Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Surving High School: Freshmen Year ❯ Author's note ( Chapter 3 )

Warning! This chapter contains slightly squeamish themes, violence, substance abuse, and sexual theme. If you're still not reading, start now!

 

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize here. Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm merely borrowing the characters for my own amusement.

 

Chapter 13

 

***

 

What happens when you defy Dumbledore? Draco never thought it would be this bad… The stench of something rotting—his flesh. The gash on his chest was caked with dry blood and oozing puss. Pale and weak, that was the only way to describe him, if you chose to ignore the wound.

 

Draco swallowed the lump forming in his throat. His stomach was churning with every breath he took in of that smell. “What is that?” Draco managed to ask.

 

Harry moved his hand away from the collar that was now stretched out, allowing for a small glimpse of the wound that should have taken his life. He wiped the sweat of his brow, “it's a curse. Every time I…show signs of possibly rebelling against Dumbledore, the wound grows larger. However,” he curled his lips in disgust, “he made it so that I can't die from this.”

 

“Why would he do this? I don't understand why?” Draco was indeed bewildered. Why would Dumbledore want to hurt his `weapon' for something so simple as running off?

 

“Discipline…I think. He told me I'd understand later, and I would thank him for it.” Harry looked at his hand that glistened with sweat. “I don't understand. I've been trying to understand,” his voice cracked, “I just want to fade… I hate this.”

 

Draco dropped to his knees and embraced Harry, careful around his chest. “I hate this, too.” He couldn't help but cry along with Harry. He cried for the broken man—no, the child in his arms. He cried for Harry's soul, for his life, for his misery, for his pain…but mostly, he cried because he understood.

 

`Dumbledore will pay.'

 

*

 

It helped to cry with someone. It was therapeutic to just curl up in someone's arms, drop all the barriers, and drown in the emotions that have been kept away for so long. It was temporary though. Numbness would soon overcome him, and he could once again live his life. His problems would remain unsolved, and he would bottle emotions again…then the cycle would repeat.

 

Harry stretched out his aching limbs. He slipped on his cloak and was on his way out of the train, alone. Draco had returned to his compartment in time to put on his robes and leave with his friends. Harry chose to avoid Hermione and Ron in hopes he could take a carriage alone… He had no such luck.

 

Harry had ended up sitting next to a couple of 2nd year Slytherins, who were reluctant at first to allow him to share a carriage. In the end, the only girl, Natalie, had convinced the other two to allow him to sit with them. He had thanked them kindly and said no more, opting to stare out the window instead. It was a nice quiet ride up until they reached the gates to Hogwarts…

 

“So, why aren't you with your friends, Chosen One?” it was one of the boys who had asked.

 

Harry smiled at his tone, “my groupies? Nah, I didn't feel like hanging with them today.” He waved his hand to show he didn't care. He winked and placed a finger over his lips, “don't tell anyone, but I don't like them very much.”

 

The two boys gasped while Natalie smiled, “I don't like them either,” she said.

 

Harry laughed, “then you must keep it a secret or I will get in trouble.”

 

She nodded, “okay, I'll keep their mouths shut as well. I'm Natalie, by the way.” She was a sweet looking girl with blond curls and bright blue eyes.

 

Harry smiled, “pleased to meet you, Natalie.”

 

She smiled again, “looks like the ride is over.”

 

The carriage had halted next to the set of steps leading up to the entrance hall. “So it would seem.”

 

*

 

“Harry?”

 

Harry sighed. He just wanted to sleep, that's all. It wasn't too much to ask for…

 

“Harry!”

 

Apparently it was. “What?” Harry rolled over in his bed to come face to face with Ron.

 

Ron sighed, “I was looking all over for you in the train, and then you went off and sat at the end of the table…away from us.”

 

Harry closed his eyes, “I'm tired, talk to me in the morning.”

 

“No, we were worried about you all summer. You didn't respond to our letters or anything.” Ron sat at the edge of his bed and began to slip off his shoes. “You could have said something.”

 

“I was with Dumbledore the whole summer. I wasn't allowed to send letters…might have brought attention.” He rolled over again. He squeezed his eyes together. He was lying again. `old habits die hard.'

 

“Oh, alright. I knew Dumbledore was acting a bit secretive.” Ron chuckled to himself. “So, what did you do over the summer Harry?” But Harry had already fallen asleep.

 

*

 

Draco was settling back into the old routine of being in Hogwarts. Everyday was eventful, but at the same time, dull. It lacked too much, and it left him craving for something...anything. The end of the week was around the corner, and Draco was in danger of going insane by the time Friday arrived.

 

“Oi, what are you going to write about for the History report?” Blaise was leaning back on his chair looking at Draco lazily. They were sitting around a table at back of the library, working on homework.

 

Draco scribbled nonsense on his paper with a bored sigh, “eh, I'll look something up.” He shook his head. “I can't believe we've been in school for a week and we already have mounds of homework.”

 

“I know what you mean.” Blaise muttered, looking down at his watch. “Almost time for dinner. Might as well wrap this up and finish tomorrow.”

 

“Yeah, you're right.” Draco looked around the room and noticed that everyone was already on their way to the great hall. He had been waiting for the opportunity to speak with Blaise about his dream. He figured he could always replace Harry's name with someone else and piece out the rest of the puzzle himself. “Uh, Blaise I had a strange dream. I need help interpreting it.”

 

Blaise placed the last bottle of ink away before turning to Draco. “Explain,” he gave a nod for Draco to start.

 

Draco told Blaise exactly how the dream went, leaving nothing out but Harry's name. When he was done, Blaise had pulled out a piece of parchment and was taking notes, a pensive look upon his face. Draco waited impatiently as Blaise scribbled away, not bothering to share his thoughts.

 

It took no more than ten minutes to cover half of the page with Blaise small and neat penmanship. His face was unreadable as he handed the paper over to Draco. “Here,” he said. He looked at his watch once more. “I'll go down to dinner and save you a spot...take your time going over that.” He left Draco with another nod.

 

Draco gave a nod of his own. He looked down at the paper and started reading.

 

The tree falling indicates you are off track and heading in the wrong direction.

 

By going left you are leaving the other behind, however, stepping back meant you didn't want to leave the other behind. By taking the wrong path (apparently it was when you tried to follow the fallen tree in your dream) would mean to lose the other.

 

When he pointed at himself and talked in third person, appearing suddenly as someone else is as simple as it seems: He puts on a mask to please others, he's not happy about this and thus refers to that other side of him in third person in an attempt to distant himself from what he has grown ashamed off.

 

Appearing blindfolded means that this person is being deceived. If they are able to see through the fabrics, they know who is deceiving them.

 

The chains means this person is being controlled.

 

Ascending stairs represents the struggles and set backs you will face in your endeavors. When he offered to go along with you meant that even if you go through struggles, he will go through them with you.

 

Loose thread on your blindfold means you know you are being deceived yet you refuse to believe it.

 

Afraid of what you might see: Both of you are scared to see the truth. You're allowing yourselves to be blindfolded, and controlled.

 

Draco tried to search for these meanings in situations in his and Harry's life. Some things made sense, but he couldn't be sure with Harry. `There is so much I don't know about him… I might as well tell him about this dream, maybe it will help me understand better.' He folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket. “I can try and catch him before he gets into the great hall.”

 

*

 

Harry was free for the night. Hermione and Ron were off doing prefect duties, and would have only time to eat later on. He planned on sitting next to Nevile and have a nice chat with the boy. He always made time for small talk, and Nevile was just one of those people who were good at it. However, a distraction was made present...a distraction in the form of the blond boy he had claimed as his boyfriend not to long ago.

 

“Harry, are you alone?” Draco walked up to him, careful to look around for any nosy students. Certain that there was no one around, Draco pulled Harry into the closest classroom. “Hey,” he said with a smile lighting his face.

 

Harry threw his arms around Draco's shoulders and pulled him close. “Hey yourself. Oh man it's been boring.” Harry mumbled. He gave a distressed moan, and muttered something about unfair teachers and annoying girls named Romilda Vane.

 

Draco chuckled. “One of these days you should just kiss some random girl in front of everyone and hope that your fan club will leave you alone.”

 

“No...” Harry wined. “I want to kiss you.” Harry pushed away slightly and pouted.

 

“But you can't. When we figure out a loophole in Dumbledore's plan than we can go into the great hall and make-out for all to see.” Draco wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

 

Harry laughed. “You have to promise me you will go through with that plan. I want everyone to know you're mine.” He smirked devilishly.

 

“Yes, of course I will. What better way to piss off the weasel and mudblood than to grope your ass in front of everyone?”

 

Harry shook his head with an amused look on his face. “Okay, we will do that. But right now, I want to kiss you. No interruptions this time,” he pulled out his wand and waved it at the door. “Colloportus.” Draco smiled, the dream could wait till later.

 

***

 

A/N: Don't get me started on why this took so long...Uuugh, school, that should answer ALL. Anyway, this chapter was a bit shorter than the last, but longer than most, so yay! Hope ya'll are satisfied. Anyway Review and tell me what ya think.

 

Tangerine-Alert: (on how Draco referred to Grabbe by first name) I wanted to portray Grabbe and Goyle as actual `friends' of Draco, that's why I made him use Grabbe's first name-Vincent. I know, I don't usually remember their names either…but I looked it up and that's his name. Goyle's first name is Gregory, just so you know when I use it.