“Our next match is in two months, Potter.  If you don’t have a new broom by then, USE A SCHOOL ONE!”

“Gryffindor’s Seeker has a Nimbus!” cried Niamh in outrage.  “A Comet Two-Sixty is the best thing the school’s got and that won’t beat a Nimbus!”

Flint glared at the third-year and snarled, “Well then it’ll just have to do, won’t it?”

“Why you…”

“Calm down, Ni,” said Harry condescendingly, his tone offering no room to contradict him.  He looked at Flint and continued, “I’ll get a broom.  Ye just keep yer shirt on.”  Grabbing Niamh’s shoulder, he pulled her over to where Ginny sat by the fireplace; Sirius curled up at her feet and Hedwig in her lap.

Niamh wrenched herself free of Harry’s grip and glared up at him, blue eyes flashing.

“What the hell was that about?  Why the sod don’t you stand up to that bastard, Harry?”

Harry gave her a calculating look that reminded her of his father and replied shortly, “’E’s Captain.”

“Well, that still doesn’t…”

“Ni, I’m na in the mood.”

“Not in the mood?  Well, I am!”

Harry threw up his hands and groaned, rubbings his temples for a moment before growling to the girl, “Flint’s the bloody team captain, Ni, and if he wants ter us the ruddy reserves in the next game, ‘e can!”

“Bloody foolish, that is.”

“ARGH!  Gin, ye try and talk some sense into her.  I’m afraid I’m going ter hit her.”

Ginny smiled warmly and nodded, handing Hedwig to him as he sank into the chair opposite her.  Harry idly stroked the snakes head as he listened to the two girls argue.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

The next day the three Slytherins were walking into Defense Against the Dark Arts when Mika – who was in the lead – came to a sudden halt.  Harry and Niamh – engaged in a rather racious conversation over Quidditch (again) – ran into him.

“Sodding heck…  Davids!  What in Merlin’s name are you doing?” spat Harry.

Mika ignored him and asked in a dazed sort of voice, “What’s Snape doing in here?”

The other two Slytherins looked to the front of the room and saw that – indeed – Snape’s dark visage was sitting there glowering at them.  Harry walked to the front of the room and leaned over the desk to talk privately to his father.  To keep off eavesdroppers, he spoke in Elven.

“I’m taking a wild guess here, but would Professor Lupin possibly be off taking time to bond with him…ah…animalistic side?”

Snape arched an eyebrow at him and leaned forward to reply, “He is.  Though not to bond, I am certain, as I brewed the Wolfsbane Potion for him and watched him as he took the required amount.”

“Ah.  So, he’ll be back when?”

“What?  Don’t want your ‘old man’ teaching you DADA?” asked the dour potions master with a suppressed smirk.

Harry chuckled and replied, “Hardly.  And you’re not old.  Beside the point, you being a Death Eater, I am certain we could learn much more than we could from anyone else.  Even Lupin.”

“Was would be the correct term.”

“I know that.  Bugger off.”

“Get it right.”

“Oh, stuff a broom in it.”

“You watch your language, young man.”

“Oh, I assure you my language is much more graphic than that.  Believe me in that, Father.”

“I ought to wash your mouth out with soap.”

Harry leaned back, a smirk playing across his lips.  “And what good would that do, pray tell?”

“Go sit down,” growled Snape, waving a hand dismissively.

“Yes, my lord.”

Snape rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling as his son returned to his seat and groaned mentally.  How in Slytherin’s name was he going to survive this?

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“You have DADA with Gryff’s?” asked Mika to Ginny as they sat down to lunch in the Great Hall.

Ginny frowned at him for a moment, her spoonful of stew halfway to her mouth.  She lowered it and said cautiously, “Er, yeah.  Why?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“You ask me about my DADA class and then tell me its nothing?  Piss and sod!”

“Calm down, Gin,” said Harry casually as he sat down next to her, stealing Mika’s roll and taking a large bite out of it.  “’E’s just trying ter bait you.”  This was said as he stole a piece of cheese from the white-haired boy’s plate and began to nibble on it.

“Why?” asked Ginny.

“Because Lupin’s out and Snape’s teaching DADA till he gets back,” answered Niamh as she sat down on Ginny’s other side, reaching out to snag a piece of fruit from Mika’s plate.  The boy caught her and growled, “Shove off, O’Feir.”

“Bugger to you too, Davids.”

“Yeah, yeah.  Who stole my roll?  And my cheese?!”

Harry innocently tucked the roll into his pocket and popped the last of the cheese into his mouth.  Ginny caught this and had to keep from laughing.  Niamh was also trying not to laugh as Mika eyed the dark-haired boy.

“You.”

“Yeh?”

“You stole my roll.  And my cheese!”

Harry blinked innocently and held open his hands to show the palms to Mika.

“I doan see a roll.  Or any cheese.”

“Braggart!  Empty your pockets!”

“My pockets?  What will that accomplish, Davids?”

“Snape!”

“Tut, tut.  Remember, we doan use that name in public,” said Harry silkily with a smirk, waggling a finger at Mika.

“Sod off.”

“How harsh.”

“Just empty your pockets.”

Niamh giggled, “I feel like we’re in a Cops show.”  When the other three Slytherin’s stared blankly at her, she groaned and let her head fall with a thunk to the table.  “Nevermind,” she grumbled, “American show.”

“Ah,” said the three as though this explained everything.

Harry looked at his watch and quickly exclaimed, “Look at the time!  We’ve got Transfiguration!”  He rose quickly and left the hall, Mika rising angrily after him.

“Potter!  GET YOUR ARSE BACK HERE!”

Harry, smirking, ignored the other boy’s yell, nibbling on a piece of the roll as he strolled down the hall to Transfiguration.