A Game for Fools.
Harry finds out about Draco's secret obsession with him, and is set on teasing the Slytherin to hell and back about it. But he doesn't know just how much it really hurts Draco knowing that the only one he's ever loved doesn't return his affections. But then, Harry makes yet another discovery about himself. He's not really human!
Okays….second time out so review review review! I want just as many reviews as I had before :)
Harry wandered over to the Gryffindor table in a world of his own. He received the usual comments off some of the students he passed, like 'can I have your autograph', 'will you make an appearance at our fan club?' and 'will you go out with me?' he was used to these by now. Ever since he defeated lord Voldemort in 6th year, he'd been even more of a school celebrity. Because it wasn't just his past that was legendary now, it was his future. In saving the world, he'd condemned himself to being in the spotlight even more.
As he sat down, he looked up randomly to see two glittering silver eyes staring intently at him. He frowned at Draco confusedly. The Slytherin jolted, averting his gaze. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Just staring at Harry. The Gryffindor sighed. 'Probably looking for a good place to begin cursing me.'He hadn't spoken to Draco yet this year. But the Slytherin had been staring at him a lot and it was the second day of term. Lessons started today. He had double potions, care of magical creatures, and the afternoon off. So, basically, Draco was in all his lessons today. 'Great…' he thought sarcastically. 'Bring on the sadistic remarks' Harry cringed. He'd said a word beginning with 'S'. Over the past year, he'd developed a weird mental condition where it hurt him to say words beginning with 'S'. Because it reminded him of Sirius. Other people could say 's' words, just not him. He was receiving treatment, but it just didn't work. One good thing about it, it had opened up his vocabulary. One bad thing about it, he often made no sense whatsoever.
"Hey Harry. How were the Hols for you?" Harry looked up to see Seamus Finnigan smiling at him.
"They were great. I went to s…live with Ron for the whole holiday. It was great to get away from the Dursleys." Seamus smiled.
"Hey Harry, Malfoy's staring at you." Ron whispered. Harry looked up and sure enough, Draco was staring right at him. "He's starting to freak me out."
"Don't worry Ron." Harry muttered, sticking his middle finger up at the Slytherin. Something flashed across Draco's face, but he looked away. Harry suddenly noticed that there was no one sitting next to him. There were two empty seats either side of Draco, and no one was coming anywhere near him. He voiced this realisation to Ron.
"Heh, Maybe everyone's finally seen the light. Seen him for the bastard he really is." Harry raised his eyebrow slightly.
"Maybe…" he made a mental note to find out.
On the way to Potions, Harry saw Draco walking away on his own, in the wrong direction.
"Hey Malfoy! You're going the wrong way genius!" Draco looked over his shoulder at Harry.
"I'm not going to lessons today Potter." Harry frowned. "Not that it's any of your bloody business."
"Why not? Don't you want Snape sucking up to you?" Harry froze, eyes going wide. His mind replayed the sentence. 'Don't you want Sirius Sirius up to you?' Harry wretched and clutched his head. "No…"
"Come on Harry." Ron said, putting his arm around his friend's shoulder and guiding him into class. Draco sighed. He wished the conversation could have lasted longer. And he wished he could go to Potions to stare at Harry for two hours straight. But the whole Slytherin house knew his secret, and they were bound to say something.
Harry sat down in silence, clearing his mind and taking deep breathes. 'Gods I hate this…why me? I think after all I did for the world, I at least deserve sanity.' He groaned at another 's' word and punching himself in the head.
"Don't do that Harry…" Hermione whispered. Harry noted the numerous glances he was getting from the other people in the room.
"Silence all of you." Snape snapped. "Today we will be concocting a First Fever potion…" the rest of Snape's words were drowned out in Harry's mind by one word repeating itself over and over in Harry's mind. 'Sirius Sirius Sirius Sirius Sirius Sirius Sirius Sirius...'
"Sir, Potter's doing that thing again!" one of the Slytherins called. Harry blinked, and nearly groaned in frustration as he noticed he was glowing again. He did it when he was hurting mentally.
"Potter get to the Hospital Wing until you can control yourself." Snape growled. "Miss Granger will do your potion for you since she loves extra work so much." Hermione, who was sitting next to Harry, looked hurt. Harry sighed, picking up his bag and leaving.
He walked down the corridors in silence, desperately trying to drown out the millions of different voices in his head that were screaming 'Sirius' at him. He started glowing again. He was almost fine over the summer holidays. It was the school. Everywhere he went there was a thought, a feeling, an action, a talk. It seemed that every square inch of the castle held a secret memory of something that had happened involving Sirius. He clutched his head, desperate tears forming in his eyes.
Then he ran into someone. Or rather someone ran into him. Harry yelped as he hit the floor with a thud. He swore colourfully, twisting to see who had crashed into him, and was still lying on top of him. He looked up to meet terror-filled grey orbs. He blinked, pushing Draco off him and standing up.
"What the hell do you…" he stopped. There was a huge bruise across Draco's jaw line and a cut under his left eye, which was bleeding profusely down his face. His hair was a mess and his clothes were ripped. He heard thundering footsteps and turned to see several Slytherins running up to him. They stopped when they saw Harry. The Gryffindor glanced down at Draco, who was frozen to the spot.
"What's going on here?" Harry asked the gang of Slytherins. No seemed to want to speak.
"We're teaching Malfoy a lesson." One spoke up. A very ugly boy with brown hair and too many chins. Harry frowned.
"What lesson?"
"How not to be gay." The boy smirked. Harry blinked.
"What?"
"Haven't you heard? Malfoy here is as straight as a circle!" Harry blinked again.
"Oh…" was all he could think of to say. He glanced at Draco, who was staring at the floor in shame.
"And its not so much that. It's who he likes that's the greatest embarrassment. Want to know who it is?"
"Not really." Harry muttered, feigning indifference. The Slytherin smirked.
"So if you don't mind, we'll be taking our new punch bag and we'll leave you alone to continue being the school's Golden Boy." Draco looked pleadingly up at Harry. Harry sighed. 'Curse myself for being a Gryffindor…'
"I can't let you do that."
"And why not?" the boy asked angrily.
"Well because, unfortunately, life has made me a protector of the innocent. Now Malfoy isn't at all innocent, but he's pathetic and it's an equal principle." He raised an eyebrow. "Now I've had a very bad first lesson and I'm looking to vent anger." He noticed he was still glowing. He released all his pent up pain and the glow magnified. The Slytherins took a terrified step backwards. "If you want Malfoy, then come on. Try to take him." He muttered, drawing his wand. The Slytherins all lost what was left of their nerves. There was no way they were going to take on the boy who defeated Voldemort!
"Fuck this!" one of them said, running off. The others were quick to follow.
Harry put his wand back and sighed. Watching Draco get up out of the corner of his eye.
"I…well…" the Slytherin stuttered. Then he frowned. "I'm not pathetic!" Harry snorted. He turned, a grin on his face.
"Yes, you're very welcome." He said sarcastically.
"What, you expected a thank you? Maybe if you'd helped before they did this!" he said, pointing to his jaw. Inside, his heart was going a million miles a second, glad that nothing had changed just because Harry knew he was gay.
"Well you didn't run into me quick enough!" Harry joked. Draco snorted.
"Whatever Potter."
"Well…don't think I'll be doing that again. Because I won't."
"Yes you would. Because you're the school's wonder boy. You'd save a fly if it was in mortal danger!"
"Fuck you." Harry snapped, getting tired of this conversation. He turned away and started walking back to class. He stopped. "Is that why you won't come to class? Because all the S…your house know?"
"It's not any of your business."
"Is that a yes?"
"It's not just that. It's who I like that's the biggest disgrace. Like they said."
"And that is who?"
"You're delusional if you think I'm telling you. Besides, I thought you weren't interested." Harry snorted.
"Whatever. You're a wimp for not going to class though. Who gives a flying fuck what you are, or who you like? You shouldn't care what they do or think." He smirked. "Or is the Icy Prince of Darkness afraid of his little classmates?" Draco scowled, colour rising in his cheeks.
"Cute. Very cute Potter." He snapped. "At least I'm not afraid of 'S' words." Harry's eyes hardened.
"I'm not afraid of them."
"Yeah right. Then say one Potter. Or better yet, say Sirius." Harry opened his mouth…but shut it again. He sighed, saying nothing. He walked off with a faint red glow around him.
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