Marked For Destiny

The Second Visit

Harry went straight to his room to freshen up and put on a new shirt.  He had been working tirelessly the entire day in the library and didn't want to smell like old books.  He chose a pale pink shirt with white trimming, with a collar and buttons.  He rolled the sleeves up again, as he was already feeling hot, and although his headache was still there, it was in the background.  He wore some aftershave, just because he wanted to.  No special reason, thank you very much. He hoped to Merlin that he didn't get a fever during the visit.

When he arrived outside in the garden, everyone was already sitting down, talking.  He leant against the door frame, folded his arms, and took in his surroundings. He noticed that Pansy and Blaise had indeed left, and felt a bit better.  Turning his attention to Professor Mcgonagall, he was astounded by her presence.  She was the type of witch that you didn't mess with.  He knew that firsthand.  And he had so much respect for her. She was the head of Gryffindor, but never took any crap from her students.  If they wronged, she made sure they got punished.  He liked that about her. Dressed in her usual green robes, she was sipping tea and talking to Snape.

Snape. Dressed in his body fitting black robes, Harry no longer felt threatened by him.  He remembered when he was younger, how the man had the ability to make you feel like a worm just for breathing, but that feeling had long gone.  He had nothing but respect for Snape.  After seeing his memories in the middle of the battle, he had found answers that he had been looking for, for so long.  Funny that it was him to provide them. He also had a feeling that the respect was mutual.

Dumbledore was talking to Lucius and Draco. Probably something to do with the trial, thought Harry.  Merlin knows he wasn't surprised to see Lucius back at his home yesterday.  Both father and son were listening intently, with their hands in the pockets of their pants.  He decided to study Draco some more, before their attention turned to him.  Merlin knows he's had enough attention for a lifetime.  Draco was a beautiful man.  Stunning actually.  His blond hair was falling slightly over his left eye, causing him to flick his head back now and then.  Harry thought it was delicate, the way he did that.  Or when he saw his long fingers brush some of his hair behind his ear.  Struggling to look away from such beauty, he turned and noticed that Narcissa was eyeing him with a smile on her face.

Knowing full well that Harry hated attention, she approached him slowly and linked her arm into his.  "Harry, you have to see the mini buds, they're positively gorgeous today", she gushed. Harry blushed, knowing that she had been watching him.  Well, it couldn't hurt to look, right. He was just happy that it was her who caught him watching Draco, and wondered what she was thinking.  Talking about flowers at a time like this, probably trying to save him being surveyed by anyone else.  Clever woman.  He felt a sudden kinship with her.

As soon as his mother had walked to the door and said Harry's name, Draco looked up immediately.  Normally, with his old Slytherin ways, he would have berated Harry for even standing next to his mother, never mind linking arms, but he too had matured since the first events of this whole sordid episode.  He knew that whatever was coming, was bigger then him.  And so he just stared.  At the back of Harry Potter. At the way his mother was laughing with him, at the way he was smiling.  At his perfect manly arse.  Oh Gods, he thought to himself, he was going to have to practice Occlumency on a continued basis, otherwise he would be in deep trouble.  Either that or he had to curb his thoughts and feelings for this gorgeous Gryffindor, but did he really want to.  He'd never had these feelings ever before, and if he had to be honest with himself, he was enjoying them.  That had to count for something.

Harry had a presence.  A presence so strong, that his entrance was felt rather than seen.  Narcissa turned to him and said, he should probably say his hellos before they all thought she was stealing him away.  He laughed out loud at that.  He couldn't remember the last time he had done that.  It felt great.  When they turned around, everyone stood to greet him.  He gave Professor Mcgonagall a look that said - sorry to drag you into hell again - and she smiled at him. Yes, she thought, he definitely was not a boy anymore.  He looked bigger, stronger, and exuded more confidence than he ever had.