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Severus looked up sharply from his uncharacteristically slumped position on his sofa. “I had to assign Potter, Bones, Nott, Granger, and Frederick Weasley detention at three o’clock this morning Minerva. Three o’clock in the morning. And do you know who alerted me to their presence outside on the grounds? Auror Nymphadora Tonks.”

Minerva’s smile only grew at that. “Why was I not informed before now of one of my lions being out of bounds?”

“I had it handled,” Severus scowled. “I assumed you would rather sleep than deal with a dispute caused by, isn’t this surprising? Bloody Potter.”

Minerva laughed, “What excuse did they offer? I was under the impression that Harry and Fred were still on the outs.”

“They are,” Severus rolled his eyes, comfortable enough with Minerva that he didn’t feel the need to keep up his usual facade. “From what I could gather, reading between the lines of their blatant lies, was that Miss Bones was attempting to force Potter and Weasley to talk to one another, and decided that the middle of the night was the most inconspicuous time to do so.”

“And Theodore and Hermione went along as well?”

“They did not,” Severus looked up at the ceiling and sighed heavily. “They were caught exiting a broom closet when I returned the others to their dorms.”

And Minerva, the prudish old witch that she shows to the rest of the castle, laughed until Severus saw her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

“They’re- they’re- terrible,” Minerva said. She took a few steadying breaths and attempted a more stern expression. She failed, but it was a rather noble attempt. “How do you survive the summers Severus?”

“Sheer determination,” Severus said both sardonically and entirely truthfully.

“I have no idea why Albus chose Bones, Potter, and Granger for prefect positions. They only memorized the rules so they can quote them to us when they’re caught breaking them,” Minerva said.

“That is precisely why Nott got an extra detention,” Severus told her. He finished off his drink and summoned the bottle. “He informed me that Potter and Bones were not technically breaking the rules, as there is no curfew for prefects.”

“He is not incorrect,” Minerva said carefully. “Were they behaving unruly when Nymphadora fetched you?”

“Potter and Bones were having an extraordinary screaming match, which is what I technically assigned detention for,” Severus said drily. “Weasley was slumped on the ground looking like a kicked crup as he plucked up handfuls of grass.”

“Oh Fred,” Minerva sighed sadly. “I admit I didn’t care for the two of them together at first, I was afraid of the repercussions for the rest of the castle. But I thought they seemed happy together, certainly Harry seemed more relaxed around Fred and Fred was a touch more mature thanks to Harry. I was beginning to believe that they would last. Harry really won’t tell you why they broke up?”

“He won’t,” Severus sighed. He rubbed his eyes wearily, the conversation and the alcohol beginning to wear him down. “I believe Bones knows, but God knows that girl will never betray Potter’s confidence. I told Potter perhaps he should move on, find someone else, but I think he still cares for Weasley in some way.”

“Pity. I hope they can figure it out.” Minerva shook her head and poured them both another drink. “Last one then?”

“Last one,” Severus agreed, accepting the last cup out of the bottle Minerva supplied gratefully. They both examined the chessboard that was abandoned around the second drink and made a few half-hearted moves.

“Why you?”

“Pardon?”

Minerva cleared her throat and her eyes had an almost Albus like twinkle in them. “Why did Tonks summon you as opposed to myself or Pomona when she discovered the students?”

Severus hastily moved his eyes back to the chessboard, a futile attempt to hide his embarrassment. “I did not ask.”

Though he was quite certain it had something to do with the offer of drinks that Nymphadora brought up. An offer he immediately turned down with as much firm force as he could muster in the face of his surprise. The last thing Severus needed was a further entanglement with the aurors department. Particularly not when his ward was Harry Potter, the youngest serial killer in Britain with plans of taking over the Ministry.

Minerva hummed thoughtfully and used her knight to capture Severus’ queen. “Perhaps it may be time you take your own advice Severus.”

“What advice is that?”

Minerva waited until Severus looked up, holding his gaze with her kind maternal smile.

“Move on,” she said gently. “Find someone else.”



Severus, no doubt due to the excess amount of alcohol he consumed, thought of Minerva’s words once he was alone once more.

Moving on was fine for young men such as Potter. Potter was hardly a poison to those he cared for. Potter was not required to live the rest of his life atoning for his sins. Potter had not singlehandedly caused the death of someone he loved, an unrequited love certainly, but that didn’t lessen the hold on Severus it had. Severus looked at the photo of Lily that Potter gifted him in his first year and felt a swell of emotion.

Minerva could say what she wished about Severus taking his own advice, but if Severus had managed to end the life of such a pure and unique soul as Lily Evans, he hardly needed to inflict himself upon others.

Potter though...

Severus scribbled a hasty letter to Lupin, reminding the man of his duty to Potter before he drifted off in a fitful sleep.

One that was, thankfully, not interrupted by his erratic ward or an overly flirtatious and misguided auror.

Chapter End Notes

Up Next: A new POV for the Slytherin quidditch tryouts.

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He’d done it.

He waited with the other teammates, curious about little Bailey still lingering around them, and watched as the last two keepers and chasers fought for the final two positions. Ron kept up his ‘happy but not too happy because he totally knew this would happen’ face, but he was doing a mad little dance on the inside.

He did it.

It took another thirty minutes where Harry and Draco whispered quickly to one another before Harry finally blew his whistle and landed the lone keeper and the two chasers.

“You’re out,” he told one of the chasers, keeping the bloke in the scarves. Harry looked toward the keeper, a smart mouth git that Ron always heard bragging about ‘important people he knew’. “What’s your name?” Harry asked him, making Draco and Ron grin at the blokes obvious annoyance that Harry didn’t already know it.

“King,” the keeper said pompously. “Reynold King, sixth year. You can call me Ryan though.”

“‘Kay, King, you’re in. And yours?” Harry smirked at the bloke in the scarves, as if he knew something the rest of them didn’t.

But Ron forgot all about Harry’s smirk when the ‘bloke’ took the cap, scarf, and goggles off and Daphne Greengrass appeared from beneath them.

“Daphne,” she smiled.

And, Merlin, it was like the sun chose that exact moment to bounce off her smile and send sparkles directly in Ron’s eyes.

If he’d thought Hermione was cute, and Fleur was gorgeous, it was nothing to how Daphne looked in her quidditch gear, holding her broom and smiling in the middle of the field.

”I told you I wouldn’t have cared if you’re a girl,” Harry said, apparently continuing some conversation the rest of them were unaware of. “You didn’t have to come in a disguise. You’re a good flier.”

”I didn’t want to take any risks,” Daphne smiled. “It’s been over twenty years since Slytherin had a female player.”

”Well you’re in,” Harry said. “Get in line.”

“Alright, gather up guys!” Harry blew his whistle again and everyone circled around him.

It took Ron a split-second to remember to move, but then he shook off his thoughts of this girl with pretty pink lips and long shining blonde hair and joined his new team.

“Here’s the lineup- I’m captain and seeker. Draco, Ron, and Daphne are chasers. King is keeper. Bradford and Oscar are beaters. Bailey is reserve seeker-“

“Reserve seeker?” King interrupted curiously. “I didn’t know it was a spot?”

“I made it a spot,” Harry narrowed his eyes slightly. “Then if one of you can’t play, I can take your spot and Bailey can take mine.”

“Genius,” Oscar breathed.

“I know,” Harry smirked. He scribbled something on his parchment then seemed to look between Ron and Draco quickly. “And Ron the vice-captain. If I can’t make it to practice then he’s in charge, yeah?”

Ron’s jaw dropped when the others all looked at him.

“Me?” he breathed. “But-“ he glanced hesitantly towards Draco. Ron wanted to be vice-captain more than anything, but Draco was his best mate. “Draco’s been on the team longer?”

“And you’re better with team strategies,” Harry said easily. “Unless you don’t want it?”

“I do,” Ron said hastily. He sent Draco an apologetic look, but Draco didn’t look phased in the slightest. He just smiled at Ron in a good-natured way that Ron wasn’t sure he would have been able to do if he was in Draco’s spot.

“‘Kay. Practice is every Tuesday and Thursday at four thirty, Sundays at six. Don’t be late,” Harry said sternly. “I’m not losing a single game this year. If you can’t keep up, you’re out.”

“Yes sir!” Bailey saluted, triggering the rest of them to salute Harry.

“Oh, damn, hey I almost forgot.” Harry’s smirk grew as he surveyed his team. “My godfather said he’d buy our team new brooms this year, so everyone’s playing our first game on Firebolt 100’s.”



Ron walked back to the castle with his friends in a complete daze.

“Am I dreaming?” he asked aloud, intending the question for Draco or Blaise.

But it was Daphne who winked at him when she answered in their stead. “If you’re dreaming, I’m dreaming.” She let out a small giggle as she ran off to catch up with her friends, “Later, Weasley.”

By the time Ron made it to lunch, he decided that he was definitely dreaming.

He never wanted to wake up.

Chapter End Notes

Up Next: Usually Harry says ‘ugh this year is the worst’ but honestly this year just keeps getting better and better.

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The boys had a great time flying. By the time they landed they were all sporting flushed cheeks and windswept hair.

“There’s no way we can lose.” Draco had a bounce in his step as they went to lock their brooms up with the others in the changing rooms. “We’re-“

“What the fuck?”

Harry’s overwhelming happiness from flying with his friends died immediately as his vision went red. Because there, leaning against the outside of the Slytherin changing rooms, was Fred.

Fred and some fucking tosser snogging.

Harry’s vision seemed to narrow down to this one person. This yellow clad older student.

Ron and Draco darted forward to yank Harry away, but they were too slow.

Harry landed a punch to the Hufflepuff boys face before he even had a chance to realize Harry was there.

“ARE YOU FUCKIN SERIOUS?” he yelled. He went to hit him again, but the prat ducked and Harry hit the building instead.

“What the hell?” the boy yelped, darting off to the side, effectively blocking Harry’s next hit.

“Harry, c’mon,” Ron made a brave grab at Harry’s right arm and yanked on it. “They’re fucking brainless morons, don’t get expelled mate.”

It was only Ron’s use of Harry’s favorite curse word that drew Harry’s eyes from the Hufflepuff boy to Fred.

Fred who was fucking grinning at him.

“Don’t touch me,” Harry shook off Ron’s hold of his arm and glared at Fred. “I will kill you,” Harry hissed.

“Why?” Fred asked innocently as the Hufflepuff boy ran towards the castle as quickly as he could. “You’re not jealous, right Harry?”

Harry’s hand flew to his pocket- only to be stopped by Draco this time.

“No!” Harry spat. God he was sick of people accusing him of being jealous. “You- I- detention. You have detention.”

Fred’s smile only grew at Harry’s blatant abuse of his authority as prefect. And Harry had never wanted to hit him so bad before.

“With Snape,” he sneered. “On Saturday.”

Which meant that if Fred and the coward that ran away had plans for some cute little Hogsmeade date, they were cancelled now.

Harry went to stalk off, but Fred’s laughter almost had him giving up his entire education if he could just go back and hit him one time.

“Breathe,” Draco murmured from his side. “He’s just trying to get a reaction from you.”

“Is murder a reaction?” Harry growled.

“He’d deserve it,” Ron muttered darkly. “Merlin. I can’t believe he’d be so daft.”

“Who was the other bloke?” Harry demanded as soon as the three of them were safely in the locker room and Harry had slammed the door behind them.

“Kaleb Barrett,” Draco supplied immediately. He carefully grabbed the Firebolt still in Harry’s hand from him and hung it up on the wall. “Seventh year Hufflepuff.”

“Well he’s got fuckin detention too,” Harry snarled.

“Snape might not like you giving them detention for pissing you off,” Ron said slowly. “Tell him it’s for public display of affection or something.”

Harry bit his tongue until he tasted blood and jerked his shoulders in a shrug.

Snape better just be happy Harry didn’t kill them and make them absolutely miserable during detention.

He probably would.



Harry immediately logged Barrett and Fred’s detentions the moment the three of them got back to the castle. He hesitated when he had to write down a reason before firmly writing ‘snogging in public’.

Snape would figure it out.



Harry returned to his classes with the other Slytherin boys and was relieved that everyone seemed to understand he was not in a good mood and did not want anyone to talk to him.

Draco had explained what happened in a note he passed to Susan in defense, causing her to glower and mentally swear to kick Fred’s arse. But she knew better than to bring it up to Harry when he looked half a second away from burning down the entire castle.

Even Luna kept her distance, knowing Harry needed time to calm down before she tried to cheer him up.

And, by Friday evening, Harry was mostly calm.

He was digging out every book on curses that the restricted section of the library offered (another perk that came with his prefects badge) while his friends wrote their essays for Flitwick, but he was calmer now.

He had ended it with Fred because Fred deserved better. Fred deserved someone who wasn’t broken and could give him everything he deserved.

But fuck if Harry wanted to see Fred actually snogging someone else right in front of him.

“That’s a good one,” Blaise murmured, gesturing to the book Harry brought back to their table. “There’s an excellent curse of castration in there.”

Harry wasn’t sure what castration was, but if Blaise said it was a good curse then he’d add it to his list of things to try out if he ever found Barrett alone in the halls.

“Are we allowed to talk about it now?” Susan whispered to Harry after she neatly rolled up her essay.

“Nope.”

“He doesn’t really like Barrett,” Ron jumped in quietly. “He’s just-“

“Think I said ‘nope’, didn’t I?”

“We’re talking about it during patrol tonight.” Susan crossed her arms stubbornly. “If nothing else, we can plot revenge.”

Harry just nodded and focused on his book. The rest of them finished up their essays and chatted quietly about their classes and which OWL will be the hardest and a million other things Harry didn’t give a damn about just then.

“Hi Harry.”

Harry glanced up irritably at the girl who was standing beside the table his gang had claimed way back in first year. His friends quieted down, curious what she wanted from Harry.

Except Luna, who hummed as she stared up at the ceiling with an odd little smile on her face.

“What?” Harry snapped at the girl.

“I wanted to find out how I can sign up for your defense club,” the girl smiled coyly, twisting a lock of her long dark curls around her finger.

“Mione and Theo do sign ups,” Harry said coolly. “They’ll add your name.”

“It’s Romilda, Romilda Vane,” the girl smiled, not even looking to where Harry pointed out Hermione and Theo.

“Brill,” Harry grit out, losing what little patience he had. “Tell them.”

“I also wanted to know if you had plans Saturday?” she asked, either oblivious to Harry’s decreasing patience or ridiculously brave to continue the conversation.

Harry’s brows twitched and he cocked his head to the side as he studied her. She was pretty enough; long black curls, dark skin, and light brown eyes framed in thick lashes. She had on the school uniform, but hers looked to be shrunken on her as it clung to curves that the other boys were doing an admirable job of ignoring.

And, most importantly, she was a Gryffindor.

Harry closed his book and offered her a charming smile. “I don’t,” he lied.

Romilda beamed, and she had a decent enough smile. “Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?”

Harry eyed her maroon and gold tie one more time before he leaned back in his chair and shrugged casually. “Why not?”

His friends exchanged surprised looks, all of which Harry ignored.

“Great!” Romilda bounced on the balls of her feet. “I can meet you in the Great Hall at noon?”

“See ya then,” Harry smirked.

“What in Merlin’s name was that?” Theo asked in a hushed whisper as soon as Romilda left.

“Payback I’m pretty sure,” Blaise smiled. “And a pretty payback at that.”

Neville shook his head in Harry’s direction. “She’s going to tell the entire Gryffindor common room that she’s going out with Harry on Saturday.”

Harry bit back a smug grin. He had been fairly certain that Romilda was one of the girls who giggled in their groups when they saw him in the halls, which was fine by him.

”You know she only asked you out because you’re famous?” Draco said hesitantly. “I thought you wanted to go out with someone who liked you for you?”

“It’s one date,” Harry said lightly. “I don’t care why she asked me out.”

All he actually cared about was that she bragged to the seventh year Gryffindor boys.

Sirius & Lupin,
Can we reschedule lunch? I’ve got a date Saturday.
-Harry.

Chapter End Notes

Up Next:
Yes, Severus would love to deal with more Potter nonsense on a Saturday evening. Why not?

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The Hall seemed to go silent as everyone watched the the envelope magically levitate itself and unfold right in Harry’s face.

“HARRY JAMES POTTER! HOW DARE YOU BUILD THE GREATEST QUIDDITCH TEAM EVER! DID YOU EVEN THINK OF HOW DEVASTATED MINNIE WILL BE WHEN THE LIONS LOSE? HOW EMBARRASSED SHE’S GOING TO FEEL? IT’S GOING TO BE TERRIBLE FOR HER WHEN YOU LEAD YOUR TEAM TO VICTORY! I AM SO DISAPPOINTED-“

“PADFOOT! DO NOT TELL HIM YOU’RE DISAPPOINTED YOU IDIOT! WAIT, IS THAT A HOWLER?!”

“GOTTA GO! LOVE YOU PUP!”

Harry’s face had never been so red in its entire life.

He was going to kill Sirius. The brooms he was sure were in this box were not worth having everyone stare at him as the envelope burnt itself to ashes.

He sent a nervous glance up at the Head Table and saw that Snape and McGonagall both were watching him as well. Snape was smirking, probably laughing at Harry’s embarrassment like the bastard Harry knew he was on occasion. And McGonagall’s lips had never been so thin before.

“Ten points from Gryffindor,” she snapped, thankfully taking the attention off Harry.

“Oi! What for?!” Thomas yelled from the Gryffindor table.

“Nostalgia,” was McGonagall’s curt response.