Hello and welcome to today's instalment of "Harry doesn't know what he's feeling when he's feeling it". I'm in the middle of going through the books (for nerd reasons) and I stumbled upon this passage:
And the thing is: this happens in book 1, right at the beginning of the school year. Not only have Draco and Harry interacted very little so far but the inciting incident that made Harry react this way is peculiar.
You see, Harry here is thinking back on his first ever potions lesson, where Snape tried to humiliate him at every turn. In that scene Draco does not interact with Harry, all he does is be a gleeful spectator to the dressing down and also make potions. Literally.
Draco mentions in the scene:
The slytherin boys (or at the very least the ones Harry knows so far) are amused by Snape's roasting of Harry
2. second verse, same as the first
3. Draco is good at potions, this irritates Harry
That's literally everything. All Draco is guilty of here is being present for Harry's humiliation and being competent at something Harry is trying for the first time. Yes, he's laughing at Harry's misfortune but this is not described as a performance for his benefit (unlike in later books where Draco will make sure Harry sees him laughing at his misfortune). Harry sees Draco's reaction (and Crabbe and Goyle's) but are they the only ones laughing or are they the only ones Harry is paying attention to? Harry explicitly says, in the second passage I mentioned, that he tries not looking at Draco+ Crabbe&Goyle; this to me implies that he's especially conscious of them and their reaction.
As I remarked here about their very first interaction, Harry's feelings towards Draco are, from the get-go, more complicated and nebulous than one might think. If I had to name what sentiments Draco inspires in Harry in these first interactions, I'd say a non insignificant one is inadequacy.
We can see that during the first potions lesson, and again at the thought of a shared flying lesson, Harry very much dislikes the thought of being seen failing by Draco . Why, on Harry's very first night at Hogwarts he has a nightmare and you know who's featured prominently in it, witnessing Harry in an embarrassing situation and laughing about it? None other than Draco Lucius Malfoy.
I find this interesting because Harry claims his feelings towards Draco are similar to what he feels towards Dudley (at this point in the narrative he's remarked on it more than once) but Dudley's actions towards Harry are intentional (pre-Hogwarts dudders loves bullying Harry) whereas Draco has yet to do anything to Harry other than try really badly to befriend him (and be stung by his rejection).
Furthermore Harry, from what we see from his interactions with Dudley, does not seem to be at all self conscious of the way he behaves in front of his cousin nor does he measure his achievements by comparing them with Dudley's. I'd say his general attitude toward Dudley is dismissive, in complete contrast with the competitiveness he feels with Draco yet, somehow, Harry keeps associating the two in his mind.
There's this element of self-fulfilling prophecy in Harry and Draco's interactions (no doubt because jkr is telling us to dislike Draco before showing us why) that I never noticed before. Harry dislikes Draco at first sight (more accurately, he's unsettled by him and decide this means he dislikes him) so he's going to look for other things to dislike in order to reinforce his bias:
Draco receives packages from home? Wow, he's spoiled just like Dudley, nevermind the fact that countless other students are undoubtedly receiving just as many packages.
Draco is a competent beginner potions student? Oh wow, it's just like that git to succeed in a class taught by another git (essentially: if you're favoured by a bad person that means you're bad too)
And because these reactions don't happen in a vacuum, Draco notices them, which fuels HIS complicated emotions vis-à-vis Harry. Add all of this to the feelings of rejection he has no doubt been stewing on and voilà, you have the birth of Draco's decision to be Harry's enemy (since he can't be his friend).
tldr: Harry indadvertedly started the rivalry with Draco and Draco followed suit because negative attention is still attention.
Hello!!! How would the ro's react to seeing mc giving them a sultry look while letting their hand travel from neck to chest~
(For these I will assume the mc is already in their romantic route.)
Feiyu / Fang Hua | Your Shizun
They would tease you by pretending to ignore you.
They want you to up the ante until they can't take it anymore.
But if you were to go away or sulk, they would grab you, pull you in, and give you a passionate kiss.
Sexy times may happen, but it depends if you were a good tease.
Chenxing / Chenguang | The Unicorn
They would get all shy and flustered.
Depending on how much you tease them, they'll get redder and redder.
Would eventually hug you from behind if you were to go away.
Ming Yu / Meixing | The 12th Prince/Princess
They would give you a sultry look back.
And they would get close to your personal space and stroke your face.
They would pretend to go for a mouth kiss, but at the last moment kiss your nose instead.
They would laugh at your disappointment or whatever outraged reaction you have, then give you a really passionate mouth kiss.
Xuesong | Your Rival | Snake Demon
Do you want to fuck?
That's what they are going to assume.
Prepare to have them sweep you off your feet, princess carried to the nearest bed, and then boarded.
Ruoxuan | The Best Friend
They'll get shy and flustered, but would still send you a heated look back.
Would reach out to kiss you.
Dong Yang / Dongmei | The Demon Assassin
Would also assume you want to fuck.
They will give you a sultry look back and also let their hand travel from neck to chest.
They will mirror all your actions and make it a game of who asks for more first.
Haoyu / Huiying | The Hermit
Is this a seducement?
They would be inwardly very excited about it, since this is the first time anyone ever bothered to seduce them. However, outwardly, their face would be impassive and stoic.
Would reach out for your hand and then kiss your palm while staring straight into your eyes.
They don't know what to do and would rely on courting rituals of immortals to signal they want more.
Prepare for a long courtship ritual instead of foreplay.
How would the ros act if someone was flirting intensively with mc and mc wasn't comfortable with it but didn't say anything
Your Shizun | Feiyu / Fang Hua
Uh oh.
They would probably descend like an angry god. F would glare at them and intimidate them into leaving. If they are persistent, they would verbally tear them to shreds.
If F happens to see you with them again, then expect your Shizun to intervene and give them a lecture.
Chenxing / Chenguang | The Unicorn |
They will tell the other person that so-and-so teacher is looking for them and coincidentally sending them on the opposite side of campus,
C will probably walk you back to wherever you want to go to make sure you're okay.
Ming Yu / Meixing | The 12th Prince/Princess
They would distract the person and get them to go elsewhere.
probably hover over you to make sure you're okay now
Lung Xuesong | Your Rival | Snake Demon
if unromanced and unbefriended, they probably won't do anything lol
they dislike you at this point, after all
but if they're romanced or befriended, they would probably tell them directly to back off or they'll start hacking off limbs
starting with the tongue and the eyes
Xia Ruoxuan | The Best Friend
They will come up to you and let you know a teacher is looking for you, providing you with an excuse to make a clean get away.
Would probably distract the person who flirted with you with conversation.
Yu Dong Yang / Dongmei | The Demon Assassin
"Your flirtation tactics are as dull as your wits."
They would basically intervene and insult/embarrass them. Get them to leave and feel ashamed of themselves at the same time.
Will probably give you a lecture afterwards on how to stand up for yourself.
Song Haoyu / Huiying | The Hermit
is the one who would be the most blunt about it
"Cant you tell you make them uncomfortable? Beat it."
Will probably get in an argument with that person
Dumb flirtatious person: "They aren't uncomfortable around me! They're just shy. What do you like them or something?!"
Proceeds to fluster at that question and be a useless fool.
Do the ROs have any particular Heritage or Cultivation style that they like or dislike more than the other? If so why?
Feiyu / Fang Hua | Your Shizun
They dislike and distrust demons more than spirits.
They like mcs that choose demonic cultivation, but ironically don't trust demonic cultivators at all.
Particularly admire people who use physical cultivation. Since he fights mostly long range, a close range specialist as an ally would suit his tastes more.
Chenxing / Chenguang | The Unicorn
They trust spirits and humans, but distrust demons.
Distrust demonic cultivators.
Favors people who choose medical cultivation style
Ming Yu / Meixing | The 12th Prince/Princess
They are wary of spirits and distrust demons.
dislikes Demonic Cultivation
practices Musical Cultivation and favors people who choose Musical Cultivation as their style
Xuesong | Your Rival | Snake Demon
is a spiritual cultivator.
likes demons and demonic cultivators
indifferent towards spirits
dislikes humans
Ruoxuan | The Best Friend
distrusts demons, awed by spirits
indifferent towards the different cultivation styles
Dong Yang / Dongmei | The Demon Assassin
indifferent if a person is a spirit, demon, or human. thinks we're all the same in the end.
is a physical cultivator
indifferent to the different cultivation styles
Haoyu / Huiying | The Hermit
doesn't believe what rumors say about demons and wants to study you if you are a demon. Will also be fascinated with humans, and curious about their life.
would be fascinated by how young the mc is if they're a spirit. they would treat you like a baby, despite already being of majority age.
does something similar to spiritual cultivation
has distaste towards Demonic Cultivators; thinks they're disrespecting the dead.
