Harry Potter 1. Chapters 1 and 2

Molly walks through the Great Hall for the seventh year in a row, obvious by the lack of amazement seen on her face but still with the eagerness of being back for another year. She walks over to her best friend Abigail, who quickly fills her in on the gossip of the summer. I watch her as her illuminated red hair glows in the fire light of the candles floating overhead. She looks good. I can't wait to see her eyes again, a treat I missed and dreamed about over the summer.

I sigh and turn to my mate McNair. He was always tall and skinny for his age.

"Hey, thinking of bulking up this year?" My typical greeting in one form or another.

" Nice tan you got over the summer Malfoy," he replies, making a joke of my constant paleness. We laugh it off and sit down to watch the sorting. See who we get to torture this year, in other words.

As we make ourselves comfortable, my eyes wander over to the Gryffindor table. I see that stupid ginger Weasley talking to her again. Not even talking, more like blushing and stuttering again. As if he doesn't know he would never be good enough for Molly. I sneak another peak at the crush I've had for years and I see she is smiling at that little pest. I watch her, trying to read her face to see why she is tolerating him. She gives nothing away. I'm distracted by the color in her cheeks. I have a tough time deciding if they are more of a cherry color or a pink glow. She glances around her and I quickly look down.

Dippet stars his term announcements and new rules of the year. I start thinking of all the things I want to do this year. This includes finding what job field I want to go into, and getting a certain red haired beauty to fall for him…

I wake up the next morning, don my silver and green and make my way up to breakfast. I'm feeling pretty good despite the fact that its Monday. Double transfiguration with the Gryffindors today. I shove a first year out of my usual breakfast spot and grab a piece of toast. My buddy, who I can't help but notice slightly looks like a troll stomps up to me.

" MAlfoy! You'll never guess who I have locked up in the boys bathroom on the third floor!"

" Who?" I Ask.

"Devin Thompson!" He is really excited about this.

" I don't believe a word of that. You locked him up by yourself and have him contained? Hardly. " Although this is possible, I don't want to give Crabbe the satisfaction of a job well done. Keeps him on his toes. I can tell he is disappointed by my lack of belief or excitement. I leave him to his bacon. I strut out of the Great Hall and take a sharp corner to the stairs. I see a flash of red before falling to the ground. I get up and look around quickly, thinking I was attacked and see a girl on the floor as well. Its _her. _I reach my hand down to help her up but she is already jumping to her feet.

"I- er Molly, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there. Are you alright? Have a nice summer?" Every sentence that was running through my head just escaped my mouth like an avalanche. She looks at me confusedly while trying to make sense of the cacophony of words I just threw at her. I'm so stupid.

"I'm fine," she says slowly, watching me to see if I'm joking or not. "I'm in a hurry, sorry. See you later." and continues in the opposite direction of me. That couldn't have gone worse.

Chapter 2

I ponder why I cannot even say a single sentence to her. I get to thinking that maybe not even I am good enough for her. I almost blow that off, but then think of my grades. I vow to work harder. I'm walking down a corridor when I hear voices coming from the supposedly empty classroom. I go back to the door and peek through the keyhole. The one good thing about living in a dodgy old castle. Ancient keyholes that are so big you can fit 2 fingers through it. Its some of my mates. I let myself in. It was amusing to see them all so jumpy.

"What going on?" I ask.

" Just talking about our summer. Remember our discussions from last year? Well the Carrows got theirs over the summer"

" When are you getting your Lucius?" Another voice asks.

I take the information in. I'm sort of involved in a group of friends who have the idea in their heads that they want to be Death Eaters when they grow up. Not something you want to go home and tell your mother. Its an anti-muggle sentiment mainly I think. I hear the leader of the group is lethal though. I fell into this group because I am seen as tough and I push kids around but I don't really believe all this rubbish.

"As soon as I can be of real service. More seventh year magic is undesirable to someone as powerful as the Dark Lord and I cant risk being thrown out of school. It will break the connections that may be of vital importance later." I Think most of them believe me.

We all separate and go to class. I sit bored through Defense Against the Dar Arts, a class that comes easy to me. Apprehension stars to prickle at me as the end of class comes nearer. Soon I'll be with _her_ again. For a whole class period. I stumble out of my chair and grab the homework on vampires on the way out. I take my new chair about 5 minutes later and take my book out. Laughter rings from the back of the classroom. Molly is entertaining a group of Gryffindors. Whatever happened to houses mingling?

For class today we are split off into pairs. The professor is in a particularly grumpy mood today and decides to pick our partners. It would be just my luck to be paired with that boy I dueled last year. All he needs is a chance to prove he's smarter than me. I already know he is. That's why I dueled him. I was completely baffled when I heard Molly's and my own name come from the cold lips of our professor. We walk to a less crowded part of the classroom and she smiles at me. I allow myself the tiny smile I could not stop from escaping.

" DO you want to try first?" We are turning a sheet of paper into a full glass of water.

" No, please, go ahead. " I gesture to our paper. She take out her wand. I study it. Holly for the wood but I couldn't guess the core. The spell works like a charm. No pun intended.

" oh, its only filled halfway!" she syas disappointedly.

" No, didn't you see Shay walk past and take a drink? It was perfect." She laughs and accepts the lie.

"Your turn."

I hope to Merlin this works and performs the spell. Nothing happens. I blush.

" Try flicking your wand a bit more. Say it with feeling." She offers as criticism. I try once more. The paper flutters, then falls. I turn to her.

" To be honest, this is my worst subject. I'm so nervous and I never got the hang of this. "

"Nervous what for? This is just practice, don't worry about it." She takes my wand hand and encloses my wand in the both of ours. She takes me through the wrist movements but I am so distracted by the feel of her warm skin and soft, small body so close to mine that as I try it with the incantation, I fail again.

" Just relax and take deep breaths. You'll get it." she says calmly. Oh, her patience. The quick temper on this redhead seems non-existent. I grin and look into her eyes. They are crinkled into a smile.

The class went by all too fast., By the end I still could get nothing more than a crumpled piece of paper.


	2. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I walk to the common room, in full acknowledgment that I had just made a fool of myself in front of Molly. Again. At that moment I had a bit of an epiphany. I could ask her to tutor me! In private of course, if word got out that a Slytherin had asked a Gryffindor to help, his reputation would be ruined. But yes, that's what I will do. I decide to spend some time gathering my books for next hour to give her some time to eat. I've swallowed a cauldron-full on nerves, so I won't be eating today.

When I get upstairs I carefully avoid all of my mates to forgo any questions. When I spot her, she is surrounded by 4 other girls. They are all laughing together. I can _not _do this. About 4 minutes and 36 deep breaths later I approach.

" Can I talk to you Molly? In private?" I try to sound like a polite gentleman but I still notice the curious and repulsed glares I am getting from the girls I interrupted.

" Sure Lucius."

"Could we walk down to the library?" Please say yes.

" Okay. See you guys later!" she waves. Questions are burning in the eyes of every single one of the 4 girls.

" Hey Molly, you know how I told you that I'm no good at transfiguration? And then I proved it?" She laughs. "Well yeah, that just happened a few hours ago."

"Well how would you feel about maybe tutoring me so I don't fail the class?"

"Well sure! Yeah I'll help you out." We get times and dates all figured out. We haven't quite reached the library so I make some conversation.

"So what are you thinking of doing when you're done with school?"

" Well actually I was thinking of opening a yarn shop in Diagon Alley. It'd be like a knitting shop with lessons and projects. Something that comes easily to me. Its kind of a silly dream. What about you?"

"That's not silly. it's a good plan. I'm not too sure just yet. I want to help people, but I don't know the best way for me to do that yet."

She smiles. "That's nice. Did you know, you're kind of unlike other Slytherins. And I mean that as a compliment."

"You're unlike the all the other girls in Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Gryffindor," I say without thinking, and I feel my cheeks go to flames. Her cheeks color too. We've reached our destination.

" Well, I'll see you later then," she says after an embarrassed silence. I enter the library, walk to the first vacant chair I see and relish in my success.

A week and a half later I am at my first lesson with Molly.

" Thanks for helping me out with this," I say quietly. We are in an empty classroom. Alone. The sunlight from the lone window is falling on her freckled nose.

"Not a problem," Molly says with a smile. We mainly practice the spell from the other day in class but later go back to the things from last year. We go through the theory of each spell first.

"You're making progress Luc." The lesson ends about two hours later. We step out of the classroom and are walking together in no place in particular.

" Do you want to come to the owlery with me?" Molly asks. I nod. "I've a letter I'd like to send."

"Are you close with your parents then?"

"More with my mum."

"Oh. Any reason why?"

" Not really. Just personality really. Are you close with yours?"

"No. My mother died when I was 3 and my father is not the friendly type. We both stay out of each others way." She may be the first person to ask me this. I didn't know I was keen on sharing and have no idea why I've just told her this. I don't regret telling her though. She looks up into my eyes and I'm nervous about what she sees.


	3. Chapter 4

Fall chills over to winter and I watch black blobs with house scarves race inside after snowballs fights, hogsmeade visits, and other outdoor ventures. Even I can find some reason to be cheerful this holiday season. Slytherin is almost ahead of Ravenclaw for house points and I count myself a close friend of a certain beautiful redheaded firecracker. I am sitting by a large blazing fireplace at one of the long house tables when she approaches me.

" That's a beautiful sweater," I admire, seeing how full her chest looks in a scarlet tight-fitting jumper.

"Thanks! I just finished making it last night."

"You made that?" I am impressed. What a useful talent.

She laughs. "Yeah. So no classes today, what are your plans?"

"I was thinking of asking a pretty girl if she'd like to play Wizard Chess with me." As you can probably tell, I've grown more at ease around her. She plays along as asks: "And who would that be?"

" Hmm probably a Gryffindor because they always love a chance to prove their superiority."

"I think you're mistaken. Slytherins act so uppity and as if they're better than everyone else. Its up to Gryffindors' to knock then off that pedestal." she counters after laughing.

During the game I am distracted. Today seems like the perfect day to ask her. I am comfortable around her and she seems to like talking to me. I can't decide what to do.

" Pay attention Luc! Its your turn."

I lose the game, terribly. I notice that I'm smiling when it ends though. I hate losing.

" What's on your mind?" Molly asks, looking perplexed.

After a pause, "Nothing Molly. Sorry. Play again?" I'll ask her later. I'm not ready yet.

A few days later we are in the library studying for an exam in charms. She has just arrived and is looking radiant.

"I'm glad you are, but why so happy?"

She beams and says, " Well, to be honest. My close friend just asked me to be his girlfriend. And I said yes."

My throat and breath are no longer within my power as I try to cover up my devastation. I sputter and cough and feel that rising sense of uncontrollable panic. "Who is it?" I manage to let escape my lips.

"Arthur Weasley."

Absent-minded Arthur? He isn't best in class or Captain of the quid ditch team. He's average. He doesn't even have the power of determination. I Hope this relationship ends quickly, it being our last year at Hogwarts. I decide against dueling him for he may end up in Saint Mungo's for several months and he seems to be making Molly happy for the time being.


End file.

Harry Potter, Hurt-Comfort, Romance