𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐒 2008

A Far Better Fate (1/2)

Author: nahimana (emerald_dragon8)
Title: A far better fate (Part 1 of 2)
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione (minor)
Rating: NC-17
Summary: "The concept is simple, Potter. People want customised magic. I provide them with it." AU from sixth year, with some elements of HBP included.
Warnings (if any): Sex, slash, a little bit of violence, drinking, cracky humour with dramatic themes
Total word count: ~ 13,400 words

A far better fate Part 1 of 2

since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;
- since feeling is first ; E.E. Cummings

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Scotland
Second Floor Corridor
(right near the stain from Fred and George's experiment with the
effects of coffee on moving statues)
1st February 1997, 1.57pm

The cat was following him again. The grey feline, who, before his (or her, Harry wasn't quite sure) month of absence, had become a regular part of Harry’s routine (as much as a feline stalker could be a part of one’s life) had returned, and was currently lurking behind the statue of Medea (a Greek Witch Binns was particularly partial to in his many, many lectures on the powerful witches and wizards in Ancient Greek literature). It was the month of absence that was the puzzling thing, Harry thought, though Harry would, if asked, categorically deny that he had missed the bloody thing. He attempted to make a discreet turn to watch the cat as he made his hurried way to his Potions class, but stepped on an extra-long shoelace and just barely stopped himself from falling flat on his face. If it were possible for cats to laugh, Harry would have been positive that his stalker cat had.

*

The only person later to Potions than he was, was Malfoy. Potions was not a subject that Harry had ever thought he would have any interest in, ever since his very first lesson with Snape. Even the introduction of a new teacher (why Dumbledore had been so enthusiastic about Slughorn, Harry would never know) had done nothing to convince Harry that his enjoyment could be increased. His lack of faith was proved to be a positive thing, as Slughorn turned out to be just as dull as Snape (though slightly less acerbic in his criticisms to all of those in his “Slug Club”). The only small joy Harry managed to grasp onto from his many long hours cooped up in the dungeons with a bunch of steaming cauldrons and Draco Malfoy was that Slughorn, unlike Snape, took great pleasure in treating Malfoy just like the rest of the class. Despite Malfoy’s competence in Potions (he managed to get most of his Potions right, though from past experience Harry had gathered that Malfoy was a far better student in Transfiguration, despite the house affiliations of the professor), Slughorn seemed to have taken an immediate dislike to Malfoy. Though he knew it was petty (and definitely not a thought to bring up in front of Hermione), Harry thought it was a small sliver of the revenge that Malfoy was rightly owed by the student population. Apart from all of that, though, the reason he disliked this particular potions lesson was very clear: Malfoy wasn’t staring at him. Harry didn’t quite understand why he found this so disconcerting, but the fact of the matter was, he did, and it was pointless trying to reason with his mind anymore, and he’d long given up trying.

Contrary to the many Potions lessons they’d recently had, when Malfoy had done little but stare at Harry (although once Harry had glanced over at Malfoy and he’d been staring at a piece of food stuck in Goyle’s hair, so Harry wasn’t exactly flattered, more concerned), Malfoy was now the picture of the attentive student. His quill was poised eagerly over his parchment, ready to take what was bound to be copious notes which were filled with the kind of excruciating detail that made Hermione’s notes more like textbook recitations than notes.