Chapter 10
It had almost become normal for Professor Potter and Professor Malfoy to be late, and with how awful Professor Potter had looked yesterday, Francene had expected the trend to continue. But there they were, sitting at the head tables, smiling away.
“Franny,” Otis hissed in her general direction.
For being a first year, Otis wasn’t all that bad. At least he was close with the Slytherins, so he also got information on Professor Malfoy.
“What?”
Otis looks around conspiratorily, “Remember when I got my hand stuck in that gargoyle and Professor Potter went all scary?”
“Yeah?”
“And you know the button that just appeared yesterday?” Otis asks, looking manic.
“I do?”
“Well, when they were walking me to Madam Pomfrey they started talking about how to make it easier for Professor Potter to get up to the Gryffindor and they must have come up with the button.”
Francene nods, “Yeah, but why is that interesting?”
“They didn’t even consider just making Professor Potter sleep in his own room,” Otis says grabbing Francene by both of her shoulders and shaking her.
“Holy Merlin.”
“Guys, Professor Potter used to date the Holyhead Harpies seeker, remember.” Mason points out.
Francene slaps him on the back of the head earning her a scolding hey from Vicky, “Bisexual people exist, dumbass,”
Otis holds up a hand and waves over someone from Slytherin, “I have more proof,”
“What do you want Otis?” Asks Smoul, already seeming half exasperated with him.
“Tell them.” He demands.
“Tell them what?” Otis gives her a look, “They probably already know, Harry got in a massive argument with a homophobic painting,”
“And?” Otis prompts prodding her in the side.
“And he is running a GSA club with Professor Malfoy.” She says rolling her eyes, “Can I go? I was eating.”
Otis waves her away, “Aye? Not so straight now is he.”
“Oh fuck off, Oats,” Mason says rolling his eyes.
“You’re cursing, at the poor innocent first year,” Otis gives him puppy eyes, “I’m scandalized.”
“Oh, shut up.”
“Then don’t call me oats.”
The group directs their attention up to the table where Professor Potter beams at Professor Malfoy adjusting his bun.
“They are rather domestic,” Mason admits.
***
Harry smiles at his Gryffindors as they roughhouse, bonding already.
“Draco I think my bun’s too tight,” Harry half-sings, more to get Draco's attention than because his bun is actually too tight.
Draco leans over and loosens the bun at the base a little bit, “Better?”
“Infinitely.”
Draco rolls his eyes.
***
The Slythrtin table is silent. Completely silent in fact. Until a seventh year breaks it.
“Do we like Professor Potter,” A round of shrugging goes around the table, “Enough for whatever that is?”
“I don’t know?” A fourth year says, “He seems kind of like a giant puppy.”
The table hums in agreement. Rosemund sighs, they’re almost as bad as Vicky even if they pretend like they’re above it.
“All in favor of allowing this to go on, hand in the air.” The entire table raises their hands, “I guess that's settles it.”
***
Draco watches the Slytherin students vote on something and decides that he just doesn’t have the energy for it, at least not while Harry uses his thigh as leverage to reach across the table for another slice of toast, and certainly not when his hand doesn’t move for the rest of breakfast.
In fact, it haunts him all day. It haunts him when they have to go to class. It haunts him when he's teaching his advanced students how to lower the poison level of their potion. It haunts him when he’s answering student’s questions about adapted pain potions to make them taste better. It haunts him when he heads to the DADA classroom for GSA.
The vague warmth where Harry’s hand had rested hours ago lingers and Draco can not stop being aware of it.
***
Harry knows he’s a Gryffindor but he does not know where he got the courage to sneak his hand onto Draco’s thigh. He must of been subtle enough because when he left it there Draco didn’t comment. Harry tried to pretend like nothing was happening, like he was eating his breakfast without a care in the world. But in reality he could feel it. His hand burns with what he was sure was a one sided intensity that follows him to GSA.
He claps as people start to file in taking their seats until there are nearly 20 of them, “Oh great, the posters must of worked.”
Draco makes his way to the front of the room to stand beside Harry and a few students exchange suspicous glances.
“Professor Potter may have started this,” Draco drawls, “But he has no idea what he is doing.”
Harry chuckles, “You have a little time to brainstorm as today we actually have something planned.”
“We’re going to be charming cards to subtly allow students to join GSA,” Draco says pulling out a sample of the business cards, “When deactivated the card will appear to be completely inconspicuous, a simple business card for a shop in Hogsmade, but when activated.”
Draco presses the card, changing it to a sleek design inviting the student to come to the GSA club.
“Do we think we can do this?” Harry asks scanning the new members, a few looked skeptical, it was a tricky charm after all, “Thats alright we’ll help eachother.”
Draco taught Harry the charm first and they spilt from eachother and begun teaching everyone the charm. A few of the cards ended up turning a vibrant color, or dissolved into a puddle when activated.
“Thumbs up if you can do this in your sleep, thumbs side if you could do it with a little practice, and thumbs down if you need a little extra help?” Harry addresses the room, most of the students have their thumbs up but a few have them to the side and even fewer have them down.
“People with thumbs up, you are group Green, People with thumbs side you are group yellow.” Harry names them off.
“Greens pair up with yellow, help them with the spell a little, once you feel more comfortable go ahead and join group green.” Draco instructs, “If you have thumbs down please come over here,”
While the students support eachother Draco and Harry help the ones that are struggliling through the charm until they are comfortable casting it.
“Now you’ve all got it down its time to actually make the cards.” Draco says.
***
After the cards are created Draco has the students line up, “Try to split yourselves into two groups, be as even as possible.”
After giving the students a moment to split themselves up Draco trys to get their attention, “Eyes up here, please.”
The students ignore Draco’s efforts to quiet them down until Harry shouts, “Thats enough.”
The students go quiet.
“I know this club is meant to be fun, and it will be, but only if you remember that we are still teachers, next time Professor Malfoy tries to get your attention you will give it to him, understood?” Harry asks firmly and the students mutter their affirmation, “Fantastic, Professor Malfoy if you will.”
“Ms Foster and Ms Berke will be leading this group, do not get separated, go to each teachers quarters and offer them the cards to put in their classroom.” Draco gestures to the group on the left, “Professor Potter and I will be leading this group.”
Harry gives Ms. Foster a list of the teachers her group should visit and waves them off to start asking.
“We,” Harry starts, “Are so lucky to get Professor Longbottem, and I happen to know he will accept.”
“He is however last on our list.” Draco clarifies, “We first have to go to Madem Hooch.”
***
By the time they got to Neville most teachers had accepted, Trewlany seemed particularly excited at them.
Harry casts a non-verbal detection charm to make sure Neville was clothed. It came back negative making Harry wrinkle his nose and nudge Draco.
“He is not ready for visitors at the moment.” Harry says winking.
“Thats terribly crass,” Draco said scrunching his nose up making Harry chuckle.
“I thought I was being rather subtle.” Harry grins.
Harry knocks on the door and Neville stumbles out looking rather mussed, his collar was stretched rather wide and the fading hickeys were visible.
“Oh, Harry?” Neville asks sighing in relief, “What are you doing here,”
“Clothe yourself Professor Longbottom,” Draco drawles raising an eyebrow.
“Oh goodness gracious,,” Neville hurridly casts a few glamour over himself and makes a shooing motion with both his hands into his room, once he seemed pleased with whatever was going on inside he smiled kindly, “How can I help you,”
Harry waves Mr Selwyn foreward, “Sorry to bother you Sir, we have these cards and it would be fantastic if you could set them up somewhere where students can grab them, they’re really quite neat, see.”
Neville watches as Mr Selwyn presses the card and the face of it changes. “It’s really no bother I wasn’t doing anything important, I would love to, but I think I left the kettle turned on if you would excuse me,”
The group sends Neville with a stack of cards as he rushes away.
Harry snickers making Draco kick him.