I Beg Your Pardon, Potter?

Chapter 28

The next few days passed in a blur of activity. The teachers, undeterred by the upcoming Halloween festivities, assigned as much, if not more, homework than usual. Indeed, when a large groan went up from the students in her class on Tuesday, McGonagall explained that was because their mock N.E.W.T.s were coming up.

"But N.E.W.T.s are not until next May," Ron protested.

"Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, staring down her nose at him. "N.E.W.T.s are not something to be taken lightly. The grades you get on them may well influence your entire career." Ron flushed and sank down in his seat.

Harry was all too aware of how his grades might affect his career, which was why he was so grateful to have Draco as a potions partner. As it turned out, the blond really did know his stuff and he was excited to share his knowledge with Harry. Harry, in turn, was happy to help Draco with the Defense Against the Dark Arts homework that he had been surprised to learn that Draco had. He had not realized that Draco was even taking Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. Harry had thought he had dropped it as soon as he could.

"I just didn't think you would want to protect yourself against the Dark Arts," he had protested when Draco asked him why this had been news, before promptly realizing that he sounded like a dick.

"You know, I don't particularly care to get taken out by a vampire or a troll, Potter," Draco had said curtly. "Plus, in a duel, even the best of wizards often resort to the worst of spells." Harry didn't respond to that because he knew Draco was right.

...

Harry and Ron snuck out to Hogsmeade on Tuesday afternoon after their Herbology class was unexpectedly cut short when Parvati Patil accidentally cut her own finger off while trying to prune a fluttering amaranth bush. Once they had crept through Honeydukes, they made their way directly to Saving Sickles, the second hand clothes shop, in order to buy their Halloween costumes. As was their wont, they became rather distracted by all of the bizarre options and spent a good thirty minutes trying on the craziest things they could find just for fun.

"How do I look?" Harry asked, emerging from the changing room in a lime green kilt and fuzzy purple sweater. Ron immediately burst into laughter, which was the precise reaction Harry had been looking for. Ron's outfit was not much better, consisting of a pair of dress robes that must have come from the sixties as they were made from a psychedelic swirl patterned material.

Once they put joking aside, they managed to find something that suited their costumes.

"I think it's perfect," Ron said as he stared at their reflections in the shop mirror.

"I just hope people know who we are," Harry said, a small frown marring his forehead.

"Should we perhaps add name tags?" Harry's frown deepened while he thought about it.

"Do they wear name tags on the show?" he asked. Now it was Ron's turn to frown.

"Dunno," he said. "We'll have to check. And probably make better microphones." Harry grinned. They were improvising by just holding their wands, but clearly that wouldn't do for the final costume.

Before leaving, Harry also picked up a relatively nice sweater and a pair of jeans, as he remembered that Draco had already seen him in all of his non school attire. It was possibly Harry and Ron's most productive trip to Saving Sickles to date.

...

"Hey Har'," Ron said as they were walking back to Hogwarts.

"Yes?"

"Where were you on Saturday night?" Harry was glad for the darkness as it hid the blush on his face.

"Uh, I had to apologize to Draco about something," he stammered.