Together (A Harry Potter love story) 3

19

She shook her head disapprovingly, before walking back up to the staff table. As soon as Harry sat back down next to me, boys began clapping him on the back.

"Brilliant, Harry!"

"Potter! Nice one!"

Mione watched in disgust, glaring at Ron as he high-fived his best mate.

"That was one way of doing it," I murmured, chuckling as Harry sent me a cautious smile. He moved away from Percy, who was giving him a stern lecture, and wrapped his arm around me, softly pressing his lips to my cheek.

"Your welcome," Harry whispered against my skin.

"You've just made it ten times worse!" I exclaimed, though I laughed as he sent me a guilty look.

With a sigh, I rested my head on his shoulder and listened as he apologised to Percy. My heart swelled happily, watching the smiling faces of my boyfriend and our friends having a good time.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The school quickly moved on from mine and Harry's relationship, instead talking about Sirius Black. The theories about how he entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah spent much of our next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub.

The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat grey pony. Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.

"He's barking mad," said Seamus angrily to Percy one day at lunch. "Can't we get anyone else?"

"None of the other pictures wanted the job," Percy told him. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer.

Much to his annoyance, Harry was now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with him and Percy (acting, we suspected, on his mother's orders) was failing him everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog. I had found it quite amusing, however, when Harry had tried to kiss me in front of Professor Lupin, who instantly gave him a detention. He had only kept Harry for five minutes though, making him promise to only kiss me minimally. I thought I'd heard those words somewhere before, but it didn't matter - Harry and I didn't listen to them. Professor McGonagall had also pulled Harry into her office, looking so sombre I had thought someone must have died. She only told Harry that Sirius Black was after him, which of course, he had already known anyway.

The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team were training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch, who McGonagall had insisted watch out training sessions for Harry. Then, at our final practice before Saturday's match, Oliver gave his team some unwelcome news.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told us, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Why?" chorused the rest of the team.

"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," said Oliver, grinding his teeth. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."

There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Oliver spoke, I heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously from his seat beside me, leaning his elbows on his knees. "He's faking it!"