Third Place - Angst

Draco deposited him at his next class where Harry found his friends waiting for him with his bookbag. Professor Vector lectured the entire time and left no room for any discussion between the three friends but Harry noticed they kept giving him worried looks. But then, so was the rest of the class. The Hufflepuffs had obviously heard about his episode and Harry was sure the Ravenclaws and the rest of the years would know by lunch. The calming effects of the potion had worn off half way through Arithmancy, but Harry tried very hard to keep his emotions on a tight leash. No matter how much he wanted to cry and rage and stand up and tell them to all stop looking at him.

Lunch did not come soon enough.

"Alright then, Harry?"

"Yes, Ron. I'm fine!" Harry swallowed and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he said in a kinder tone. "I'm doing well now, Ron. And I'm sorry I acted that way. I don't know what came over me."

"It's alright, Harry. We understand." Hermione patted his shoulder. Harry gave her an apologetic look.

"I really didn't mean to act that way to you, Hermione. I didn't mean anything I said. I promise. You have the biggest heart in the whole school." Harry's tone was infused with his sincerest love and gratitude. Hermione smiled and wrapped him in a hug. Harry tensed for just a moment before realizing that Hermione really wasn't a dominant. She was just really good at acting like one sometimes.

"You don't have to apologize, Harry," she said pulling back. "We're just glad that you're feeling better. You had us really scared there. I thought you were going to hurt yourself."

"No, just Draco," Harry said.

"Yeah, you gave him a go," Ron said in admiration. "I can't wait to see him at lunch all roughed up."

"Sorry, Ron, but he got fixed up by Madame Pomfrey," Harry explained. Ron looked crestfallen but seemed to rally quickly at the smell of food wafting down the hall.

Harry thought of something and pulled his friends to the side. The other two gave him questioning looks but Harry gestured to wait until the hall had cleared.

"I wanted to tell you something that happened in the Infirmary," Harry said after the last student left the corridor. "Draco asked Madame Pomfrey for a contraceptive potion for me."

"He did?" Hermione asked excitedly. "That's wonderful. I really didn't think he would be a grown up about this."

"Well, he did and he was. I couldn't have been more shocked when he told me that he did it for me," Harry enthused.

"No way did that spoiled ferret do anything for somebody else," Ron scoffed.

"Don't call him names!" Harry bit his lip and closed his eyes for a moment after that outburst. Opening them again, he smiled sadly at his wary friends. "Sorry. Again."

"It's fine, Harry. You're right, name calling is infantile." Hermione gave Ron a pointed look. "So, he said he did it for you?"

Harry nodded. "He said he didn't care either way but he mentioned that I wanted to study snakes and all that. So, I think he did it a little bit for me. Don't you?" He gave his friends an anxiously hopeful look. Hermione and Ron exchanged heavy glances before turning back to him.

"Harry, I hope you aren't... well, pinning any hopes on Draco caring about what you want or anything." Hermione's brow was creased in worry.

"What do you mean?" Harry frowned.

"You sounded like you wanted Malfoy to like you or something," Ron stated giving Harry a skeptical look. Harry frowned even harder. Hermione decided she should intervene.

"We're not saying that he couldn't but we don't want you to pin hopes on, well, him caring for you. Or liking you in any way," she explained.

"You don't think I'm likable?" Harry asked in a horrified whisper.

"Oh no, Harry! We don't think that at all!" Hermione touched his arm reassuringly. But Harry wasn't having it. He shrugged her hand off.

"No, I think that is exactly what you think!" He glared at both of them while at the same time was forcing the tears back. His voice became rough with emotion. "You think that I am some freak who can't ever be liked or cared for. You think that all I'm good for is killing bad guys and finding the snitch and living in a cupboard!" he choked back a sob. "Nobody can love the little freaky animal thing! Well, maybe another animal thing can!"

"Harry! We don't think that!" Hermione argued. "We are just worried that you might be expecting more than Malfoy can give." Ron nodded his agreement and took a step back from Harry.

"Maybe I'm expecting more than you can give!" Harry pushed past them, and stormed into the Great Hall.

Draco looked up the moment he burst through the doors. Harry watched as he said something to the other Slytherins and the ones closest to him moved down to make a space at the table. Then he gave Harry a questioning look. Harry quickly made his way to Draco. He sat down without a word next to the blonde, not touching him, of course, and Draco immediately passed the fruit plate to him.

"Eat," Draco ordered and then went back to his own food and conversation. Harry began piling his plate full of the fruit and then added some other items. When he and another girl both reached for the water pitcher, the girl shrunk back in fear and looked the other way. Harry stopped dead and then looked up at the rest of the room. Almost all eyes were on him, from all tables and all years. They held pity, fear, and anger in their depths. Harry quickly lost his appetite. Then he got angry. He suddenly stood up and climbed up on the bench.

"Here! Go ahead. Look! If you want to say something go ahead and say it. I can hear you whispering, you know. We Indago can hear everything, even the ghosts moving about on the fourth floor. So, don't bother whispering or hiding your thoughts. We can read thoughts. Yes, we can read all your dirty little thoughts and we know your deepest darkest desires. We can see in the dark and walk on the ceiling." Harry stepped up onto the table and began pacing through the plates, platters and pitchers in a perfect rendition of Draco earlier. "We can grow wings and ensorcel your minds. Our dreams become reality and our greatest wishes come true." The entire student body was mesmerized as they watched Harry spin his tale and pace through food. "So you must fear us. Fear us completely for we feed on the blood of children and take pleasure in murdering students in their bed!"

The entire room was silent, even the head table was still. Then, laughter rang out. One single person's laughter filled the hall and all eyes, including Harry's, sought it out.

"Oh Merlin!" Draco said, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes. "That was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time!" He stood up and grabbed a plateful of food and walked to the end of the table that Harry was standing on. He looked up at the watching Gryffindor and extended his hand towards him. "Come, my fellow beast. We shall have our food somewhere where we will not be tempted by the flesh of so many blood filled children." He grinned up at Harry.

Smiling back, Harry grabbed his hand and used it to steady him as he jumped down. Together they walked out of the room.

Draco and Harry had a quiet picnic on the front steps of the school. They both laughed at the horrified looks the other students had had on their faces.

"You even had McGonagall freaked out," Draco snickered. "I thought she was going to keel over from apoplexy right into her soup."

Harry popped another grape into his mouth. "I wondered why I wasn't yelled at."

"The only ones you didn't shock were Dumbledore and Snape. In fact, I think both of them were struggling not to laugh as much as I did." Harry laughed at the image of Snape and Dumbledore holding onto each other in a fit of giggles.

"So, what did the other two thirds of your trio do?" Draco asked while peeling an orange.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked carefully studying the rolls.

"You were obviously ticked when you came in and they followed in after you with definite guilty faces."

"Oh," Harry chewed on the inside of his lip. "They were just being jerks."

Draco snorted. "That's a given. But what specifically?"

Looking out over the lake, Harry realized that he had blown the conversation with his friends way out of proportion.

"They weren't trying to be mean. They just said some things that I took the wrong way," Harry admitted.

"Ah," Draco said. The sound of one of the main doors opening drew both of their attentions.

Snape came through the doorway and raised an eyebrow at their picnic. "I'm glad to see that you are eating. Though one would hope you would have eaten sooner, before the spectacle you created," he drawled.

"Hilarious, wasn't it?" Draco smirked. Snape returned the smirk.

"Quite."

Snape stepped a bit closer and viewed the remains of their lunch. "Good. Fruits and bread were an excellent choice. But," he pulled out a small pouch from his robe pocket, "should you feel the need to climb anymore furniture, I suggest you eat one of these candies." He handed the parcel to Harry.

"Thank you, sir. I will." Harry smiled a half-smile at his professor but something had caught the potion master's attention. Harry followed the direction Snape was looking. Further down the road, a solitary figure was slowly walking up to the castle. It appeared to be limping slightly and hunched just a bit. Then a bit of sun lit up the silver and brown hair. Harry stood up in a rush.

"Remus!"

Harry took off at a run down the road. He thought he heard a shout behind him but he didn't care. Remus was here! Harry skidded to a halt and hugged his tired looking friend. It was amazing that he had only recently thought of writing to his friend and now he was here. Harry was so happy to finally have someone here who would have an inkling of what it felt like to be caught between two worlds.

When the shabby clad arms wrapped around him Harry was suddenly overcome with the urge to run away. To get out of there as quick as possible and do anything he could to get away from the man in front of him. He watched as the same sort of acknowledgment went through his friend's body as well. Remus let him go and they both stared at each other with wide eyes.

"Harry, I..." Remus's rough voice was barely audible. "I was afraid this would happen. I was hoping it hadn't started yet. I had to come see you and make sure you are all right. Are you all right? I know you don't want to be anywhere near me right now, but know that I will never harm you in any way." Lupin's voice had become fast and forceful. Harry wanted to believe the words but his instincts were telling him to get out of there now! He started to take a step in retreat.

A hand grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him back at that moment and Harry had never felt better for being enveloped in his two Superos' scent and presence. Draco and Snape both moved in front of him and Harry could only see Remus through a gap between the two other Indagos.

"Leave, Lupin. Now." Snape's voice was hard and sharp.

Remus held up a hand. "Snape, I am not here to do any harm. I was only worried about Harry. I had heard he was attacked and that he had almost been killed. I just want to know that he is safe," Remus explained quietly.

"He is alive and well. Now go."

"Harry," Remus called out to him. "Are you well? Happy?"

"Do not talk to him, werewolf!" Draco growled. Harry looked up at him in surprise. There had been so much animosity in his voice.

"Go. Or we will make you leave," Snape hissed.

Remus sighed deeply. "Harry, I'm leaving. I hope that you are happy and that when you're done with... perhaps in a few months, at a better time, we can visit each other."

"No," Draco barked.

"Go, Lupin," Snape growled. Remus nodded heavily and with a last look began to back away. Draco grabbed Harry's arm again and also began backing away with Snape. When the two sides were roughly ten meters away from each other they turned and walked in opposite directions. Snape and Draco both silently watched from the front steps, the silver streaks on their cheeks slowly fading, until Remus was no longer visible on the horizon. Harry grieved for his friend but was ashamedly relieved Remus was gone and he no longer felt that fear.

"You have classes. I suggest you get to them," Snape snapped and then entered the school.

Harry and Draco quickly followed.

Indago - Chapter 31

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