Pinky promise?
~
y/n waved goodbye to her friends before climbing up what felt like two hundred stairs to the top of the astronomy tower.
Once she got there she opened the door and saw her twin standing there and she turned to leave right when she saw him.
"We need to talk." He said in a stern no joke voice.
"What do you want?" She asked annoyed.
"I want you to stop hanging around Potter, Weasley and that filthy mudblood. I see the way Potter looks at you y/n father won't be pleased-" he stated but she cut him off.
"No." She said.
"No?"
"No." She said in a tone that made it final.
"Draco, we are twins. You can't keep telling me what to do, we are the same age, it's not like I'm younger than you." He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again as she held a hand up to stop him.
"I don't care that I'm a minute younger than you." She continued. "You can't just keep telling me what to do all the time."
"I can if father told me to and I'm the superior twin." He said, starting to raise his voice.
"Well father isn't here right now is he? And you made me leave my friends just to yell at me?" She was now raising her voice as well. "You even left that stupid note-"
He cut her off. "Wha- I didn't leave a note- whatever the point is you need to listen to me!" He said now yelling.
"NO YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME-" as these words came out of her mouth Draco hit her across the face with a book. He paused shaking in shock at what he had just done to his sister.
"YOU ARE BECOMING JUST LIKE FATHER!" She yelled tears streaming down her face as she turned to walk to the door.
"Y/N! WAIT!" Draco called.
"Save it." She said with tears still coming out of her eyes at that very moment Harry opened the door to the astronomy tower.
"y/n! You got my note!" She turned around to face him, tears coming out of her eyes. He was confused until he looked up and saw Draco standing behind her. At that moment Draco dropped the book he had in his hand to the ground and stood there frozen.
"y/n what happened?" he asked as she walked over and hugged him tight. They separated and he raised his hand to place it on her shoulder, she flinched, this made it clear to him what had just happened.
"It's going to be okay." He said to her, taking her hand and walking out of the tower.
"Y/N! WAIT!" Draco called but it was too late. She had already slammed the door behind her leaving Draco there with his thoughts.
I really am becoming like Father. He thought.
Becoming his Father was his worst nightmare and that nightmare was slowly coming true.
~
Harry and y/n made it back to the common room and stepped through the portrait hole. y/n sat down on one of the couches and Harry sat next to her. She didn't have to tell him what happened because he already knew. After a few minutes of silence and y/n stopped crying, Harry took out a cloth to wipe her tear stained face. He then examined her face where Draco had hit her and let out a gasp when he saw it was already starting to bruise.
"How hard did he hit you?" He asked. y/n just shook her head not wanting to speak. After a few more minutes of silence it was y/n's turn to break it.
"That was your note?" She asked, turning to face him slightly.
"Erm... yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something bu- but it can wait." He stuttered.
"Ok" She answered "but you have to promise to tell me." She said as she gave him a weak smile.
"Pinky promise?" He said holding out a pinky.
"Pinky promise." She replied as they locked pinkies.
"Come on." He said "Let's go to dinner, I'm sure Ron and Hermione are wondering where we are."
He held out a hand for her to take, she took his hand and slowly got up with a groan. "Ok, but can we not tell them what happened yet?" She asked.
"Of course, whenever you are ready." He said with a soft smile. "But I'm not promising you Hermione won't notice that bruise."
They then walked back out the portrait hole to which they came and headed to the great hall.
~
They walked into the great hall and walked up to Ron and Hermione. They hadn't noticed they were still holding hands and Ron looked down at their hands, smirked and looked back up at them. They quickly let go of each other's hands, sat down and started putting food on their plates.
"Oh shut it" Harry said while he felt butterflies in his stomach and y/n felt her face grow hot.
"Erm... y/n..." Ron started but hesitated "What happened to your face?"
"Ronald! You can't say that!" Hermione yelled
"No! No, I mean the bruise." His smile faded.
Harry looked over at y/n "Oh it's nothing..." y/n said while picking at her food. Her eyes filled with tears again.
"You sure?" Hermione asked."You aren't eating."
"I'm not hungry..." she pushed her plate away and left the great hall as Harry hesitantly followed her. Ron just looked at Hermione and shrugged.
"You ok?" Harry called.
"Do I look ok?" She said, pointing to bruise on her face with tears in her eyes.
"My own twin hit me across the face with a book just for hanging out with you!" She started to raise her voice.
"Oh... y/n I'm so sorry." He took a step closer to her and tilted her chin up closer to his face. She let out a breath of relief, he made her feel safe.
She looked into his emerald colored eyes and he looked into her e/c eyes. They stared at each other for a moment until their lips touched together. Not expecting it y/n pulled away and Harry gave her a look to ask if she was ok with this without saying it out loud. She answered his question by going back in for a deeper kiss.
Harry's stomach did back flips and y/n felt chills through her entire body and shivered.
"Come on." She said, pulling away. "I guess I am a little bit hungry." and they headed back into the great hall.
****
"Intriguing, yes? Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside?" Professor Lupin asked the class.
"That's a Boggart, that is." Seamus called out.
" Very good, Mr. Finnigan. Can anyone tell us what a Boggart looks like?" Lupin asked.
"No one knows." Hermione said as Ron jumped.
"When'd she get here?" He asked, confused.
Hermione continued, "Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears most. That's what makes it so-" She was cut off.
"Terrifying, yes." Lupin continued, "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Boggart. Let's practice it now, shall we? Without wands, please... Riddikulus!"
The class all repeated "RIddikulus!"
"This class is ridiculous" Muttered Draco.
"Very good!" Said Lupin. "So much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a Boggart off is... laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Neville, come up here, will you?"
Neville hesitated then made his way to the front of the class.
"What would you say is the thing that frightens you most?" Lupin asked kindly
"Profter... Snafpt..." He answered quickly
"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry."
"Professor Snape." Neville continued
The entire class laughed while Lupin kindly nodded.
"Hmmm... yes. Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?" Lupin asked.
"Yes, but I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either." Neville said while Lupin chuckled.
"It won't. But I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes, very clearly in your mind. Can you do that?" Lupin asked.
"She carries a red handbag..." He hesitated
"That's fine. We don't need to hear it. If you see it, we will. Now, when I open this wardrobe, Neville, here's what I want you to do..." He leaned over and whispered something into Neville's ear that none of the class could hear. Neville nodded and opened the wardrobe. Professor Snape slowly stepped out of it.
"Riddikulus!" Neville shouted and turned Snape's clothes into his Grandmother's close and the entire class burst into laughter.
"Everyone form a line!" Lupin said while turning on his record player.
Ron was at the front of the line while everyone pushed each other behind him. The Boggart spun and became a giant spider which Ron made slip by putting roller skates on it.
Then Parvati walked up and the Boggart turned into a giant cobra which she then turned into a jack-in-a box.
Next was y/n's turn; she stepped up to the Boggart and saw her Father and Draco with herself standing between them. The boggart version of y/n and Father were fighting and when the Boggart y/n refused to become a deatheater the Boggart version of her Father yelled "AVADA KEDAVRA" and she dropped dead.
y/n stood there frozen as Professor Lupin jumped in front of her. The Boggart spun into the moon.
"Riddikulus!" He said and the Boggart turned into a balloon and flew back into the closet which Lupin then locked shut.
"Well that's it for today's class, see you tomorrow!" The class groaned as they walked out the door.
Draco went up to y/n to ask if she was ok but she nudged him off still mad at him from their fight 2 weeks ago.
Harry, Ron and Hermione ran up to her, "And to think my Boggart was a stupid spider!" Ron said as they all hugged her.
With tears in her eyes she said it was alright as they continued walking.
****
"Remember! These visits to Hogsmeade Village are a privilege. Should your behavior reflect poorly on the school in any way, that privilege shall not be extended again." Mcgonagall said to the group of third years outside eager to go to their first Hogsmeade visit. "No permission form. No visiting the Village. That's the rule, Potter." She said looking down at Harry.
"Yes, Professor, but I thought if you said I could go-" Harry went on
"But I don't say so. A parent or guardian must sign, and since I am neither, it would be inappropriate. I'm sorry, Potter. But that's my final word." She said as she headed toward the group.
Harry walked over to y/n, Ron and Hermione.
"Forget about it guys she said no." He said with a frown.
The three gave him a sympathetic look before turning around to go until y/n stopped walking.
"WAIT! HARRY!" She called him and he turned back around. "I'll stay with you!" She said running up to him.
"No! No! I would feel too bad if you missed your first trip to Hogsmeade!" He said but inside he secretly hoped she would stay.
"No! I'll stay! Ron and Mione can bring us back stuff." She turned back at them and they nodded.
"Fine." Harry said with an eye roll. "But just this once." On the inside he was celebrating.
"Alright bye guys!" y/n said cheerfully!
"Bye!" They said back in unison as they turned to walk with the rest of the group.
"Come on!" y/n said dragging him along with her. "Let's go for a walk around the lake."
They headed toward the lake. As they went down closer to the lake it got a little colder and y/n shivered a bit. She wasn't wearing a jacket, just jeans, a sweater, a hat and a scarf. Harry noticed she was cold.
"Hey, do you want my jacket?" He asked as he was already taking it off.
"You won't be too cold?" She asked.
"No, I am the chosen one, remember, cold doesn't bother me." He smirked as she hit him on the arm and then grabbed the jacket and put it on. It was a bit big on her because of their height difference but she liked it.
"Thanks!"
"Anytime."
They continued to walk along the lake in silence for a bit until Harry broke the silence.
"So... erm... when I gave you that note to meet in the astronomy tower..." He hesitated.
"Yeah?" She asked.
"But then that kiss- I-" He continued "What do we call what we have. I know that I feel differently toward you then I do Hermione and Ginny." He said and she cut in,
"Yeah and I've realized that I've felt differently toward you then I do for Ron." At this Harry took a breath of relief and smiled.
"So... what now?" He asked her.
"Why don't we just go along with how we have been, just a tad more than friends but not dating yet?" She asked a little shakily.
"I'd like that." He said as they continued their way to the castle because they noticed the others have come back from Hogsmeade.
She's brilliant.
He's brilliant.
They both thought while walking back to the castle hand and hand.
****
All the Gryffindors were crowded around outside the common room as the quartet approached.
"What's going on?" y/n asked curiously.
"Maybe Nevilles forgot the password again." Ron stated with an eye roll.
"Hey!" Neville called from behind them.
"Sorry Neville." Ron said with a sigh.
"The fat lady! She's gone!" Ginny said in a panicked voice.
"Hey! Let me through, I'm a head boy!" Percy said while pushing through all of the Gryffindors.
"Round up the ghosts! Have them search the castle for the fat lady!" Dumbledore said to Filch the caretaker.
"No need for ghosts. She's over there." Filch said in his normally raspy voice.
All of the Gryffindors started running toward the safari painting the fat lady was hiding in. She was shaking and hiding behind a rock.
"My dear! Who did this to you?" Dumbledore asked in a worried and sympathetic voice.
"Eyes like the devil he's got. And a soul as dark as his name. It was him, Headmaster. It's him! The one they all talk about! Sirius Black! He's somewhere in the castle!" She said in a shaky voice.
"All students to the great hall immediately!" Dumbledore announced.
"You heard him! Everyone to the great hall! Now!" Percy repeated.
The quartet exchanged nervous glances and followed along with everyone else to the great hall.
The great hall was already set up for them to sleep once they arrived. There were sleeping bags everywhere and tables were pushed up against the walls. The great hall ceiling still looked like the night sky. It was beautiful. Harry chose a sleeping bag in between y/n and Ron and Hermione was on the other side of y/n.
"Ok! No more talking! Lights out!" Percy said
y/n turned to Harry and mouthed "I'm scared" and me mouthed a "me too" back and grabbed her hand until she fell asleep.
Harry laid awake. He seemed to be the only one still awake but he heard Dumbledore's voice and started to listen.
"I've done the dungeons, Headmaster. No sign of Black. Nor anywhere else in the castle." Snape said.
"I didn't really expect him to linger." Dumbledore replied.
"Remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter Hogwarts castle on one's own, completely undetected..." Snape continued, "You may recall, prior to the start of term, I did express my concerns when you appointed Professor-"
"I do not believe a single professor inside this castle would have helped Sirius Black enter it, Severus." Dumbledore continued "No... I feel quite confident the castle is safe. And I'm more than willing to let the students return to their Houses. But tomorrow. For now, let them sleep..." He paused looking down at Harry and y/n's hands.
"I see he has gotten quite close with Miss Malfoy. I can't wait to tell Minerva-"
"What?" Snape questioned but Dumbledore had already left the room.
~
Ok wow this was the longest chapter I have written so far! I will say that this took me all day! I had a few writing blocks here and there but I worked it out. So close to 3000 words!
We saw our first real sibling rivalry between y/n and Draco, quite intense if I do say so myself. I know there were a lot of scenes crucial to the plot in this chapter but I tried to add little bits of fun and fluff in there and it will only grow from here!
I hope you guys like the flash backs to the earlier years that I have been doing I've been wanting to include some pieces from earlier on though I don't think there are many in this chapter.
Let me know what you think Dumbledore is talking about when he says he can't wait to tell Minnie-
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! See you in the next one! Love you all!
(2958 words)
(published February 1st 2021)
~