(Author's Note: Hey guys! I decided I have decided to rework up on Harbored Emotions, and this means editing, and rewriting it!)
It had been during third year, or at least that is what they would always say to everyone later on, but Harry knew it really began far earlier than that, maybe even that fateful day at Madam Malkin's when they were barely ten years old. Madam Malkin, the squat and blaringly happy witch had been dressed all in mauve had blustered up to Harry in a whirl of robes and a happy smile.
"Off to Hogwarts dear? I suppose your in need of some robes," She said, snagging his shoulder and turning him left and right to get a good look at him in his ill fitted clothes. "And quite possibly some new clothing as well dear."
"Um...Yes ma'am I do need robes," Harry said sheepishly, looking behind him and out the windows at the front of the shop in a vain effort to spot Hagrid.
"No worries, there is another young man here getting fitted as well, I am sure he won't mind the company at all," Madam Malkin guided him along towards the back room where another young man was perched on a wobbly three legged stool. He was thin and pale, with a faint flush on his cheeks as another witch was knealing on the ground to pin up the hem of his new black robes. Madam Malkin tugged Harry onto his own stool beside the other boy as a bolt of fabric was swept over his head and Madam Malkin set to pinning.
"Hello," the boy said, "Your heading to Hogwarts too right?"
"Yes," Harry replied, blinking curiously at the blond boy.
"My Mum is up the street at Olivander's looking at wands, and my father is next door buying my school books," the boy drawled, voice bored and uninterested sounding. "Then we're going to look at racing brooms, I still don't see why it's forbidden for first years to have brooms." the blond grumped. "Do you have a broom at home?" he quizzed, looking much more excited than he had just a moment ago.
"I don't," Harry shook his head, black hair falling across his forehead.
"Play Quidditch?" he questioned, this boy had far too many questions that Harry had no clue about, "I do, Father says that I should be on my house Quidditch team, any idea which one you'll be in?"
"Nope," Harry replied hesitantly, shaking his head and feeling oddly small on his stool, though he stood a few inches taller than the blond.
"Well no one really knows, I suspect I'll be in Slytherin," the boy shrugged, then looked towards the door just as the witch who was pinning up his hem finished and stepped away. "Father!" he beamed, trying desperately to keep himself still on the stool, "I am Draco Lucius Malfoy by the way," he said suddenly.
"Harry James Potter," Harry said, feeling suddenly a bit better at the boy's sudden enthusiasm at introducing himself.
Draco's eyes grew wide in knowing, they were all silver and bright, but he didn't seem to bother himself with his sudden knowledge too much, "I hope that I'll see you at Hogwarts, maybe we'll meet again on the train, if so, we should sit together!" he chirped and lept off his stool. Fine black shoes clicked harshly on the floor as he landed and sprung away towards his father. The adult Malfoy was a tall man, rail thin with a narrow face and his platinum hair pulled into a tail at the back of his neck, his eyes were the same shade as his son's, though colder and harsher. Though, spotting Draco's enthusiastic smile he warmed like a cold winter giving way to spring. The walking stick cluthced in his left hand was made of a beautiful dark wood that was so well plished it gleamed in the light, and shining atop it, where the Malfoy's hand grasped it was a sparkling silver snake's head.
There relationship changed drastically one fateful night during their third year on the eve that Harry rescued his newly discovered god father Sirius Black.
They had stood there in the hospital wing with Headmaster Dumbledor, Cornelius Fudge and the Potion Master Severus Snape had just exited the hospital wing and down the corridor, discusing what had occured under the whomping willow and at the Shreiking Shack.
"But you believe me, don't you Professor?" Harry asked , voice wild and excited with the idea that he may not be blathering pointlessly at the older men. Snape and Fudge of course had not believed them at all, but Dumbledor had seemed to.
"Of course I do," Dumbledor smiled brightly, sparkling blue eyes looking between Harry and Hermione. "What we really need, is more time," he said slowly, almost begging one of them to catch on to what he meant.
Hermione's eyes grew wide very suddenly as she seemed to understand, "Oh!"
"Now pay very close attention children," Dumbledor spoke in a low voice, though he said it very clearly. "Sirius is being held in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor, thirteenth window from the right of the West tower. Be very careful you are not seen by anyone, Hermione you know the law. Three turns should do it, don't you think?" The bell was ringing the time in the distance, chiming its way to midnight.
Harry had been lost with all of it, though his friend seemed to understand what Dumbledor was talking about. As soon as the old man had given a sagely smile and turned to leave the two children to decide what their next actions should be. Hermione waited till the hospital doors were shut before pulling something from under her pink jumper she was wearing. The nexklace was gold and glimmering, with a very long chain that could comfortably loop around her neck at least twice, with room to spare. The pendent at the middle of it was a little gold hour glass.
"Three turns? What was he talking about?" Harry demanded, terribly confused. His brow furrowed as he peered over at Hermione.
"I'll explain later, I promise," Hermione promised. She snagged Harry's arm and pulled him closer, taking one side of the gold chain and looping it over his head, and giving a little knob on the side of the pendent three gentle turns. The dark hospital ward that they had been standing in disolved around them, and Harry had the sickening sensation of flying very fast, backwards, colors and shapes blurring and rushing past. Ears pounding, palms slick with a clammy sweat and heart pounding a stacato on his ribcage, Harry let out a sharp breath as he suddenly landed on solid ground, or so it felt.
"What just happened?" Harry gasped, wheezing for breath. He felt like someone had punched him in the belly.
"We just went back in time three hours." Hermione explained, grabbing Harry's wrist in her small hand and drug him out into the hallway. They made their way down the corridor a ways before Hermione pulled him into a broom closet. Just as they ducked inside and pulled the door shut, footsteps could be heard, accompanied by voices, "Is that us?" she whispered.
"Year, that's us heading down to Hagrid's," Harry berathed, eyes wide.
"We have to go save Buckbeak," Hermione replied in a whisper.
"Why?" Hermione sighed heavily at her friend's question like he should have realized the solution to their problem that was, as of yet, unknown to Harry. "We need him to fly up to that room, to rescue Sirius," As soon as the footsteps and voices were gone they escaped the cramped closet and hurried outside. Once outside on the sprawling hill that lead the way down to Hagrid's hut, Harry could see their past-selves arguing with Draco Malfoy and his two lackey's. Past-Hermione had the thin blond backed against a stone, her wand at his throat. Trembling against the stone, Draco whimpered and grasped at the rock behind him, begging loudly for Hermione to spare him.
"He's not worth it 'Mione," Ron consoled her, putting a hand to her shoulder. Harry and Hermione ducked suddenly behind one of the other boulders, watching cautiously as Past-Hermione swivled around and socked Draco in the mouth. Curling in on himself, has flying up to cover his face in horror.
"You punched me!" he squealed, eyes huge as he looked at Hermione.
"You deserved it! Now get out of here," She snapped, hands landing on her hips. Goyle heaved Draco and started running back up the hill towards the castle, the pale boy hot on his heels. Though as Draco came around one of the boulders he glanced to his left and caught sight of Harry crouching there in panic. From Draco's position he could not see Hermione who was hidden behind her friend and the rock.
"Hurry up Draco!" Crabbe shouted back at Draco, pausing to turn and look at the other boy.
"C-Coming," Draco gulped, staring right at Future-Harry with wide grey eyes. He turned and followed Crabbe and Goyle back to the castle, but not before shooting one, last look over his shoulder.
The rest of the evening zipped by in a blur, Hermione and Harry's daring rescue of Sirius Black and Buckbeak, though the ringing in the distance was the bell, once again chiming it's way to midnight.
"We have to hurry up Harry!" Hermione cried and set off back towards the castle at a dead sprint. Harry followed her, struggling to keep up with her. He'd taken a good tumble when Remus had attacked them after he'd changed, his leg ached from hitting a root during the struggle. Hermione was way up ahead of him by the time they hit the correct hall that lead down to the hospital wing. Harry hadn't expected at all to be ddrug into the broom closet, though this time by one Draco Malfoy, who was glaring at him grumpily, "Potter, what the hell was that earlier?" he snapped, brow wrinkling his forehead.
"Malfoy I really can't talk right now! I have five more rings to get back to the hospital," Harry hissed, "And you should never have seen me!"
"Why in the bloody hell not?" Draco growled.
"Because that's how it works, now can I go please?"
"Fine, Astronomy tower, as soon as you get back alright?' Draco demanded firmly.
Harry scowled angrily at Draco, "Fine."
"Good, because you have a lot of explaining to do," Draco nodded sharply and opened the door to their cramped enclosure, "Now, you said you were running late."
Harry made a quick excit from the broom closet and ran at a break neck speed towards where Hermione was waiting for him. Once inside he reached his housemate not too long after, she was standing outside the doors of the hospital wing. As soon as Harry came to a halt, panting, and leaning his arms on his thighs as he attempted to catch his breath.
"I'll catch up with you later ok? I have something to do first," Harry told Hermione before ducking out and heading out to meet Draco. Harry jogged his way up to the Astronomy tower, taking the last set of stairs two at a time. Sucking in a deep breath, Harry pushed open the door, wind gusted in hollow wooshes through the open part of the tower. Sitting, huddled in a heavy wool blanket on the floor under the windows was Draco with a steaming thermos of something that smelled absolutely delicious and made Harry's stomach rumble loudly.
"You did show up," Malfoy muttered in excitement.
"I didn't think you'd show up either," Harry said cautiously, smiling hesitantly.
"I thought about going to bed," Draco said, sharing Harry's tentative smile, "But I was curious."
"This is pretty unsual for you," Harry admitted, coming to sit near Draco on the floor. Blinking in suprise though as Draco jutted a cup of steaming cider towards him, the sweet smell curling up in warm tendrils, "Thanks."
"Now, start explaining," Draco demanded, though his voice was amused.
Harry shited, drawing his knees up to his chest to try and keep any warmth in, craddling his cup of cider in his hands. For a long moment he was quiet and gazed into the amber depths of his cup, trying to decide where to start. "You should remember how everyone was talking about Sirius Black right? How he broke out of Azkaban?" Harry questioned.
"Of course, it was all over the Daily Prophet," Draco nodded, "He's why the dementors are here."
"Well," Harry muttered, "I found out that he's my god father, and that he supposedly turned my parents in to You-Know-Who," Harry took a shaky sip of his cider.
"I...I am very sorry," Malfoy said, "That must have been difficult."
"He wasn't the one who turned my parents in though, he wasn't their secret keeper like they said, and he hates Voldemort as much as I do," Harry said, "Tonight Hermione and I went back in time to save him and Buckbeak."
"What? How did you manage that?" Draco gasped loudly, leaning foreward.
"Professor McGonagall gave Hermione a time turner at the beginning of the year, so she could take all the classes I she wanted I guess, you'd have to ask her," Draco pouted at Harry. "I found out about Sirius the day we went to Hogsmeade that you got drug off to the Shreiking Shack," Harry couldn't help but grin.
"That was you wasn't it?" Draco snapped, eyes growing huge with realization.
"Sorry about that, but it was pretty funny," Harry chuckled.
"Oh shut it Potter," Draco growled at him half heartedly, which only made Harry laugh more. Apprently laughter was infectious because Draco was reduced to giggling and smiling. "So what happened after you terrified me?"
"I snuck into the Three Broomsticks and overheard Fudge and a couple of others talking about how he betrayed my parents, how he killed thirteen people and Peter Pettigrew, who had been a good friend of my parents, they all went to school together," Harry paused for a moment to take another sip of cider. "Apparently Sirius killed Peter, and all that was left of him was his little finger. But one night I saw his name on the Marauder's Map, it's a map of the school that shows where everyone in the castle is," Harry explained, "So I went to look for him, but he was no where to be found. When I couldn't find him, I went to see Professor Lupin, who seemed really upset when I told him," Harry said.
"I wonder why?"
"Ron, Hermione and I were walking back from Hagrid's, past the whomping willow when this huge black dog attacked Ron and drug him into a hole in the roots of the willow," Harry said with a violent shiver and Harry hugged his knees tighter, "We managed to follow them, and it lead to the Shreiking Shack, and it turns out that the dog was Sirius in animagus form."
"Realy?" Draco gasped.
"He took Ron while trying to get to his rat, Scabbers, who is really Peter Pettigrew. Lupin was there too, with Sirius. But Lupin thought Sirius was the one who turned my parents in, Sirius convinced him though and they tried to kill Peter, but Snape showed up!" Harry was breathless, but kept going. "Snape accused Lupin of betraying my parents to and I cast expelliramus and knocked him out," Harry blushed.
"You attatcked Snape?" Draco gaped, "Is it always like this? This exciting?"
"Not exactly," Harry shrugged, "This has been the most exciting since the Basalisk last year."
"Basalisk?" Draco gasped.
"I'll tell you later ok? I need to sleep, I have potions first thing in the morning," Harry grinned. "Tomorrow night, same place?"
"You've got yourself a deal," The brunette grinned back, "What time?"
"How about ten?" Draco tilted his head, pulling his blanket up around his shoulders more.
"See you here at ten," Harry beamed.