Trying a New Line (Harry Potter)

Summary: AU where Harry Potter grew up normally and can act like a teenager. Harry gets a little carried away in class when talking with his new partner.

A/N: This is a guaranteed short

Harry Potter looked around the class while idly playing with the snitch in his hands. He had caught it the day before in the quidditch match against Slytherin, and it just so happens that Harry was in Potions class with Slytherins. There was almost nothing that could beat the feeling of basking in the furious looks of the rival house.

“Harry!” Hermione hissed from next to him, “Stop provoking them!”

Harry caught Draco Malfoy’s eyes and smirked at him. Without breaking eye contact with the blonde prat, Harry said to Hermione, “Why should I do that? I’m just doing what they would do in my place.”

He heard Hermione huff in exasperation, “How do you know that? You don’t exactly give them a chance to do the same when you keep winning every match.”

“And that’s the way I’ll keep it.”

Hermione groaned softly and started to dig her elbow into Harry’s side. He would have loved to annoy Draco further, but Hermione seemed determined not to let him.

Harry put away the snitch and pulled Hermione closer to him so her stabbing elbow would have no effect. When he turned to face her, they were close enough to count each other’s eyelashes. A pink dusting spread across Hermione’s face when Harry said, “Ah, I get it. You were jealous that I wasn’t paying enough attention to you.”

“You know that isn’t it!”

“It’s alright, Hermione. It’s my fault for looking at those ugly gits when I had such a beautiful girl next to me.”

A playful look flickered in Hermione’s eyes before she said, “Is that what you were hoping I was doing?”

“Well, it’s not something I would be unhappy with.”

Hermione looked like she had something to say, but Snape called the class to attention.

“Looking at all the… pathetic scores some of you have gotten, I’ve decided to partner the hopeless students with their betters.”

The class just sat there, looking at the professor in confusion before Snape barked at them, “In other words, the Gryffindors will have Slytherins as partners today. Change your seats. Now!”

Harry rolled his eyes and shared an annoyed look with Hermione before they both got up to find a Slytherin. Given that they weren’t particularly well-liked by the Slytherins, Hermione ended up with Goyle, and Harry’s only choice was a blonde girl whose name escaped him.

Given that the blonde girl never did anything to Harry or his friends, at least from what he could remember, Harry gave her a bright smile, “Hello there, I’m Harry Potter!”

The girl just ducked her head and blocked her face with a curtain of blonde hair. It left Harry feeling quite awkward since it wasn’t often that he was ignored. Harry just assumed she was shy and tried to let it go.

Surprisingly, they both work well together, even though the lack of conversation was apparent. All of Harry’s attempts to make the blonde girl talk were either ignored or given a curt, one-word answer. It honestly made the usually amiable Harry fall into a cross mood.

That was when he noticed it. A slight presence that was pushing against Harry’s mind. It wasn’t anything nefarious, but a simple spell that was meant to hide something. Being who he was, Harry immediately started to focus on finding out what it was, and it kept pointing to the girl that he was partnered with.

“Finite”

Harry didn’t see anything change, but the gasp that came from the girl let him know that something had happened.

“So? What is it that you’re hiding, blondie?”

Harry didn’t get an answer, but the quick glare that he received let him see a stunningly pretty face hidden behind her hair. Now that he thought of it, Harry couldn’t remember seeing the girl’s face clearly before.

His eyes widened, “Wait, were you spelling your face to be hidden?”

“Isn’t that obvious, Potter? You’re as bad as Malfoy says!”

Harry pointed at himself, “You’re talking about me? I’ve been nothing but polite so far. You’re the one with something up your arse!”

Her icy blue eyes narrowed in anger before she used her hair to hide again, leaving Harry staring in annoyance at a gold curtain.

It was near the end of the class before Harry felt that he had been a little overboard. After all, he was the one who dispelled the charm that hid her face. Even though Harry thought it was weird for her to do so, it wasn’t his place to do something about it.

“Alright, I shouldn’t have done that… or said that. Let’s start over. Hi, my name’s Harry Potter.”

The girl pursed her lips and thought for a minute before saying, “Fine, if it finally gets you to shut up, I’m Daphne Greengrass.”

Harry thought over the name in his mind and tried to remember if he had any interaction with the girl, and no, it turned out he didn’t. That was a good thing, really, since he had only traded barbs with all the Slytherins that he had talked to. Plus, Harry would have certainly remembered someone as good-looking as Daphne.

The two fell into a few more minutes of silence before Harry couldn’t hold it back anymore. He knew that it would get Daphne fuming again, but Harry never had such an excellent opportunity to use it before. Well, there was Pansy, but Harry would rather cut off his own tongue.

“Hey, Daphne?”

Harry saw her close her eyes in frustration before gritting out, “What?”

“I know we just met, but do you mind if I Slytherin to your dungeon?”

Daphne froze and slowly turned to see Harry with a shit-eating grin on his face. Looking as if he had said something to be proud of.

She was about to give him a tongue lashing, but a quick look over Harry’s shoulder changed her mind. With a sweet smile, Daphne cooed, “I never thought you would ask Potter, but maybe you should let your girlfriend know that you want to sleep with me.”

“Hermione?”

“Yes, Harry. Me.”

Harry paled when he heard Hermione’s voice behind him, “Fuck.”

Daphne picked up her things and left with a parting shot, “I don’t think you’ll be doing much of that, Potter.”