The Next Dance

Aerie22

Story Summary:
Harry Potter and Parvati Patil have beaten back an attack by Voldemort early in their fifth year and are now a couple. Lucius Malfoy is on the run and Draco is penniless. But will an injured Voldemort lash back? Or will an angry and embittered Draco strike first? And will Harry's romance survive Parvati's legendary temper, especially with Hermione there for him? And what of the brooding character that makes this fic decidedly A/U? Sequel to Dance With Me Harry.

Chapter 08

Chapter Summary:
Harry Potter and Parvati Patil have beaten back an attack by Voldemort early in their fifth year and are now a couple. Lucius Malfoy is on the run and Draco is penniless. But will an injured Voldemort lash back? Or will an angry and embittered Draco strike first? And will Harry’s romance survive Parvati’s legendary temper, especially with Hermione there for him? And what of the brooding character that makes this fic decidedly A/U? Sequel to Dance With Me Harry.
Posted:
09/15/2003
Hits:
3,936
Author's Note:
Author’s note: This is a sequel to my earlier novel, Dance With Me Harry. In the first novel, much happened, familiar characters and minor canon characters were developed, and over 30 OCs were introduced, so reading the first part of this series is highly recommended. Also, this is an A/U fic, taking place in Harry’s fifth year. However, there will be elements from OotP that may surface from time to time, so be aware of the potential spoiler effect for all five books. Thank you for all your wonderful reviews. Please continue to read and review.

THE NEXT DANCE

BY AERIE22

CHAPTER EIGHT

MAGIC

Sirius kept his hood up. It was cool enough that the hood wouldn't draw attention. But then, this was Knockturn Alley. Wearing a hood drew no notice at any time to the year.

He lounged casually against the wall of the alcove and waited. He watched as others watched him, unobtrusively. Others lounged and watched, as well. Knockturn Alley always had its share of loiterers. Some had business. Some had nothing better to do. And some, like Sirius, simply waited and watched.

He had been approached twice already by witches with dubious intentions, but he merely shrugged them off. A heavily scarred young wizard sidled up to him at one point, quietly asking him if he was interested in frogs. He knew this was a code for a hallucinogenic potion, highly illegal and highly dangerous. Sirius shook his head without comment and the scarred young wizard moved on.

Sirius was becoming nervous. Shane had promised to be there by 8:00 pm. But he refused to check his timepiece. Visible impatience drew attention in this part of the alley. And attention was something everyone here sought to avoid.

He saw a movement at the end of the lane. A thin figure in worn but otherwise fashionable robes made its way toward him. Sirius saw the figure lower its hood.

It was Shane. But he looked distinctly different. His hair was much longer and worn in a queue and was streaked with gray. His eyes seemed more hooded than Sirius remembered and he had a few days' growth of beard. But that didn't cover a livid curse scar across his cheek, which gave him a rakish look. Sirius nodded.

"A new you?" Sirius whispered.

"A few charms here and there. They remember the hair, the scar and forget the face. Ready?" Shane muttered quietly.

Sirius nodded and the two walked a few paces to the entrance of The Empty Vessel.

* * *

The bar was dimly lit and smoky, with patrons scattered at rickety tables around the room. Sirius sniffed. Not all the smoke coming from those long clay pipes were the regular rag-cut tobacco so common in the neighborhood. The patrons glanced up and then went back to their Firewhiskeys and their plots and plans.

Sirius and Shane took seats at the end of bar. Sirius didn't notice but Shane took the end seat and angled his back against the wall, giving him a good view of the door.

The bartender came down to their end. "Two ales," Shane said quietly, then grabbed the bartender's wrist as he reached for mugs. "From a bottle," he said softly.

The bartender made a face and set down the mugs and reached under the bar and grabbed two fresh bottles of ale. Shane took one and sniffed the cork, and nodded, placed some sickles on the bar.

As the bartender wandered back to the other end of the bar, Shane poked Sirius. "He's coming?"

Sirius nodded. "He's coming."

The two sipped their ales in silence as their eyes wandered over the other patrons. Suddenly, a witch rose and wandered over to Sirius.

"Hey, there," she purred. "You're new."

Sirius eyed her. She was possibly his age. But given the life in Knockturn Alley, she night be a lot younger. Sirius gave her a smoky smile.

Suddenly, her smile became a little less mercenary. "Hey, I know you," she said, becoming a little more excited, showing she probably was a lot younger than he initially thought. "You're Sirius Black."

A small frown quickly passed over his face, then returned to a speculative smile. He tilted his head in acknowledgement.

The woman placed her hand on his arm. "You know, you're something of a hero around here," she whispered. "Leading the Red Robes around by the nose all those years."

Sirius gave her a half shrug.

She leaned forward a little more, her smile now genuine. "I think you're wonderful," she murmured in a throaty voice.

Sirius smiled softly with same smoky look. Then he slowly leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. She tasted of Firewhiskey and tobacco.

She gave him an even broader, wide-eyed smile. "Wow. Wait until Madam Meritrix hears about this."

Sirius leaned over to her again. "I'd appreciate it if you kept this between us..."

The girl blinked. "Oh, Merrie. My name is Merrie." Suddenly, she looked positively girlish. "Are you doing anything later...?"

Sirius looked at her with sad eyes. "I'm busy, Merrie. Maybe some other time."

Merrie looked at him with disappointed eyes, and Sirius reached up to touch her cheek. "Sorry," he whispered.

Suddenly, the door to the bar opened and a small figure scurried in, looking over his shoulder. The figure glanced around the bar then, spotting Sirius, hustled over.

Merrie stepped away in disappointment and Mundungus Fletcher took her stool. "Sirius," he said breathlessly. "You wanted to see me?"

Sirius nodded. "Hello, Dung."

Fletcher looked around, glancing at Shane. "Who's the scar," he asked urgently.

Sirius peered at Fletcher. "Someone who wanted to meet you."

Fletcher angled himself to stare at Shane. Shane merely nodded. "Just call be Robert," he said softly.

Fletcher eyed Shane. "I know you from somewhere?"

Shane simply shrugged.

Fletcher nodded a couple times. "That's not your real name. Robert," Fletcher said flatly. "I know I know you."

Shane shrugged again. "Sure you do. My real name is William Masterson," he said humorlessly in a normal tone.

Suddenly, several people near them started chuckling at the name of the Minister of Law Enforcement and Chief Auror.

Fletcher frowned and looked back at Sirius. "Not Order business?" he asked.

Sirius shrugged. "No. What'll you have?"

"Firewhiskey, as long as you're buying."

Sirius nodded and signaled the bartender.

Fletcher looked back at Shane. "You want me? So talk."

Shane continued to stare blankly at the door to the tavern, fingering his scar. "Sirius here tells me you know people, hear things," he said quietly without looking at Fletcher.

Fletcher eyed him suspiciously. "Selling or buying?"

Shane turned his head slowly, but didn't answer.

Fletcher scowled as he moved onto Sirius's stool as Sirius stood to order two more ales. "I have some stuff I'm looking to move. Cauldrons. Wands. I've got a couple high-quality brooms. I can get some other stuff."

Shane leaned forward. "That's just ballast. I'm just looking to buy information. And maybe some contacts."

Fletcher pursed his lips. "Ballast?" he said thoughtfully. "What are you looking for?"

Shane leaned even closer to Fletcher. "It seems that a certain wizard from a prominent family recently had to make a sizeable withdrawal from Gringotts. Gold. A lot of gold. About 400,000 Galleons worth."

Fletcher gasped. "Malfoy," he muttered in amazement.

Shane didn't react. "You know what 400,000 Galleons worth of gold weighs? About 1250 pounds. And gold doesn't shrink or lighten very easily. So someone must have been used to help transport it. I'd like to know who." He gave Fletcher a quick once-over look. "For the right information, and a successful operation, it might be worth somebody's weight in gold," he said quietly.

Fletcher continued to stare at Shane. "That's dangerous stuff. Stealing from Death Eaters. And the Dark Lord."

"The more risk, the greater the reward," Shane muttered.

Fletcher blinked in sudden recognition. "I know who you are," he said suddenly. "You're Black Sean Patrick. Part of Algie Halger's gang down in P-Town. We heard you were killed along with Algie in that ambush by the Red Robes outside of Portsmouth a couple years ago."

Shane glowered. "Quiet, you ninny." He turned to Sirius. "I thought you said this one was a pro," Shane hissed.

Sirius gave Fletcher a nasty look. "Listen, there are others I could have gone to, Dung. But I came to you. Now don't blow your chance."

But Shane had grasped Sirius's arm and motioned his head toward the bartender. Sirius turned to see the bartender casually step behind a curtain.

Sirius turned to Shane with questioning eyes.

"Get ready to Disapparate," Shane hissed.

Sirius gave Shane another puzzled look.

Shane frowned. "A bartender in a place like this would never leave the bar untended, unless..."

Suddenly, the door to the bar slammed open and a half dozen Aurors burst in. There were two *pops* and Mundungus Fletcher was suddenly alone.

* * *

Sirius blinked and stared at Shane. "What the hell was that all about?"

Shane suddenly grinned. "Black Sean Patrick is a wanted man," he said with a chuckle. "It wouldn't do for an undercover Auror posing as a wanted criminal to be arrested and roughed up by other Aurors who didn't know any better."

Sirius gave Shane an angry stare. "You're free-lancing, aren't you. This isn't part of an Auror operation. You're doing this on your own."

Shane shrugged. "Well...not entirely on my own. There are one or two who know. Like Cyrus Thomas. And Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"The Order?" Sirius said, wide-eyed.

Shane sighed. "Well, I'm not sure about what you mean by the Order, but Cyrus and Shack asked me to do a little investigating for them. And it was a good chance for me to bring 'Black Sean' out of mothballs. I haven't had a chance to play him in a couple years," he said, chuckling once again.

Sirius frowned. "And what if I didn't Disapparate. I never was that good at it and I'm out of practice."

Shane turned to give Sirius a lazy grin. "Well, if you splinched, then part of you would be spending time in the nearest Auror holding facility. I guess I would be babysitting the rest of you until I found a way to get your parts back together to be sent to St. Mungos for an unsplinching."

Sirius frowned. "That's not funny."

Shane snorted. "Well, if nothing else, that little act we put on proved that the Black Brothers are now a made item in the underworld. Sirius Black and Black Sean Patrick. Bona fide bad guys," he said with a broad grin.

* * *

It was almost suppertime. Harry flexed the muscles in his shoulders and heard his neck crack as he gathered his study materials and began stowing them in his satchel. He looked around the library and noticed how few students bothered to come up between their last classes and supper. He looked across the table at Parvati, who looked bored as she paged back and forth between two books and scratched out a few cursory notes. He smiled.

He couldn't believe how well things were working out between the two of them. He could barely keep his mind on his studies when she was around, but if she caught him staring, she would give him a playful swat or a pinch to get him back to work. And he would return the favor when her caught her staring at him. Except he wouldn't pinch. He would tickle.

But beyond their romance, he was surprised how well they complemented each other academically. Parvati was actually a lot brighter than he had thought. And she was a top student in potions and Herbology, doubtless from having been exposed to the potions ingredients import business all her life. And he found her help in those subjects invaluable, particularly as she could explain in simple terms the importance of each ingredient and the context for preparing and using each potion that they were studying.

Divination was the other subject that Parvati excelled at, to Harry's continuing amusement and her exasperation.

"I swear, Harry," she would say I exasperation. "You've got such a Muggle attitude. You expect Madame Trelawney to teach you to see the future like looking at a Muggle tele, with all the details about what is happening there for you to watch. It's not like that," she would say with a sigh.

He made a face and Parvati gave him a playful pinch.

"No really," she said with a smile. "It just provides you with general guides and warnings about what is to come. Oh course, Lavender is better at it than I am. She's the one with a real inner eye. But it's fascinating to see glimpses...feeling tones about the future."

Harry would gave her an indulgent smile. "And what does the future hold for us?" he said with a smirk.

Parvati frowned. "I'm not sure. I've been trying to figure that out. What I've been seeing mostly is storm and strife, with something beautiful just beyond. Like a heavy storm with a clearing in the clouds off on the horizon," she said wistfully.

Harry would chuckle softly and give her a hug.

On the other hand, Parvati was weaker in Charms, Transfiguration and, particularly, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry noticed that she took a lackadaisical attitude toward subjects she wasn't already familiar with. And Harry was almost going to give her a lecture after she made a comment about DADA being a "boy" subject when she, herself, blanched and suddenly started babbling about her use of the stunning curse against Voldemort's followers. Harry chuckled and scolded her about being able to use her DADA training against all her male admirers. "It would save me the trouble," he told her with a smile.

"More likely I would use it against your admirers, Harry Potter," she said with an evil glint in her eye.

Harry chuckled softly. "Well, at least no boggarts this year. No more mummies," he teased her. "Just human opponents. Moody told me."

Parvati gave him a sly smile. "I don't think my boggart would turn into a mummy any more. More likely it would turn into Blaise Zabini, or Hannah Abbott...or Hermione," she whispered, then blanched that she told him.

Harry took a quick look around, then leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It's you that I love...although Padma is pretty hot," he said with a chuckle about Parvati's identical twin.

And each found that, by listening and learning from the other, they reinforced their strengths while improving in the areas where they were weak.

Which left Astronomy, which they both despaired at mastering, and History of Magic. So they worked together in class to keep each other awake and out of class to learn what they couldn't from Professor Sinistra and the ghostly Professor Binns. Which was why they were in the library together on this quiet Thursday afternoon.

* * *

"It's almost suppertime," Harry said as he stuffed the last of his materials into his satchel. "Time to pack up."

Parvati looked up, surprised. She made a face. "I've only got a couple more inches left on my essay," she said in a bored tone. "You go ahead. Don't bother to wait. I'll meet you in the Great Hall."

Harry shrugged and got up. "You're sure?"

Parvati sighed. "Yeah. We can compare notes after supper."

So Harry later found himself walking toward the Great Hall for supper alone when Pansy Parkinson jumped into his path.

"Harry! I'm glad I caught you," she said breathlessly as she pulled him into a corner next to the grand staircase just outside the entrance of the Great Hall.

Harry rolled his eyes. Pansy had twice tried to corner him with a predatory look. As soon as Draco Malfoy's father had become a fugitive, his mother had killed herself and the Malfoy fortune frozen by the Ministry, Pansy had begun to shun her housemate and presumed boyfriend. Harry had managed to squirm away from Pansy each time, but not before hearing her rather blunt propositions. The first time, he was puzzled. But the second time, he knew to simply disengage himself without responding as nastily as he wanted to.

He was about to do the same this time, but Pansy had a strong grip on his arm. "Harry," she whispered urgently. "I think we should meet tonight. I know a place we can go to talk and...well, whatever happens."

Harry frowned. "Sorry Pansy. I don't have the time."

Pansy gave him a kittenish look. "Oh, I'm sure you can make some time for me."

Harry knew that subtlety was not Pansy's style, but he wanted to avoid being blunt or rude, if possible. "I'm seeing Parvati. I have to go," he said quietly.

Pansy gave him a level gaze. "I can show you things Parvati can't," she said with a smoky look.

Harry's frown deepened. "No, Pansy," he said firmly.

Pansy drew her head up in a haughty expression. "I can give you more than her. I can give you breeding."

Harry was beginning to get angry. "If breeding is so important to you, why bother with me. After all, my mother was a mudblood," he growled through clenched teeth.

Pansy's eyes narrowed. "Sure, Harry. But Parvati's not like your mother. And neither am I. At least we're white."

Harry started as if slapped across the face. Now his eyes narrowed in fury. "You are a pig, aren't you," he said in a low, menacing voice. He yanked his arm out of her grasp and stormed into the Great Hall.

Harry was half way to his usual spot when he heard the shouting start.

"You keep your hands off him, you bloody whore," he heard Parvati shout out in the entry hall.

"Leave me alone. You're nothing but a slutty wog," he heard Pansy scream in reply.

Harry turned and, wand out, was off on the run back to the entry when he heard Pansy scream. By now, most of the students in the Great Hall had turned to the doorway in surprise and alarm. He had his wand out when he heard an "Expelliarmus" repeated twice in rapid succession in a deep heavy brogue.

Harry turned the corner to see Parvati on one side of the entry hall, glowering furiously at a tearful Pansy, who was rubbing her upper right arm. "She hexed me," Pansy exclaimed through her tears.

Harry looked to see Mad Eye Moody looking back a forth between the two angry girls with what he thought for a moment was a glint of humor. "Aye, lassie. She gave ye a good 'un there...only because she was faster wit' her wand that you were," he said sternly.

Again, Harry thought he could detect a trace of humor in Moody's voice. Moody turned to Harry. "Mister Potter. Yer gonna have to learn to keep yer lovers separated better than this," he said with a smirk through his craggy, scarred face.

Harry ran to Parvati and put his arm around her. "Are you okay, sweetheart," her murmured, embracing her.

"POTTER! I should have known you were behind this!" Professor Snape snarled as he dashed into the entry hall, followed closely by Professor McGonagall and the rest of the staff and a small group of curious students.

"Severus!" Moody barked in a commanding voice. "I've got it under control. Mister Potter had no part in this. 'Tis the two lassies here, goin' after each other like two cats in heat. I'll handle it."

Snape gave Moody an angry look but stepped back. Then he turned back to the entrance to the Great Hall. "Get back to your meals. All of you!" he shouted to the students gathered.

In the meantime, Moody turned to Harry, Parvati and Pansy. "What's this all about now?" he said with authority.

"She attacked me," Pansy cried through her tears.

"Balls," Parvati shouted. "She had grabbed Harry and when he pulled away and turned, she pulled out her wand and pointed it at his back. It was a lucky thing he was out of sight before she was ready to curse him," she said angrily.

Moody turned to Harry. "Mister Potter?"

Harry still had his arms around Parvati in a protective embrace. "Pansy cornered me and made what I considered inappropriate suggestions. When I rejected her propositions, she made some offensive remarks and I walked away. That's all I have to say."

Suddenly, there was some snorting and chuckling from the entrance to the Great Hall.

"I told you students to get back to your tables," Snape snapped, turning. He looked like he was about to start deducting house points when he realized that nearly half of the students there were from Slytherin House, the table closest to the door. But there were students from every house, mostly sixth and seventh years who, by tradition, took the places closest to the doors and farthest away from the staff table. The students, nearly all giggling over Harry's remarks, began returning to their tables to share the gossip.

Moody, who was enjoying the scene immensely, turned to the two girls. "Well, now. I think we can excuse Mister Potter from blame...at least in this case," he said, chuckling. "As fer ye two lassies, I ain't one fer punishing the whole House fer the sins of one, so no House points. But I ken that ye both could do with a bit o' coolin' off time. About of week's detention 'ill do, I'm thinking."

Moody glanced up at Dumbledore, whose eyes were sparkling in mirth.

"...And I'd have a good mind ta take yer wands 'til they cool off a mite, but I suppose ye'll needin' them fer yer classes," Moody continued. "Let's just say we'll be puttin' up with no more of yer nonsense, eh lassies?"

Parvati raised her chin in a proud manner, giving Moody a regal nod. Pansy, for her part, was sniffling and casting poisonous sidelong glances in the couple's direction.

Moody nodded. "You. Miss Patil. Report to Mister Filch at 7:30. You, Miss Parkinson, 8:00. The next night, ye'll switch with Miss Parkinson reporting earlier. Ye ken?"

Parvati nodded again, as did Pansy, meekly.

Moody nodded. "Off with ye, then."

Parvati grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him gently toward the entrance to the Great Hall. But Harry paused and put his arm around her waist before entering. The couple paraded down the center of the middle aisle, their arms around each other's waists possessively to the chuckles of the boys and the sighs of the girls. When they reached their usual seats, Parvati stopped and threw her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him to applause, hoots and catcalls from the assembled students, before the two finally sat down.

Parvati smiled to herself. She hadn't really been thinking about anything but how angry she was at Pansy and proud and protective she was of Harry for standing up to Pansy. At least until he put his arm around her waist and marched her into the Great Hall. But now she realized what she had just done. She had firmly shown to the entire school that she and Harry were truly a couple and neither would brook any nonsense from rival suitors.

Pansy, on the other hand, was taken aside by a furious Snape, who gave her a brief, angry lecture. "I'll talk to you further after the meal, Miss Parkinson," Snape hissed. The delay, and Snape's glare, caused enough of a delay so that, once Pansy entered the Great Hall, all eyes were turned there in anticipation of her entrance. As she attempted to slink into the hall, she began to hear the chuckles, whispers, and giggles, even from her fellow Slytherins.

As she made her way toward her seat, she passed Draco Malfoy, who was sitting alone with empty chairs that once had been reserved for the now departed Crabbe and Goyle on either side of him. Pansy slipped into Crabbe's old spot and looked down at the plate in tears.

She turned slightly toward Draco and unobtrusively whispered to him.

"Kill them, Draco. If you don't have enough pride to kill them for your dad and mum, kill them for me. Both of them."

* * *

Parvati was dressed in an old pair of riding britches and one of Harry's old flannel shirts, another of Dudley's old hand-me-downs. The shirt, along with much of Harry's old wardrobe, suddenly had gone missing and presumed discarded after a long, and often exasperating debate Parvati had with Harry about the way he dressed a couple days before the previous Hogsmeade weekend.

Harry had been furious, but Parvati returned his old clothes and eventually dragged him into Hogsmeade not for the butterbeer but for a whole new wardrobe. And at least Harry 'magically' recovered his beloved T-shirts which were birthday gifts from his Muggle friends.

But now Parvati was blushing furiously. Because, as she stepped out of Filch's office, she saw Harry waiting for her, fighting a smile. "So that's where that shirt went. I seem to have forgotten I had lent it to you," he said smirking.

Parvati looked down in embarrassment. "Well, it was too big for you and ugly," she stammered. "But...I kind of like to snuggle up in it at night in bed when it's cold. It's sort of...well...like having you there with me," she said, blushing and even brighter red.

Harry chuckled. "Okay," he said softly. He looked at her and saw she was carrying a gallon tin of metal polish and an arm full of clean rags. "So, where are we going."

Parvati looked up with a start. "What do you mean 'we'?" she said in puzzlement.

Harry gave her a warm smile. "Well, I figured you might want some company, and maybe some help. Although now that I see what a thief you are, maybe I'll just sit there and watch."

Parvati looked at him in surprise. "You want to come along with me? On detention?"

Harry nodded solemnly. "I've got to keep my eye on you. I don't want to find any more of my clothes go missing. By the way, you're not wearing my boxers as well, are you?"

Parvati giggled. "Noooo," she said with a seductive smile.

"Show me," he said with a smirk.

She gave Harry a flirtatious look. "Not right now. But maybe some other time...soon, maybe."

It was Harry's turn to blush. He was shocking himself by being so bold, but he was expecting her to give him a playful pinch. He didn't expect her to respond in such a way to his suggestion. "Well, where are we going?" he managed to choke out.

"The main floor corridor. The suits of armor," she said, suddenly smug at Harry's apparent attack of shyness.

* * *

Harry and Parvati walked to the main corridor together and began work. They were passed at one point by Professor Flitwick who, after registering surprise that Harry was there, suddenly smiled knowingly and walked away without saying a word.

The couple had taken up positions on either side of one of the newer suits of armor and were busy chatting and working their way up the leg from the sabotons protecting the feet to the greaves protecting the shin up past the knee to the cuisses protecting the thigh. As Harry daubed a little more polish on his rag and reached to polish the inner thigh, he heard a voice.

"Young gentleman. If you would be so kind. I would prefer a woman's touch down there," the voice said.

Harry looked around, as did Parvati.

"What?" he said tentatively, listening for where the voice came from.

"Up here, young sir. And again I entreat you that a woman's touch down there would be much appreciated over yours."

Harry and Parvati both looked up. Harry stood up on the pedestal and opened the visor of the armor. "Is someone in there?" he said with a speculative look.

"No, kind sir. It is I, William du Vorge."

Harry started. The voice was coming from within the armor, but it didn't seem that there was anyone in there. Harry lit an Illuminatus charm and poked it past the visor and into the helm itself and looked in. But he saw nothing and no one. He stood on tiptoes and saw nothing inside but the interior of the suit itself. He slowly closed the visor and sat down, shaking his head to Parvati.

She looked up. "Probably Fred and George. It's charmed to talk."

The voice came again. "Of course I'm charmed, my lady. I am wizard armor."

Harry looked up again. "What did wizards need armor for?"

The armor seemed to pause as if to offer an inaudible sigh. "Young gentleman. In my time, protective charms were not as well developed. So armor was employed to provide a base, an anchor, if you will, for the protective charm. And it also served to fend off nonmagical attack, like Muggle armor. I would hope that your esteemed instructors would have explained this to you."

Harry and Parvati looked at each other in amazement. "No, kind sir. We learned about the battles, the leaders, the winners and the losers. But not how they were fought," Parvati said.

"Then you have much to learn. I rode at the side of Occam the Sharp during the Goblin War of 1612 and saw much of the battle of the Sherwood plain."

Harry shook his head. "Wait a minute. I've polished you before and you never spoke. As a matter of fact, except when wizards charm the suits of armor to sing Christmas carols, I've never heard any noises coming from you or any of the armor here...except when Peeves knocks you over to annoy Filch."

"Peeves," the armor hissed. "Were it not for the Bloody Baron skewering him on a regular basis for us, we would have no rest at all."

Harry blinked. "But why haven't you talked to us before?"

The armor paused again. "Well, we prefer to keep our counsel. And 'tis rare that we have a choice as to who will be doing the honors of polishing us. We do so much prefer the hands of a lovely lady, particularly down where you were, young sir. Thus, on this occasion, there was such a choice presented and I wished to voice my preference on the matter."

Parvati burst into giggles. "Surely you've had girls polish you in the past."

The suit of armor seemed to shiver slightly. "Yes, my lady. But few as charming as yourself. And we talk amongst ourselves about such gentle caresses for months afterward. Thus, I expressed my preference in your case as it is such a rare thing for us to enjoy a fine lady's attentions."

Harry now joined Parvati's giggling. "Well, Sir William. I'll take the cuirass, visor, helm and pauldrons and Parvati can take...well, below the waist. Okay, sweetheart?"

Parvati now was overcome by giggles and rolling on the floor. Finally, she caught her breath. "Yes, I will for such a gallant knight," she managed to choke out.

Once the couple settled down a little, Parvati took over where Harry was working and began working on Sir William's cuisses, causing the strangest noises to come out of the suit of armor.

* * *

Professor Binns drifted through the back wall of the classroom and sat down in the vicinity of the chair on the rostrum of the classroom.

"I have got your essays from last week's assignment. I must say that, on whole, I was a bit disappointed in them," he said in a droning voice, as Ron mouthed Binn's words along with the ghostly professor, the same words he seemed to use every time he distributed corrected essays. Harry chuckled and elbowed his friend playfully.

"However..." Binn's continued, as the class suddenly started at his unexpected addendum. "I was extremely impressed by the work of Miss Patil and Mister Potter," he said, nodding to each side of the room, oblivious to the fact that Harry and Parvati were both on the far left of the room. "Rarely have I seen such insight into a battle, especially one as remote in time as the Battle of the Sherwood Plain. It was almost like being there. Although I do think the role of Sir William du Vorge was a bit overemphasized by both of you, the work and research was otherwise outstanding. Ten points to Gryffindor for each of you."

Ron simply stared at Harry, then Parvati. Hermione, who now sat on Ron's other side, gave a wide-eyed look at Binns and then sunk down in her seat with a pout. Seamus, who was in the row behind, leaned forward and tapped Harry on the shoulder. "Must be all that wartime experience you two had at the battle of Parkinson," he whispered mischievously. Parvati, now sitting next to Harry, turned and gave Seamus a swat and Lavender, next to her new boyfriend, Seamus, smacked him on the back of the head. The rest of the class, simply stared and gave a collective shrug. Another inscrutable move by the world's most boring professor.

* * *

"I seem to recall Sir Harry asking the you gentlewoman about the wearing of a certain set of boxer shorts," Parvati said with humor that couldn't quite cover up the anxiety in her voice.

It was Friday night. Parvati's detention, and Harry's aid, had ended on Wednesday night and the two had spent a long evening in the library Thursday night, when Harry normally napped before his patrol, catching up on homework and getting a head start on weekend assignments.

This weekend wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, which made it a snogging weekend. Harry figured they would sneak off to the Astronomy Tower and hope for a semi-private spot. But he hated going there, because everyone knew him and Parvati and there was no chance of anonymity that some of the less prominent students enjoyed. Still, it beat hiding out in some stuffy closet or taking one's chances in an empty classroom.

Harry looked over to Parvati, who was talking urgently with Lavender. Lavender absently made a couple faces, apparently in deep concentration as Parvati talked. Then Lavender nodded and smiled at her roommate. Parvati took a deep breath and looked up, meeting Harry's eyes. She motioned Harry over as Lavender got up and gave Parvati a hug and a quick peck on the cheek.

Harry sat down and Parvati took his arm, leaning close to his ear. "Harry," she whispered. "You know Lavender and I are Madame Trelawney's favorite students."

Harry nodded, checking his impulse to make a face.

Parvati paused and took a deep breath. "Well, she gave us a key to her classroom and her apartment up there. She told us we can use it for independent study whenever she wasn't there...or for other things, as the stars dictate." Parvati was breathing heavily now.

Harry turned to look at her. She was obviously nervous, so Harry took her hand and stroked it with his thumb. "Yes?" he whispered.

Parvati cleared her throat. "Well, I was thinking maybe we could go up there, rather than to the Astronomy Tower or someplace. Madame is on her way to Diagon Alley to see a friend and will be away for the weekend. So..."

Harry nodded. "It would be nicer than the Tower or a closet," he said nervously.

Parvati looked him in the eye. "You want to go...now?"

Harry nodded and gave a shy smile. "Okay."

They made it up the stairs to the Divination classroom. Parvati took out a small medallion and whispered a charm and the trap door opened and the ladder lowered itself. The couple slowly made their way up the stairs before Parvati uttered another charm and the door closed.

The room was not nearly as cloying as it normally was. But Harry still felt as if the walls were about to close in on him as he held the girl he loved. "My...boxers?" he managed to choke out at her reference to them.

Their clothes were rumpled as his shirt and her blouse were both nearly fully unbuttoned. They both were breathing heavily from their snogging session. His glasses, fogged completely, had been set aside. But he could see Parvati there next to him looking down. "Harry," she whispered in a barely audible voice. "Make love to me."

Harry blinked rapidly. "Parvati?" he whispered.

She looked up at him. He could see the anxiety and eagerness and fear and excitement in her eyes. As beautiful as she was, as striking an impression as she made on strangers and acquaintances and on Harry himself, he could see they were the eyes on a 15-year-old girl. Could he do this? Should he do this? He was frightened. But, as he looked in her eyes, he could see something else.

Trust.

He now realized that, with all they had been through together, all the mind-numbing terror, the petty arguments, the crises big and small, the teasing and the comments they'd heard, he knew now that Parvati did love him. And that she trusted him that he loved her. And he realized now that he did, very much. It was an emotion so deep and alien that he felt light-headed.

He slowly leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. "Are you sure?" he whispered.

She closed her eyes and nodded.

He leaned farther, rubbing his cheek, which he had the foresight to shave before the date, against hers before kissing he side of her neck. "You know I love you. You don't have to if you don't want to," he whispered, his voice now hoarse with emotion.

Parvati embraced him tightly, her eyes closed. "I love you, too," she whispered with a slight catch in her voice. "And I want to."

"Okay," he managed to choke out.

She slowly let him go and rose, taking his hand and led him to the bed.

* * *

Parvati woke first. She was on her side and felt Harry's body pressed against her back, his arm draped around her waist. Harry had been so caring and nervous and gentle and sweet. But waking up, feeling his warmth, his arm so protectively around her, made Parvati want to stay like this forever. It was the most special, most amazing, most wonderful feeling she had ever felt.

She snuggled back against him and felt him suddenly start, then relax against her. "Morning," she whispered.

"Hmmmm," he murmured, tightening his grip around her waist and nuzzling the back of her neck contentedly. "How are you?" he whispered cautiously.

She gave her own purr of contentment. "Wonderful," she said with a sigh.

"I love you," he whispered sleepily.

"I love you, too," she murmured and the two lovers drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Harry was in the boys' bathroom, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

What had happened? Had he really changed so much? Things had been happening so rapidly that it was frightening.

Had it really been four months ago that he had been afraid to talk to people, to express what had really concerned him? Had it really been a six weeks ago that he had been hurt by Hermione? Had it really been a month ago that he had discovered Parvati? And now he had made love to her.

Growing up, he had never experienced physical contact with other human beings, except when he got a beating from Dudley and his friends or a whipping from Uncle Vernon. It was like he was a leper, not to be touched.

Yet he had craved physical contact, any kind of contact, to reassure himself that he wasn't alone in the universe, that he wasn't unclean, that he was worth enough to be shown the kind of friendship and affection that every child took for granted.

Then he came to Hogwarts. And he found a friend in Ron who had no problem throwing his arm around Harry's shoulders after a winning Quidditch match. And Hermione, who had hugged him, and gave him that kiss at the end of last year. And he adored Molly Weasley, who hugged him without reserve.

Then, this summer. He had discovered that Mae would hug him like Molly had, and Tony would gently squeeze his shoulder or give him a fatherly hug when he really needed it. And Sara Geddes had kissed him. And so did Pam DiMarco. And he had danced slow dances with Pam and Patty Rourke and Beth Simon. He found he loved dancing, not for any other reason than it gave him a chance to hold a pretty girl, or a nice girl, even if she was not so pretty.

Then came Parvati.

Parvati came from a big crazy, affectionate family. And she was very demonstrative. She thought nothing about holding hands with him. Or hugging him. Or leaning against him for comfort, or just to be close.

It was Parvati, more than anyone, who made him feel he was worth something. Not a leper to be avoided. Not someone who was apportioned a rare bit physical friendship or affection that left him wanting for more.

She made him realize he was special.

And now they had made love. Not because he had pressed for it, but because it was the natural extension of their relationship.

Or was it?

He worried that things were happening too fast. That things were going too well. That somehow, he didn't deserve such happiness. He was frightened.

He leaned his forehead against the mirror. 'Was this what it meant to be happy?' he thought.

He leaned back again and looked at himself in the mirror. 'Yes,' he said in a whisper. 'I suppose it is.'

* * *

Harry was just stepping out of the shower when Ron padded in, barely awake. "Jeez, Harry. You're a better man than I am," he said sleepily. "You been out running already?"

Harry blinked in surprise. His mind was still racing as he thought about last night and was in something of a daze. And he didn't want to tell anyone about sleeping with Parvati. Not even Ron. "Yeah," he answered. Then he gave an inward smile. He wasn't sure when he and Parvati fell asleep, but it probably well before lights out. Maybe as early as either of them had ever fallen asleep on a Friday night. They had awakened very early and then went back to sleep for another hour or so. They managed to get up before six and snuck back to Gryffindor Tower before anyone was up. No one was the wiser, he thought, except maybe Lavender, who was privy to most all of Parvati's secrets as Parvati was to hers.

Ron scratched the top of his head. "Man...what time did you guys get back last night? I think we were all asleep by the time you got back." Ron gave Harry a smile. "Have a nice snog, did you?"

Harry gave Ron a sidelong glance. "Oh, no. We weren't snogging. We were working on our History of Magic homework," he said with a smile.

Ron snorted. "Yeah. Right," he said, chuckling. "An historic snog, is more like it."

Harry laughed. "Something like that. But I'll tell you one thing. It was magic."


[Author's Note: Thank you for all your wonderful reviews and advice. Your comments have made me think and, I hope, are making this story better. Please continue to read and review.]