The Protagonist Syst 91 Some Work And All Play

91 So Work And All Play

The rest of the ride to school passed by quickly with three eager and fun girls to spend it with. I had gifted them all with expanded trunks for their birthdays, so no one struggled with their things, except for Hermione. When I t up with her and ntioned that in the carriage ride from the train to the castle, she smacked

on the head and huffed at

for reminding her.

I couldn't tell if the sorting went the sa as it did in canon, since Harry hadn't attended it and the story had been told from his biased perspective. The only clues I had that it might not have changed, were that Luna still went to Ravenclaw and Ginny went to Griffindor.

I needed to head off that potential years-long problem before it started, so as soon as the sorting was over, I stood and walked right over to the Ravenclaw table and gave Luna a hug and a kiss, said pretty loudly that I was happy for my latest girl, and made a show of giving her one of my Official Girlfriend ID cards while slipping her one of my protective amulets.

Let

tell you, a lot of the Ravenclaws looked envious, so looked angry, and so looked thoughtful. I was sure it was because most of them hadn't realized I liked smart girls, even with Hermione as a pri example. House rivalry was still a limiting thing, apparently. It was almost funny that Padma and Daphne hadn't swayed them already, even though they had a card, too.

I gave them each a quick kiss as well, just because I wanted to see them blush again, and went back to my table. Of course, now that I was already up, the amused looks on my other girls made

go to each of them and give them a kiss, too. I only kissed Ginny on the cheek, since she was blushing too hard and looked faint already.

I didn't want to knock her out with a kiss on the lips, so I whispered to her that I would give her a proper kiss later when we weren't in public, which made her swoon anyway. I held her steady for a mont and then went back to my own seat.

“Now that Mister Potter seems to have finished his ministrations...” Minerva McGonagall said and a lot of the students let out laughs, myself included. “...let the feast begin.” She clapped her hands and made the feast appear.

I put so food on my plate and discreetly watched Ron as he loaded up his own plate, then he looked surprised and stopped. He couldn't put the food back, so he picked up actual utensils and started eating with surprising slowness. I smiled at it working already and glanced over at Luna. She was looking at

and had a dreamy smile on her face as the Ravenclaws around her talked to her.

I raised my glass of pumpkin juice to her and took a sip, then went back to eating. Hermione noticed

do that and didn't ntion it, so I assud she would be interrogating

as soon as the al was over. I held in my chuckle at her being so obvious and looked at the head table where the professors sat. Not surprisingly, the drunk from first year wasn't teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year.

I really should have searched for that curse. I thought, because Professor Lupin sat there.

So unknown man sat where Professor Snape used to sit and I didn't recognize him. I didn't bother trying to figure out who he was or listened in to his conversation with Professor Flitwick. I'd find out as soon as I had potions class. There was no one else new, so Binns was still teaching History of Magic. I hoped that ant I had more full afternoons off again this year.

Minerva gave so announcents that amounted to the sa ones every year and dismissed us to go to our dorm rooms. Percy was a sixth year this year, so I still had access to the Griffindor Head Boy's room. I would have to make new living arrangents next year when he beca Head Boy.

Maybe I could stay in the Head Girl's room? I asked myself and followed my friends up the stairs to go to Griffindor Tower.

“What are you thinking about?” Hermione asked .

“I'm wondering if the house elves assigned to move your trunk have collapsed from the weight of all those books you piled inside.” I joked.

Hermione smacked my arm with a smile on her face. “No, really.”

“Percy's going to be head boy next year and I'll have to find sowhere else for my famous butt to sleep.” I said and Hermione gasped. “It's a severe problem and we need to work on it imdiately.”

“I am not losing my quiet study room without a fight, Harry.” Hermione said, her face determined.

I chuckled. “Relax, Hermione. I already have a couple of solutions.”

“Like what?” Hermione asked.

I thought about revealing the Room of Requirent and decided not to. This was too public of a setting to let that secret out. “The Head Girl is going to be a Ravenclaw, so the Griffindor Head Girl's suite will be unoccupied until you take it in seventh year.”

Hermione looked surprised, then she blushed. “Thank you for the complint.”

“You're welco.” I said and gave her a one-arm hug. “I'll have Nanny bring you a trunk tonight.”

Hermione gave

a bright smile. “Thanks, Harry.”

We reached the common room and everyone else split off to go their separate ways.

“It's my job to give you everything you want, rember?” I reminded her and gave her a kiss. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Hermione said and looked quite pleased as she went up the stairs of the girl's dorm.

Before I could do more than take a step towards the boy's dorm room stairs, a dark-skinned hand caught my arm and held

back.

“Did I hear you say it's your job to give your girlfriend everything she wants?” Alicia asked .

I turned and smiled at her. “Angelina figured that out last year.” I said and decided to deflect the bla. “She didn't tell you?”

“Oh, no you don't!” Angelina said with a laugh and pulled

in for a few seconds of lip locking. “You can get yourself out of your own ss, Mister Potter.”

I laughed as well. “It's not my fault I'm rich, popular, and really can do everything you've heard I can... no, wait! Yes, it is. Never mind.”

Angelina let

go and rolled her eyes. “Just give her what she didn't realize she could ask you for.”

“Yes, ma'am!” I said and saluted her to make her laugh, then I turned to salute Alicia, too. “The Ebony Goddess of Sexiness has commanded

to give her protege whatever you want, so speak and it shall be done.”

Alicia looked embarrassed and Angelina looked proud. Katie just looked at us expectantly.

“Well?” I asked and dropped the silliness to step close to Alicia and gave her a serious face. “What is it that you want? Or need? Or desire? If it's within my abilities to grant, you'll have it.”

Alicia looked into my eyes and her embarrassnt grew as she looked sad. “I don't think I can ask for it.”

I figured it had to be either personal or financial, so I motioned towards the corner of the common room that was more private than standing out in the middle of the room. Alicia nodded and took my hand to lead

over there. I cast a privacy spell and sat her down on one of the chairs and sat across from her.

“No one can hear us or see us right now.” I told her and she turned her head to look, only to see a fuzzy film and not the rest of the common room.

“Can you teach

that spell?” Alicia asked as she looked back at .

“We don't get our schedules until the morning, so if we don't have an off class at the sa ti during the week, I'll set aside so ti in the evenings or the weekend.” I promised and she nodded. “What is it that you need?”

Alicia blushed again. “Harry, I... well...”

“It's all right, Alicia. Just say it.” I reassured her.

“Money.” Alicia said, with embarrassnt. “My family is struggling, even with the school supplents...”

“Is that all?” I asked and pulled out a cloth bag of galleons from my pocket. “Is 1,000 enough?”

Alicia looked stunned as I put the heavy bag on her lap. “H-H-Harry!”

“If you need more than my pocket change, I have to pop over to the bank to get it.” I said and she made a choking sound as she hugged the bag. I knelt on the floor in front of her and patted her back. “Are you okay?”

Alicia nodded and looked down at the bag of money. “Harry, this... why would you...”

I moved my hand from her back to cup the side of her face. “Because you asked.”

Alicia looked like she was about to cry, so I leaned in and kissed her to distract her. She let the bag of money go and hugged

tightly as she did her best to snog

senseless. After a few minutes, she let

go and looked nervous as she hugged the bag of money again.

I cast a notice--not charm on it. “There. No one but us can see it. You can put it in your trunk and no one will find it.”

“Thank you.” Alicia said, her voice full of gratitude. “I an that, Harry. Thank you.”

“You are quite welco, Protege of the Ebony Goddess.” I joked and she barked a laugh.

“I hope you realize that Angelina is never going to let that nickna go.” Alicia warned .

I smirked at her and stood. “I know.”

Alicia stood as well, still hugging the bag. I dispelled the privacy spells and motioned towards the stairs to the girl's dorm rooms. She gave

a quick kiss and quickly walked towards the stairs and her friends. Angelina gave

a knowing look and put an arm over Alicia's shoulders, then the three of them went up the stairs.

I went up the stairs on the boy's side and right up to the Head Boy's suite. Nanny popped in and helped

unpack my trunk. When we were done, I asked her to retrieve a multi-compartnt trunk from my workshop at ho and to give it to Hermione. Nanny popped away and I changed for bed. I climbed in and Nanny popped back into the room to tuck

in.

“Goodnight, Nanny.” I said and closed my eyes.

“Goodnights, Master Harry.” Nanny whispered and lightly petted my head as I drifted off to sleep.

*

My class schedule sucked, because I had double classes of History of Magic in the mornings this year. I didn't want mornings off, because I couldn't really start anything important, like crafting or enchanting, because I would be interrupted by the class before lunch, which was usually Defense Against the Dark Arts.

My frustrated sigh made Hermione laugh, because she knew the mixed up schedule cramped my style. She did promise to not let

get bored, which Lavender enthusiastically volunteered herself to help with, because she believed it was a worthy cause. She also loved that I would go down on her for as long as she wanted without complaining about it. Not surprisingly, Hermione loved that, too.

Of course, this was the first morning of my Schedule of Suck and my comnts about the title made the girls laugh. On the plus side, we all went to an empty classroom instead of going to History of Magic and studied ahead for the DaDa class. Barely half an hour in, Lavender enjoyed herself as she licked Parvati and I licked her.

An hour in, Hermione was having no trouble reading up for DaDa as she rode . My chest made a great bookrest, apparently. She barely got off for the second ti when we had to stop and get dressed.

“I'm going right to McGonagall about this.” Hermione groused as we all left the empty classroom to head to Defense Against the Dark Arts. “It's interfering with my study ti and that is not acceptable!”

Lavender and Parvati giggled, because they knew what she really ant. Fay hadn't participated, even though she had sat off to the side and enjoyed the show.

We entered the DaDa classroom and it was changed around from the year before. It still had the dragon skeleton hanging from the ceiling, though. The differences were the various creatures in jars and containers all around the walls of the room. It was a little creepy and eerie, because most of them were still alive.

Remus Lupin introduced himself and told us what DaDa was going to be about that year, which was fighting dark creatures and defending yourself if you were ever attacked. I held in my comnt about him teaching us that a year early, since in canon he taught that to the third years. I hadn't ntioned it, because I suspected that it was because I was in the class and he changed the curriculum to show off.

When the bell rang to end the class and let everyone go to lunch, Remus spoke up. “Mister Potter, if you could stay for a mont.”

I nodded and gave Hermione a look. She nodded as well and would wait for

right outside the classroom. Everyone else shuffled out and left. When everyone had gone and the door shut, I was all alone with the professor. Before he could speak, I decided a little ribbing was in order.

“Well, well, well. The Tin Man has finally co back to Oz.” I said.

Remus looked surprised. “Excuse ?”

“You know, the Tin Man? He went to the great and all powerful wizard to grant him a heart?”

“I have read the story.” Remus said. “What does that have to do with ?”

I held in my huff of indignation and spoke with my best Surfer Dude accent. “Hello? Because you're heartless? Duuuh.”

Remus looked a little angry. “That's uncalled for, Harry.”

“Is it, Mister Remus J. Lupin, forr best friends with my murdered dad and imprisoned godfather?” I asked pointedly and the man winced. “You're not going to ask why I compared you to characters in the Wizard Of Oz?”

Remus shook his head.

“Well, I'm going to tell you anyway.” I said, magnanimously. “My mother was Dorothy venturing through a new land of magic, my dad was her faithful sidekick, Toto. You are the heartless Tin Man, Sirius Black was the brainless Scarecrow, and that traitor Peter Pettigrew was the Cowardly Lion.”

Remus looked stunned that he and his friends actually fit the taphor I was using.

“Oh? You're not going to argue that Sirius should be the dog? I was ready to counter you and say Sirius was the brainless scarecrow because he abandoned

and went after Peter.” I said. “Peter was the cowardly lion, because he was a Griffindor that abandoned his friends when the going got tough.”

Remus didn't deny it and looked sad.

“You on the other hand, chose to stay away after hearing what happened. No letters, no visits, and no offers to take

in or take

away.” I said and he shrunk in on himself. “You've stayed away from

for 14 years, Mister Lupin. Why did you co back now?”

Remus sighed and looked guilty. “Minerva contacted

and offered

a job.”

I stared at him and he didn't say anything else. “That's it? You ca back for a job and not to visit , or Sirius in prison, or the grave of your best friend?” I asked and let disgust fill my voice. “Well, that tells

everything I need to know about your character, Mister Lupin.”

“Harry, I... Albus told

to stay away.” Remus said in his defense.

I put a fake smile on my face. “Then shouldn't you have stayed away, Mister Lupin? If Albus is the end all to be all for your life, then you are here in direct defiance of the senile old man.” I said and he winced. “I will remind you to leave

out of whatever plans you had for

this year, Mister Lupin. I neither want nor need you in my life after all this ti.”

“Harry...” Remus started to say.

“At the end of the year, you can tuck your tail back between your legs and scurry off to wherever you've been hiding. I've gotten along just fine without you and I will continue to do so.” I said with finality. “Is there anything else? I'm late for lunch with my friends and they will wonder what's keeping

away from them.”

Remus wilted at that last dig at his friends wondering where he was. He waved towards the door and didn't speak.

“Have a good day, Mister Lupin.” I said and opened the door, stepped out, and closed the door quietly instead of slamming it like he expected.

“I'm sorry, Harry.” Hermione said and hugged .

“He is, too.” I said and gave her a kiss. “Thanks for waiting and keeping an ear out for .”

Hermione and I walked down the hallway, an arm around each other's waists, and went to lunch.