𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍

Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 – Time, Confessions, and the First Time

The last three weekends the four had gone to Harry’s apartment without incident and had a wonderful time. They’d gone to the movies, went to a roller skating rink, and had spent the very last Saturday night playing Harry’s new X-box video system and games they’d all picked out. Draco was totally enthralled with the video system and Harry’s computer with internet access. Each weekend Harry had made private phone calls in his bedroom to Thomas and Mark. Mark was so distraught that he hadn’t seen Harry in weeks and weeks that he’d almost cried on the phone and Harry felt awful but promised him that the next Saturday they’d get to see each other again. Thomas had to go away on company business and would return the Wednesday after that and Harry and Thomas had made plans for the Saturday after the one with Mark. Two dates lined up and Harry was thrilled. And also quite horny because he’d not been with anyone since Thomas a month ago. Even though he and his one fantasy had spent their Saturday nights over the last four weekends in bed together chastely, Harry had the need to be with a real person in a sexual way and it couldn’t be his pale moonlight angel. Harry had been in a constant battle of not giving in for just one kiss, and he was weakening further to Draco’s charms and tiny flirtations getting drawn into him like a moth to a flame but catching himself just before he fell into those flames of passionate surrender. They’d been playing some type of flirty game which was getting more and more heated with their words and teasing to the other. Both were loving it but Draco had taken a date to the last two dances. Both boys from Ravenclaw. Harry felt the sting of it, but they weren’t together as a couple and Harry hadn’t attended a single dance yet that year and it was already the end of October.

At Hogwarts the seventh year court had taken more victims including Brigitte, Lance, Hermione and Dean. Hermione answered every question truthfully and afterward cited that it was indeed a very eye-opening, though humiliating, experience which had left her feeling much closer to her seventh year class since they now knew things she’d never revealed. It was trust and vulnerability but the court sessions were slowly grouping them in a tighter knit assemblage as a class.

The Slytherins had been so un-evil that Snape had questioned them all repeatedly of drug abuse and mental illnesses. The Gryffindors, however, did have a party just for the Slytherins and treated them to the finest hors d’oeurves that could be had along with butterbeer, fizzy pops and even a nice gift for the entire Slytherin house. The lions had pooled and purchased a large clock to sit on the Slytherin mantle in their common room. The small engraved plaque on the very large clock said ‘Let Our Truce Stand the Test of Time – Slytherins and Gryffindors’ and was sure to last for a hundred years in hopes that every house member entering Slytherin would see and hold the truce forever. When faced with the decision to get the snakes a gift, Harry had suggested the clock with the adage of a plaque making a statement to last more than just this seventh year for them, but for all future snakes and lions. The Gryffindors had applauded and upheld the suggestion and the Slytherins, having never had any generosity given them, were speechless and moved by such an effort of peace. The event even brought the Daily Prophet to take a picture with Harry, Draco and two more students from each house. Of course, Harry had pitched a fit about being in a Daily Prophet photo, but Draco wanted him to do it, so he did.

Quidditch practices for the Slytherins were on Wednesday evenings and the Gryffindors on Thursday evenings. Practice was grueling and hard work for three hours as the team practiced plays. Ron, the strategist rivaling any military general, had even included their star seeker in a few trick plays which they’d searched the rule book for and there were no rules stating that the seeker could not participate in such a way. Ron was delighted and Harry, for the first time, was going to be included in plays and a few tricks for the games upcoming.