- Rating:
- PG-13
- House:
- Schnoogle
- Characters:
- Harry Potter Hermione Granger Ron Weasley Lord Voldemort
- Genres:
- Romance
- Era:
- Multiple Eras
- Spoilers:
- Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix
- Stats:
-
Published: 10/02/2003Updated: 07/10/2005Words: 98,791Chapters: 29Hits: 17,505
Harry Potter and the Adventure He Affectionately Calls Life
lost_in_the_rain
- Story Summary:
- This is just an introduction. Here we meet all the characters, including Ron's cousin from America, Lana. Draco and Harry both fall in love with her, and there's a few laughs from Fred and George. I've written quite a bit of the fic, so you can expect to see new chapters coming quite frequently. For now, anyway.
Chapter 14
- Chapter Summary:
- The first Quidditch match of the season! Draco's not the Seeker, so who is? And how did this person get the position? A Gryffindor breakup. Who, and what for? Draco realizes what it takes to be a Gryffindor. Who is he going to the masquerade with? The girls get ready for the ball, and Ginny has a romantic daydream, but her escort has other worries....
- Posted:
- 11/29/2003
- Hits:
- 497
The first Quidditch match of the year fell on the day before Halloween, the day before the masquerade. Harry put on his Quidditch gear a little early and walked down to the Slytherin common room.
"Password?"
"All Muggles are morons?" Harry guessed.
"Uh... no."
"Pureblood? Dragon?"
"Sorry."
"Die, mudblood, die?"
"Hey, Potter, what are you doing down here?" Draco wasn't wearing his Quidditch gear. He was still wearing his pajamas and green fuzzy slippers.
"Looking for you."
"I'm flattered."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Why aren't you ready for the Quidditch game?"
"I quit the team."
Harry's jaw dropped to the floor. "Why?"
"I'm not captain."
"Oh for heaven's sake, Malfoy. Grow up. Don't be such a spoiled prat."
"Why do you get to be captain of your Quidditch team and I don't get to be captain of mine?" Draco reasoned.
"I don't know, Malfoy. Because the Gryffindor's like me? Because they trust me to lead them to victory? Because I'm the best player Hogwart's has seen in ages?" Harry grinned.
Draco snorted. "Right. That last one must be it."
"So are you going to play or not?"
"Not."
"So you resign?"
"No. We have a reserve seeker."
"Who?"
"Pansy Parkinson."
Now it was Harry's turn to snort. "She get's upset when she breaks a nail, Malfoy."
"So we're basically handing over the victory to you," Draco said. "Why are you complaining?"
"I'm not." He shook his head as he looked at Draco.
"Don't shake your head at me."
Harry shook his head at him.
"See, now you're just doing that to be an ass."
"Is it working?"
"Amazingly well."
"Well, I do learn from the best," Harry said, grinning sweetly.
"Good luck at the game today."
"Thanks."
"Not that you'll need it. Pansy Parkinson." Draco sighed. "You know she only got the spot as reserve seeker because she gave Snape a lap dance."
Harry winced. "That was more detail than I needed to know.&q"Normal" align="left" style="margin: 1.74mm 0.00mm 1.74mm 0.00mm; padding: 0.00mm 0.00mm 0.00mm 0.00mm; ">
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Needless to say, the Gryffindor's won the Quidditch match. ("How was I supposed to know which ball was the Snitch?" Pansy asked. "I only pay attention to Draco on his broom.")
Now Harry lay flat on his bed, excited about Halloween and the masquerade tomorrow.
He was about to fall asleep, but he was rudely jolted back into reality by the loud voices of Dean Thomas and Ginny.
"You auditioned for Harry's club?" he yelled at her. "And you sang "Material Girl." Why don't you just sing "I'm a cheap slut" while you're at it?"
"Ginny, no." Dean sounded pained. "I love you."
"I'm sorry. I can't take it anymore."
"If the club means that much to you..."
"Dean, it isn't about the club. It's about you and me. You don't trust me. Everytime I so much as look at Harry, you get these stupid insecurities. If you don't trust me, then there's nothing I have to say to you. Maybe it's good that we ended it early enough."
"What do you mean?"
"Dean, come on. If we hadn't ended it today, we would have both been miserable when the time came."
Harry heard the door shut sofly and Ginny's footsteps going downstairs. Oh boy, he sighed. I need a drink. But I'll settle for a nap. He took his glasses off and shut his eyes.
__________________________________________________________________
Harry still couldn't think of a name for his club.
"Harry's House of Whores?" Draco suggested, watching Harry doodle on an old potions homework.
"No."
"Harry's Happy House?"
"No."
"Harry's Club That Doesn't Have a Name?"
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Draco's Club?"
Harry threw his quill at Draco, leaving a huge blue spot on his face.
"You idiot!" Draco yelled, frantically rubbing at his face. "Is it gone?"
Harry looked at him. "Yeah. Can I have my quill back now?"
Draco threw it back, but Harry caught it. "I can't believe you did that to my face."
"I can't believe you suggested Draco's Club" Harry responded.
"I was kidding. Don't you superheroes have a sense of humor?"
"No."
Draco sighed. "Harry's House of Hens?"
"Why are we dragging poultry into this?"
"I'm just trying to be helpful," Draco reminded him. "Hey, do you notice how we always seem to meet up in the library?"
"Of course. Passionate lovers have done naughty things behind these shelves."
"Has Harry Potter done naughty things?"
"Wouldn't Draco Malfoy want to know?" Harry grinned. He wondered if he should tell him that there was still a bright blue blob of ink on his forehead.
"Oh, God, no."
Harry laughed.
"So are you excited about tonight?"
"Yeah."
"Lana's dress is amazing, Harry."
"Is it?"
"It is."
"Where to?"
"I have to get ready for the masquerade?"
Draco surveyed him up and down. "Yes, well, if I looked like you, I'd definitely want extra grooming time."
Harry rolled his eyes.
Draco picked up Harry's quill as he left. It was a beautiful quill, blue and silver feathers and a nice, sharp point. Draco reached into his backpack and and pulled out a pot of ink and a blank parchment. He dipped Harry's quill into the ink and held it above the parchment, not sure what he wanted to write. Draco sighed. He closed his eyes and waited mind. Lana, he wrote on the parchment. My darling Lana. My dearest Lana, the love of my life. When I saw you for the first time, I felt something I'd never felt before. It wasn't your face that attracted me, althought that, too, was lovely. There was a glitter in your eyes, an excitement. A passion for life. I don't know. But it was different, and when your eyes passed mine I knew that something was wrong with me. I've never felt like this before. I love you, Lana Weasley. The thought of a Malfoy loving a Weasley is almost unthinkable, but it's true. I love you. Harry's a very lucky man. You have such a big heart, and you even make space in it for someone like me, someone who treated you as a sex toy more than a person at first, and for that, I'm truely sorry. Love, Draco.
Draco put the quill down and blew on the parchment so the ink could dry. He read over it, then ripped it up into halves, then quarters, then eighths. When he could rip the parchment no longer, he ripped the peices individually until all that remained of his confession was a bunch of confetti. Oh, Lana, he mused, sighing heavily. What have you done to me?
His eyes skimmed the library. Dean Thomas was sitting with Seamus Finnigan. Two tables to their left, someone sat, their head buried in their hands. Their shoulder's heaved, and the person was obviously crying. Let's see what it's like to be a Gryffie, Draco thought, gethe crying person.
"Umm..."
"Just leave me alone." It was a she. Draco could tell from the voice. Her hair was covered by the hood of her Hogwarts sweatshirt.
"Maybe you want to talk about it?" Damn. This being nice thing is hard.
She sniffled. When she looked up, Draco bit his lip to keep from gasping. She had the eyes that all the Weasley eyes had, eyes that Draco had named "Weasley Eyes" after so long.
"What happened?" Why is Lana crying? I just talked to Harry a few minutes ago.
"He broke up with me," she said.
"Oh, God, I'm sorry." What an idiot! he thought. I wonder why he didn't mention this to me before?
Lana sniffled. "And it's okay. I mean, if we weren't meant to be, we weren't meant to be."
"Why did you break up? And when?"
"Yesterday, after the Quidditch game. He was so controlling, you know? He got upset with me about the club auditions. And he just has to know every detail of my life."
Draco frowned. This didn't sound like Harry in the least.
"And I know it's stupid, but I had the prettiest dress for the masquerade tonight, and no one to go with."
"I'll go with you," Draco offered immediately.
Lana sniffled. "Really?" she asked in a tiny voice.
"Of course. I said I would, didn't I?"
"Thanks. Thanks so much. You don't know what this means to me. But don't you already have a date?"
"Hey," Draco said, gently wiping away her tears. "I'll take care of it. Don't worry." He tugged gently on the hood of her sweatshirt, wanting to run his fingerwn hair.
Instead of brown hair, red hair tumbled down. "What?" she asked him.
"Nothing, Ginny," he said, trying to conceal his shock.
"You look like you saw a ghost."
Draco smiled.
"So I'll see you tonight?"
Draco nodded.
"Are you sure? You don't have to do this."
"I said I wouldn't, didn't I?"
Ginny smiled. "Thanks, Malfoy." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you tonight then."
"Tonight," he echoed quietly, trying to ignore the breaking of his heart. So this is what being a Gryffindor is about, he said. Sacrafice.
__________________________________________________________________
Ginny hummed to herself as she stepped out of a jasmine-scented shower and wrapped her scarlet towel around her dripping body. Just a few hours ago, things had seemed hopeless. And then Draco Malfoy, of all people, had come to the rescue by agreeing to go to theiv>
He is kind of sexy, she thought to herself, slipping her underclothes on and then putting on a pair of sweats. And maybe he's not such a creep after all. I guess Harry has that effect on people. She resumed her humming as she passed Hermione and Lana painting their nails on their beds.
"Hi guys," she said, plopping down on the floor.
"Hey, someone's cheerful," Hermione noticed. "What gives?"
"I'm going to the masquerade with a guy."
Lana squealed. "Oh! That's so wonderful, Gin. Who?"
"Malfoy."
"I didn't know Draco Malfoy had another relative in the school."
Ginny shook her head. "I'm going with Draco."
Hermione stared at her. "Really?"
Ginny nodded.
"Wow!" Lana breathed. "That's so cool!"
Ginny beamed, grinning. "You know, maybe he's not so bad after all."
Hermione nodded. "Have you seen how partially decent he is when he's with Harry?"
Lana nodded. "I think it's sweet. I wonder what brought about that change in him."
"Who cares?" Ginny asked, laughing. "I'm not miserable anymore!"
Lana hugged her cousin carefully, as not to upset the light pink paint on her nails. "That's great, Gin. Really."
"Yeah, Ginny, that's awesome. But you should go get ready. The masquerade starts in half an hour."
Ginny said good-bye, then walked to her room. Her bed. It was nowhere near as nice as Hermione's and Lana's; there was no way she could afford a dress like that. But still... her dress was a deep pink color. It had thin spaghetti straps and a shawl that Ginny was going to leave behind. She put the dress on, then zipped it and looked at herself in the mirror. I don't look half bad, she thought to herself, smiling. She pictured Draco Malfoy waiting for her with Harry and Ron at the stairs. Of course Harry and Ron would be taken by their girlfriend's, but Draco would stare at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. He would take her hand in his gloved one and kiss it gently, then escort her to the table. He would be the perfect gentleman, holding her chair for her and offering to get her snacks and drinks. And when the music came on, he would ask her to dance and they would fall madly in love under the starry sky of the Great Hall.
Ginny shook her head, bringing her back to the present, where she stood in front of the mirror in a dazzling pink dress. She looked up the spell in the spell book to make her normally straight hair wavy. Instantly she had loose, sexy waves. She reached for a simple white jasmine and tucked it behind her ear. Next she reached for her wand again and said the spell for twelve hours of make-up. The spell worked because instantly she had perfectly applied make-up on her face. Ginny smiled at her reflection, reaching for the final touch. She had owled her mother and recieved a string of simple Japanese pearls. Satisfied with her reflection, she slipped into a pair of white shoes and took her mask in her hands. Hermione'll have to help me with this, she thought. I'll never figure it out.
Hermione and Lana were already dressed and ready to go. "Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed. "You look amazing!"
"Where's my baby cousin?" Lana wanted to know, grinning.
Ginny blushed self-conciously. "You look great, too," she said. "Really." Then she took a close look at Lana's necklace. "Lana, isn't that Hermione's?"
"Yeah. She let me borrow it. And the ruby earrings are mine." Sure enough, Hermione was wearing a pair of dangling rubies.
"You guys look so pretty," Ginny said enviously. What would Draco Malfoy see in me?
"You look great, too, Gin," Lana insisted.
"Hermione, can you help me get this on?" she asked, waving her mask in front of Hermione.
"Sure. Put it to your face and I'll say the spell."
Ginny did as she was told and sure enough, the mask stayed.
"If you want to take it off, just dab three drops of cold water onto the nose. And then if you want to put it on again, three drops of hot water."
Lana looked at the clock. "You guys ready?" she asked, grinning.
Hermione and Ginny nodded eagerly.
"Let's go."
____________________________________________________________
Draco Malfoy had gotten ready for the masquerade. He looked at himself in the mirror. Draco Malfoy, I should have gone to the masquerade with you, he told himself. You sexy animal, you.
All jokes aside, Draco was miserable. But he would do the right thing. He would be nice to Ginny. He would be civil. Ginny Weasley was a nice girl, and he would have a good time. Or he would die trying.
Oh God, he thought. What if that really happens? Suddenly, Draco was finding it harder and harder to breathe. He looked around his room, his eyes falling on his broom, and he grabbed it. I can't do this, he thought. I can't. He mounted his broom and flew off into the night.
Ten minutes later, Draco flew back in, his hair ruffled from the breeze and his cheeks flushed.ly, then rushed to meet Harry and Ron by the stairs to await the girls. Please, God, please, he prayed. Let me not screw up.
The girls descended the stairs a few minutes after he met up with Harry and Ron. They joked about how handsome they all looked, then waited in silence for their dates. Hermione descended first. She smiled as Ron whispered something in her ear. Lana came next. Draco's heart thudded as he saw her, her eyes shining with love. If Draco tried hard enough, he could almost imagine that that love was for him. Harry greeted Lana with a gentle kiss on her head, as not to distrub her hair or makeup. Draco waited for Ginny. He had no clue as to what she was wearing, but he had a feeling that she would be coming down any time soon.
"Draco?" Lana asked.
"Hmm?" He didn't turn around to look at her. Ginny would think it was horribly rude. And besides, the only person who ever called him 'Draco' anyways was Lana.
"Thanks. You don't know how much this means to Ginny."
At this, Draco turned around and smiled at her. "Not a problem." His eyes suddenly fell on her head, leaning against Harry's shoulder. Draco smiled sadly. "Not at all."
Ginny came down next. She was wearing a pretty pink gown. Draco offered her his hand, and she took it, smiling nervously.
"You look great, Weasley," he murmured to Ginny, staring at Lana's back.
Author notes: Next chapter is the masquerade, I promise!!!!