Hex Me or Kiss Me Book One

A Message

May 22

Draco made his way up from the dungeons to Gryffindor Tower. Prefect duties out of the way for the day, he was looking forward to some quiet time with Harry. The Fat Lady no longer challenged him but instead, had started flirting with him. He actually preferred the more hostile approach. Finally, he stepped through the portrait hole and heard laughter. Harry sat with his back to him, and Draco leaned next to the portrait hole, listening.

"All this shit going on with Voldemort and Death Eaters and all anyone can do is ask me whether or not I'm shagging Draco Malfoy," Harry said with a sigh. "You'd think they would be more interested in other things."

Ron, who was still uncomfortable with the whole thing, turned a bit red.

Hermione tsked. "It is rather stupid," she said.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Harry continued. "Romilda Vane actually asked me if it was true he had a snake tattooed across his back."

Hermione and Ron both laughed. "What did you tell her?" asked Hermione, amused.

"I told her it's a sexy dragon and that it's on his chest," Harry finished, smirking and laughing.

Draco snorted, the small sound catching the attention of the Gryffindors at the table. He was leaning against the wall shaking his head, small smile on his face and arms across his chest.

Harry looked around at the sound, still chuckling. "Hey," he said, delighted to see Draco. He held out his hand. "Come here and sit with me."

Ron and Hermione were still laughing.

Draco pushed off the wall and took Harry's hand and the chair indicated. It felt good to sit down, even better to be with Harry. "So besides being tattooed," he rolled his eyes, "what else have I missed?"

Harry shrugged. "Not much," he said, staring around at all the books littering the table. "We've been searching, but we still haven't found much of anything." He sounded let down about it.

"There's still a lot to look through though," Hermione said cheerily, obviously trying to lead Harry away from glum thoughts. Ron nodded next to her.

Draco pulled a few books from his own book bag and put them on the table. One of the books he had been reading was Harry's Potions book. He handed it back to him so he could have it for class the next day.

"Thanks," Harry muttered before trying to quickly stuff it away before Hermione could see, but she was too quick for him.

"Harry, honestly, are you still using that book?" she asked crossly.

Harry sighed. "You know I am."

She shook her head. "Well, I still don't think it's good idea for you to be using it. There's Dark Magic in it."

Harry sighed. "Hermione, you don't know if there's Dark Magic in it. The Prince was a brilliant bloke! So he might've invented a dodgy spell or two, so what?"

"He, he -- who says it's a he?"

"We've been through this," said Harry crossly. "Prince, Hermione, Prince!"

She reached into her own bag. "Look at this," she said, pulling out some old newsprint.

Harry looked at it. It was an article on some rather unattractive girl named Eileen Prince, who was captain of the Hogwarts Gobstones team.

"So?" he said.

"Prince!" Hermione said, pointing to the girl's surname.

After Harry had tossed it aside, Draco picked up the article and read it carefully. The name sounded very familiar to him. He frowned trying to place it.