Harry Potter and the Choice of Slytherin

Chapter II: Everlasting Love, Everlasting Hate

Harry woke the next day (or later that day), feeling refreshed and energized. He headed down the stairs and made himself some toast. Not bothering to acknowledge each other's's existence, Harry and Vernon Dursley both acted as though they were both alone in the kitchen.

Harry went into the backyard, which he had been working in for the past month or so, and sat down on the rocks near the miniaturized lake he had created. He munched thoughtfully on the toast he had whipped up and reflected on all the differences there were in his strange dream. Everything was different...

Suddenly, a large owl swooped down, and Harry recognized it as Draco's. He snatched the letter and began to read as the eagle owl drifted into the distance

Dear Harry,

Sorry, I forgot something. Father and I will be coming the day after your birthday to pick you up for a day or two. Wouldn't it be great to get away from those god-forsaken Muggles? Any ways, make sure you're all packed when we get there at ten in the morning because father will just not tolerate being around Muggles for more than, oh, two seconds.

Any ways, see you then.

Sincerely,

Draco.

That sounded al right, except maybe for the whole Lucius-being-such-a-git part. Draco's father was quite a stuck-up fool; sure, he was filthy rich and a pure-blood, but he would condescend to none lower than the devil, or, in other words, the Dark Lord.

Harry relaxed the rest of the day lounging around the backyard he had redesigned from scratch. Harry took off his shirt and hung it over his head as it was a blistering summer day. Shoving a hand into his pocket sometime around high noon, Harry pulled out the locket he had gotten earlier that day.

She really had changed...Her eyes were a little wider and a deeper shade of brown. The flaming hair was curled up into a little bun at the back, leaving only a few spare tendrils hanging down her neck and cheeks. Her skin was as pale as ever and her smile was a beautiful pearly white. Ginny Weasley had certainly become the most beautiful woman ever.

They had been dating since the beginning of his third year, her second... After the Chamber, Harry realized she just wasn't a little girl, she wasn't just Ron's little sister. She was her own, independent and grown up woman, free from family ties. At first, it wasn't very serious, since both he and her had had no one beforehand, so they didn't know how to go about it. That third year was a mess.

So he and Ginny split up and looked for another person to learn from. Every day that year that they were apart made Harry realize just how wonderful she was. He ached for her every day. Ginny found Colin and Harry found Pansy Parkinson. Both relationships were dead from the beginning. Neither Ginny nor Harry could forget the other. Within two months of their separation, Ginny had come to Harry for help.

"Harry, I-I have to tell you something," she had said.

Harry had wanted to grab and embrace her so much, but he had to hold back, he had to have self-control. "What is it, Gin?"

"I can't stand being away from you anymore." She started going faster and more fluidly with each passing word. "I think about you all the time, and even Colin is getting mad at me because I'm never paying attention to him. I-I'm always thinking of you." Her brown eyes were wide with hope that he'd take her back.

They were outside on the lawn during both of their free periods before lunch. He took her into his arms, put his mouth near her ear and whispered. "I know how you feel, Ginny. I've missed you every day for two months. I can't get you out of my mind, and I want you back."

She turned his head to face hers, smiled that smile where it reached to her eyes, and kissed him deeply. Harry reached around and pressed his hand to the small of her back which caused a content, gurgling noise to issue from the back of her throat. This only brought Harry to drink her in even more...

Harry couldn't wait to see her again. They had been pretty much steady since then, no separation, nothing at all, and Harry liked it that way. When he looked in her eyes, it made him feel like the world was melting away. He wanted that forever.

Harry relaxed the rest of the day, thinking back to all the great times he'd had with Ginny...

*    *    *

The next day, Harry woke up around six, which actually was late for Harry. He usually woke at five, ran down to the church and graveyard a few miles down the way, ending up back at six, having just enough time to shower and change before heading to work on the backyard.

Harry ran just for habit's sake and was all ready for heading out at nine. Harry couldn't stand silence and tension for waiting so he went to watch the television.

In no time at all, ten o' clock came and there was a curt knock on the door. Vernon rumbled down the stairs and opened the door to a nose-upturned Lucius Malfoy.

"Ah, yes, the Dursley man. I certainly have heard some stories about you, and by your generous width, I see that they are all true," he snorted. He turned to Harry now. "Yes, Potter here will be coming with us for a day or two-"

Vernon, who was generally silent around Harry or anyone this summer, cut in. "A day? Take him for the rest of the summer and get me rid of him."

Lucius contemplated this, but a voice from down on the curb egged him on. "Father! Did I just hear that great, fat old Muggle say that we could keep Harry all summer?! Oh, you must let him stay! Please?!" Lucius eyed his son for only a moment before agreeing.

Harry quickly rushed up to his room with Draco, who had entered the house despite the thunderous refusals of the Dursleys. He helped Harry quickly assemble sufficient clothes to last through the end of the summer and Draco grinned at him. "Think of this! The rest of the summer? Think of this mischief, Harry! Can't wait to show you the new parlor we've just put up over the past few months. Grand!" With this, the two friends carried the trunk downstairs since they still couldn't technically use magic outside of school.

As they came down the drive, Draco muttered to him "black limousine," and before he had even finished, a beautiful stretch limousine materialized before Harry's eyes. Without questioning this, he tossed the trunk in the back and entered into the back area where Draco and his father were already discussing something animatedly. Harry only caught the words "fault" and "Dark Lord," but Harry already knew what they were talking about.

Lucius still hated Harry because as a baby, he had taken down his beloved master. Sure, he had regained his power slowly over the past decade, but that was one lost decade to Lucius Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy held Harry responsible to almost everything that didn't go his way. It would happen again, very soon.

*    *    *

Harry didn't even last the planned two days. He was engaged in another heated argument with a recognized Death Eater, and he knew he didn't have much of a chance if Lucius drew his wand: Harry couldn't do anything, still being an underage wizard. He'd only have to wait one year, since the age for underage wizardry had been dropped down one year because of the rise of Dark wizardry; the Ministry needed as many people as they could to combat the peaking Dark Magic.

Lucius couldn't stand the very presence of Harry, and every time Harry came within reaching distance, his hands would twitch and he would begin to itch the inside part of his elbow: the spot where the Dark Mark was cast, long ago, but it was still as deep black as when it was first imprinted there.

In the end, Harry was forced to take the Knight Bus to the only place left for him to go, being turned out by both his relatives and his best friend's dad.

The Burrow.