to their dorms and up to the Great Hall quickly.

A few students jostled the stationary duo, making them both flinch slightly as the other four pilots caught up with them. Heero turned them both into the cover provided by the extra bodies and all but growled. “I want Potter out of the mess.”

Four brief nods had Quatre and Wufei carving a path through the bodies for them while Heero practically hugged Harry to his side and let Duo and Trowa cover their backs.

A flash of amusement made Harry snicker softly. While he had openly admitted to having a large dislike of crowds ever since his kidnapping, this…..maneuver was ridiculous. The words `Mr. President' and 'Secret Service' crossed the green-eyed wizard's mind as they dashed into a relatively more empty side hall.

Harry pulled away from the comfortable warmth of Heero's body and looked at his five friends. “All that was missing in that show was the black suits and sunglasses.”

Quatre cleared his throat slightly at the reference. Duo grinned widely.

“And those little ear piece walkie-talkies.” He added. “Those are amazingly underappreciated.”

Harry quirked his amused smile in Heero's direction when the other teen kept close to him. “I'll take your word on it.” Side stepping to walk around another student in the hall, Harry was surprised to find Heero all but glued to his side as well. Quick reflexes kept them from crashing into each other as Harry shot his blue-eyed bodyguard a look. “Are you auditioning to be my shadow now, Heero?”

Heero was non-pulsed by the question and starred back easily. “All of the excitement and confusion is the perfect cover for one of Voldemort's followers to try and take you out. One of us must be close enough to you to intercept a bullet at all times.”

Harry was just as surprised by the soft snort that came from him. “It would more than likely be a curse, not a bullet and if its emerald green it'll kill you on contact. Dead bodyguards aren't of any help to me.”

“We were hired to die for your safety if need be.” Trowa pointed out from three paces behind them. “Some would say a dead bodyguard is one who did his job right.”

That familiar feeling of rage snuck past Zero's defenses again as Harry spat back, “I don't want anyone else to die for me!”

Silence followed the explosion, only Quatre's jerky breath- as if he were in pain- could be heard. Harry's hands clinched themselves into fists as he spoke.

“The Killing Curse can't be blocked by magic at all- only by the body of another or the….sacrifice of someone dying in your place. So if we're ever attack and there are by chance five killing curses thrown at me, then what? I'm just as bad off as I was before you five came along.”

“We understand the risks, Harry. “Quatre said calmly, although his eyes flickered over to Trowa's form. “We would not have accepted the mission had we feared death.”

“Dumbledore will simply employ more bodyguards to keep you safe.” Heero replied, as if talking about their deaths and replacement, should that ever happen, was just like talking about their homework.

“But are you not the best?” The Boy-Who-Lived said quietly. Zero was following his train of thought farther down the line and flashing the red `ERROR' message like mad. Harry ignored him and continued on. “Hotshot Preventer Agents at seventeen, wizards to boot…….” He swallowed and took the plunge. “………former Gundam pilots.”

It was disturbingly satisfying to watch them jerk as a group, like puppets all connected to the same string. For the briefest moment, Harry had even seen complete and utter shock on the faces of Trowa and Heero before Duo tried to speak.

“How- Did- You KNEW?” He said his voice slightly strangled.

Harry nodded solemnly. “It's amazing what a library can just squirrel away- old news reports, pictures, vids…..wanted posters.”

Duo flushed.

While the explanation wasn't exactly true, it wasn't false either. Finding out that his bodyguards were actually famous war heroes had Harry scouring the library on the sly for anything he could find about them. Duo's capture and subsequent wanted poster had been one of the few things he'd found on the five of them.

“Of course,” Harry continued, feeling a bit smug. “The little jibes you shot at each other were a bit of a giveaway. Heavyarms, Nataku, Sandrock, Deathscythe and Wing.” `And Phoenix.' Zero added slyly.

“Okay so maybe we haven't exactly been subtle-” Duo admitted but was stopped from continuing by Wufei.

“Do you have a problem with our involvement in the war?”

Harry nearly gapped at him. `Is he trying to find a fault in me again?”

`Obviously.' Zero chided.

“It was war; you did what you had to do.” Harry said, feeling a sort of camaraderie with them. He understood their burden, to be the sole savior responsible for an unfathomable number of innocent people. It was hard on the mind, body and soul. “I understand more than anyone here at Hogwarts just what it means because…..because ….it's my fate as well.”

It was an almost awkward silence that followed, but understanding hid there too. It seemed to Harry that the group's way of operating had changed suddenly. The other pilots were at a disadvantage now and Harry was the one who held all the cards.

Finally Heero asked the question that must have been burning on all their lips.

“How much do you know?”

Harry shrugged and continued walking. The hall had long since emptied- everyone on their way to the Great Hall. “Just what the public was told. How a pilot from each cluster of colonies joined to fight with the rebellion against OZ. Their home planet corresponded with their pilot number- and the names of your Gundams.” He looked at the five trailing behind him. “Nothing was found abut your names or appearances,” he reassured them. “Just a bunch of stuff that seems too important for public eyes to make them feel special.”

“Geez, and you still figured it all out…” Duo ran a hand through his bangs with a deep sigh. Something made the braided wizard's shoulders slump dejectedly. Harry cocked his head to the side as he looked at his saddened friend.

“Why are you so concerned about my knowing?” he asked in no little confusion. “I suppose you all rightly assumed that the Wizarding world was completely out of touch with the muggle world……..” Even Zero was unsure of the group reaction to Harry's next words. “I hate to tell you this, but other than the muggleborns and possibly some half-bloods, you're not really anyone special here.”

Duo straightened, looking a bit like an excited pet of some sort. “Not even to you?”

`Not in the way he's thinking.' Zero said slyly. Harry ignored the program to shrug. “Been there, done that. I've even got the scars to prove it.”

Harry decided he very much liked to make his bodyguards laugh or pretend not to smile. Heero had a very nice non-smile.

 

 

 

 

The Great Hall was practically over spilling with excitement and giddiness. Quatre had to stop a moment and compose himself before even attempting to enter the crowded room.

The noise level exploded into life as the doors opened, making Harry stumble. Heero caught his elbow automatically and Harry stiffened with the urge to curse his Japanese bodyguard and the desire not to hurt him.

“Sorry.” He murmured out of the corner of his mouth. A hint of actual embarrassment pinked his cheeks. “I've come to dislike loud, noisy crowds.”

A spark of thing warm shot across Heero's deep, blue eyes, almost like a shooting star of life and emotion. “So have I.”

The look- or natural phenomenon, as Harry was shocked at seeing such a look on any part of Heero's face- was gone before anyone else could witness it but Zero confirmed its existence. Harry ignored him for a better thought.

Heero had really nice eyes.

Ron, Dean and Seamus were completely immersed in counting the amount of money their bets had accumulated while Hermione glared furiously at her beef stew.

Neville was petting a smaller version of the Venomous Tentacula while Ginny looked torn between the duty of the shiny prefect badge on her chest and finding out just how many galleons her boyfriend had made.

Catching sight of Harry and his gaggle, Hermione gave a deep sigh of relief.

“Finally, someone with some sense! Harry! Sit here with me, please.”

Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Years all budged up along the benches that made up the Gryffindor Table to give the five late-comers a spot to eat. Heero and Trowa only gave the bushy-haired girl a nod of hello before turning their attention to the meal that had appeared before them. Heero tried the mashed potatoes and gravy while Trowa tested the grilled chicken breasts before Harry was given the `Okay' to eat. No poison had been detected in either of his favorites. Duo thoroughly inspected the pumpkin juice, humming as he poked it with his wand.

“Clean as a baby's bottom. Hey….don't babies wear diapers?”

Quatre sighed, clearly exasperated. “It's `Smooth as a baby's bottom.'” He looked at Wufei sharply. “Why don't you ever correct his mistakes? He's yours.”

Duo bristled like an angry cat. “Oy! Duo Maxwell belongs to no man.”

His boyfriend raised one coal black eyebrow and the braided wizard laughed nervously. “Other than Wufei here.”

Harry distinctly heard a slight whipping noise come from the vicinity of Trowa's mouth and a small rumble of a chuckle from Heero's chest.

Hermione sent her best friend a strange look. “Are they always this…..? Entertaining?”

Harry smirked slightly. “This is tame.”

The Gryffindor Head Girl blinked. “Oh.”

“It makes more sense if you know that Trowa was once a circus clown.” Harry said softly, eating his food in swift efficient bites.

Hermione looked at the tallest of the five in no small amount of surprise. “Trowa?!”

“I was an acrobat.” He replied to the disbelief on her face. “I also trained the lions.”

“Dude, you wore spots, stripes and little yellow stars. You used make-up. Face it, you were a clown.” Duo chomped down on a chicken stripe before swallowing. “And you let your crazy sister thrown sharp pointy objects at vulnerable parts of your body. So maybe you were a suicidal clown. That's a redeemable quality.”

Hermione's face was a twisted mess of confusion and slight fear as Dumbledore stood before his students.

“Good Evening, everyone! I hope the suspense and excitement hasn't caused any lasting damage to Hogwarts or her faculty.”

Snape scowled darkly before Professor McGonagall jabbed him harshly in the ribs with her elbow. Remus looked a bit worn and smiled tentatively when Harry caught his eye. Harry tried to return the gesture without looking too uncomfortable. He hadn't spoken to his defacto-godfather ever since exploding at the man for treating him like a child a few days ago.

Harry and Zero guessed this was the normal time people took to forgive each other, but neither really had that much experience in all the ceremony of friendships. Ron and Hermione could fight for months on end and the spat between Ron and himself had lasted weeks in their Fourth Year.

Dumbledore waved his hands at the noise level created by gossiping witches and wizards.

“Settle down, settle down.” The talking and excited clatter of utensils continued. “Silence.” Still no reaction from the students.

Professor McGonagall stood from her seat and shouted. “SILENCE.”

All noise ceased and a thundering silence moved into the Great Hall. Dumbledore turned to his deputy- headmistress and smiled. “Thank you Minerva.”

“Now,” His violet and sky blue robes shimmered in the candle light as the Headmaster swept his attention back towards his students. “Times have darkened in recent light of certain events. While the destruction of a previously unknown Headquarters of Voldemort's-“A collective shudder ran through the students at the Dark Lord's name. Harry rolled his eyes at his five bodyguards, prompting Hermione to kick his shin.

“- army has come, it has come at the price of finding a Death Eater among us.” Heads swiveled towards the silent and brooding Slytherin House. Harry's gaze immediately caught sight of a paler than usual Draco Malfoy. Silver eyes took on a certain glint as they stared at the Gryffindor's green ones.

Draco wanted to talk with him.

`About what I wonder.' Harry asked himself. It had been Malfoy's boyfriend whom he had ousted as the enemy. Was there any resentment? Ill-will? Had the blond Slytherin known?

`We shall see.' Zero pointed out, directing Harry's attention back to the Headmaster.

“I tell you this not to scare you, nor to force you to choose a side.” Ageless blue eyes seemed to bore into everyone as Dumbledore looked around the room. “I tell you this because you need to know what is waiting for you beyond these walls. Voldemort's darkness is far-reaching and it won't be long before the troubles of the outside seep into our home. “A withered hand rose to sweep the room.

“Hogwarts will always be haven to those who need it, but when the time comes to fight, I entreat upon you to not shriek from yourselves and chose your own path- to do what you believe is right.”

In the heavy silence that followed, Zero decided to post a complaint.

`There was no need to speak prettily. Inefficient and cunning. Stirs false courage in humans and drowns common sense and logic.'

Harry snickered silently. `Dumbledore's always had a flair for being flowery and deadly when publicly speaking. Nothing he says or does is ever in any way evidence of his manipulations.'

Zero paused. `He is much more dangerous than we first thought.'

Harry agreed.

“That is why, with the agreement of the majority of your Professors, to help keep spirits high this year at Hogwarts an old event had been reborn.” Dumbledore's smile was that of a benevolent grandfather.

Harry jerked up in his seat; panic making his heart beat double time.

“He wouldn't dare……”

“What?” Heero demanded sharply, disliking the look of horror that seemed to be dawning in his charge's eyes.

Hermione groaned. “Oh yes he would. And I can bet you I know who was against this charming idea.”

Harry blinked. “I never thought I'd actually agree with Snape- on anything.”

Quatre had one hand hovering over his chest. “Harry what-“

Dumbledore threw his arms out to the crowd. “That is why this year, we will be hosting a Yule Ball.”

All of two seconds remained silent after that speech before the message finally caught up in everyone's mind- mostly female minds considering the loud screaming that followed.

Trowa shuddered. “This is bad.”

Harry felt the urge to run, very far, from the castle that had become his home. “You have no idea.”

Dumbledore had to send up several bouts of violet sparks before anyone even attempted to calm down and let him continue. “Attendance is mandatory. A partner is not necessary and up to personal discretion- although we do intend to encourage inter-House partnerships.”

Excited whispers continued as the details were given out. Lavender Brown was already chatting to one of the Ravenclaw Seventh Years behind her.

“There will be a six o'clock to nine o'clock ball for those in First, Second and Third Years.” Groans came from the disappointed Third Years of every House. “The ball for Fifth, Six and Seventh Years will then begin at ten o'clock and finish at one o'clock on Christmas Eve. This is a formal occasion- dress robes are mandatory.”

A smile crossed the old wizard's face. “I shall look forward to seeing you all there. Good evening.”

Almost as one the population of Hogwarts surged to their feet and started to combine into a chattering mess. Zero and Harry stayed at the table, in no mood to venture out into that again. Ron, Dean and Seamus had to face the dozens of students who wanted their bet money. The three Gryffindor looked more like they were facing Azkaban.

Hermione growled softly. “I'd better keep the masses from killing my boyfriend and his idiotic friends.” She smiled. “I'll see you in class, Harry.”

As she walked away, the jade-eyed wizard noticed one other student had foregone the crowd and stayed seated. His white-blond hair wasn't the best for trying to be inconspicuous.

“Malfoy wants to talk with you.” Heero said gruffly. Distaste was obvious in his voice. The Professors had all left the Head Table when the students had trickled down to a small group trying to escape the Great Hall. It had been a rather tiring day after all. Only Harry, Draco and the Gryffindor's five bodyguards were left.

“I know.” Harry said lightly. “I'm going to see what he wants.”

Heero clamped down on his arm warningly. “Not alone.”

Harry pulled free of the grip with surprising ease. “It's the six of us against him- and I can take care of myself.”

Quatre shook his head. “That's irrelevant. It's our job to protect you from harm. From what we've gathered, Draco's father is a very important member of Voldemort's Inner Circle. His right hand if you will.”

Harry nodded. “Yes but Draco has turned down a place in Voldemort's ranks. He's on our side.”

Even Zero was sure of this fact. The Slytherin had nothing to gain by faking his loyalty and drawing the fury of the Dark Lord on himself. While Draco's intentions were anything but selfless, they were not evil.

`The prophecy is irrelevant if any witch or wizard holding ill-will against you could take you out. It has to be Tom Marvolo Riddle himself.' Zero did what Harry would have called a snort on anyone else. `You might even have killed yourself by accident if the prophecy hadn't named your enemy.'

Harry stored that fact away in him mind as he tried to plead his case.

“Zabini was Malfoy's lover. I helped put him in Azkaban. I owe this to him.”

Duo's face was unreadable. “That's not going to make us agree to it.”

“Why not just take one of us over with you?” Wufei demanded suspiciously.

Harry sighed. “Because he will not speak freely around the five of you.” An idea suddenly came to life behind his eyes. “What if we both sat farther down the table here? Far enough away for him to feel comfortable speaking with me and close enough for you to intercept him if need be?”

Heero didn't look appeased. “What's stopping Malfoy from killing you?”

Harry smirked. “The fact that the five of you would reach him before he could escape. Draco's a Slytherin- they're always looking out for their own skin before anyone else's.”

Harry caught Draco's eye and the five Preventers had to agree.

 

 

 

 

Draco Malfoy sat across from Harry with a raised eyebrow.

“Still on a leash Potter?”

The Gryffindor shrugged. “We have no reason to trust you considering the circumstances.”

Draco dropped the mask. Actual earnest flashed in his eyes. “I had no idea Zabini worked for the Dark Lord.”

Zero scanned the other teen's body for lies.

`No deception.' It said after a moment. Harry scowled.

“How can you not notice that your boyfriend suddenly has a new tattoo?”

Draco tisked. “He didn't have the Dark Mark before term would be the obvious answer.” Pink fought to flush the Slytherin's cheeks. “Come September we were sharing the dorm with four other wizards. Suffice it to say sex was done with the lights off.”

Had Zero not been a stuffy computer program, Harry would have called the slight jump in its numbers a `Duh!'

Harry frowned again. “You didn't notice any change in his behavior? Zabini didn't disappear at odd times?”

Draco scoffed. “You are under the impression that Zabini and I felt anything other than a healthy dose of teenage lust for each other. We were simply a rest stop for each other on the road to what we really wanted.”

Harry didn't like the look in the blond's eye at those words. All of the Slytherin's badgering made a bit more sense now. “I see.”

Draco cackled at his expression. An amused smirk crossed his lips. “Say Potter about the Ball-“

Harry growled and stood. “No, Draco.”

The Slytherin sent him a smug look. “We'll see.”

His bodyguards rose swiftly at the look on the Gryffindor's face as he approached. Duo's mouth snapped shut as Harry growled out. “Stupid Ball will be the death of me already.”

His jade eyes flashed back to the blond Slytherin who was ambling slowly out of the Great Hall. “Unfortunately we can trust him. There was nothing between Zabini and Draco- just two flamingly gay guys taking care of each other's needs.”

Quatre looked amused. “That all?”

Harry glared at him, daring the empathy to continue. Quatre just laughed and started for the doors.

“Let's go back to our rooms. We can look through a few catalogues for our dress robes.”

Duo rubbed his hands together before grabbing Wufei and pulling him towards the doors. “Ooohh, my favorite part.”

Stuck between Heero and Trowa, Harry felt vaguely afraid.

 

 

 

 

Quatre and Duo searched through the catalogues like they were some sort of ancient text on fashion. Pages were left open in the books scattered across the coffee table and floor, some pictures were poked or prodded by a wand or two and questions about fabric and color were demanded to be answered.

It all felt like some sort of scared ritual really. The air around the two wizards was somewhat serious and sharp. Each article of clothing was just as important as the next, the color and the shade of that color as well as the type and the feel of the fabric all debated as if they were political issues instead of potential piece of clothing.

Tempers were soothed, ideas quickly brainstormed and decisions made before Duo grabbed two of the catalogues and thrust them into Heero's and Wufei's waiting hands. Quatre gave one to Trowa and shooed him off before handing Harry his.

A tingle spread over him fingers first than his hand and finally up his arm and through his body. The feeling of something much more lighter than his regular Hogwarts' uniform flitted over him as Harry looked own at his new outfit.

It was the exact same tint as his previous dress robes- inkbottle green was his color after all- but the cut was different. It was more form-fitting; snug around the shoulders, chest and waist before flaring out dramatically. The robes ended at his just above his knees, edged in a thick black border. A flash of crisp black pants could be seen before a pair of high, black leather boots encased Harry's calves and feet.

Harry blinked before looking at the catalogue in his hand. His thumb was covering something shining stuck on the page. Lifting the digit made the robes disappear in a puff of dark swirling smoke.

`Ah, an illusion spell.'

Standing next to the fireplace stood an oak armoire, shining in the orange glow of the flames. Harry strode forward, keeping his thumb back on the illusion enabler as he opened the door of the case that held the mirror.

A stranger looked back.

It wasn't the Harry Potter of three years ago, dressed in dress robes and waiting nervously for the Yule Ball.

It wasn't the small, frail looking eleven year old who had started out at Hogwarts looking like the uniforms were trying to swallow him.

It wasn't the Harry of six months ago, the one from before his Zero-ing up of sorts. That Harry would have looked ridiculous in this sort of get-up; under confident in everything he wore.

This wasn't really the improved Harry and Zero staring back at him either. This was more like the part of him that Snape and Sirius and to some regard Remus saw- the part of him that was undeniably James Potter. It was cocky and confident and…..handsome.

His thoughts cut off as Duo re-entered the common rooms. He grinned at Harry in his own similarly cut robes in the darkest black. In the light a hint of red shone through.

“I knew those boots would go great with that robe. How do you feel?”

Harry picked at a piece of non-existent lent off his illusion robes. He was hesitant to say anything about his sudden discomfort in his own skin but….

“The person in the mirror looks like me….but it's not. Not truly.”

Duo blinked in confusion before understand flashed in his eyes. His robes swayed as he walked over to his friend and looked at them both in the mirror.

“It is you- just all prettied up and sparkly. Another face of the many that make up who you are.” He grinned softly. “Just be yourself and you'll see it.”

Harry shot another look at himself in the mirror as a feeling of bitterness crept up pass Zero's defenses. He wasn't sure who he was anymore these days. “Sirius would approve.”

Another door clicked open as Quatre and Trowa walked out. Trowa was wearing black robes touched with a deep green trim on the cuffs and collar. Quatre's robes were bright white, shot with hints of sky blue in the stitching.

Harry suddenly understood why Quatre and Duo had been the ones to pick out the potential robes- everyone looked proper, like they really were on the verge of growing up, instead of children playing dress-up in their parents' clothing.

“We'll need to do something about Harry's hair, when the time comes.” Quatre said, looking over his two friends critically. His robes were nearly straight down to his knees and cut close to his smaller body. Instead of high, hard leather boots, a pair of soft, flexible leather dress shoes donned Quatre's feet.

Harry turned back towards the mirror, trying to flatten his messy hair as two more doors opened. In the mirror, Wufei's dark red robes were very nice. The cut was somehow Asian- although Harry couldn't place how he knew this. Perhaps it was the collar or even the way the robes fastened diagonally down the other teen's chest.

It could have very well been the golden dragons embroidered into the fabric.

Duo crossed the room to molest his indecently handsome lover as Quatre exclaimed. “Heero, those look very good on you!”

A sudden inexplicable fear made Harry freeze in his position. For some reason he did not want Heero to see him like this. It didn't feel like he was Harry in these clothes and it terrified the Gryffindor that Heero would see that.

Zero seemed to tire of Harry's feelings of deficiency, or was simply curious as to what Heero looked like- as Duo had said- all prettied up and sparkly. `This is illogical. Zero One cannot read your thoughts and you cannot see him through the back of you head. Turn around.'

Feeling foolish for his fear, Harry turned and blinked.

Heero's robes were a dark blue cross between his own and Wufei's. Silver buttons held the robes together, in a straight line just off center of his chest. The collar was Wufei's but the flair of the robes were Harry's.

Even the black, leather boots matched.

The slight changes made each robe uniquely different; while Harry's gave off an air of mystery and darkness, Heero's looked more…..military.

Giving the Japanese teen's robes the same study he'd given the others let Harry notice just when Heero had seen his own.

Dark blue eyes, almost an exact match to the color of the fabric, widened. Those same eyes took in the similarities and differences of their clothing, with a slow, hot burning look making Harry's skin tingle.

Heero's eyes looked like that unearthly blue that lived in the center of the hottest fires as he studied Harry.

Zero faded into white noise and the chatter of the others was muted as those eyes held Harry captive. It was like watching the sparks of a fire jump when you'd spent the day out in the cold- impossibly blue and alive when they looked at him like that.

Quite suddenly, something forceful dulled the flames, snuffed out every spark and locked the matches in a safe as Heero turned away from him, leaving Harry breathless.

“They are satisfactory.” The Japanese wizard declared, before striding back into their rooms.

Harry let the others talk about their robes alone, not noticing the gleam of triumph in Quatre's eyes. His own jade-colored eyes stared at the picture on the catalogue, wondering what he would have to do to make Heero's eyes light up and look at him that way again.

 

 

A/N: Damn it, you all have no idea how tempting it was to have Heero throw down his magazine and say to Harry “That's it! You, me and a tube of lube in the broom closet. Are you in or not?!”

 

But I didn't because I think you can see where the problems are going to come into play. Heero's going to be stubborn but Harry's going to be worse.

 

Hey I forgot to do these for the last few chapters:

 

Please review: For every review not written, A Harry/McGonagal fic is written- in which Harry turns out to be a tom cat animagus and they have disturbing cat sex. Ew- my brain it burns!

 

S. Tangerine