The Trouble With Harry

The Trouble with Harry

Chapter 2

: Flirting with HarryÂ…ehem, Disaster

Ron leaned back in his chair balancing it on two legs. He glanced around the dungeon classroom waiting for class to start.

He was in a terribly good mood; breakfast had gone well this morning. Some of the others had been late and he had some time to chat with Harry alone.

They had talked about the usual things, Quidditch, the latest news from the rumor mill, complaints about the grueling study schedule Hermione had planned for them (this drew a glare from the girl as she looked up from the book in her lap), things in general.

Harry was in a good mood too and had had a beautiful grin on his face all through breakfast.

HeÂ’d even leaned over and whispered about something or another to his friend, tickling RonÂ’s ear and sending shivers down his spine.

All in all it was great.

And best of all, Malfoy wasnÂ’t there. The Slytherin had been very consistent about coming over to their table and insulting them recently, usually ruining RonÂ’s morning not to mention his day.

And HarryÂ…poor Harry. HeÂ’d just sit there and take it.

How Ron wished he could beat that smug git Malfoy into the ground. Nobody should be able to hurt Harry like that. Ron could feel his ears warm as a flush undoubtedly was building there. Even thinking about Malfoy was ruining his good mood.

‘Speak of the Devil,’ thought Ron bitterly.

The blonde boy rushed into the room and took his seat, followed closely by Snape who immediately started his recitation.

"Today we will be making a Repelling Potion. It is a quite advanced and I expect you all to pay vary close attention."

He paused and surveyed the room his pointed glare lingering over the Gryffindor side.

"Longbottom. Where is Longbottom?"

"He had to go to the infirmary Professor. He was feeling ill," answered Hermione.

"We will see about that. You will tell him that he is to see me this evening about making up the assignment and serving a detention for missing it in the first place."

"But Professor—."

"Feeling ill is no excuse for missing an entire class period Miss Granger. Feel relieved that I have not taken points from Gryffindor for his blatant lack of respect for this class. Nor yours."

Hermione harrumphed and sat back in her chair with her arms crossed dejectedly.

Harry glanced back at her, shrugging sympathetically. He wasnÂ’t sure why she even still tried after all these years.

"Now, for this potion you will need the following ingredientsÂ…" The Potion Master continued his lecture and the students got to work.

Harry as usual was paired with Ron, to his great relief.

Snape had taken to giving them assigned pairings as of late, usually volatile ones too such as Malfoy and Harry, Malfoy and Ron, or pretty much Malfoy and any Gryffindor. But the Professor had wised up after finding that the entertainment value of the confrontations that broke out was definitely not as large as the headache he inevitably would have afterwards.

Harry cut his slugs as Ron mixed in the lungfish broth bringing it to a boil in the cauldron. It smelled terrible but the smell would be neutralized as soon as he put in the gall of salamander. Ron got the worst of it bending over the cauldron to stir. He would occasionally cough and wrinkle his nose.

Harry watched him intently. The potion was supposed to repel Dugbogs, but with the way it smelled, he suspected it could repel pretty much anything.

"Want me to take a turn?"

Ron looked up at him.

"No thatÂ’s okay I got it," he said with conviction.

Why was it that Ron always volunteered to do the nasty bits? It was quite a strange thing for him to do really. ‘Come to think of it,’ Harry noted to himself, ‘he’s only started to do that since this year. Strange.’ Perhaps Hermione’s speeches had finally been gotten through to the infamously less than studious redhead. Harry shrugged it off. It was nice to see Ron taking some initiative in his schoolwork. Harry had always felt that his friend had much potential.

Harry looked around. Everybody was busy with their potions. Ron and he appeared to be just a bit ahead of most everyone else. He turned back to look at Hermione.

She hadn’t had a partner, as Neville wasn’t there. But even with having no one to help her and doing all the cutting and stirring on her own she was already on the last step of her potion. ‘Actually she probably got done faster than when Neville was here to help her,’ he mused.

"HmmÂ…I wonder whatÂ’s wrong with him," Harry muttered to himself.

"What was that Harry?" asked Ron.

"Oh nothing. Just wondering whatÂ’s up with Neville."

Suddenly bits of ingredients started flying towards the Gryffindors a majority of which landed in HarryÂ’s hair. Harry started to pick them out. He glanced around puzzled.

Ron had to admit it was a very becoming look for Harry.

He reached up and picked a piece of ingredient out of his friendÂ’s hair and was about to comment when something hit him in the ear. A bit of greenish goo dripped down onto his robe collar.

He heard Malfoy cackle from across the room and turned to glare at him wiping the piece of slug off his face and clothes.

"Why even bother to wipe it off WeaselÂ…itÂ’s not as if itÂ’s ruined your robes. Not much could ruin robes that shoddy," said Draco loudly from across the room with another laugh.

Ron bit his lip and continued to glare.

He hated when Malfoy did this.

His pride was hurt. Malfoy had insulted his familyÂ’s financial state.

But worse, he had embarrassed him in front of Harry.

The bastard did this all the time of course, but that didnÂ’t mean Ron could ever get used to it. Or would tolerate it.

"WhatÂ’s wrong Weasley? Finally realized youÂ’ve got nothing worth saying in that head of yours?"

Ron got up abruptly, "Shut up Malfoy!"

Ron started to walk over to Draco. And he was mad. He usually tried to contain his anger, for HarryÂ’s sake. Harry didnÂ’t like it when he fought. But right now Malfoy wasnÂ’t about to stop taunting him until he reacted.

So he did.

Harry looked frantically around the room. Where was Snape? He probably stepped out to get some more herbs or something. Harry worriedly reached up and put a hand on RonÂ’s shoulder.

"Ron—."

"Stay out of this Harry. I donÂ’t want you getting involved," the boy mumbled in reply, shaking off the hand that was holding him back.

Malfoy looked across the room with calmly exhibited horror as 6 feet and 2 inches of flaming, raging Weasley came charging towards him.

Draco had been conducting his assignment quietly enough, ordering Goyle about and lazily stirring the potion, when heÂ’s seen Snape leave the room. He had looked upon it as an opportunity too good to pass up and started chucking things across the room at the always-unsuspecting Gryffindors.

He had remarkable aim and littered HarryÂ’s hair with dried hagfish eyes and Banyan tree twigs and watched lusty eyed as Harry sexily picked them out. He wished he, himself could do it for Harry, that those fingers combing through that black hair were his. But this was a very decent second best.

That was until Weasley himself had had the nerve to reach over and pluck one of the eyeballs out, pulling his fingers through the midnight strands.

Draco had been livid. How dare he! How dare Weasley touch his Harry like that!

He immediately picked up one of his left over slices of slug and threw it at the offending boy. That had stopped the scarlet haired harlot.

Ha.

But now as Draco lay on his back, his breath knocked out of him, and a murderous Weasley sitting on top of him, he took a moment to reanalyze his methods.

Ron used the time to land a nice punch in the smaller boyÂ’s stomach drawing a string of swears from the blonde, much to RonÂ’s satisfaction.

He bent down close to MalfoyÂ’s ear and whispered, "That was for embarrassing me," he punched the boy again, "and that was for Harry. You stay away from him. You donÂ’t even look at him, you hear?"

At that moment Harry pulled Ron off of Malfoy and put himself between the two.

"Ron stop."

"What, youÂ’re defending him?" Ron blared.

He saw an altogether too smug smile creep onto MalfoyÂ’s face at this last comment, and he felt his anger building once again.

"No of course not Ron. YouÂ’ll get in trouble. Snape will be coming back soon. You donÂ’t need to do this for meÂ…all he did was throw things at me, no harm done. Now forget him. He doesnÂ’t matter." Harry tossed his head in DracoÂ’s direction.

DracoÂ’s face went dark with a bitter scowl as he got up from the floor and dusted himself off.

At that moment Snape walked into the room, his arms full of ingredient bottles, to find his students gathered around an area near the back.

"What is going on here?!"

Draco was the first to respond.

"It was Potter sir. He attacked me!"

"What?" called out both Ron and Harry in unison.

"I was doing my potion and I just made a comment that was completely truthful and honest and he just went bonkers and attacked me," continued Draco in a chipper voice smiling smugly at the stunned boys standing next to him.

"No he didn’t, I—." Harry elbowed Ron in the ribs shutting him up.

"Professor, he insulted Ron’s family and—."

"ThatÂ’s no excuse for fighting, Potter. Especially when what you are fighting for isnÂ’t even worth the effort."

Ron winced at the roundabout jab. He turned to the professor.

"But sir it wasn’t Harry’s—," another poke from his friend.

"Two weeks detention Potter. And 40 points from Gryffindor. Fighting will not be tolerated. And most definitely not in my classroom."

He looked at Ron.

"And 20 points for talking back and lying Mr. Weasley."

RonÂ’s face turned red once again as he scowled at his professor.

Snape turned to the rest of the class.

"Since we are now out of time you will be here half an hour early next time to test todayÂ’s potion."

"But sir thatÂ’s breakfast," complained Seamus.

"Serves you right for not taking action to stop this," he said sweeping his arm towards Harry and Ron.

"One meal is of no consequence. Get out of my sight. Dismissed," he hissed crossing his arms in front of him.

The grumbling class filed out.

***

Draco admired the intricate mosaics, pretty designs weaving in and out of long thorny rose vines, concentric circles, and strange Celtic knots. There was a hawk, and a snake, and oohhÂ…was that a dragon?

He had never thought staring at the ceiling could be so interesting. He hadnÂ’t ever bothered to look up before. Who knew the dungeons contained such fine artistry?

Of course it was a bit difficult to enjoy it properly with Weasley sitting on top of him.

‘This is getting to be a bad habit,’ thought Draco trying half heartedly to push the other boy off of him. Ron squelched any chance of escape however, pinning Draco’s arms firmly to his sides.

He should have seen it coming. He knew Weasley better than that.

Draco knew that RonÂ’s temper and pride wouldnÂ’t allow a clean getaway. So why hadnÂ’t he anticipated the redheadÂ’s attack right after leaving the Potions room.

Frankly Draco didnÂ’t think Ron would have the guts to attack him so openly, and in the dungeons no less. So he hadnÂ’t been too worried when Crabbe and Goyle had clomped off to the kitchens to get an early snack, leaving him alone. Count on Gryffindor bravado to show itself at the most inopportune moment.

Ron pulled his fist back, "Now you tell me why the hell you did that you little shit!"

Draco stared at the raised fist and smirked.

Oops.

It seemed Ron didnÂ’t like that.

The fist slammed into DracoÂ’s stomach causing him to grimace in pain.

"I can hit twice as hard as that, now what the hell was that back there?" Ron said menacingly.

Draco looked up and past RonÂ’s shoulder at Harry who was standing back looking down the hall nervously. He was holding Hermione back from rushing to Ron, looking all the while like he was struggling to stop himself from doing the exact same thing.

Draco blushed.

It felt strange and exhilarating having Harry looking down at his prone form as he lay there on his back. Now if only heÂ’d come over here and take WeasleyÂ’s placeÂ…

"Are you listening? What the hell is wrong with you? Answer my question you git!"

"Huh?" said Draco looking a bit dazed as he tuned his attention back to the boy sitting on top of him.

"What do you mean ‘huh’?" cried Ron indignantly.

He was dangerously close to sending another round of blows into DracoÂ’s stomach.

A noise down the hall prompted Harry into action and he rushed forward and pulled Ron roughly off the other boy. Ron struggled against the intervention but finally got to his feet and dusted himself off. Harry looked around.

"Ron this is hardly the place for this. If you havenÂ’t noticed weÂ’re still in the dungeons. ThatÂ’s enemy territory. If any Slytherins were to walk by, or worseÂ…SnapeÂ…this was an incredibly dumb idea."

Ron folded his arms around himself and pouted.

Harry was scolding him.

Here he was trying to defend his friendÂ’s honor, and Harry was scolding him!

Hermione shook her head looking at Ron; she had had enough. She huffed throwing a glare at all three boys and hurried up the stairs and out of the dungeons.

Harry looked down at Draco who was now sitting up on the stone floor. He sighed and held out a hand drawing the Slytherin to his feet. Draco, upright once again, looked down at their interlocking fingers. Harry realized what heÂ’d done and quickly dropped the pale hand.

Ron let out a gasp and something akin to a growl and stormed up the staircase, tracing HermioneÂ’s path, leaving Harry alone with the Slytherin in the damp dungeon hallway.