Harry Potter and the Love of the Dragon

Harry Potter and the Love of the Dragon - Chapter 6

By Green Emeralds

Disclaimer: Not mine, the entire world belongs to JK Rowling, I'm just on holiday here.

A/N: Big thanks to my beta-readers, Karen, Angela and Gene . I couldn't have done it without you!

*~*~*~*~*

A few days and a number of makeshift Quidditch practices later and Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Arthur and Molly Weasley were shopping in Diagon Alley. It was the 31^st of August and they were due to start back at school the following day. This was their last chance to buy their school supplies and there was a lot of purchasing to be done.

The first stop after visiting their vaults at Gringotts was Flourish and Blotts, and Harry dug the crumpled book list from his pocket. "I need all of these," he told the assistant and handed the sheet of parchment over. The man bustled quickly around the shop and collected books from numerous shelves and tables. Harry handed over the money and took the bag from the assistant. After everyone else had paid for their books, the group left the shop and congregated on the street outside.

"We'll meet up at the Leaky Cauldron in three hours. Molly and I have some of our own shopping to take care of," Mr Weasley instructed.

"Sure," replied Ron. "You wanna come with us Ginny?"

"Thanks. Are you sure that's OK with you guys?" she asked Harry and Hermione.

"It's fine," the agreed together.

"As long as we can stop off at Madam Malkins," added Hermione grinning sheepishly. "I grew out of my old robes. And I only got new ones last year."

"Same here," Harry smiled. They were both right, and had grown over the past year, particularly over the two-month holiday. Harry, during his rather late growth spurt, had begun to catch up height-wise with Ron. Although still small for his age, the change was considerable. Due to his intense physical training over the holiday, Harry's physique was particularly developed for his age. Hermione, too, had changed since the last school term. She had acquired a more womanly figure, and was now the proud owner of a stature that most women would kill for.

About half an hour later Hermione and Harry emerged from the robe shop with packages bulging with entire sets of school robes and brand new dress robes. Ron and Ginny were waiting patiently outside holding strawberry and chocolate flavoured ice creams for the four of them. They wandered around the street, purchasing equipment for the school year like potions ingredients, and browsing through shops and stalls for a couple of hours before making their way back to the pub to return to the Burrow for the night.

*~*~*~*~*

Harry was sat beneath one of the trees on the Hogwarts grounds near to the Forbidden Forest snuggling up to the silver-eyed man. The other person's hands started to unbutton the shirt Harry was wearing and Harry mirrored the action with his partner. He leant over and pressed his lips against the stranger's own, and felt hands caressing his back. Falling back onto the soft grass, they began tumbling, fighting for control.

Harry awoke with a gasp. "Bugger," he cursed quietly. Once again, the dream had ended before he'd seen who the mysterious partner was.

"What is it Harry?" He sat up suddenly at the sound of the voice.

"Nothing, just a dream," he offered. "Hermione? What are you doing up at..." he looked at his watch. "4 o'clock in the morning?"

"I wasn't sure if I'd packed my Advanced Arithmancy book. I wanted to check," she told him. Harry smiled. It was such a typical Hermione moment. "Was You-Know-Who there? Does your scar hurt?"

"No on both counts," he was grateful that she was worried about him.

"OK," Hermione yawned. "We'd better sleep then. Early start tomorrow!"

*~*~*~*~*

The four Weasleys, Harry and Hermione arrived on Platform 9¾ relatively early compared to the previous years they had travelled together. They met up with Seamus, Dean and Neville outside the

Hogwarts Express, discussing who could be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year. At the end of Fifth Year the teacher, a woman who reminded everyone of Professor Sprout, had announced that she would be leaving so that she could take care of some business abroad. Harry felt that they desperately needed to find a decent teacher sometime soon, particularly as he, Hermione and Ron were to be taking Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts this year.

As the group loaded their trunks onto the train, they discussed what they had done over the holidays. As Dean was explaining the Offside Rule (yet again) to Ron, eville and Ginny, Harry found himself gazing around the station. There was a small huddle of third year Ravenclaws giggling loudly, a number of first years that Harry didn't recognize saying their goodbyes to their parents and...was that Draco? 'He looks good,' Harry thought to himself. Indeed, Malfoy had changed over the holidays in similar ways to Harry. For one thing, he had grown, although (as Harry noticed gladly) he was a tiny bit smaller than Harry was now.

"Harry?" someone asked, waving their hand in front of his face.

"Hmmm?"

"The train's about to leave," informed Ron. "We need to find an empty compartment." He grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him off the platform and onto the Hogwarts Express. The groups pushed their way through the crowds and found a free compartment fairly easily. Everyone sat down with relief and picked up the conversation from where they had left off. Draco was hissing loudly in Harry's ear and Harry hissed back with just as much volume.

"Harry! That is so freaky!" Neville interrupted. "What's the matter?"

"He pissed me off," Harry shrugged. Draco continued to hiss at Harry who was pointedly ignoring everything he said.

"I still can't believe you called him Draco. This is just wrong," insisted Seamus.

"Hey, don't blame me. I didn't choose it. He did."

"Like I said, freaky," repeated Neville.

"What's he saying?" inquired Ginny and Hermione simultaneously.

"Oh, just stuff. Hey, who's taking Medical Magic this year?" Harry asked, changing the subject. Hermione and Ginny exchanged curious looks but held back from asking Harry any more questions he obviously wasn't prepared to answer.

*~*~*~*~*

Eventually, after a lunch of Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes, the group changed into their school robes. Draco was continually hissing in Harry's ear and he was successfully managing to ignore whatever it was that he was saying. Soon, the conversation ran dry and the rocking of the train was making everyone drowsy.

"Anyone coming for a walk?" he asked his friends.

"No thanks," Hermione answered, glancing up from the textbook she was reading. . Neville was snoring quietly with Ginny sleeping peacefully on his shoulder. He briefly wondered how the two could sleep with the loud cheers from the tournament of exploding snap that Ron, Seamus and Dean were holding, and left the compartment to check out the rest of the train. He passed through a number of carriages full of students that he recognised by sight but did not know the names of and reached an empty compartment near to the back of the train. He sat at the table and lifted Draco from around his neck, placing him on the table in front. A heated argument ensued between Harry and the snake and Harry didn't even notice someone else enter the compartment and take the seat across from him.

"Nice snake, Potter."

"Wha...?" Harry reverted his stare from one Draco's to another. "Oh it's you Malfoy."

"What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing you would find interesting." Harry squirmed slightly in his seat.

"OK," Malfoy said simply. This shocked Harry; he was expecting a sneer or sarcastic comment. Come to think of it, where were his goons?

Harry and Malfoy sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the scenery fly past as the train sped along.

"My friends will be expecting me," Harry said.

"Bye." Malfoy looked into Harry's eyes and gave him a faint smile. Harry's heart jumped slightly. Malfoy smiled? Malfoy was nice? Harry found himself wondering what could have happened over the holiday to the Slytherin as he wandered slowly back to his own carriage but as soon as he re-entered his friends' conversation, the thoughts were completely driven from his mind.

*~*~*~*~*

By the time the carriages pulled up outside Hogwarts and the crowd of hungry students had congregated at their house tables in the Great Hall the weather had changed from blissfully sunny and warm to torrential rain. Harry had left Draco the snake in his tank on the train along with the rest of his belongings. He thought wisely that some students and probably most of the staff would not appreciate a snake in the room along with their food, however well Harry could control it. Tiny water droplets fell from the enchanted ceiling and disappeared just before landing on anything. The sorting went well and Gryffindor welcomed ten new students into their house.

About half way through the feast everyone was tucking into their meals and most conversations had reached a temporary halt. Ron was already on his third helping of dinner. Harry looked up across the hall and something caught his eye. Malfoy was sat at the very end of the table and seemed to be keeping himself to himself. This was particularly odd; usually, the Slytherin would be sat right in the centre of his house table trying to attract as much attention to himself as humanly possible.

"Harry," Hermione interrupted his train of thought. "Whatcha looking at?"

"Oh, nothing."

"I was considering asking Flitwick if he could start another Duelling club. It would come in useful at the moment, what do you reckon?"

"Good idea Herm." Harry threw himself headfirst back into the conversation. He was not in the mood to consider the confusing habits of a certain Draco Malfoy.