Having failed in communicating with Hermione, Harry decided to meet Ron at breakfast, and before the conversation, to slightly check his friend's thought-images so as not to quarrel with him too… Fortunately, everything went well with Ron, and so he gladly received the news from Harry. Ginny, who was nearby, congratulated Flamia on her success in conquering the heart of the Gryffindor Prince. Actually, Flamia was somewhat afraid to spread this news, since she thought it would give rise to a new wave of gossip and stir up increased interest in their persons, but, firstly, Ron and Ginny promised to keep silent like partisans, and secondly, this was not the only case of such rapid development of relationships. Rather, even the opposite, they would have started gossiping if Harry had not proposed now, since this, so to speak, had become fashionable. Seamus and Parvati were among those who were the first to announce their decision to go through life hand in hand. Probably half of the sixth and seventh years had already split into steady couples, and the remaining ones were mostly divided into those who were about to make up their minds, and those for whom nothing shone. However, when you do not know what will happen tomorrow, you want to manage to live life in such a way that at the last moment you will not regret that you could have changed something…
Life went on as usual. In lessons, Harry steadily kept within the stream, since nothing distracted him from completing assignments on time and carefully absorbing the new… well, that is, almost nothing, but that something, or rather, someone, was more of a help… Of course, not all subjects came equally. For example, Charms required diligent training, Transfiguration did not always work out, but in full accordance with the abilities of an average wizard, while DADA and Potions went simply with a bang. Moreover, if in Slughorn's lessons Harry sometimes had mistakes, which the teacher wrote off as excessive diligence in attempts to improve the original composition, then Snape could not catch Potter even on the slightest slip. And the Gryffindor managed not only to pass practical trials with honor, periodically entering into a fight with the professor himself, but also to memorize all the theoretical material from beginning to end, which drove the Terror of the Dungeons to grinding his teeth.
Operation "Invasion of the Ferret's Mind" kept being postponed. In the corridor, an attempt to penetrate someone else's consciousness, especially if that consciousness was protected, would at best end with several bruises from accidental collisions; and if you consider that lately Malfoy had been walking not even with three of them, but rather with the whole class, then the outcome of such an event would be difficult to predict. In the Great Hall, Draco tried to sit with his back turned, which, together with the block, gave protection worthy of Dumbledore. And in lessons, in front of the block, as a rule, hung thoughts about the current assignment, which did not allow the mind to be probed unnoticed.
But one day in Potions class, Harry, out of habit, decided to probe Malfoy's block. But here a surprise awaited him… The Ferret was clearly not thinking about lessons, his downtrodden look said that besides lessons he had enough worries, and now his defense gave a crack… He thought about the Room of Requirement, only not about what he usually did there, that could be felt, his true plans were rolled in concrete and sunk in the depths of his consciousness… And on the surface floated the memory of yesterday evening and anticipation of today, and all of it was inseparably connected with the image of a girl…
— It can't be… How is this possible!
— Harry! Are you all right? — Flamia asked warily: Harry had already been looking in the direction of the Slytherin for about a minute and had completely forgotten to think about the potion he had been so carefully preparing the whole lesson. If the girl had not distracted him now, he would have missed the moment, and the potion would have been ruined. Apparently, he had seen something important. — What did you see?
Harry stirred his potion, made sure that the work had not been in vain, poured it into a test tube, and only then answered:
— This is exactly the kind of turn of events I did not expect… No, don't look at me like that. I did not learn what the Ferret is hiding, he manages that as if, should anyone find out — and he will die… I saw his memory, yesterday's memory… And today's hope… The whole world has gone mad…
— What is it? Is he dreaming of becoming friends with you?
— No, although after what I saw, nothing will surprise me anymore. After all, the Ferret was clearly rejoicing at my survivability… As if I can save him from something!.. But that is not the point… Hermione!..
— WHAT??? It can't be!!! And how far has everything gone?
— That far! It has not yet come to a wedding, but if it goes on like this…
— No… Impossible… Miss Know-It-All… She is… Muggle-born…
— Still, I need to talk to her…
The conversation with Hermione took place only in the evening. After that scandal, the Gryffindor prefect tried to avoid Potter, and so he managed to catch her only in the common room. Understanding that aloud, even in a whisper, such a conversation could not be held — even walls have ears — Harry broke in… although, no, he simply mentally addressed the consciousness of his former friend:
"Hermione! Can you hear me?"
"As if I wouldn't hear you, Legilimens censor!"
"What are you doing? Have you completely lost your mind! I just want to talk!"
"Well, well… I'm listening to you attentively, hero…"
"Please, don't be sarcastic… I would like to hear from you that I did not imagine your… date with Malfoy in the Room of Requirement"
"censorPOTTER!!! WHAT THE censor ARE YOU DOING GETTING INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS? ARE YOUR OWN EROTIC EXPERIENCES NOT ENOUGH? FLAMIA DOESN'T GIVE IT TO YOU? AND SHE DOES RIGHT!"
"Damn, am I the only cultured one here! Everyone is trying to curse me out! And anyway, I wanted to find out what the hell Malfoy is doing in the Room of Requirement, and there you go, I found out! It is a good thing his thoughts are orderly, it is immediately clear where work is, where rest is, otherwise the picture is wonderful: for half a year we have been trying to find out what the Ferret is doing there, and he is there censor with the Gryffindor Prefect! censor!"
"Did you yourself understand what you just said?"
"Don't be clever, you understood perfectly well what I dragged in while heated… In general, how did it occur to you to date Malfoy? An enemy?"
"Forgot, did you? You sent me to him yourself, and he really did forget that I am a Mudblood, accepted me as I am… We are both lonely, no friends…"
"Until you started censor at your friends, you had them. Forgive the rudeness, but I cannot call it anything else."
"So that's how it is? Well then… Yes, I am such a beast, I censor at everyone, pester everyone, but at least I really know who I am dealing with! Better an old enemy than a new friend!"
"What do you even know! Flamia and I met back in the summer, learned everything about each other, and, by the way, right now only three people known to me can deceive ME, and Flamia is not among them! I can read her consciousness like an open book!"
"Well, let's say… Only why the censor did you tell her everything about our adventures?"
"Oh, excuse us, we forgot to ask Miss Know-It-All's opinion! For your information, I proposed to her and she accepted, so now she is my fiancée, and in the near future she will be my lawful wife, so she has every right to know everything about me!"
"Have you gone crazy??? To marry a girl you have not known for even a year???"
"And that is already none of your business… If you want to date Malfoy — my blessing to you, only never count on my support again. I do not throw words to the wind."
And at that time Draco was waiting for Hermione by the Room of Requirement. He intended first to unburden his soul, and only then, when there would be at least some strength to keep living, to take up the task assigned to him. But his plans were not destined to come true. McLaggen calmly entered the corridor.
— McLaggen! You apparently are not watching the time at all? Or do you not value the points of your house of mangy cats?
Of course, Malfoy was taking a risk. A serious risk. Cormac McLaggen at such a short distance was very dangerous. Yes, as a duelist he was truly like a donkey, but if he was not knocked out immediately, he would put his physical strength into play, and then it was all over — even Crabbe and Goyle would not save him. But habit is second nature, and so Draco was about to prepare for a fight… but the Gryffindor's reaction was unexpected:
— Calm down, Malfoy! Everyone here is our own — with these words Cormac meaningfully looked at his forearm, — so come on already. go in, and I will make sure that you do not slack off!
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