Draco heard the first shout but didn't quite register it. As he turned, he noticed a small group across the way, barely making out Daphne because he was so star-struck. His eyes lowered to the person who had shouted, emerald green eyes locked onto him like he was a target, only for his brain to catch up with what had been said.
Then the next shout came, starting to feel a bit fearful, until he realized how far Harry's group was from him. His rushing like that was a classic rookie mistake, never try to start a gang war without your ga-.
Draco's eyes widened as, before his group could react, Crabbe and Goyle were both dropped to the ground by a stunner. The two that he had dragged to play his favorite game with to dump the blame on if they got caught, were forced backwards ten feet from him, the Malfoy heir in the process of drawing his wand. Only to see Harry putting his away, a chill going down the snake's back as it realized what Harry meant by 'Beating'. It wasn't a duel of magic or wands; it was a fist fight.
A fist fight he had never thought he would be in, not at least without Goyle, who had official Knight training.
"S-s-stupif-.''
''ARE YOU NOT A MAN!?" Harry's thunderous roar made him pause, causing his incantation to fizzle out, and the cold, cruel smile that crossed his abuser's face made Draco begin to think through all he had done wrong recently…
By the time Harry was finally on him he was cruel, taunting in his display of martial hand-to-hand prowess. There was no need to explain the fight itself, a master playing with a child was never fun, but was fun? It was for others to watch as Harry showed off a surprising show of martial skill, weaving, ducking, and letting Draco actually put up a fight. Pansy was turned on simply because of how hot it was, to see Harry so easily dismantle Malfoy.
No threat of family, no magic, just an old fist fight that would get anyone's interest, at least those who cared for violence.
Daphne, however, was turned on by the depth of Harry, because not only did she see him ruin the Malfoy heir. But she watched as he taught through the fight, correcting through pain, kicking at the Slytherins' stance to straighten it further. By the time Draco had actually begun to confess all the things he had done, it was the horror on his face that Harry was waiting for. The realization that Draco didn't have enough breath to confess all his misdeeds, then to beg forgiveness for them, terrified him, because Harry continued to beat him down until he was exhausted. Only for his mind to begin breaking as he watched the soft glow of a wiggenweld potion appear, just as Harry knelt down to force the whimpering jaw open. He began to pour the contents of the potion into the bruised and beaten ferret's mouth, surprised to see just how many injuries he watched reverse.
Only for the grin that came next to chill souls, Daphne's hand caught the elbow as he brought it back to continue. Having exhausted the Malfoy heir within ten minutes of 'combat' but been playing with him like a toy he didn't quite care about for an additional fifteen. That, however, was long enough for a few rumors to begin spreading and for hearts to change. Pansy was no longer looking 'aroused' by him but scared. Daphne was actively making an effort to keep herself together, her blushing cheeks a sight for only Harry. and Draco. The understanding that she was blushing not for him, but for the man who had been pummeling a wound that hurt a bit worse than what Lord Potter had left.
"That's enough, Harry. Any more and it won't be about defending a woman's honor, and I can't have my sparring partner ending up locked away in detention." Harry thought about ignoring the warning of Daphne, but going further would be rude to her honor, and he could see in Draco's eyes that there was truly a fundamental change from the first beating.
"Is that what you're thinking of, Princess?" Harry's hinting words got her blush to flush a bit darker, before her face became a thin line as it began to disappear altogether. It seemed he could only tease her occasionally when her guard lowered, letting her hold his elbow as he stood; they both knew what it meant for her hand to linger. At least Daphne was hoping he understood; it seemed that, despite the rumors of Harry being raised by Muggles, it wasn't true. That or he still had plenty of training to understand such subtle things, since he had turned away when he stood. Only to turn back to look at her when her hand lingered, he watched it a moment before looking up to her to make eye contact again.
"I see… My room is 101, we'll talk there." When he said that, she finally released his elbow, turning to walk away, being sure to grab the still watching Pansy. It seemed the Ice Princess still had some training to put her dogs through…
Harry's eyes fell to the battered Draco who lay in the grass, his eyes searching the sky past his beater's head for answers.
"You won't find them in the clouds, dumbass, only in your own actions, and how you change them from now on. No one likes an asshole; they might tolerate you because of your family name, they might even laugh at your jokes to get in your good graces… But if all it takes is 100 galleons to turn eight people against you, what about 1,000 or 5? We could even become friends, Draco. I have plenty of business ideas, adventures that could use the version of you that isn't… Pretending to be a Prince, when he hasn't even earned the ability to stand up to his own problems without his Father's name."
Harry wasn't sure if these words would help Malfoy, but they were the ones he felt would make the most sense to the pureblood. He wasn't asking for the guy to be the next magical Jesus or anything, just to turn a better leaf over; if not, he'd have fun doing this again. But to beat the brat to the punch, he wrote a letter to Lucius Malfoy, making it sound not only regal but a genuine apology. Promising a vintage wine from one of the Potters Vineyards, as well as showing a business project plan that would help them both earn some extra money, Something practical, honest, and genuine to send off to the man using Hedwig, who looked particularly proud of Harry as he met her in his private room in the ROR. That was closed off from his room whenever he wasn't using it, not willing to leave such an open spell active for too long.
''Hoo Woo!'' The beautiful owl hooted as he entered, spreading out her wings to give a few flaps, cooing as he approached with his latter to nuzzle his palm aggressively until she turned his hand around to poke at his fists.
"Did you see my fight? Thank you for praising Pretty-Girl, he was trying to hurt your future step-mother."
While his words weren't entirely lost to her because of intent, the meaning behind complicated words was so that all she did was hoot softly. Letting him tie the letter to her in the scroll holder that shrunk letters down, making them nearly weightless for the owl. It would first be delivered to the ministry to be checked for malicious intent; only then would it be allowed to pass to another owl that knew the route to Lord Malfoy.
"Take your time on your way back, I'll be sure to have a few sweets for you ready." He gave her one last scratch before helping her take off, letting her use his hand to take off as he tossed her leisurely out the window. Just as he was leaving the private room, closing the connection off with the key, he walked out to take the shortcut. Once he left the painting below the fat lady, he circled around, entering it, and he walked into the Lion's home room to find a few studying. A few waves exchanged between his seniors as he headed for the stairs, tapping his wand against the wall, he sent out a silent trace for Hermione.
It was a way to warn someone they were being sought if they were in their room; not finding her there, he headed for the library, only to see the Lioness sprinting. He was about to enter the library to look for her before she whirled around a corner, clear that she had enchanted her shoes to muffle, stick. To make it so she would be able to run without causing a fuss, she tried his room, but didn't find him there, so her next place was the library.
Harry, seeing her eyes focusing on him dilate, knew he was in trouble, only to get arms over his shoulders. Ones he had sensed coming but had ignored to focus on Hermione's facial structure, highlighting key feelings and doing his best to identify the problem that would arise later. Thanking whatever immortal would be hearing his prayer for the intervention, the first of the twins to speak was George with a sheepish smile, while Fred had a sly one.
"Harry/Potter! Our second favorite rich-boy/Not that Draco is our first, mind you, ideally/Our favorite would be someone much richer, willing to/Fund our businesses no matter how/Look at us, we're rambling.'' They began walking with him away from the library, up toward the main hall that leads to multiple classrooms. From there, they found a cabinet. George waved his wand as they descended into a dark crypt. Fred took one look around. Missing the Lioness stalking him as he closed it, inside the separated space, Harry found quite a neat little workshop clearly meant for all their many projects.
"Ah, so this is where the real magic happens, which of you experiments?"
''We trade out frequently if it's safe/but will try to trick someone else into taking it/ usually a Slytherin if not…"
"So," George intoned as Fred left to go start one of the contraptions, Harry ignoring the sudden loud hissing, chugging sounds from it. It was clear the crypt itself was heavily enchanted, with cleaning charms, air filter charms, and silencing charms. Even a few wards that would get past normal detection, the Headmaster and Teachers would definitely know of its existence… There must be quite a few hidden studies in Hogwarts for the eccentric students, such as these two.
"We heard you got into a fight with the Malfoy Heir, not that it can be quite called a fight, yea?'' George said while Fred only chuckled from across the room, seeming to have fun playing with the machine, currently cranking a massive pulley crank that turned…
Nothing.
"It was just a light sparring match. I've sent word to his father explaining the incident, as well as an apology, to make sure there aren't too many hard feelings."
"A quick, decisive move from the Muggle-born hero, mm?" While the tone might come off a little rude in that statement, Harry could feel nothing but a practical standing ovation from the twin.
"I have to be, I have no family, no protection, so I must clearly make friends to build support. I have to build a fighting force, train it, get into the families of the Sacred 28 so I can start moving politically… Work on funding the business adventures of two geniuses before me."
"Cutting to the chase right away, how much can you off-.''
''500 upfront, only because I've already put more into my monthly account than I like, I have expenses of my own to make."
"...Merlin…" It was Fred who let out a sound now as he stopped cranking, seeming to have lost all air from his fantasy sails, or whatever was making him crank the large lever.
"But I'm not only looking for prank candies, but I also don't mind if you focus on your jokes, tricks, trinkets. I would like you to also try and make more alcoholic beverages, butter beer is sweet, here is a… small list of possible mixtures." Harry handed over the folded letter to them, although he wasn't originally planning to hand it over to them. It was Fred who stole the paper from the Lord's hands, bringing it around to open it as he walked around to the back of George.
"My job is more of experimenting with candies and such, but Fred has always had more of an interest in brewing; all we lack is funds, so we'll keep you updated. Will… Will you want a contract?" George asked with a clear hint of hesitation, only because of certain rules, meaning they would need to get parental permission to start a business while in school. Which would be needed if they tried to start something official yet.
"Between friends? No, just don't make me ever need to think about collecting what I'm owed later, alright, later down the road when you get a business set up, I'll draft one up. Just so the Potter name can be used as a small shield." Harry stood from his seat, only for George to follow him over, handing him a small bag.
''No trick candies in here, there are just a few new flavors, and a few that make you float.''
Taking the bag of candies for later in his meditations, he found the entrance to the crypt opening as he approached it. The sound of a few hurried footsteps entered his ear as the wards opened, and he stepped out into the hidden corner without anyone looking towards him. His nose caught the soft scent of Hermione: a mixture of mint, old books, and vanilla.
'Careful, Kitty.. I could get a lot more done with a cute Secretary running around.'
(A/N) If you see a point I can improve, let me know. If you have any questions about terms or items, comment, and I'll answer as soon as I can!
Check out the Patreon found under TigerRising, because it's just magic!