Luck of Nines

62

(An: is this an early update or an extra update, I have no clue, either way, I've made a lot of progress on chapters and I'm pretty excited about that so here we are. -T.A.L.A. )

"Just keep walking."

The Ravenclaws, while nowhere near the level of the Gryffindors yet, tended more towards hostile; it would be better to have even numbers of it came down to it, but it would be best not to have to stop and deal with them at all, the adults were increasingly unforgiving about any fights they caught, verbal or not.

Grabbing onto Draco's arm, Harry set a quicker pace, not quite hurried, but still quicker than they had originally been going. Eyes quickly turned to them, May quickly glancing away and to the ground not a second later, but the other three sets sizing them up.

Harry stared them down, not giving an inch as they walked, the two Ravenclaw's directly in their path almost instinctively drew back.  He moved Draco so that they were walking in front, pushing slightly to keep them walking and gripping May's upper arm as he passed her, dragging the other up and onto her feet as he continued walking. She stumbled and stared wide eyed, still sniffling, but they made it a few steps before one of the Ravenclaws grabbed her arm and tugged back.

        Harry looked askingly at May, at this point they'd let Draco and he go without much conflict either way so long as they just ignored the Ravenclaws. She didn't hesitate more than a second before she pulled free from both of them marching with set shoulders and trembling hands down the hall.  Harry pushed Draco forward again and continued the pace he had set. 

      Draco nearly ran into May as they turned a corner and found her waiting, but she barely seemed to notice, her eyes only watching Harry as she moved past Draco. 

      "Thank you for saving me, it definitely won't help the Ravenclaws view of Slytherins given they don't like people getting in the way of what they do but I appreciate it."

      "Sure," Harry nodded taking note of how she stood to block his way. 

      "I mean us newbies to the magic world have to stick together right?" She smiled, it was the smile of someone who thought they were clever and we're trying to come across as genuinely, openly friendly.

      "I don't think it particularly matters, people will be people." Harry easily sidestepped her clumsy block to join Draco, "I'm glad I could help you though."  Theo always harked about using words, that if you helped someone, thankfulness could easily turned to rage if you didn't use the correct words. 

     It was tiring.

      With a few quick detours to avoid the very pointed patrol of two Gryffindor prefects, the duo made it safely back to the common room though where Ron waited with Bulstrode, the former rushing over to nervously greet them the second they entered.

"Are you alright? Where's Nott?"

"He's fine, just in the hospital wing for observation due to complications." Draco answered evasively.

"Complications?" Ron asked in a horrified whisper.

"He's having a bit of trouble speaking, it's probably just a minor curse or something." Draco waved him off again, making sure to lock eyes as he emphasized, "You don't have to worry about it."

        Ron hesitated but seemed to recognize this wasn't something to discuss in the only partially emptied common room, "Alright, Bulstrode and I were just discussing Dumbeldore's recent interviews in the Prophet. Would you like to join?"

      Draco easily accepted, Harry taking the nearby seat to watch the conversation. A part of him wanted to stretch out as he sat in the chair and lounge properly by the fire as he listened as he once did when living with the Sully's but he resisted the impulse and sat upright and human-like, as the other wizards did.