Harry Potter

To Love A Slytherin

by Zelgadis Greywood at Yahoo dot com.

Pairing: Harry/Draco

Rated PG

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling created Harry Potter and his fellow classmates. I did not.

To Love A Slytherin
by Zelgadis Greywood

"Now class," Professor Trelawney drawled in her usual mystical voice.

She was in particularly good form this evening, Harry decided as he listened to her declare a variety of disasters for several students.

Hermione, it seemed, was going to die in a tragic accident after tripping over a house elf on her way down the stairs. And Ron was not going to die, but he was going to discover that Fred and George were madly in love. With each other.

"Wouldn't surprise me in the least," Ron said. "They've been inseparable since they were kids. It's either they end up with each other or one gets married and the other spends life as a Peeping
Tom."

Trelawney ignored him as she moved on to Harry.

Harry sat there, waiting for the daily warning of his impending death.

"It would seem that the eye of the Grim Reaper has turned away from you today, Mr. Potter," she smiled. "But the pale serpent has given you his heart. Tread carefully, Mr. Potter. Break not the
serpent's heart, for it is given truly."

"Excuse me," a Gryffindor first year raised her hand. "Are you saying Draco Malfoy is in love with Harry Potter?"

Hermione, who was just returning from the girl's bathroom, was so startled, she dropped her bag. The muffled sound of breaking glass within went unheeded as she hurried over to Harry.

"I am *NOT*," Draco exclaimed, paying no attention to Hermione. "I can't even stand that do-gooder Potter and his loser friends."

"Methinks the young Slytherin doth protest too much," Professor Trelawney remarked, smiling as she returned to the lesson on hand. "Now, you've all learned how to make predictions about yourselves. It's time to move on and learn how to make them about others."

"I predict," Ron said, trying to come up with the most ridiculous and tragic thing he could think of "that Professor McGonagall will get fleas."

"Good one, Ron," Harry whispered. "But I bet McGonagall won't be pleased." He looked up, noticing that Trelawney was waiting for his prediction. "Um... I predict that before this term is up,
Professor Snape will be getting married."

"That's tragic?" Ron asked.

"It is for the bride." Harry laughed as the bell signalled the end of class.

*****

The next day's breakfast saw the usual flurry of owls. Daily Prophets were delivered to both the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.

Ron put his aside and stuffed a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"So, who do we have today?"

"Potions with the Slytherins," Harry replied.

And speaking of the Slytherins, they were in good humor this morning.

"So, Potter," Draco sneered. "Looks like we all know now why famous Harry Potter has no girlfriend. He's been looking for a boyfriend all this time. So, tell me, who's the lucky guy? Is it
Weasley? Let's see," he began to read aloud to the class, sounding bored, as if he weren't truly paying attention:

"Ever wonder why Harry Potter seems to avoid any girl who's not a Tomboy? Daily Prophet correspondent, Rita Skeeter, back after a long absence, has at last uncovered the shocking truth. Potter, who grew up sheltered without the love of his parents, came out of the closet recently announcing the engagement of himself and Draco Malfoy. Stunned fellow classmates remarked on the previous rivalry, which doctors at St. Mungo's Hospital say is often a cover up for a deep affection and sexual des... Hang on! Who did she say?!"

Another owl flew in, carrying a red envelope. Someone had gotten a howler.

(2)

The owl carrying the howler flew directly to the Slytherin table and presented the red envelope to Draco.

Everyone at the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables turned to watch Draco Malfoy get a well-deserved lecture.

Draco opened it, gingerly, with a look of dread on his face. His father almost never sent howlers. So he was obviously extremely angry about something.

"Draco," the howler bellowed, "how *dare* you?! Jumping into bed with that Potter when you *know* your mother and I disapprove of that boy and his friends. You'll notice that I did not call you Draco Malfoy. That's because I've spoken to my lawyer and had you removed from this family. Oh, and Narcissa wishes you to know that though she raised you, you were never her son. I had a foolish affair when I was younger that I now regret more than ever. Don't write back or ever look at me again, you disgusting little mudblood."

The howler tore itself to pieces and landed in front of Draco, who looked very embarrassed, and rather angry.

"That was a horrible lie!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "I am *not* a mudblood! How *dare* Lucius Malfoy say such a thing. This is all that damned Skeeter woman's fault. I'll sue her for defamation of character and slander."

"You won't be doing it as a Slytherin, mudblood," Marcus Flint told him. "As of now, you're off the team. We expect your stuff packed and out of the dorms by bedtime. We don't want Slytherin house polluted by filth like you."

"Crabbe, Goyle," Draco began, then he noticed that they had turned away. "I don't believe this. You're supposed to be my friends."

"You told us we should hate *all* mudbloods," Crabbe pointed out.

"Yeah," Goyle nodded. "whoever they were."

Before Draco could protest that he was not a mudblood, a bell rang, announcing the start of the day's classes.

END PART 2