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fathomlessspite) wrote2007-08-27 11:55 am
And All Over Again PART 5
Title: And All Over Again
Author: fathomlessspite
Characters: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy and the rest of them
Warnings: slash, DH SPOILERS, epilogue compliant :(
Rating: PG thus far
Summary: (highlight to read) It's Lily Potter's first year at Hogwarts, it'll be the first year in thirteen since Ginny and Harry had the house to himself. But as Ginny has decided to take a course at a wizarding college in Egypt Harry accepts a teaching position at Hogwarts. With old friends and enemies surrounding him, questions about his slowly disintegrating marriage are hard to ignore.
A/N: Managed to update in a week this time! Just, anyway. If there are any errors, let me know as usual!
Feeback always makes my day, be it good or not so good!
CATCH UP: --PROLOGUE-- , --PARTS 1&2--, --PART 3--, --PART 4--,
Almost a full month passed before Harry heard anything from Ginny. A month during which he had grown accustomed to teaching, dishing out homework and docking housepoints.
Harry was polishing off his second piece of toast, vaguely listening to Oliver and Draco arguing about the soon to start school Quidditch season, when the post arrived.
A large brown post owl dropped an envelope onto Harry’s empty plate before flying back out of the great hall.
"Who’s it from Harry?" Neville asked through a mouthful of eggs and bacon. Malfoy paused in his diatribe on Slytherin tactics to look round Harry and sneer at Neville and his table manners.
As he leaned back in his chair to continue his conversation with Oliver, the letter in Harry’s hands caught his eye.
"Ah, the wayward wife eventually responds," he said with a smirk, pointing at the Overseas Owl Post mark.
"It’s from Ginny?" Neville asked with interest.
"Hmm, doesn’t seem particularly long," Malfoy said, prodding the slim envelope with the end of his fork. "For something that took near enough a month to write."
"How did you…?"
"You mutter to yourself when you write Potter. And I have ears like a bat. Either curtail the habit or write your personal correspondence somewhere other than the staff room." Harry rolled his eyes.
"Ears like a bat, huh?" he asked turning the envelope over and over in his hands.
"Yep, McGonagal loves to have him on patrol. Better than Filch at catching the little monsters out of bed after hours," Oliver said.
"Good for something, eh Malfoy?" Harry asked with a smirk of his own.
"I’ll have you know I’m good for many things, Potter," Malfoy retorted.
To his right, Oliver snorted. "Merlin Draco, don’t flirt with Harry. That’s the last thing he needs." Harry choked on his pumpkin juice, holding up a hand to stop Neville as he reached out a fist to thump him on the back.
He tucked the letter inside his robes and drained his pumpkin juice.
"Not going to read it?" Oliver asked.
"Not with you sods looking over my shoulder," Harry said with a pointed look at Malfoy before departing the hall.
* * *
Harry sat in his office a few hours later (it being a Saturday) marking fourth year essays, stopping every few minutes to glance at the letter sitting on top of a stack of third year tests.
It wasn’t long after that that there has a tentative knock on his door, followed by a much louder one.
"Come in," he called, smiling as two of his children walked through the door. "Hey guys," he smiled. "Everything okay?"
"Just came to visit," James said, throwing himself down into one of the chairs in front of Harry’s desk whilst Lily came over and appropriated a stool on Harry’s side of the desk which he sometimes stacked papers on.
Harry didn’t prompt James further, it was likely that Lily had just come for a visit, she often did. Albus too, came to see Harry every Wednesday after his last lesson, after questioning the schedule of this Harry had discovered that Scorpius Malfoy usually spent Wednesday afternoons with his father too.
James however, only knocked on Harry’s door with a purpose. Usually trying to get himself out of detention. He’d get to the point eventually.
"Albus not with you?" he asked after Lily had finished telling him about how Hugo had accidentally spelled his cat pink with lilac patches.
"Well it’s not like we could get hold of him easy, is it?" James asked. "Him not being in Gryffindor with us."
"Did you even try?" Harry asked, James looked down at his hands. "Just because he’s not a Gryffindor, doesn’t mean he is not a Potter," Harry said sternly.
"He’s probably too busy hanging out with that Malfoy kid anyway," James grumbled, revealing the purpose of his visit. Unfortunately Harry wasn’t going to be turned against Al’s friends, be they Slytherins or Malfoys, and no matter how jealous James was that Al didn’t need him as much as he used to.
"I think Al is smart enough to make his own friends," Harry reasoned gently.
"But his dad was a Death Eater!" James said angrily.
"His dad is one of your Professors so I wouldn’t go saying things like that to his face," Harry reprimanded.
"But he is, mum said so!" That got Harry’s attention.
"You’ve heard from your mother?" he asked.
"She’s written to Lily once a week," James said tauntingly.
"Shut up James, she did the same for you when you started school," Lily retorted.
"That’s enough," Harry interrupted before the argument could get anymore heated. "James, if Scorpius was a bad person do you really think I’d let Al be friends with him?" he asked. "And Draco Malfoy most certainly wouldn’t be teaching here if McGonagal thought him a bad person," Harry added.
A few seconds later there was a sharp knock on the door before it was pushed open. Harry was rather embarrassed to see Draco Malfoy in his doorway, having presumably heard the almost-a-compliment Harry just gave him.
Malfoy took in Lily and James before looking at Harry. "I can come back later," he offered.
"No, what is it?" Harry asked, curious despite himself.
"I was wondering if you’d cover a detention I’ve got after lunch?" he asked, tone neutral.
"Why?" Harry asked. Draco glanced again at Lily and James who were listening with interest. "Never mind," Harry amended quickly. "Sure, how long for?"
"Just an hour of cauldron scrubbing for a couple of Gryffindor second years, I’m sure you having a passing familiarity with that type of detention," he added.
"Unfortunately, yes," Harry agreed.
"Well, thank you then," Malfoy said, seemingly shocked that Harry had said yes.
"Don’t thank me yet, you owe me one Malfoy," he answered. Malfoy smirked in response before giving a sharp nod and exiting the office, closing the door behind him.
"Uncle Ron said you and Professor Malfoy didn’t get on," Lily said in confusion.
"Albus got to you, didn’t he?" James asked. A part of Harry wished the answer was yes, as then he’d have a reason as to why he was suddenly doing Draco Malfoy favours.
* * *
Harry had only been in bed for half an hour, staring at the ceiling rather than sleeping, when there was a loud rapping at his door.
Distantly, Harry wondered why the young woman from the portrait hadn’t come to wake him as he pulled himself out of bed and shuffled through the living room to the door.
His distinctly sleep addled brain found who was standing outside his door hard to comprehend. Thus, he ended up looking blankly at his visitor.
"Potter?" Malfoy questioned, frowning. "You look even more dim-witted than usual," he commented. The insult managed to permeate and Harry managed to scowl at that comment.
"Anyway," Malfoy continued, "Sorry to have to bang on the door like that, but you’re door-woman is asleep on the job."
"That would be because it’s one o’clock in the morning Malfoy," Harry responded.
"Ah," Malfoy said after a moment of surprise. "Well that explains it then. I just wanted to enquire after the detention you ran, but I can do that in the morning I suppose," he said rather quickly, taking a step back and turning to walk away.
"Malfoy, wait. What was the big emergency? Oliver said he saw you practically running off the grounds on your way out." Harry watched as Malfoy seemed to debate with himself whether to answer or not.
"My mother is ill," he said rather shortly. "It looked like she had taken a turn for the worse…" he trailed off.
"I, er, didn’t know," Harry said, suddenly embarrassed for demanding to know about Malfoy’s personal affairs. "Sorry," he added.
"Yes well," Malfoy said, seemingly regaining his composure, "She’s fine for the time being. Thank you again, and good night."
"Night," Harry said the Malfoy’s retreating back, standing in his doorway until he disappeared round a corner and for a few minutes after that.
Part 6A
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Although it's supposed to be without a NOT here, right: "Just because he’s not a Slytherin"? Had me confused for a second.
I want more updates, this stuff is so sweet and cute! (That's supposed to be a compliment, btw.)
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And thank you for you comments!!!
Another update by Monday, maybe earlier if I'm not called into work for any overtime :)
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Draco was right when he said it looked rather short though :)
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I'll wait patiently for the next update:)
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Glad you're enjoying it :)
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Great job so far, keep posting and I'll keep reading.
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Thanks for comments!
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Thank you for the comment! I shall try to update again soon!