The Next Dance

THE NEXT DANCE

BY AERIE22

CHAPTER SIX

"YOU DID THIS TO ME"

"Hermione," the voice called.

It was a voice she didn't want to hear. Or was it a voice she was longing to hear?

"Come on, Hermione. Your study chair is still reserved."

She turned slowly, her mind working at a furious pace. She gave him a crooked, uncertain smile. "Harry, I've got to get a couple books out of the library," she said, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

He, too, was giving her an uncertain grin. "Come on. We don't have any major research stuff due tomorrow. Just regular homework."

She noticed he was shifting slightly in nervousness. It had been ten days since he had faced Voldemort...make that since he and Parvati had faced Voldemort, she thought with a twinge in her stomach. She glanced over at the fifth-year study table and saw her. And Parvati didn't look entirely happy with Harry.

Hermione sighed. "I really should use the library. There is a History of Magic paper due at next week," she said tentatively.

Harry lowered his head slightly but continued to look directly at her. Suddenly, she noticed a hint of mischief in his face. "You don't want to be responsible for Ron and I failing, do you?" he said with a small, sly grin.

She looked at Harry and smiled inwardly. He wasn't mad at her. And he wasn't avoiding her. She tried to sort her feelings. There were moments she wanted to strangle him for what he did, rejecting her in favor of Parvati. And there were times when she wanted to throw herself off the Astronomy Tower for being so stupid. And there were times when she just missed him.

It had been two and a half weeks since she missed her chance with him. And missed it so spectacularly. And those two and a half weeks without him to talk to, without him being her best friend, were like walking death.

"I don't know," she said, stalling for time, trying to decide. She glanced again at Parvati, who was frowning as she looked down at her text, then giving Harry a quick glance, then returning to her text again. Hermione felt she didn't need a fight with Parvati. She had enough heartache without adding to it.

But maybe Ginny was right. How long would Harry last with Parvati. She knew of Parvati's temper and her track record with boys. And it might be best to be as close to Harry as possible now and simply wait for the inevitable.

Harry sighed. "I guess Ron and I will have to face the O.W.L.s alone, then. Not to mention Snape."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh for goodness sake. Stop complaining," she said with an exasperated smile, and started moving toward the study table. "And I'm not letting either of you copy my homework."

Harry grinned and returned to the table.

* * *

The sixth and seventh-year study tables were on the right and left sides of the big fireplace. But the fifth year study table, while not as close, was directly against the wall opposite the fireplace, where it caught some of the warmth. And in mid-October, that warmth was a valuable commodity.

As Hermione approached the table, she saw that Harry was right. Her place at the end of the table was vacant. And now that she thought of it, the few times she glanced over to the table as she would scurry in or out of the common room on her way to or from the library, she always noticed that her spot was empty. It was the best spot, she thought, because it gave her a chance to spread out a little more than if she were between students.

Not that the table was usually full. After all, there were only eight of them and the table was designed for ten and could be charmed for twelve in a pinch. But she usually liked to spread her books out for easy access, often working with three or four, or even more, open at a time. And that space was there for her.

But there was a difference. Harry had always sat across from her at the end of the table, with Ron at her side and Neville at Harry's side. Now, Harry and Neville had switched, presumably so Harry could sit next to Parvati, who had switched seats with Lavender, who now sat at the opposite end of the table. Seamus and Dean, who made few appearances at the study table except at exam time or when there was a particularly demanding assignment, always took spots opposite Parvati and Lavender.

Hermione pursed her lips at this new arrangement, but sighed and dropped her satchel on the table and sat down. She drew out her potions text and a couple reference books she kept on hand and started reading. But she was no more than a couple paragraphs in before she glanced up at Harry. He was looking at her and gave her a smile, then resumed his own reading.

* * *

The assignment was fairly straightforward. A simple skin healing potion, designed for use on cuts or abrasions. The real tricky one would be coming up in a couple weeks, with the skin-growing potion. Hermione sighed. She wasn't looking forward to that one.

She had gotten so far behind over the past couple weeks, she thought. Not that she was truly behind. She normally was about a month ahead of the class in her studies. But with all that had happened, all her pain and turmoil, first over Harry, then over Harry and Voldemort, then over Harry and Parvati, she had fallen far behind her own schedule. She had read the potions text through once, to get a feel for the range of studies for the year. But she wasn't even close to have gotten through it a second time for annotation purposes. And now, she was struggling to keep pace to make sure she thoroughly understood her current assignments to the level that she wished. It was not enough to pass. It was not enough to gain high marks. Her goal was to completely understand each subject. Mastery of a subject was her goal. The high marks were simply an indicator of such mastery.

As she turned the page she noticed the quiet whispers. The common room was not the best place to study. There was noise, movement, the occasional shouts or arguments, and the threat of whatever Fred and George were about to distract you. But Hermione always found the convivial, communal atmosphere to be comforting as she studied.

So she could easily ignore Ron next to her muttering as he scratched away at his parchment with a blunt quill. Neville was acting somewhat differently than she remembered, reading through a few paragraphs, then leaning back and closing his eyes, then returning to read those paragraphs again, adding a few notes in the margins of his text. But, as always, he would sigh at unexpected times.

Seamus and Dean, when they were at the table, would read, then banter or discuss whatever they were reading. And, of course, Lavender and Parvati would constantly chatter away quietly over this or that point of the assignment and, if they got bored, would chatter away about anything else.

But the one constant was Harry. He was usually silent when studying. He would sit there, arms at his sides or in his lap, leaning over the text and reading. He would move to turn the pages or take a few notes. He would occasionally banter with Ron or even herself, or run his hand through his hair when he was having trouble with a topic. But otherwise, he would simply read in silence.

That's why his quiet whispering was so disconcerting. Like a quiet human voice amid a cacophony of crickets. The crickets would not be noticed. The voice would be.

And so Hermione looked up. Harry was leaning back and to the right, with his forehead almost touching Parvati's, as he said something quietly. At first, she could hear Parvati whispering about working during the summers at the family import business and processing invoices. That she could tune out. She had heard Parvati complaining about sorting through mounds of paper and having to physically conduct inventories for her father or her sister during the past two summers. And all the time complaining how this took time away from her riding.

Then Hermione started hearing other snippets that made little sense. "Blue tongue...bananas...blow field." 'Blue tongue' sounded familiar, but Hermione merely shivered to think what that conversation was about. Parvati suddenly stuck her tongue out at Harry. "Too pink," Hermione heard him whisper and the two giggled. Hermione sulked, imagining what they were going on about. Something sexual, no doubt, considering how Parvati and Harry were leaning against each other, again giggling softly. Hermione lowered her head back to her book in annoyance, blushing despite herself.

Harry suddenly smiled and returned to his reading. Parvati gave him a frown and turned to whisper to Lavender, who shrugged. Parvati then reached over and straightened collar of Harry's oversized, faded flannel shirt. "When are you going throw these rags out," she whispered to him in an exasperated tone. Hermione looked up again and sighed. On this, Parvati was right. She was as sick of the oversized shirts and sweatshirts Harry wore as Parvati was.

Hermione suddenly cursed herself. She was supposed to be studying. But she couldn't stop watching Harry. He was reading more carefully than she remembered, being even more still than in the past. Suddenly, he frowned and started paging back and forth in the text. He frowned again and looked up.

"Ron. Why do they keep putting spirit of alum in all these potions? It doesn't matter what. It doesn't do anything that I can see, but it's there in just about every potion we use."

Ron looked up at Harry. "Who cares? You just have to know it has to be there. You put it in and the potion works. You leave it out and Snape takes 10 points. That's all you have to know. That and make sure your supply in your potion kit is full," he said with a raised eyebrow.

Harry turned to Neville, who just shrugged.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, for goodness sake. Alum isn't part of the potion, itself. It's part of the process that makes the potion."

The entire table turned to look at her with quizzical expressions.

She rolled her eyes again. "Look, here's the abrasion potion. It's got twelve basic ingredients, things like aloe extract, sheep wool, aspodorah beetles, dragon hide, whatever..."

"Fourteen," Neville said.

Hermione turned to stare at Neville. "Fourteen? No, twelve."

Neville turned the page in his book and moved it around for Hermione to see. She looked at the list and shook her head.

"No, Neville. This is exactly what I'm talking about. It's got a water base. The water is not an essential ingredient. It's just a base for the potion. You could probably use all sorts of liquids. But water is the easiest and safest. And the alum is not an ingredient in the potion itself. It just is there to bind the necessary ingredients for the magic to work."

The group looked at her as if she were speaking in tongues.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Look, you need a liquid base to make the potion work. It doesn't have to be water. You could use Old Ogden's Firewhiskey if you want, although I presume that it would burn when applied to the wound."

Harry, Neville and Parvati began nodding in understanding. Lavender looked at Ron and shrugged. Seamus and Dean, who had just sat down, looked perplexed.

"The same thing goes for the alum. You don't need alum for the potion to work. You can put all the ingredients together and use your magic and you've got a serviceable potion. But it would be runny and uneven. It would look like a soup before your strained the fat off, with clumps of potion and pools of unusable excess. The alum is an astringent. It draws out the essences of each ingredient and binds them together to make the magic work throughout. It's not an essential ingredient, like the other twelve. All you need is an astringent and binding agent, and alum works best in most potions. So? Do you understand now?"

She looked from face to face to see if they understood. But when she came to Harry's, she didn't see understanding. She saw a fond smile. She blushed, realizing how she was being the old Hermione again, being relaxed and enthusiastic and exasperated as she tried to explain abstract concepts to sometimes interested, sometimes bored, sometimes perplexed classmates and friends.

And she suddenly realized what Harry had done. More than talking to her, more than making her sit down at the table, he had used his question to welcome her back. Not just to the study table, but into Gryffindor common room and into her classmates' lives again. She gave Harry a quick fond smile in return. Suddenly, she gave him her stern, McGonagall look again. "Do you understand now?"

Harry simply smiled in return and nodded.

* * *

There was nothing worse to spoil the appetite for lunch than a hour of Potions immediately preceding the meal, Harry thought as he wandered down to the dungeons.

But in the past week or so, Potions had taken on a surreal feel. The Slytherins, once a united front and cheering section against anything Gryffindor, now seemed to be preoccupied, almost at war with itself.

A sullen Pansy had now paired herself off with a preoccupied Millie Bulstrode to prepare her potions. Glenn Greinglass and Aubrey Blythe partnered as usual, but no longer seemed to be a chuckling cheering section for Malfoy. Leah Greinglass and Blaise Zabini continued to be partners, ever silent and seemingly above the fray. Which left Draco by himself, without Pansy or his now-departed partners in crime, Crabbe and Goyle, with only Aubrey and Glenn, whom he disliked, to partner with when necessary.

On the way down to the dungeons, Hermione could contain herself no longer. "Why did Crabbe and Goyle leave?" she whispered to Harry. "They weren't expelled because of their fathers, were they? And why wasn't Malfoy expelled as well?"

Parvati leaned across Harry to answer. "Hermione, they don't come from rich families. So they withdrew before then end of the first term to get part of their tuition money back. Their families are going to need that money."

Hermione blinked. "How much are they getting back?" she whispered urgently.

Parvati shrugged. "Two-thirds, minus deposits and fees. About 500 Galleons, maybe a little less."

Both Harry and Hermione gasped. "That's over _4,000," she said. "I never realized it cost that much.

Parvati gave a wry smile. "It's closer to _5,000, if you know where to go."

The three were still shaking their heads over the cost of a Hogwarts education when Malfoy strode past rapidly, his head down as if deep in thought.

At that moment, the fifth-year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were coming out of the dungeons. Susan Bones had just turned to say something to Megan Jones when Malfoy slammed into her, sending them both sprawling, knocking Malfoy hard into the wall and scattering his books and notes all over the corridor.

Malfoy looked venomously up at Susan, who was kept from falling by Megan and Pamela Hutchinson. "You stupid bitch. Look what you did. Why didn't you die with the rest of your family," he growled, as he grabbed an armful of books and papers and stalked off to Potions.

Susan went white, then burst into tears.

Harry felt the fury grow but controlled it as he saw the shock and horror on Susan's tearful face. He knew Susan was, like him, one of four 'Voldemort orphans' currently at Hogwarts--five if you counted Neville--from the Dark Lord's first reign of terror. He reached out to touch Susan's arm in sympathy as her classmates closed in around her for comfort. She looked up briefly through her tears and the two passed mournful looks of understanding before Susan leaned against her best friend Hannah Abbott.

'Malfoy will pay,' Harry thought as he led a furious Parvati and a shocked Hermione into the dungeons.

* * *

Harry was still brooding in Potions when he heard Snape bark his name.

"Mr. Potter," Snape said, peering down his nose at Harry. "Where would we find a Blue Tongue?"

"In a Smurf's mouth," Dean whispered to Seamus.

"Or a Smurf's girlfriend's mouth," Seamus replied with a giggle.

"Mr. Finnegan," Snape intoned. "Something to contribute?"

Seamus sunk down in his seat, turning red.

Snape was about to say something more, perhaps to deduct house points, but returned instead to Harry, who had a wry smile on his face. "Mr. Potter, the class is breathlessly awaiting your answer," Snape said with a sneer.

Harry took a deep breath. "The best quality Blue Tongues come from South Africa, particularly the Blaufeld plantation. You can get them much cheaper from local nurseries, of course, but if you want top quality for your potion ingredients, you are better off with South African imports," he said, smiling smugly.

Snape looked at Harry with a startled expression. He suddenly wheeled and grabbed a herbology reference book and paged quickly to the entry. "South African origin," it read.

Snape then pulled out a drawer beneath the lectern and pulled out a sheaf of invoices. He paged quickly through until he found the correct one. "Strelitzia-2 cwt @ 22 Gal. Origin: Blaufeld/Bothe; FOB: Durban, S.A."

Snape slowly looked up at Harry with shock and anger. "Mr. Potter. Where did you get that information?"

Harry blinked innocently. "I studied, professor."

At this point, Parvati and Lavender grabbed each other's hands tightly to try to keep each other from bursting out in laughter.

Snape, trying desperately to regain his composure, again looked down his nose at Harry. "I wasn't asking the physical location of the ingredient. A simple description would have sufficed."

Harry shrugged. "It's the seed pod of the Bird-of-Paradise flower, a relative of the banana family," he said matter-of-factly. "Uhhh...It's scientific name is...Strelitzia."

Hermione gasped. So that's where she had heard of the Blue Tongue. She pressed the heel of her palm into her forehead in frustration.

Snape's face was now showing an unaccustomed color. Suddenly, he simply nodded. "Correct, Mr. Potter." He stopped and took a deep breath. "Two points for Gryffindor," he muttered and wheeled to resume writing on the blackboard.

* * *

Harry was making his way out of the Potions classroom when he felt a huge weight on his back. Ron had thrown his arms around Harry from behind and leaped on Harry's back, causing him to stagger.

"Gerroff, you Red Rascal," Harry said, laughing.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron cried, giving Harry a kiss on the back of his head. "That had to be the greatest two-point play in Hogwarts history!"

Harry continued to laugh. "Don't give me any credit. Parvati told me all about that last night. Who knew Snape would ask me about it."

Ron turned to Parvati and grabbed her in a bear hug, lifting her off her feet. "You put me down, Weasley," she cried through her laughter. "I don't care what you say. You're not getting any tongue from me, blue or otherwise," she exclaimed, causing the rest of the group to burst into laughter.

Even Hermione couldn't help but laugh. It was a great day to be a Gryffindor.

* * *

It was a rite of passage for the group.

They looked ahead at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. They had been assured by the elders that they would be safe, that the biggest of the creatures they would confront, who were the greatest of all enemies save but one, was a friend to their kind and would protect them from harm.

They knew that the elders had gone through this in the past three years and that the big one of the others had always protected them from the smaller ones of the others who feared and loathed them. And all had come back unharmed. But that didn't make the whole mission less frightening.

But the one thing that spurred them on, even more than that this was their final test before acceptance as full adults. It was the prospect of meat. Unlimited meat. More than they could eat. And, most likely, more than they could carry home to the tribe.

They awaited the signal.

* * *

Ron turned to Harry as they walked down to the area around Hagrid's hut for their Care of Magical Creatures class. "What do you think it will be this time, Harry? I heard we would get dragons some time this year."

Harry shrugged, as Parvati casually and gently bumped against him as they walked. Hermione, on Ron's left, simply stared ahead in curiosity. "What's that smell?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Blimey, it smells bad, whatever it is," Ron responded.

As they neared the hut, Hagrid appeared in the doorway, looking a little nervous. He uncharacteristically left the door to the hut ajar.

The wind shifted a little and the smell lessened. Harry looked with curiosity. Hagrid was heading for the corral, where they all had first encountered either dangerous beasts such as Buckbeak and the other Golden Griffins, or extremely shy and skittish creatures, such as the unicorns. "I don't think I like the looks of this," he said as he felt Parvati take his hand more for reassurance than for romance.

He noticed the Slytherin contingent converging from a slightly different angle and saw several suddenly turn their heads to cough or hold their noses.

Hagrid was now pacing nervously as he went to side of the corral closest to the Forbidden Forest. He opened the gate and left it open as he made his way to greet the students.

"Attention ever'one," he said in a firm voice. "I'll be wantin' all of yeh to be givin' me yer wands."

There was a murmur amongst the students as they looked back and forth at each other. Many simply pulled out their wands, but several, including Harry and Ron and a few of the Slytherins, gave Hagrid suspicious looks.

Hagrid looked uncomfortable. "Now, let's get on wit' it. This is fer yer protection as much as theirs. That's the way," he said as he collected Harry's, Parvati's, Ron's and Hermione's wands. Reluctantly, and with some argument, Draco, Pansy and Millicent surrendered their wands.

Hagrid cleared his throat. "Now, remember wot I tole yeh at the beginning of the term. Not all magical creatures are pretty like a unicorn. An' not all are as harmless, neither. But the purpose of this class is to know how to approach and deal wit all magical creatures. To know 'em an' to know of 'em. So I want yeh all to gather around an' grab one of them tongs. Once yeh do that, I want yeh all to go to that large bucket there and grab a hunk a' meat and bring it to the fence. The creatures ye'll be seeing here are interested only in the meat. So when they come out, poke the tongs through the gaps in the corral and hold the meat out to them. They won't harm yeh."

By now, all the students were staring at each other in terror. What was going on?

"Werewolves," Glenn Greinglass muttered, and Draco flinched.

"Giants," Dean whispered.

Ron looked at him sharply as he grabbed a pair of tongs that were at least three feet long. "As if that fence would hold a giant."

"Bridge trolls?" Lavender ventured.

Harry shrugged as the group approached the foul-smelling bin. Inside was what looked to be at least 50 kilos of beef and mutton--50 kilos that had been out at least a week too long.

Leah Greinglass suddenly turned and retched at the smell, setting off several other students.

Hagrid shook his head in frustration. "Forgot the kerchiefs," and he ran back to the hut.

Returning, he passed large bandanas around to the students. "'Ere now. Cover yer mouths and noses wit' these. They're charmed to cut the smell."

There was a suddenly flurry of hands grabbing for the protection. Suddenly, most of the students were breathing easier, except for the few that retched.

"Come along now. Grab yerself a bit o' meat," Hagrid urged.

Harry managed to grab in his tongs a hunk that was at least two kilos. He turned to Parvati, who looked in her kerchief as exotic as a veiled princess from the Arabian Nights.

"All right, let's all gather round the fence," Hagrid said in an anxious voice. "Now then, I left the door to me hut open fer anyone what needs it. But to get full credit fer the class, yeh got to stay put. And poke yer tongs through the gaps in the fence. If yeh have to leave, jest drop the meat inside the corral," Hagrid said, hauling the bin with what was left of the spoiled meat behind them.

"All right, now. Put yer tongs through the fence now." Hagrid, his face covered with a bandanna now, tilted his head back.

"Aragog! Goddagog!" he yelled.

Suddenly, a dozen spiders about the size of large dogs came streaming out of the Forbidden Forest. They caught a whiff of the meat and dashed through the back opening of the corral and pounced on the meat from the students' outstretched tongs.

There were screams and squeals up and down the student line. Suddenly, Pansy, Leah and Lavender dropped their tongs and broke for Hagrid's hut. Ron had gone white as a sheet and began shaking and moaning and swaying on his feet. Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder tightly. "Close your eyes and imagine you're at the Burrow," he whispered in a harsh, unsteady voice.

Harry then felt Parvati's free hand grasp his right arm. "Harry," she whimpered in a tiny, terrified voice.

He turned to her as she edged even closer. He leaned toward her as she looked at him with saucer-like eyes. Slowly, he leaned forward until his forehead was against hers. "It's going to be all right," he whispered, again in an uncertain voice.

Parvati was breathing heavily, but no longer hyperventilating.

Suddenly, he felt Ron swaying more precariously and, pulling Parvati with him, leaned to his left and grasped Ron around the waist. He looked over Ron's shoulder to see Hermione, shaking and wide-eyed, watching her giant spider devour her chunk of meat. She turned to Harry with a glazed look of fear. Harry nodded his head at Ron, who now was continuing to shake. Hermione let go of her tongs, letting them and the meat slide into the corral for her spider to savor at its leisure and slowly put her arms around Ron.

With this, his shaking seemed to lessen a little and slowly, he opened his eyes to look at Hermione. "Not spiders," was all he could muster.

Harry looked over their shoulders and saw Draco, his arm outstretched and holding his tongs by his fingertips. He had his eyes closed and he was breathing in short rapid breaths.

By this time, Harry's spider had wrestled the meat from his tongs and Harry backed away a couple steps to put one arm around Parvati's waist and the other around Ron's shoulders. Then he turned to Hagrid, only to realize that the half-giant had been explaining about the spiders for some ten minutes now. Hagrid's eyes were wide in rapt interest as the spiders continued to gnaw away at the hunks of meat, which all were now on the ground.

"...so if yer in an area known to be populated by such beautiful but dangerous creatures, tis best yeh carry a large quantity o' meat, or even some blood, that yeh can scatter on the ground behind yeh. That'll generally stop 'em in their tracks and give yeh a chance to move away from 'em quick like," Hagrid concluded.

"Okay?" Hagrid looked around and realized that there were only four Gryffindors, Harry, Parvati, Hermione and a quaking Ron, and two Slytherins, Draco, who was now retching from the sight rather than the smell, and Glenn Greinglass, who continued to stare glassy-eyed at the spectacle of the ravenous spiders eating.

Hagrid shook his head. "Well, that's ten points fer Slytherin and twenty for Gryffindor, five each fer them what stayed." Hagrid sighed and shook his head again. "I guess yeh should all come back to the hut to get yer wands back."

* * *

"Hagrid should have warned us," Parvati muttered as she walked slowly from the class beside Harry.

"What, and have half the class miss it because of a sudden attack of the grippe," he replied, chuckling in relief that the class was over.

Parvati chuckled, herself. "I don't know. Maybe Ron would have sawed off a limb just to miss that."

Harry smiled and looked up ahead. Hermione was gripping Ron's arm tightly as he walked unevenly up to the castle, his head down. "Still, he got through it. We've seen worse."

Parvati snorted. "That sounds like a story I'm not sure I want to hear."

Harry smiled and looked back up toward Ron and Hermione again. But instead, his eye caught the figure of Janet McDonald, his prefect patrol partner, who was strolling with another seventh-year girl he didn't know. He thought back to her needling him about 'unromantic' Gryffindors the previous week during their rounds and shook his head slightly. 'What did she know, anyway?' he thought.

Then he glanced at Parvati, who was looking down, thoughtfully. He casually edged closer to her until they bumped against each other gently. She looked at him a smiled and then went back to looking at the ground as they strolled. He looked at her again and cursed himself for a coward, then took a deep breath. Once again, he casually edged closer to her and very carefully and tentatively reached around her and placed his arm around her waist.

Parvati looked up with a start, and Harry almost pulled away. Then she smiled. Harry felt the smooth softness of her waist through her robes and jumper under his hand and could feel his heart racing. Then she closed the distance between them and snaked her arm under his and around his waist. Harry felt a quick jolt in his body as she smiled more broadly at him. And so, they resumed their walk to the castle, holding each other, lost to anyone or anything else in the world.

* * *

"Harry, can we talk?"

Harry blinked and came out of his reverie. He was wearing his jeans and an old, oversized and stained rugby shirt that once had belonged to his cousin. He turned, puzzled, toward the voice, dropping his broom off his shoulder.

"Pansy?"

She gave him a warm smile. "I was just wondering if you had some time...maybe after your practice...just to talk."

Harry blinked and stared at Pansy Parkinson. She had barely said two civil words to him in all the years since they had been at Hogwarts. Now she wanted to talk?

"What about?" he muttered.

She turned her smile up a few notches. "Well, this and that. Classes. Quidditch. You."

Harry looked at her blankly. She was not beautiful, like Parvati, or even pretty, like Hermione. She was kind of cute when she smiled. But he had rarely seen her smile. And when she wasn't smiling, there was a sort of hardness to her look. "Ummm, I have work to do after practice. And I've got something planned for tonight. Sorry."

Pansy's smile dimmed a little. "Well, I just thought we should get to know one another a little better. We've never had a chance to talk."

Harry shrugged. "I guess...look, I'm late for practice," he said with a weak, puzzled smile.

Pansy nodded. "Okay. Some other time."

Harry walked quickly down the corridor toward the side entrance to the castle. 'What was that all about?' he wondered.

* * *

Quidditch practice was unlike previous years. Now, instead of nine flyers, there were fourteen--the equivalent of two full teams. Cecil Huddleston, the third-year keeper, was taking something of a beating when facing the rest of the Gryffindor first team. But as Harry watched, he could see the kid gaining confidence and experience at every run the chasers made at him. He was no Oliver Wood, and probably wouldn't be for another year or two, if ever, but he was showing real potential.

Harry casually flew over to the other end of the field. Theo Kastelides, another third year, was working hard as the second string keeper, but he wasn't quite as quick as Cecil. Harry chuckled. Theo and the two firstie beaters, Mike Burwasher and Steve Shaunessy, were shocked at the speed of play at this level. He chuckled. 'No wonder first years are generally not allowed on teams,' he thought. Harry had spent an hour arguing with both Angelina and Professor McGonagall before Mike and Steve were even allowed to try out. And, surprisingly, they easily beat out two very annoyed sixth years for the reserve spots on the team. But they still were pretty raw. 'Let's hope the twins stay healthy,' Harry thought with a chuckle.

The two fourth-year chasers on the second team, Regina Bowen and Severino 'Don't Call Me Snape' Velazquez, were a little better prepared, and Ron, having played in backyard brawls with his brothers, was clearly ready to play at this level, if not as effectively as Angelina, Katie and Alicia.

Then Harry looked up. "See it yet, Ginny?"

Ginny Weasley was the alternate Seeker. He was frankly surprised at how well she played in the tryouts. She clearly had potential. But she also took chances. Chances that Harry himself would take without a thought, but which frightened him when Ginny took them.

"Just enjoying the view," she said with a smirk.

Harry laughed. In the past couple weeks, Ginny had seemed to be a lot easier to be around. Maybe she had gotten over her crush, he thought. Or maybe it's just that she and Colin had been tagging around together and he had gotten her to relax a little. Maybe they might even be a couple, he thought with a chuckle.

Suddenly, Ginny darted past him, causing his broom to waver a little, before he turned it around to tail her, searching desperately for the snitch.

Harry continued to look around in the direction Ginny was headed when she suddenly dove. Still Harry followed, still frantically searching for the golden orb. His eyes grew wide as she continued to plummet, folding herself low against the broom. "Pull up," Harry screamed as he followed her down. At the last possible second, she pulled up hard and shot straight up.

"You stupid little bint!" he screamed, laughing. "Doing a Wronski feint on me! I'll get you!"

Harry and Ginny started chasing each other across the field, feinting and weaving through the crowded sky. Suddenly, Harry felt a crack from a bludger against his back and felt his right shoulder go numb. Leaning far to his right, he managed to compensate and flew slowly to the ground.

Angelina and Ron were the first to land beside him, followed closely by Ginny.

"Damn, Harry," Ron exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

Angelina walked up to him and pressed against the back of his shoulder.

"Yeow!" Harry screamed.

Angelina made a face as the rest of the squad descended. Katie Bell ran up. "Harry, can you raise your arm?"

Harry tried but let out another yelp of pain. Katie then placed her hands on his shoulder and squeezed here and there. "Dislocated," she muttered.

Suddenly, Parvati, who had been watching along with several other Gryffindors, came running up. "Harry, are you all right?"

Katie looked at Parvati. "Dislocated shoulder," she said matter-of-factly.

Something passed between the two girls, and Parvati moved around directly in front of Harry. "Harry, look at me."

Harry grimaced and looked into Parvati's eyes, his own eyes watering from the pain.

"Harry, are you okay? Look at me!"

Harry was looking into Parvati's eyes when he felt his arm being yanked up. He screamed and grabbed his wounded shoulder. But suddenly, the pain was now bearable.

Then Madam Hooch flew over to check on the situation. "Is he all right?" she asked.

Katie and Parvati turned and shrugged. "Dislocation," Katie said. "I popped it back in."

Hooch sighed. "You should have left it for Madam Pomfrey."

Katie chuckled. "I've done this several times. I knew what I was doing," she said with a small smile.

Parvati nodded. "Me, too, on my brothers. It's not hard if you're strong enough and careful."

Hooch sighed again. "Oh, well. It looks like it's back to the hospital wing with you, Harry. If nothing else is broken or out of place, I'm sure Poppy will have you out of there within three or four days--all of which you will doubtless be screaming in agony," she said with a evil look.

Harry blanched, then saw Hooch fighting a smile. He smiled. "No, I think my limit is two days of screaming agony," he said with a chuckle and then a wince as he tried to move his arm.

"Does that mean practice is over," Fred said with a grin. "I'm hungry."

Angelina glared at him. "Not on your life," she growled. "By the looks of it, our beaters could all use more practice. A whole lot more practice."

Parvati and Madam Hooch walked Harry up to the castle, with Harry's left arm over Parvati's shoulder and her right arm around his waist, more for just the comfort than any real need by Harry for support.

As they entered the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey bustled over. "Agnes! Another? I swear, they ought to outlaw that game!"

Hooch laughed. "Poppy, if they outlaw Quidditch, we'd both be out of a job for lack of work."

"So, what do we have?" Pomfrey asked with resignation.

"Harry's got a dislocated shoulder," Hooch replied.

Pomfrey took a quick look at Harry. "Raise your arm," she commanded.

Harry gingerly raised his arm almost to shoulder level.

"Who popped it back in?"

"Katie," Hooch replied.

Pomfrey palpated Harry shoulder, then ordered him to remove his jersey and pads.

"But it's still sore," Harry complained.

Pomfrey nodded, and turned to her assistant. "Mercy, get the shears. The heavy ones. Looks like will have to cut his clothing off."

Harry started. "No! I can get it off!" he said in a panic.

Pomfrey nodded and was about to say something when there was a commotion at the entrance to the wing.

Harry had just finished gingerly pulling his jersey over his head with Parvati's help when they saw Professors Sprout, Snape and McGonagall, along with the Hufflepuff senior prefects, Janet McDonald and Andy Stebbins, and another young Hufflepuff, a girl who Harry didn't recognize, come in. Sprout and Snape had their wands out, using a Mobilicorpus charm to suspend a body between them.

Parvati and Harry, who winced a little from the pain in his shoulder, stood to see what was going on. Then he saw the body's head move and saw the pale blond hair. Malfoy.

The group passed Harry's bed and moved a couple more beds down, while Pomfrey and Mercy bustled over. Harry could barely see what was going on for all the people now gathered around but, just before Mercy pulled a privacy curtain, Harry noticed blood on Malfoy's upper lip which had trickled down the right side of his face.

Harry turned to Parvati and shrugged. "Looks like someone finally popped him in the nose."

Parvati gave him a small, sad smile.

It was 15 minutes of people walking back and forth between the dispensary and Malfoy's bed before Mercy finally stopped by to check on Harry.

"Mr. Potter," she said. "I'm sorry for all the commotion. I'll try to take care of you now. Your shoulder is going to be sore for at least the next day or so. We will immobilize it and give you anti-inflammatory and pain-killing potions. Madam Pomfrey thought it best that you stay the night, so be can make sure that Miss Bell did not do any harm when she popped your shoulder back into place."

Harry nodded. "What happened?" he asked, nodding toward Malfoy's curtained-off bed.

Mercy sighed and glanced over in Malfoy's direction. "He was found near the greenhouses, barely conscious. He claimed he had fallen." Again, Mercy glanced around to see if anyone was listening. Then she leaned forward. "He didn't fall. He was beaten, and pretty badly," she whispered. "Maybe he's afraid to talk. Afraid of the one who did that to him."

Then Mercy lowered her head, as if in thought. She glanced up at Harry. "I know you two are rivals and don't really get along that much. But once things calm down a little, maybe you could give him a kind word? A little support? He's really suffering and probably scared. Knowing he's got people on his side might help him." Mercy then nodded and scurried off to the dispensary.

Harry frowned and turned to Parvati, who was also frowning. Harry sighed. "Does she really think I'm going to go over there and pat his hand and kiss his bloody nose and make it all better?" he said with a scowl.

Parvati made a face. "I don't know. I don't think I would. He probably picked a fight with someone and finally got what for."

Harry nodded.

Parvati leaned back on her chair next to Harry's bed. Then she shrugged. "Still, he doesn't have many friends. Especially now Crabbe and Goyle are gone and that Pansy dumped him."

Harry started. "Pansy broke up with him? I thought they were a Death Eater match made in heaven."

Parvati rolled her eyes and shook her head. "She's playing the percentages. I don't think her family are DEs. She comes from money, but Malfoy was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for her. But with his mother dead and father on the run, and...Voldemort either dead or down, she probably figured there was no percentage in being with Draco anymore." She shrugged. "If you can't be a winner yourself, run with the winners. And Draco isn't looking like much of a winner right now."

Harry gave her a sly glance. "Is that what you're doing?"

Parvati gave Harry a pinch in the side, causing him to flinch and gasp as pain shot through his shoulder. Parvati's eyes widened and she began to say something, but Harry cut her off with a wave and a smile.

Parvati looked relieved, then her face took on a mischievous look. "Now listen hear, Potter. I don't have to run with any winners. I am a winner. Or haven't you been reading Witch Weekly lately," she said with a smug expression. "So you must be the one running with a winner."

Two chuckled, when Parvati spied Harry's rugby shirt, which he had worn underneath his Quidditch jersey and pads. "You better watch yourself," she said with a twinkle in her eye, picking up the rugby shirt between two fingers and making a face. "I don't know if winners like to run with people dressed in rags."

Harry shook his head with a small smile. 'Won't she ever let up on my clothes?' he thought.

* * *

It was quiet at last in the hospital wing.

Most of the torches had been extinguished and the candles had come out. Harry had noticed that, once Parvati had left, he'd had no visitors. Neither had Malfoy.

He had asked Mercy about this and she shrugged. "No visitors today," she said without explanation.

Harry felt restless. The immobilization charm Madam Pomfrey had used on his shoulder made his whole body feel awkward. He managed to sit up, but felt like some sort of hunchback. He looked down and saw a pair of hospital slippers and placed his feet in them.

He slowly rose and, seeing no one around, padded over to Malfoy's bed. Malfoy was turned toward the left on the bed. Harry could see some discoloration on the right side of his face and a lump on his nose. Harry shrugged. Those would be gone in a day or two. After all these years of Quidditch, he had seen several broken noses going into the hospital wing and seen those same noses back to normal when they left.

"What do you want, Potter?" came Malfoy's hollow and slurred voice. "Here to finish the job?"

Harry frowned. "Just here to see how you were doing," he responded quietly. "Heard someone popped you in the nose."

Draco grunted. "Figuring it's your turn now?" Draco muttered again, obviously breathing only through his mouth. "Or disappointed that you weren't the first?"

Harry shook his head. "Just checking to see if you were going to be all right, that's all."

Slowly and painfully, Draco turned to face Harry. Harry gasped. The right side of Malfoy's face was relatively unhurt. But the left side was swollen like a balloon and a horrible shade of purple. His left eye completely closed. And a tiny trickle of bloody spittle was trailing down his face.

"Is this what you came for, Potter? To enjoy the show?" Draco said through the right side of his mouth, the left side swollen and obviously painful to move.

Harry grabbed the bottom bedpost of Draco's bed in shock. "Who? Who did that to you?" he cried in a strangled voice.

Draco painfully narrowed his good eye. "You did this to me, Potter. You did."