Birthday!gift: Sparks 3
Title: Sparks 3
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Harry, Draco, Ron/Hermione, Dean/Seamus, Neville, Blaise, Greg, Ginny, Luna
Rating: PG
Warning(s): Suggestion
Word count: 1135
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This drabble/fic was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Written as a birthday gift for domina_malfoy, whose prompt was House rules.
Summary: Harry is tantalized.
Although the Common Room for Dumbledore House was small, the room was cozy and inviting. It was decorated in the House colors of purple and bronze with black accents. A brightly colored phoenix dominated the House banner, which hung proudly over the mantel. The members of Dumbledore House had only recently settled into their shared space after a rousing, inter-House game of Quidditch. Only Pansy, who had retreated to her room, and Harry and Draco, who were lingering in the showers, were missing.
A knock on the door of their Common Room surprised all of them. Ron surged to his feet to answer the summons, followed closely by Greg, his self-appointed bodyguard. Ron swung the door open, then stepped back to admit Ginny and Luna. "What are you two doing out of your dorms so late?" he asked, directing the question to his sister.
"We were making our rounds," Ginny announced with a tilt of her chin. She and Luna had been made Prefects of their respective Houses. Both girls had needed to study hard over the summer and sit for tests before the new school year began to determine if they would be able to take their Seventh Year classes or have to retake Sixth Year courses. Luna had had a more difficult time of it, since she had literally missed the second half of her Sixth Year, but both of them had been able to advance.
"Some students still have House rules that must be enforced," Ginny said, poking Ron playfully in the shoulder.
"We have House rules, too," Seamus protested. He was seated on the sofa, legs tucked up comfortably beneath him as he leaned against his boyfriend.
Ginny turned a challenging look on him. "Such as?"
"Such as, no visitors after curfew," Ron told her, tweaking a lock of her hair.
Ginny batted at his hand, then glanced around. "Where's Harry?" she asked, not seeing him there.
"He's still in the showers," Neville answered absently. "I think Malfoy is, too."
Ginny threw her hands up in the air and sighed melodramatically. "Why is it that all the boys I fancy fancy other boys?" She was scowling at Dean as she spoke. He responded by laughing and pulling Seamus closer to his side.
"Perhaps you've fancied the wrong blokes," Blaise suggested smoothly.
Ginny's eyes darted to him, and a spark of interest gleamed in their depths.
Ron scowled and cleared his throat. "Did you girls have a reason for dropping by?"
"We're here on an important mission," Luna replied. "We visited the Prefects' bath and discovered that the mermaid is missing."
~*~
Harry timed his shower so that he exited shortly after Draco did. He was having trouble plucking up the courage to approach Draco and ask him why he continued to keep to himself. He doubted he'd be as nervous were it not for the fact that he was so attracted to Draco. He felt like his fourteen year-old self all over again, bumbling through an attempt to ask Cho to the dance. This was different, though. Harry wasn't about to ask Draco out...at least not yet. Harry would have to summon all of his Gryffindor courage for that. With a rueful shake of his head, Harry corrected himself--he was now possessed of Dumbledore courage.
Harry waited until Draco had dried off and was partially dressed before stepping closer to the other boy to gain his attention. When Draco glanced up at him as he shrugged into his shirt, Harry lost his nerve. "I wanted to ask you about...about Pansy," he blurted. He winced when Draco's expression became even more guarded than usual.
"What about Pansy?"
"I...well, I noticed she's been withdrawn," Harry floundered, "and I was wondering what might...be wrong with her." Draco stared at him for so long that Harry grew uncomfortable and reached for his own clothing. He dropped his towel and stepped into his pants.
"Pansy had a...trying summer," Draco said, attention on the buttons he was doing up.
"That's what Blaise said," Harry mused.
Draco looked up at him sharply. "What else did Blaise tell you?" he demanded.
"N-nothing," Harry stammered. "That's why we were concerned."
Draco tucked the ends of his shirt in. "Don't be," he said. "Pansy will be fine." He gathered his things and walked out of the bathroom.
Harry watched him go and asked of the empty room, "And what about you, Draco?"
~*~
"What do you mean, the mermaid is missing?" Neville asked, sitting up straight in his chair. His hand automatically went to rest on the wand in his back pocket.
Hermione stared at him, still somewhat surprised by this new, take-charge Neville Longbottom. Some day soon, she was going to sit him down over a cup of tea and find out more about what had transpired at Hogwarts last year.
"She's just gone," Ginny shrugged, pushing a lock of russet hair behind her ear. Blaise's dark eyes followed the movement.
"The stained glass wasn't broken during the battle, was it?" Hermione questioned, trying to recall if she had seen the mermaid there during the laborious reconstruction.
"No, it wasn't," Neville stated. "I worked on the Prefects' bath this summer during the rebuilding process, and I recall seeing the mermaid then."
"That's most peculiar," Hermione mused, her facile mind already mulling over possibilities. Draco entered the Common Room and paused at Hermione's words. In an effort to involve him, she gestured him over. "Ginny and Luna have informed us that the mermaid is missing from the Prefects' bath."
"The mermaid is missing?!" This came from Harry, who had walked into the room only a moment after Draco.
Hermione's eyes scanned Harry and Draco both, but not a hair seemed out of place. Interesting. She could have sworn a romance was budding between them.
"She may be lost and frightened," whispered Luna, staring at a spot over Greg's head.
Ginny clambered to her feet. "Speaking of lost, we should head back to our Common Rooms before our Housemates wonder what became of us." She herded Luna from the room, and the door closed quietly behind them.
Harry watched the younger girls go, then turned his attention to his own Housemates. "The case of the missing mermaid," he murmured thoughtfully.
"No, Harry," Hermione said firmly. Already, she could see where this was heading.
"No?" he asked her.
"The last thing we need this year is another quest," she stated firmly.
Harry grinned at her. "To the contrary," he disagreed. "I think a quest is exactly what Dumbledore House needs."
~tbc~
This was originally going to be an amusing, lighthearted five-parter, but now it's gone and grown a plot. *cries*
Sparks 4
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Harry, Draco, Ron/Hermione, Dean/Seamus, Neville, Blaise, Greg, Ginny, Luna
Rating: PG
Warning(s): Suggestion
Word count: 1135
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This drabble/fic was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Written as a birthday gift for domina_malfoy, whose prompt was House rules.
Summary: Harry is tantalized.
Although the Common Room for Dumbledore House was small, the room was cozy and inviting. It was decorated in the House colors of purple and bronze with black accents. A brightly colored phoenix dominated the House banner, which hung proudly over the mantel. The members of Dumbledore House had only recently settled into their shared space after a rousing, inter-House game of Quidditch. Only Pansy, who had retreated to her room, and Harry and Draco, who were lingering in the showers, were missing.
A knock on the door of their Common Room surprised all of them. Ron surged to his feet to answer the summons, followed closely by Greg, his self-appointed bodyguard. Ron swung the door open, then stepped back to admit Ginny and Luna. "What are you two doing out of your dorms so late?" he asked, directing the question to his sister.
"We were making our rounds," Ginny announced with a tilt of her chin. She and Luna had been made Prefects of their respective Houses. Both girls had needed to study hard over the summer and sit for tests before the new school year began to determine if they would be able to take their Seventh Year classes or have to retake Sixth Year courses. Luna had had a more difficult time of it, since she had literally missed the second half of her Sixth Year, but both of them had been able to advance.
"Some students still have House rules that must be enforced," Ginny said, poking Ron playfully in the shoulder.
"We have House rules, too," Seamus protested. He was seated on the sofa, legs tucked up comfortably beneath him as he leaned against his boyfriend.
Ginny turned a challenging look on him. "Such as?"
"Such as, no visitors after curfew," Ron told her, tweaking a lock of her hair.
Ginny batted at his hand, then glanced around. "Where's Harry?" she asked, not seeing him there.
"He's still in the showers," Neville answered absently. "I think Malfoy is, too."
Ginny threw her hands up in the air and sighed melodramatically. "Why is it that all the boys I fancy fancy other boys?" She was scowling at Dean as she spoke. He responded by laughing and pulling Seamus closer to his side.
"Perhaps you've fancied the wrong blokes," Blaise suggested smoothly.
Ginny's eyes darted to him, and a spark of interest gleamed in their depths.
Ron scowled and cleared his throat. "Did you girls have a reason for dropping by?"
"We're here on an important mission," Luna replied. "We visited the Prefects' bath and discovered that the mermaid is missing."
~*~
Harry timed his shower so that he exited shortly after Draco did. He was having trouble plucking up the courage to approach Draco and ask him why he continued to keep to himself. He doubted he'd be as nervous were it not for the fact that he was so attracted to Draco. He felt like his fourteen year-old self all over again, bumbling through an attempt to ask Cho to the dance. This was different, though. Harry wasn't about to ask Draco out...at least not yet. Harry would have to summon all of his Gryffindor courage for that. With a rueful shake of his head, Harry corrected himself--he was now possessed of Dumbledore courage.
Harry waited until Draco had dried off and was partially dressed before stepping closer to the other boy to gain his attention. When Draco glanced up at him as he shrugged into his shirt, Harry lost his nerve. "I wanted to ask you about...about Pansy," he blurted. He winced when Draco's expression became even more guarded than usual.
"What about Pansy?"
"I...well, I noticed she's been withdrawn," Harry floundered, "and I was wondering what might...be wrong with her." Draco stared at him for so long that Harry grew uncomfortable and reached for his own clothing. He dropped his towel and stepped into his pants.
"Pansy had a...trying summer," Draco said, attention on the buttons he was doing up.
"That's what Blaise said," Harry mused.
Draco looked up at him sharply. "What else did Blaise tell you?" he demanded.
"N-nothing," Harry stammered. "That's why we were concerned."
Draco tucked the ends of his shirt in. "Don't be," he said. "Pansy will be fine." He gathered his things and walked out of the bathroom.
Harry watched him go and asked of the empty room, "And what about you, Draco?"
~*~
"What do you mean, the mermaid is missing?" Neville asked, sitting up straight in his chair. His hand automatically went to rest on the wand in his back pocket.
Hermione stared at him, still somewhat surprised by this new, take-charge Neville Longbottom. Some day soon, she was going to sit him down over a cup of tea and find out more about what had transpired at Hogwarts last year.
"She's just gone," Ginny shrugged, pushing a lock of russet hair behind her ear. Blaise's dark eyes followed the movement.
"The stained glass wasn't broken during the battle, was it?" Hermione questioned, trying to recall if she had seen the mermaid there during the laborious reconstruction.
"No, it wasn't," Neville stated. "I worked on the Prefects' bath this summer during the rebuilding process, and I recall seeing the mermaid then."
"That's most peculiar," Hermione mused, her facile mind already mulling over possibilities. Draco entered the Common Room and paused at Hermione's words. In an effort to involve him, she gestured him over. "Ginny and Luna have informed us that the mermaid is missing from the Prefects' bath."
"The mermaid is missing?!" This came from Harry, who had walked into the room only a moment after Draco.
Hermione's eyes scanned Harry and Draco both, but not a hair seemed out of place. Interesting. She could have sworn a romance was budding between them.
"She may be lost and frightened," whispered Luna, staring at a spot over Greg's head.
Ginny clambered to her feet. "Speaking of lost, we should head back to our Common Rooms before our Housemates wonder what became of us." She herded Luna from the room, and the door closed quietly behind them.
Harry watched the younger girls go, then turned his attention to his own Housemates. "The case of the missing mermaid," he murmured thoughtfully.
"No, Harry," Hermione said firmly. Already, she could see where this was heading.
"No?" he asked her.
"The last thing we need this year is another quest," she stated firmly.
Harry grinned at her. "To the contrary," he disagreed. "I think a quest is exactly what Dumbledore House needs."
~tbc~
This was originally going to be an amusing, lighthearted five-parter, but now it's gone and grown a plot. *cries*
Sparks 4