FireEater
Harry tucked his new
snake into his inside robe pocket and walked to the coaches that would take
the remaining students to the Hogwarts Express.
"Harry, there you
are." Hermione approached him quickly, wearing a concerned frown. "We already had
your trunk taken, here's Hedwig."
Hedwig looked at
Harry, ruffling her feathers, telling him how annoyed she was with him due to his
absence. Harry nodded taking the owl cage from Hermione. "Thanks, I guess I was at the lake longer than I realized." Putting his finger through
the cage, Harry whispered, "Sorry, Hedwig."
Gently nipping at
his finger, Hedwig forgave him.
Ron was looking at
Harry with a strange expression. "Where's Ginny?"
Harry shrugged.
"Don't know."
Ron scowled,
glaring at Harry with sudden suspicion.
""Guess I should'a
told you, you look thoroughly snogged."" Draco's smug drawling voice came from
Harry's pocket.
"Har . . ."
"Excuse me," Neville said, coming up to them in a rush. "Hermione and Ron, Professor
McGonagall wants to see both of you."
"Not now, Neville,"
Ron said harshly with a frown at Harry. "Harry, when did you see Ginny last?"
Harry shrugged. "The
funeral, why Ron?"
"Come on, Ron."
Hermione took Ron's hand and tried to urge him to follow her.
"No." Ron shook his
head adamantly. "Harry . . ."
Hermione pulled Ron
away with sheer Gryffindor determination. The tug of war that ensued was a
typical occurrence between them.
Watching his friends
walking away, Harry noticed that Hermione's voice was sizzling as she spoke to
Ron. Sighing, Harry climbed into a coach behind him with Neville and Luna.
"He's really mad,
Harry," Neville commented, studying Harry's face. "You look like you've been snogging and Ginny is missing."
Harry frowned and
started to leave, to go in search of Ginny.
"I'm not missing."
Ginny climbed in taking the seat next to Harry. "Don't pay Ron any mind, Harry.
You know how he is."
With a sudden rush
forward the coaches began to roll away from Hogwarts. Harry nodded to Ginny,
ignoring her arched brow; he turned to watch the landscape of Hogwarts pass by.
Everyone remained silent as the school was left behind. Going through the front
gate brought on a sensation of blanketed melancholy - chilly like the effect of
dementors.
Trying to break
through the oppressive gloom, Neville said, "Professor McGonagall is going to
try to keep Hogwarts open. She says that's what Dumbledore would've wanted."
Nodding, they
each succumbed to abject dejection.
Harry continued to
present a facade of studying the scenery outside the window. When they stopped
in Hogsmeade, he took a deep breath, and then released it. Stepping down from the
coach onto the platform, Harry paused, studying the red engine of the Hogwarts
Express.
""Geez, are you
always so down?""
""Sod off, Malfoy.""
Harry walked to the closest door and stepped up into the Express for the
last time. In his own little bubble, he passed other students, nodding if they
spoke to him, walking through the congested corridor to the back of the train.
""Hey, watch it!""
Draco yelled when Harry bumped into the compartment door trying to avoid a third
year.
Harry snickered and
patted his pocket. ""Here's an empty compartment. This'll do."" Harry stepped in,
slid the door closed behind them, and then placed Hedwig's cage on the upper shelf. Sitting next to the
window, Harry looked out over the village of Hogsmeade.
""Fuck, let me
out."" Draco squirmed in the confines of Harry's pocket.
Shaking his head,
Harry lifted his robe lapel and hissed in Parseltongue, ""Just slither out. I'm
not your slave; you have to do it yourself.""
Draco came up and
out of Harry's pocket. Tasting the air, he moved to the center of the seat next
to Harry where he curled up, then tilted his head at Harry. ""Where to from here?""
Harry shrugged. "My
Aunt's, we'll stay there until the end of July, and then I have other places to
be. There is something you should know about her...."" Harry smirked, leaning
down, hissing in jest, ""You'll have to be hidden. If she finds you,"" Harry
wagged his brows, continuing, ""she'll grind you up in the garbage disposal.""
Draco backed away in
his best reverse motion slither and glared up at Harry. They were in the middle
of their glare session when Ron came to the compartment door.
"Harry...bloody
hell, Harry. When did you get a snake?"
Harry smirked.
Harry's snake hissed
as he raised his head and glared at Ron with anger.
Chuckling, Harry
replied, "Today, Ron. I found him out by the lake. Isn't he cute?"
""Golden Boy, git.
I'll bite you for that.""
Harry pulled his
mirth in, resulting in silent shaking laughter.
Ron sat on the seat
opposite Harry and studied the snake.
Draco hissed
fiercely.
Harry bit his bottom
lip. ""Draco, this is Ron Weasley."" Having difficulty in restraining more
laughter at Draco's wide-eyed reaction, he asked, ""What should I tell him
your
name is?""
Draco brought his
head up with Slytherin pride. ""FireEater.""
Harry finally
released his laughter, shaking his head. "Ron, allow me to introduce
you to FireEater."
Ron's red brow rose
high. Looking at the snake, he shook his head. "How can something so little
eat fire?"
""You fucking
Weasel. I'm gonna bite you!"" Draco roared as he moved towards Ron, intent on his goal.
Harry reached over
and pulled Draco up into his hands. ""No, ya don't, Draco.""
Squirming in Harry's
hands, Draco sent his tongue flashing out. ""Put me down, Potter. I want
to bite the bloody arsehole.""
""NO.""
Ron watched
them closely. He understood Harry was talking to the snake. "Harry, what
did he say?"
Harry shook his
head. "Ron, to be honest, you're better off not knowing. Suffice it to say,
FireEater can be a moronic prat sometimes. He has an attitude problem."
Draco started
wiggling again. ""Fucking wanker. Let me down!!""
""Be still. If you
don't behave, I'll give you to Aunt Petunia.""
Draco sissed and
stilled.
""That's better. Lay
here and take a snake-nap."" Harry placed Draco on the seat. ""Stay.""
Draco glared up at
him.
Harry smirked,
wondering what other expressions the little snake could make. Biting his lip, he
decided this would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about snakes.
Gradually the rhythm
of the train hypnotized them into silence as the Express traveled south.
Harry returned to his personal bubble, not even asking where 'Mione and Ginny
were. Occasionally, he studied Draco, who had succumbed to sleep. Hours later, he
joined him.
""Wake-up, Potter.""
Harry came back from his dreamless
sleep groggily as Ron and Draco both tried to wake him. More than a little
surprised that they apparently had survived each other, Harry yawned and reached
for Draco. ""I'm awake.""
"Hey Ron, I'm awake." Harry looked
his friend over to be sure he was fine.
""He's intact."" Draco slid into
the pocket of Harry's baggy jeans. ""This is gonna be fun.""
""Be still. Don't do that.""
Draco sniggered. ""Like I said. . .""
Harry scowled, jiggling his leg, he gave his pocket a
light tap before exiting the compartment.
""Ow! That's not fair.""
""Get used to it.""
Harry stepped out onto Platform 9
3/4 into mass muddle from both students and parents alike. Everyone bustled
about, gathering their trunks while talking excitedly to friends and family
members. Harry sighed. Turning to retrieve his trunk, Harry pulled it up onto a
trolley and placed Hedwig's cage on top, looking at her round eyes, he said, "I
guess this is it, Hedwig." Surrounded by Weasleys suddenly, Harry said his
goodbye somberly. "I'll be at Grimmauld Place later in the summer; maybe I'll
see you there."
Mrs. Weasley nodded and wiped a tear
from her cheek. "Of course, Harry. We'll see you soon. You know Ron wanted to
ride the Express here so he could spend more time..." Patting him on his shoulder,
she added, "Don't forget Bill's wedding, we expect to see you then." Engulfing
Harry with one of her famous matronly hugs, she let more tears loose.
""Bloody hell."" Draco squirmed at
the sudden close quarters. ""Back off, besom.""
Harry pulled away and gave the side
of his leg a hard pat next to his pocket.
""Oh, you wanna play?"" Draco
squirmed closer to Harry's bits.
"I have to go, Mrs. Weasley. Later,
mate," he said to Ron. Making a fast get away, trolley positioned in front of
him, Harry hissed under his breath loud enough for Draco to hear, ""Don't do
that.""
Draco responded by doing it again,
getting as close as the oversized pocket would allow.
Gritting his teeth, Harry passed
through the barrier out onto the Muggle platform. The first person he saw on the
other side was Aunt Petunia with Dudley standing next to her. Uncle Vernon
wasn't there.
Aunt Petunia nodded curtly at him.
"Well, so you're here. We parked the car this way." Turning, she led them to
the parking lot with no further explanations.
Harry looked around him with silent
curiosity. The sensation grew when they reached the car and Aunt Petunia opened
the boot. With one word, "Dudley," she went to the front of the car and got in.
Dudley helped Harry with his trunk.
Jiggered did not begin to describe
Harry's thoughts. "Thanks," he said, surprise ringing in his voice.
Dudley simply nodded and
joined his mum in the front seat.
""What's happening?""
""Nothing."" Harry's voice was still
in a state of surprise, therefore, Draco wasn't fooled.
""Potter."" Draco squirmed up to the
opening of Harry's pocket.
Harry moved his hand fast, pushing
Draco back into his hiding place. ""Garbage disposal,"" he hissed under his
breath while he opened the car door and got into the back seat.
""Was that a threat, Golden Boy?""
Draco's voice sneered as he moved restlessly in Harry's pocket.
""NO - Truth.""
Draco settled down into Harry's
pocket, grumbling under his breath.
Harry looked out the car window at
London passing, thinking of Voldemort, Horcruxes and the annoying snake in his
pocket.
Aunt Petunia didn't seem prone to
talk until they arrived at Privet Drive. Pulling into the driveway, she said,
"Your Uncle Vernon is in Edinburgh on a business trip." Turning to face Harry in
the backseat after placing the car in park, she continued, "I told him
everything would be fine here while he's gone." She arched her brow at Harry. "I got that right, didn't I?"
Harry nodded silently and opened his
door. When he stepped out, he had another shock; Dudley was already entering
the front door with his trunk. Harry ran his fingers through his hair and bit
his lip. What the hell? he thought, standing next to the car perplexed. Pulling Hedwig from the seat,
Harry entered the house to find Aunt Petunia already on the telephone.
"I told you it would be. Yes, I'll
see you next Monday." Arching her brow at Harry's facial expression, she was
listening to Vernon of the other end of the line. Finally, she said, "Okay, bye
then."
""What's she doing?""
Harry decided to go straight up to
his room. Mounting the stairs, he picked up his pace, once at the top, turning
to his room at the end of the hall. Dudley was coming out of Harry's room.
Harry frowned.
Shaking his head at Harry, Dudley
went downstairs without saying a word.
""Bloody hell.""
""What??""
Harry entered his room, closed the
door and leaned back against it. ""Fucking bloody hell. What was that all
about?"" Setting Hedwig's cage on the desk, he opened her door. Still shaking
his head, he moved to open the window for her.
Draco poked his head out of his
hiding place. ""Potter, what are you talking about? In case you haven't noticed,
I've asked that question before. What, what, what?"" Draco's voice
dripped with sarcasm even in his current form.
""In case you don't know,""
Harry sneered down at him angrily. ""No one can hear you speak. That's why I
can't just go around having conversation with you."" In his anger, Harry
reached into his pocket, seeking Draco and pulled him out. Opening a drawer in
his dresser, he placed Draco in it.
""Hey, I can't see anything!""
""Yeah, and Aunt Petunia
can't see you."" Harry's annoyance was growing by leaps and bounds. This
was not what he had in mind when he agreed to bring Draco with him. He
growled under his breath.
""Right back at cha.""
Harry groaned and swung around.
""Fuck off, Malfoy! I have to use the loo. Stay there.""
""Hey, don't go, tak. . . .""
Harry turned back to the drawer
hissing, ""Don't even. I'm going alone."" Harry stalked out of his room
in a cloud of anger. Not realizing he wasn't alone in the upper hall, he growled
under his breath, "Fucking wanker. I didn't. . . ." Harry's eyes came up from
the doorknob he had closed securely to make contact with brilliant blue eyes.
Swallowing, he said, "Er . . . hi?"
Musical laughter filled the upper
hall. "Hi ya Harry, haven't seen you in a while. How ya been?"
Surprised that she recognized him,
Harry found himself with another dilemma, he didn't remember her name. That's
not the only thing, git, who else would be coming out of your room? Think much?
Harry's thoughts spun in a vortex as he looked at the girl before him. "Er,
I'm alright . . ." his voice dissipated as he stared at the girl before him.
"Mona, what's keeping you?" Dudley's
voice came up the stairs.
Harry arched a brow. Without really
realizing what he was doing, his gaze scanned her.
Mona laughed again.
Dudley came up the stairs, stopping
when he realized that Harry was there. Narrowing his eyes at his cousin, he
asked, "What are you doing?"
Harry shrugged, not knowing if he
should be impressed with his cousin's taste in girls or wonder what was wrong
with Mona. Walking past her, he went into the bathroom trying to ignore Dudley's
questions.
"What was that all about?"
Mona laughed softly and started down
the stairs. "Nothing."
Harry heard them through the crack
he left open in the door. Just before closing the door, Harry shook his head.
Dudley grunted in laughter at
something Mona said.
Taking his time in the bathroom, Harry
returned to his room later to open the door and find a snake stretched out on
his bed. ""What are you doing?""
""Getting to know my surroundings,
Potter. Damn your room is small; don't think there's enough room for both of
us.""
Draco's drawl coming out in a hiss,
grated on Harry's nerves. ""Perhaps,"" he whispered angrily, ""I should take you
down to the kitchen and demonstrate the garbage disposal. You don't seem to get
it, Malfoy, I'm serious.""
""Well, Potter, I've been thinking."
Draco flicked the tip of his tail.
Harry's black brows rose sharply at
the movement.
""You won't let her do that."" Draco
had the look of a smirk, if that was possible, on his face. ""You want
me.""
Harry's emerald eyes grew round.
Roaring, he reached out grabbing Draco and putting him firmly in the drawer, he
hissed, ""You'll sleep in here.""
""I don't like. . .""
""I don't care.""
Knock, knock.
""Fuck."" Harry closed the drawer
firmly and stepped to the door. Opening it slowly, he discovered his Aunt
Petunia looking at him with a confused expression.
"I heard you talking. Who were you
talking to?" Peering around Harry, she looked into his room.
"Er, well..." sighing, he said,
"ghosts. You know how it is, Aunt Petunia." Inside his mind he thought, Oh,
yeah, Potter radgie doesn't begin...
Aunt Petunia studied him
closely. To Harry's surprise, she nodded. "I heard, about Dumbledore."
Harry's heart stopped.
Aunt Petunia nodded once more when
she saw Harry's reaction. "They said it was a terrorist attack." Waving her hand
in dismissal of the press, she continued, "I knew better of course. How many
Dumbledores can there be?"
"It - it was on the Muggle news?"
Harry was having difficulty breathing, even if his heart had started back up.
"Oh yes, for
several days in fact." As though she realized the topic was upsetting Harry, she
switched gears. "Dudley has a match tonight. There are leftovers in the fridge.
We'll be back very late." Pausing with another look around his room, she said,
"Just thought you should know."
Harry nodded and managed to say,
"Thanks." Closing the door, Harry turned, walking to his bed; he threw himself
across it with a groan.
""Psst, remember me?""
Harry laughed - the sound of Draco's
voice matched one he had heard last night. Was it really only last night? The
memory conjured up another problem...psst, yeah; it's me, wanna play?
Groaning, Harry buried his face in his pillow, biting it as sexual frustration
loomed in his mind.
""Hey, Potter, let me out!""
Harry snickered, standing up; he
opened the drawer. The sound of a car door closing, mingling with Mona's
laughter traveled up to him through the open window. ""First, we
eat. Then, I've got to start working on a project I've been planning.
Hopefully, the stuff I ordered from Flourish & Blotts will come tomorrow.""
""What's to eat?""
Shrugging, Harry reached for Draco
and pulled him up to his face. Studying him for the first time. ""I
don't know what to feed you. Let's go down and see what there is to eat, then we
can decide.""
Draco blinked at him and sent his
tongue out.
""Stop that.""
""Ooh, testy, Potter?""
Harry snorted, draping Draco
over his shoulder. ""You don't know the half of it.""
Draco snickered. ""You're wrong,
Potter.""
Harry shrugged his shoulder and went
down the steps, skipping every other one.
Draco slid, swearing as he nearly
fell off Harry's shoulder. ""What the hell are you doing, Potter? It's not like
you can...Fuck! Don't do that!""
Laughing, Harry caught him just as
simply as though Draco was a Snitch.
