A New Snake

Chapter 34

The Christmas season was approaching fast, and the Yule Ball was approaching faster. Harry still hadn't worked up the courage to ask Lily again. He didn't know what his problem was, he hadn't had any problems asking her last year. That is, he had trouble asking her until he saw the boys—from all houses—surrounding her at lunch.

He mustered up what Gryffindor was left in him and made a daring rescue from the overwhelmingly large amount of propositions coming Lily's way. He dove through the crowd, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her away from the throng of young men who—Harry could assume—had less than innocent plans for the evening of the Yule Ball. He raced out the large doors and towards the kitchens, glad that he had been able to save her from those barbarians. He finally stopped when they were safe in the kitchens surrounded by house-elves.

When they finally caught their breaths, Lily smiled at him, "Thank you so much, Harry. I didn't know what to do. There were just so many of them and I'm sure Papa wouldn't have approved of many of the methods I thought of."

Harry laughed breathlessly, "I'm sure not. But then he might have done the same had he not been a Professor."

"That is true," She laughed back. They sat of the floor and let Dobby, Winky, and the other elves bring them food, "You're such a great a friend, Harry. I don't know anyone else who would do that for me."

Harry's heart broke a little and he realized that there really was no way for her to like him as more than a friend. Oh, look at him pining over his best friend. How cliché is that?

"I'm glad I was able to do anything. But they'll keep coming back and by the way they were acting, I'm going to assume you don't have anyone going with you yet?"

She shrugged, "I don't. That is, no one has asked me. I guess I assumed we would be going together again, unless you wanted to ask the person you like?"

"No, I just didn't want to ask you and you already have someone in mind." She shook her head to that. So Harry and Lily would go together again, and Harry didn't even have to ask in a romantic way. They could still go as friends and the only awkwardness would be on his part. It was—more or less—the perfect situation. And she had an excuse to give to all those boys that wanted to take her. Not to mention he had an excuse for the boys and girls that always seemed to be around the corner.

He heard that Cedric would be taking Cho again, Dean was going with Seamus, Ginny was going on her own—she's a strong independent woman who don't need a man—and he could only assume that Draco would go with Blaise. Or maybe he would go with Pansy to cover up the oh-so-clear relationship between himself and the dark-skinned boy. Nevertheless, they didn't have to worry about other people bombarding them with requests. And Harry was glad for it. He didn't think he'd be able to take any one else now that he had realized his feelings for Lily.

After sharing their meal silently while the house elves worked, Harry checked the time and found that—if they didn't leave soon—they would be late for Arithmancy. So they got up, grabbed their things, and rushed out the door only to bump into Cedric on his way to the Charms classroom to teach some Fourth Years.

"Sorry Cedric,"

"It's fine. But you best get back on your way. Don't want to be late."

So they continued on their way. Harry didn't see the look Cedric gave them as they left. Because the Hufflepuff had seen what had happened in the Great Hall. He'd seen the look Harry had on his face when he saw all the boys surrounding Lily. Whether Harry realized what he felt, Cedric didn't know, but he could see it clear as day. He just hoped, for Harry's sake, that Lily reciprocated. Harry's had enough heartbreak in his life to go through that. Not to mention he still had another couple of years in the same house with her that would be too tension-filled to not be awkward.

But Cedric had faith. Harry might be just as unobservant as he was as a Gryffindor, but he wasn't. He saw Lily too. Her gaze always lingered on Harry. But not on his scar. On his eyes or his lips. He saw how she almost ruthlessly turned down boys and girls alike. He hoped she would have the courage to chase Harry, because Harry would sit on his feelings forever if it meant that he might lose a friend.

But now he was standing alone in the corridor and he was late for Charms. So, he continued on his way and Harry and Lily burst into their class, finding their seats just before the Professor came in.

For the most part, the rest of the day was uneventful. They had Transfiguration then joined Hermione in the Library for Free Period. She—of course—noticed Harry's feelings long before he did. She'd noticed the year prior when they went to the Yule Ball together. She noticed it in the way he would watch her absentmindedly when he was trying to figure the homework out. In the way his eyes sparkled and his face was so relaxed when he listened to her speak; as he hung on her every word. And she definitely saw it in the little spectacle he'd cause in the Great Hall when Lily had been surrounded by those boys. But knowing Harry, it would be a while yet before he acted.

Hermione was glad—for Harry and Lily's sakes—that Professor Snape had grown to like Harry considerably more than he had the years prior. She didn't even want to imagine what the Potions Professor might do to keep Harry away from his daughter had he disliked her friend as much as he used to.

Resolving to think about it no more, she turned her mind to her homework, and whether Ron would have the courage to ask her to the Yule Ball this year. But mostly on her work.

Dinner soon came and went and the evening met Harry, Lily, Draco, Blaise, and a few others in the Slytherin Common Room. They whiled the evening away playing Wizards Chess, Exploding Snaps—Blaise ended up challenging Harry to a game of poker, and Harry was convinced the cards were charmed to only let Blaise win, but they enjoyed themselves. They were still in the Common by the time that most everyone else was in their dorms getting ready for bed or already in bed. And still they stayed.

That is, they stayed until Draco fell asleep in Blaise lap while the dark-skinned boy and Harry played another round—which Harry lost, of course. It was at that time that they all decided that maybe they should get to bed. They did have school in the morning and the last thing they wanted to do was to fall asleep in Potions or, Merlin forbid, Transfiguration.

So Harry walked Lily to her staircase leading to the girls' dorms and said goodnight as Blaise carried Draco to their room. Harry supposed he could have levitated the blond, but perhaps it was meant to be a romantic thing. Wow, a romantic Slytherin. That sounds out of character, doesn't it?

That's when Harry thought on the fact that he had just unnecessarily walked Lily to her staircase that wasn't 2 meters from where they had sat. Perhaps a romantic Slytherin isn't such a strange thing after all.

Harry had learned so much about the Slytherin House since he'd been placed there. It wasn't anything like the image they were portrayed as. They were incredibly loyal and would defend one of their own with everything they had. They are much nicer and show way more emotions in private than in front of the rest of the house. Well, excepting, perhaps, Hufflepuff. Harry had learned that his new house isn't as horrible and cold and unfeeling as others wanted to make him think.

He decided, as he fell into a peaceful sleep, that he liked his new House considerably more than he had anticipated. He wondered why he hadn't chosen to be a part of it before and was immensely glad for the Fourth Year resort.