Third Place - Angst

Harry stumbled to his feet and saw all eyes in the room turned to him. He blushed.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy. So glad you decided to join us," Snape snarled. Draco passed by Harry and dropped one of the bookbags at Harry's assigned seat.

"Don't blame me," Draco drawled, sending a meaningful look at the potions master. "I had to practically drag him here. Guess it's not his favorite subject." He gracefully sat in his seat with a smirk. Harry glared at Draco, and then for good measure, glared at Snape too. Snape raised a surprised eyebrow.

"I see. Very well, if you both have done with your grand entrance will you do me the pleasure of shutting your mouths and finding your seat?" He said the last with a pointed look at Harry. Harry tossed off another glare at the teacher before stomping over to his seat and flopping down. He then gave Snape an expectant look and waved for him to continue. Almost all of the Gryffindors' eyes bugged out in shock. The Slytherins acquired bloodthirsty looks as they waited for Snape to tear Harry apart.

Snape narrowed his eyes. The Slytherins practically drooled as they waited for the carnage to begin. But Snape merely sneered at Harry and continued with his lecture.

Harry glowered down at his desk. It was stained and he hated the colors. He hated that he was in Potions. He hated that Snape was his teacher. He hated that he was in the dungeons. Harry was not very happy.

"Harry, will you get the cauldron?"

Harry looked up at his potion partner and snarled. "Why do I have to get it? You have legs too."

Hermione gave him a surprised look and then schooled her features into calm. "Alright, Harry. I'll get it." So saying she walked around to his side of the table, picked it up from where it rested next to his elbow and brought it back to where she had been sitting. She placed the blackened and dented pot in between them and began reading the instructions for the potion for the day. He didn't listen. Her voice joined in with the murmur that was filling the room and Harry hated that.

"Harry, would you like to get the ingredients or shall I?" Hermione asked calmly. Harry glared at her.

"You're the smart one who always has to be right so you go get them," he said nastily, crossing his arms over his chest. Hermione gritted her teeth and closed her eyes for a moment. When they opened again, she smiled tightly and said, "Okay, I shall."

While Hermione went to the storage cabinet, Harry glared about the room. Snape was at his desk, grading something probably. Just then he looked up and Harry sneered at him. Snape merely tilted his head in question and Harry looked away. Stupid dumb man didn't even know when someone was trying to pick a fight with him. And Harry really wanted a fight. He was still annoyed and angry from the conversation in the hall with Draco and a fight sounded good. Maybe he should go over and see what Seamus was doing.

"Here we are," Hermione said pleasantly as she sat down with the needed components. "Now, if you would be nice enough to chop up the roots, I'll take care of the beetle wings."

"Why do I have to chop the roots?" Harry asked testily.

Hermione smiled tightly again and switched jars with him. "Alright, I'll chop and you smash."

"Why don't you take care of both since you're such a bloody genius." Harry pushed the jar of beetle wings away from him.

"Harry, is there something I have specifically done or are you just being bitchy?" Hermione asked nicely.

"Oh, of course, blame it on the animal's senses, right? Nothing could be wrong with perfect, prissy, Professor Granger."

Hermione spun to look at him, dropping the knife she was using. Her eyes were big. "Harry! If I have done something to make you angry, tell me. I don't want to ever hurt you, but you are certainly being mean to me!"

"Oh come on," Harry scoffed. "Nothing hurts you! Don't you know you're all brain, big mouth and no heart?"

Hermione's mouth dropped open and she stared at Harry, searching his eyes. Harry glared right back. She took a deep breath. "Fine. Since you refuse to name something I have specifically done to make you angry, I shall assume you are just reacting to your heightened emotional state-,"

"Oh no, another lecture!" Harry said in fake horror. Hermione bit her lip and closed her eyes.

"And since I refuse to allow you to insult and ridicule me, then I suggest we do our class work silently," she finished tightly. She turned back around and began forcefully chopping her roots. Harry glared at her some more and went back to staring sullenly at the room. Eyes, which had turned in their direction during the altercation, quickly returned to their own cauldrons.

Eventually, Hermione took over the entire production and successfully ignored Harry for ten minutes. The beginnings of the potion were just coming to a simmer when Harry finally glanced back over at his partner.

And saw tears.

Harry was shocked. His stomach dropped to his toes and he watched as Hermione blinked away the tears that had pooled in her eyes only to be replaced by new ones. He had really hurt her! He hadn't meant to. Not really. Well, maybe at the time, but, he didn't want her to cry! What had he done?

"Mr. Potter, you will need to contribute or you will get a zero," Snape said as he passed by their table. Harry stood up and glared at him.

"I don't care! Why don't you just fail me for the whole year!" Harry yelled. All noise and motion stopped in the room.

Snape stopped walking and raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Malfoy, I believe Mr. Potter requires some fresh air. You will, of course, be excused from the assignment." Draco sighed heavily and stood up to get Harry.

"Don't come near me!" Harry cried out. He pulled out his wand but Snape snatched it away before he could do anything with it. Harry stared at his empty hand. And then he got upset. "You have no right!" he shouted.

"You will not hex or curse anyone in this classroom, Mr. Potter. Your emotions have obviously gotten the better of you and you will now be excused from class," Snape said calmly. Draco came up to the table and waited until Snape gave him a nod to proceed. Harry picked up the empty jar of beetle wings and held it up threateningly.

"Don't touch me!"

"I'm not going to touch you, Potter," Draco said in a tone reserved for skittish animals. "We're just going to take a walk and maybe find some sweets, alright?"

"Here, Harry." Harry looked down and saw Hermione holding out a biscuit that she had had wrapped in a bit of wax paper. She smiled and motioned for him to take it. "It's got a bit of treacle in it." Harry saw that her eyes were still glassy with tears. He hated that he had made Hermione cry. No, he hated that he had been made to make Hermione cry.

Not taking the treat he spun back around just as Draco had reached his side. Harry lashed out and hit him in the chest, forcing him back. Draco straightened and rubbed his chest, then looked at Snape in question.

"Don't touch me! You have no right! You made Hermione cry!"

Draco gave Harry a look that clearly showed how far gone he was. "What are you on about now? I haven't even spoken to her."

"You both did it! You made me angry and then I made Hermione cry which means you made Hermione cry and Hermione is too good and smart and sweet to ever cry!" Harry was breathing deeply in anger, his face reddening and tears threatening to fall.

"Mr. Potter," Snape said crisply, then softened his voice. "Harry, regain control and we shall discuss this calmly outside. Ms. Granger does not appear to be in any distress at the moment but you are agitating everyone else in the class."

"Harry, I'm fine." Hermione stood up and smiled. "I... I just have an allergy to the caraway seeds."

"No you don't!" Harry yelled. "They made you cry." He pointed viciously at the two other Indago. "They hate everyone and they hate me and they wanted to make me hurt you!"

"Harry, please, take the biscuit," Hermione urged.

"How 'bout a Chocolate Frog?" Dean called out, digging in his pocket.

"I've got some peppermint humbugs!" Lavender offered, reaching for her bag.

"Come on, Harry, take the biscuit," Ron pleaded.

"No! I don't want it! I want them to apologize to Hermione!" Harry screamed.

"Harry, if you can not control yourself I will be forced to-," Snape was cut off by Harry's scream.

"Don't touch me!" Harry violently pushed at the bubbling cauldron. Orange oily fluid splashed to the ground followed by the pot. Snape grabbed his robes and quickly backed up as the liquid came at him. Several students stood up and ran to the sides of the room. In the chaos, Draco grabbed Harry from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. Harry let out a screech as he was being picked up.

"Don't hurt him!" Hermione cried.

"I'm not!" Draco growled over Harry's yells. "Collect all the candies. I'm going to shove them down his throat!"

"Get off of me!"

"Quick, everyone, give me everything you've got," Ron yelled and began gathering up all the sweets from both Gryffindors and Slytherins. Draco was able to drag Harry to the very back of the room, near the storage cabinet. The crazed Gryffindor was screaming and biting and clawing at the blonde. He also managed to kick over a bench and a shelf full of books.

"He doesn't want you touching him!" Hermione shouted. "His instincts are telling him it's a bad idea!"

"No shit!" Draco yelled back. "Not exactly my idea of fun either!"

Snape swept towards them and waved the other students back. He produced a vial and knelt down to where Draco had Harry pinned to the floor. The Slytherin had straddled Harry and was struggling to hold his arms down.

"Get off! Don't touch me!"

"Has he eaten?" Snape asked. Draco shook his head. "I thought not. This shall work quickly then." Snape turned back to the frenzied Gryffindor.

"Don't touch me! Don't touch me! Hermione's crying because of you!"

"Harry, you are going to drink this and it will make you feel better," Snape said calmly, uncorking the glass container.

"No! You have to apologize to Hermione! I made her cry! You made me make her cry! Get off me!"

"Draco." Snape gestured towards Harry. Draco took a deep breath and let go of Harry's arms. Immediately they began beating and clawing at him but Draco ignored it and grabbed hold of Harry's jaw, prying it open, careful of the snapping teeth. Snape grabbed the flying arm closest to him to prevent it from knocking and spilling the vial and quickly dumped the contents down Harry's throat. Draco then swiftly snatched the Subicio's wildly flinging arms again and re-pinned them to the floor while Snape covered Harry's mouth until the fluid had been swallowed. The blonde's school robe was ripped off of his shoulder and there was a red mark on his neck that would soon turn black and blue. Harry coughed as part of the liquid went down the wrong way.

"Mr. Weasley, please bring me all that you collected," Snape directed. Harry's struggling began to lessen and the screaming quieted.

Ron came forward, face pale and scared, and handed the small bundle of sweets over. Hermione was kneeling next to Draco out of range of being hit. Her face was drawn tight in anguish.

"Harry, I want you to eat everything here," Snape said quietly as he unwrapped a few of the candies. Then he held out the treacle biscuit. Draco let go of the limp arms and lifted Harry's head.

"No, y'made 'ermione cry," Harry mumbled, his eyes were half-lidded and it was obvious that it was only Draco's support that kept his head up.

"Yes," Snape said in a surprisingly soothing tone. "But you need to eat this so that you will have enough strength to make her feel better. You are scaring her with your behavior." Harry's head lolled to the side until he could see Hermione.

"Oh, 'mione, I'm sorry," he whispered. "Don' be scared."

Hermione bit her lip and struggled to keep the tears out of her eyes. "Don't worry, Harry," she said in a strong voice. "Just eat the sweets and then we'll let it all go, alright?"

" 'right."

Snape brought the biscuit to his mouth and Harry dutifully chewed and swallowed. With each piece of candy he ate, he felt a bit better and in control. When he had swallowed the last one he grabbed Draco's arm to let him know he wanted up. The blonde looked to Snape and after receiving a slight nod, climbed off Harry and helped him sit up.

The entire classroom was huddled toward the back of the room. Some were standing on chairs to peer over at the incident. Harry was horrified. His hand tightened on Draco's arm.

"Back to work," Snape barked. Everyone jumped and commotion ensued as they all tried to hurry to their tables and bubbling-over cauldrons.

"Draco, take him out and get him some water. The potion will have dehydrated him a bit. It will also give him a headache so take him to Pomfrey for a pain reliever. And make sure that he eats at regular intervals from now on." Snape gracefully rose after delivering the orders. He paused as he noticed two Gryffindors still nearby.

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger. I do believe you are included when I say 'everyone'." He swept away.

Hermione and Ron stayed where they were until Harry nodded tiredly at them. With a few last looks and a promise to see him next class, they trailed back to their table.

"Alright, Harry, on your feet."

Harry felt the world spin as Draco lifted him up. When he was standing he held on to the tall blonde until he felt he could walk, then immediately pushed him away. Draco didn't go far but got the hint and let go. Harry carefully made his way to the door and slipped through it when Draco opened it.

Indago - Chapter 29

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