Parenting Class Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: Tum de dum dum. Tra la la la. I don't own Harry Potter. Wa wa wa.

Parenting Class

Prophecies; New and Old

Ginny released Harry from her grasp and sat back on her haunches, watching the dazed boy for a reaction, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and pride.

Harry stared at the girl, emerald eyes sparkling mischievously. Without warning, he pulled Ginny forward and into another kiss, her eyes widening this time. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss.

Slowly, applause started to break out around the room, loud hoots and cheers rising to the rafters. Two minutes later, the kiss was still going and so was the clapping, Draco cackling in Hermione's arms.

"ENOUGH!" Snape came striding down to the kissing teenagers, normally placid face twisted in a snarl. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for inappropriate behavior!"

"But Uncle Sev," Draco protested, clinging to the Head Slytherin's robes, "I made Ginny do it...punish me too."

The hall, which had been quite silent after Snape's outburst, fell absolutely quiet at hearing Draco's words. Snape punish his godson? Not possible.

Through clenched teeth Snape muttered, "twenty points to Gryffindor for nothing." With a sweep of his robes, the professor stalked away and out the doors, into the pitch-blackness of the rest of the castle.

Draco was immediately pulled into a gigantic hug by Ginny, the girl squeezing him like a teddy bear. "You are the sweetest little thing ever!" she exclaimed, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"And he's mine!" cooed Hermione, plucking the child out of Ginny's grasp and hugging him to her. "All mine!" Then on second thought she handed him back to Ginny. "Harry get in the picture with them and give Ginny a kiss," she ordered, pulling out her cameral. "I need to get a picture of this."

Harry shifted over so he sat next to his new girlfriend, Draco in Ginny's lap with a large smile on his face. Bending over, Harry kissed Ginny on the cheek and Hermione snapped a photo, along with almost everyone else in the great hall.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER, HARRY?" demanded Ron, storming across the room, a large bandage around his hand.

"Don't you know, Ron?" grinned Ginny. "We're now a couple." The older brother's mouth opened and closed like a fish until Hermione gently pushed his jaw back up and held it in place. "Oh? Is your hand feeling better?"

Ron nodded, still staring at his younger sister and best friend. Walking slowly forward he gestured for Harry to stand up, the other Gryffindor doing so. "If you ever do anything to my sister, you will be in deep trouble. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Harry said, face serious. "I promise to never do anything to hurt Ginny...you have my word."

"Good." Both boys looked at each other before shaking hands and smiles lighting on both of their faces. Hermione smiled, the brother-sister bond very sweet in her opinion. To Ginny it wasn't as she blushed and stuck her tongue out at Ron.

"Can we get breakfast now?" Draco whined, the whole group bursting into laughter and the rest of the students going back to their own conversations.

"Of course," Hermione said. She handed a plate to Draco, still comfortable on Ginny's lap, and settled herself down to her friend. "So how's it feel to be an official couple?" she queried, poking Ginny.

"Not much different," Ginny admitted. "Only now I guess we can kiss and stuff...but since I've always liked him I guess I was already used to him."

"Makes sense," Hermione agreed. "Do you really think we won't have classes today?"

"Probably...but then ag-"

"ATTENTION STUDENTS!" called Dumbledore from the front of the room. "Ah, thank you," he said, as silence fell. "We currently have several weather witches putting charms around the school so classes will continue as normal for the day." His announcement was met with large groans and some muttered curses. "Please finish your breakfast and then head to your first class. Thank you."

"And guess what class that is?" Harry smirked at Hermione. "Divination."

Hermione gripped one the marble pillars in the hall tightly and glared at Harry. "You will never take me," she solemnly declared, eyes burning with determination.

"Just watch me," Harry smirked, wrapping both arms around Hermione's waist and pulling her backwards. She only clung tighter to the pole before kicking Harry firmly in the stomach.

He dropped her instantly, clutching his stomach. "That's the same place Pansy kicked me!" he gasped, doubling up in pain.

"Oh Harry! Are you all right?" Letting go of the pillar, Hermione knelt next to Harry, only to be flipped over his shoulder, the boy laughing evilly. "PUT ME DOWN!" Hermione screamed as Harry clambered to his feet and wrapped one arm around Hermione's legs to keep them from kicking her. "RIGHT NOW HARRY POTTER!"

Harry ignored the girl and exited the hall, torches now lining the halls and shining brightly. Draco scrambled off of Ginny's lap and trotted after the duo, wisely staying out of range of Hermione's fists that were currently lashing out everywhere.

"How come Hermione is yelling?" Draco asked Harry.

"BECAUSE!" shrieked Hermione. "HERMIONE DOESN'T WANT TO GO TO DIVINATION! SHE HATES IT!" Several students walking down the corridor stopped and stared at the unnatural outburst from the witch. "DIVINAION CAN DIE! DIE AND BURN! BURRRRRNNNN!"

"Silencio," Harry muttered, Hermione stopping mid-rant. All this did was make the Gryffindor angrier and she started to slam her tightly balled hands onto Harry's spine, still yelling.

"I think she's mad at you," Draco observed. "Shouldn't you take that spell off of her?"

"And lose my hearing? No thanks."

For the next five minutes, Harry was silent as he put all of his energy into climbing all the way to the North Tower with Hermione. "Only...three hundred steps...to go," Harry panted, pausing on the stairwell.

"Why don't you just levitate Hermione?" Draco asked. "Wouldn't that be easier?"

Harry looked over his shoulder and Mione's head to Draco, back to Hermione, and then sighed. "Now why didn't I think of that?" Uttering the spell, the girl floated off his shoulder and into thin air, floating and thrashing angrily. Altering the spell to make Hermione follow him, Harry started back up the stairs, a spring to his step.

They arrived at the tower seconds later, the trapdoor already open and a ladder dropped down. "Do we have to go all the way up there?" gulped Draco, looking fearfully into the black space.

"It'll be okay," Harry assured, picking Draco up and climbing the ladder, Hermione soaring up behind him.

The room was the same as always...incense burning over a fire making the whole room seem sticky, red poufs and chairs placed around tiny, circular tables, and the velvet curtains drawn.

"Ah ha!" Draco uttered a soft scream and buried his face in Harry's shirt as the professor emerged from the shadows next to the fire. She was clothed in a sparkly, purple robe with a gauzy green shawl, the usual assortment of bangles and necklace adorning her bony frame.

"Hello, Professor," Harry greeted, removing the silencing spell off of Hermione, who now floated eerily silent, staring daggers at Trelawney. "It's....erm...nice to see you again..."

"Feeling is the same, dearie," the professor said, swooping down to place a hand on Harry's cheek. "Much too cold for such a day...a coincidence of the aligning of mars perhaps?" Trelawney pulled open a book and started to leaf through it as Harry settled Draco on Hermione's lap. "My dear boy," she murmured, "you shall become very ill shortly and die!"

Hermione snorted and Draco's eyes widened in horror. "You're going to die, Harry! You can't die!" He burst into sudden tears and clung to Hermione, who (if possible) glared harder at Trelawney.

"Look what you've done! Don't say those kind of things around Draco!"

"But it is true! My Inner Eye tells me so. I must state the truth as I see it!"

By that time, other students had arrived to witness the sobbing Draco and Trelawney announcing Harry's death for the second time. "Please professor," begged Lavender, entering with Terry on her hip, "don't let the children hear that...they're too young for the horrors they one day must face."

Trelawney blinked, as if for the first time seeing several younger students in her classroom, all watching her with wide eyes save Draco, still crying into Hermione's robes. "I see your point, Miss Brown. Please, everyone sit down so we may begin to explore the inner depths of lighting patterns."

The whole class eased themselves into the too squishy of chairs and waited for the teacher to continue, Hermione sighing impatiently and drumming her nails on the table. Hey, just because she came didn't mean she had to be nice.

"I'd like to welcome you all back to a wonderful year of Divination," Trelawney started, peering at each person over the rims of her gigantic glasses. "I am quite certain we all," -here she looked pointedly at Hermione- "will learn and possibly enjoy the wonders of the mysterious world of the Inner Eye." Lavender and Parvarti were all attention, leaving Ron with little Terry, the child baring his teeth and grinning at his current guardian.

"Today is a perfect day to do lightning readings," Trelawney continued, moving across the room and throwing open the drapes. "Take out your copies of 'Unfogging the Future' and turn to the section on lightning patterns."

The shuffling of papers and the flipping of pages was the only sound for several seconds, until a large crash of thunder sounded. Draco screamed, and buried his head back into Hermione's robes, that he'd just come out of.

"Are you scared of the thunder, little one?" Trelawney slowly walked over to the crying Draco, her hand lighting on his shoulder. He whimpered and drew himself more against Hermione. "They say those afraid of the thunder will grow to be great," she whispered, voice misty, mouth next to the child's ear. "They'll have power, riches, their desires fulfilled...but it also comes with a price. Greatness comes from the powerful...but yet the power must always be paid for...think about it...only you can change your destiny."

"As I was saying," Trelawney said, voice back to normal, "Study the lightning patterns and compare them to those in your books. Write a summary for each formation you see...I'll be collecting them at the end of the class so make sure you do them well. At least three are needed."

With that, the professor swept back to her desk where she sat, gazing into a crystal orb, every now and then looking up at Harry, sighing, and then going back to her crystal gazing.

"What did that woman mean?" Draco sniffled; relaxing slightly as he realized the teacher was no longer next to him.

"She's just speaking gibberish," Hermione admonished. "Don't listen to a word she says...a fraud, that's what that woman is."

Draco remained strangely silent the rest of the class, occasionally letting out a shriek as the thunder let out an especially large boom, but generally content to sit in Hermione's lap and watch the girl angrily sketch in the lighting pattern onto parchment.

"This isn't good," Harry groaned. "If that old bat sees these she'll just have new ways to predict my death."

"Why?" Hermione asked, pulling Harry's parchment to her.

"This one," the boy said pointing to one of the figures, "means destruction is coming. The second one speaks of a raging plague, and the third one talks about flaming infernos...why do I always get bad omens?"

"Because you're you," Hermione laughed, ignoring the heated stares from Lavender and Parvarti as she interrupted their concentration. "Mine weren't too bad," she said softer. "I have a pot of gold for riches, warnings of falling stairs, and I will fall in love with the unexpected."

"Falling stairs?" Harry repeated. "Guess you'd better double check all the stair cases before you walk on them," he grinned. "And who's the lucky guy?"

"You're in love too?" Draco piped up, looking curiously at Hermione's paper. The two Gryffindors exchanged looks over the table, Harry smirking and Hermione's eyes widening.

"You don't think-"

"Oh I do, Hermione. I do." Harry looked down at the Slytherin, now doodling on a spare piece of parchment with Hermione's quill. "It would definitely be unexpected."

"No way! That's stupid, Harry. And besides, it's just nonsense anyway."

"What she said about the thunder wasn't nonsense," Harry whispered, not wanting Draco to overhear.

"Explain, Harry," Hermione hissed.

"Power, desires fulfilled...yet it comes with a price. Can you think of a way someone might become powerful?"

"Studying?"

Harry sighed. "Think harder, Hermione. Dark arts...that kind of power."

"A Death Eater," she breathed, glancing over at Draco, still busy drawing.

"They have all the power they could want," Harry whispered. "And it does come with a price...you're an eternal servant to Voldemort until you die. I mean, look at Snape! He's stuck with them!"

"It's just coincidence, Harry. It isn't true! The only thing she ever said right was back in third year when she was talking about...about..." Hermione trailed off, seeing the desolate look enter Harry's eyes. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to bring him up," she said softly. "I know it still hurts." Harry gave a curt nod, blinking back the tears gathering in the corners of his emerald eyes.

"Look!" Draco said happily, holding up his drawing. "It's us!" Three people had been drawn on the paper, a small one in the middle and two taller ones on the sides. "This one is you, Hermione," he explained, pointing to the figure wearing a skirt, had long hair, and over exaggerated eyelashes. "And this is you Harry!" The famous scar had been drawn messily onto the boy's head and he wore pants. "And that's me!" The figure in the middle held hands with each Gryffindor, a smile on all of their faces.

"It's wonderful, Draco," Hermione congratulated, giving the child a hug. "We'll have to hang it up in our room, won't we?"

"Uh huh. I want to remember staying with you forever! Can I...take it home with me when I have to go?"

"Of course..." Hermione pulled Draco into a sudden hug. "But I'm never sending you back," she murmured into his hair, too soft for the child to make out.

A chime tinkled in the corner of the room. "Class is over," Trelawney announced. "Please put your work on the table and continue with your event diaries." Hermione scooped Draco into her arms and descended the ladder, Harry putting both of their papers on the table and following.

As they were walking to their next class (transfiguration) the torches all down the hall and students screamed, Draco one of them. Harry quickly pulled out his wand and murmured 'lumos', a soft glow standing out amongst the blackness, others slowly following his example.

"There, there," comforted Hermione, rubbing soothing circles on Draco's back, "it's all right...see? It isn't dark anymore."

"I thought Dumbledore said the weather witches fixed everything enough so we could have classes," Harry grumbled. "We'd better just head to transfig...McGonagall might have something to say."

When the trio arrived in the classroom, McGonagall was lighting candles on her desk. "Please take a seat," she instructed. "I have an announcement from Professor Dumbledore once everyone arrives."

Over the next few minutes, students trickled in, the chatter normally accompanying them gone as everyone glanced over their shoulder into the dark, as if expecting some monster to leap out.

"It appears," began McGonagall, "that we won't be having any more classes today. We've been informed the storm is too powerful for our weather witches to hold off any longer...please report to your current quarters. House elves will bring you lunch and dinner. I request you do not leave your dorm room. If you do, points will be taken and detentions given. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," the class chorused.

"Good. For homework I want you to read chapter one of your 'Muffins to Mongooses' book and answer the questions following the reading. Class dismissed."

"All right!" Harry punched the air. "Free for the rest of the day!"

"Let's go," Hermione laughed, tugging the exuberant Harry behind her. They arrived inside of their roomy dwelling a little while later, a fire crackling merrily in the fireplace upon their arrival.

"Is it going to go out again?" Draco whimpered, clinging tight to Hermione as she sat down on the couch.

"If it does Harry and I have our wands," she assured. "I'm going to get started on my homework...and Harry's," she sighed, the boy happily pushing his book over to her. "Why don't you go play with Harry for a while, Draco?"

The child nodded agreeably and climbed into Harry's lap on one of the chairs. "What are you looking at?" Draco queried, looking at the book Harry was flipping through. "Who are all of those people?"

"It's my photo album," Harry said with a sad smile. "These two people right here are my parents...and that's me."

"I like your mom's hair...I wish I had red hair." Hermione snorted behind the textbook. "Can I meet her?"

"She's dead."

"I'm sorry," Draco apologized.

"I didn't really know her...there's nothing to be sorry for."

Draco flipped the next page. "Who's that?" His finger pointed to a man, one arm wrapped around Lily's shoulder and the other around James', his black hair tied at the nape of his neck and a wide smile on his face.

"My godfather," Harry said stiffly, flipping to the next page quickly.

"Did he die too?" Harry looked at the child puzzled, wondering how he knew. "It's in your eyes," Draco explained. "They're sad...not as sparkly as they were earlier...do you miss him?"

"Very much," Harry sighed, shoulders slumping.

"How did he die?"

"Last year...Voldemort tricked me into going into the ministry...my godfather came to help and he...he fell through this one curtain and disappeared."

"A curtain? Why didn't he just come back out?"

"It made him go somewhere...and he's never coming back." A single tear dripped on to the waving picture of Sirius that the book had flipped back too. Several more followed, till Harry just sat there, one arm hugging Draco and the other clutching the album, his tears falling onto the open pages. "And it was all my fault too," he whispered brokenly, "all my fault."

Hermione quickly got off of the couch and wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "None of that was your fault, Harry...you didn't ask to get that scar, or the fame...nothing is your fault."

"But if I'd learned occlumency then none of this would have happened...none of it. And we didn't even need to know that blasted prophecy! Dumbledore already knew it!"

"He what?" Hermione gasped, hand flying to her mouth. "What do you mean, Harry?"

"That was just a copy of the damn thing...Dumbledore had the real one in his pensive. Trelawney said it when she was younger. Basically said that only one of us can live and the other has to die. He knew it and he didn't bother to tell me!"

"He probably had his reasons..."

"It still isn't an excuse. It affects me personally...I had a right to know."

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, completely confused.

"Nothing anymore," Hermione said firmly, pulling the photo album out of Harry's hands and placing it on the table. "Let's not think about that right now..."

"You're right," Harry sniffled, removing his glasses and wiping his eyes. "Let's all ready a story together."

And that's what the three did the rest of the day...read stories, ate the delicious food the house elves brought up (after all, who can resist steamed squid?), taught Draco how to play chess, and just lay on the couches, content to just sit.

"I'm tired," Draco yawned. "Can I just spend the night here?" The child was currently using Harry's leg as a pillow and curled up like a cat. "My room's so dark..."

In reply, Hermione conjured a blanket and draped it over the child, tucking it in at the edges. "Good night, Draco," she murmured, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. Harry did the same, and Draco fell asleep seconds later.

Hermione gave a sigh and ran her fingers through the silky hair, adoration clear in her eyes. When she looked up, accusation was in Harry's. "Told you," he smirked. "Your lightning pattern was right."

"Was not," Hermione protested. "I just think he's sweet...when he's older again he'll probably be the same jerk we knew before."

"Do you honestly believe that?"

"Yes."

"No you don't...remember what Dumbledore said? They'll remember everything from when they were like this. Don't you think he might be changed, even a little?"

"Probably...but that doesn't mean I'm going to fall in love with him!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "Maybe we can all be friends...but fall in love? It's crazy talk!"

"I don't know, Mione. There's just something special about him...I mean, look what he made Ginny do! If he's like this now, doesn't it mean he has to have some heart left in the present? He truly adores you...I wouldn't put it past for you two to fall in love."

"And you'd agree to that?" Hermione laughed. "All you've ever wanted to do was kill him and now you want me to start liking him?"

"Well...he isn't Malfoy anymore."

"Who is he then?"

"Draco."

"Come on Mione, let's go to bed. We're going to have a lot of classes tomorrow."

Hermione snuggled down on the couch, while Harry leaned backwards, not wanting to wake up the sleeping Slytherin. Within moments, the room was silent, everyone fast asleep.

The next morning sunlight streamed through the window, landing directly on Harry's face. With a groan he sat up and put on his glasses. Draco rose too, and ran to the window. "It's not raining today!" he exclaimed happily. Running back to the couch he jumped onto Hermione's stomach and began to bounce. "Wake up Hermione! Wake up!"

"I'm...up," she wheezed, "just...get...off." Obediently, Draco hopped down to the floor. "What are we going to do today?"

"!" The three looked out the window to see Hagrid holding a thick, metal chain and tugging on it, the thing at the end not visible. Hermione paled.

"We are going to be eaten."