Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters created by J.K. Rowling. Any other characters and the plot are my own.

WARNING: M/M SLASH... MAYBE F/F SLASH AS WELL... DON'T LIKE? DON'T READ!!!!

Summary: Harry decides during the summer after sixth year that he's tired of being the skinny, pitiful Boy-Who-Lived. He takes steps to make himself into what he wants to be. Draco Malfoy plays a large role in his transformation, but it's not until they get back to Hogwarts that Harry realizes just how much. Future HP/DM slash...

A/N: All temperature degrees are done in celcius. I hope I got the conversion right. Also, not HBP compliant...Agate is a silvery blue stone... Some characters will seem OOC. I'm sorry about that, but this is my first HP/DM fic... Please bear with me?

Summertime in Confusion

The sun beat down ruthlessly on the backyard of Number four Privet Drive, no gentle breeze in sight. The usually green grass was a faded golden brown. No amount of watering had been able to bring it back to life in the desert like conditions of this unbearably hot summer. A lone figure could be seen, if anyone cared to look, kneeling on the hardened ground in front of a patch of dying vegetables. Sweat rolled off his deeply tanned face before dripping onto the sun drenched earth. His black hair that had grown dramatically since school let out was pulled back in a brown leather thong at the base of his neck, the ponytail falling just below his slightly muscled shoulder blades. He still couldn't figure out why it had grown so much in the short time he had been home. He had cut it three times before he had given up, realizing that it would just grow back. Also, some other things had changed. It had to be a wizard thing. He was almost seventeen, and everyone knew that all wizards came into their birthrights at that age. He still didn't know what his was though. He was sure he would find out eventually.

Since he had gotten home this summer, Harry Potter had discovered that if he just ignored his so-called family, they would do the same for him. As such, he was able to do whatever he liked as long as he also finished his daily chores. Daily chores that included weeding the garden, watering the lawn, painting the house, fixing the roof, and various other handyman jobs that he had learned to do by trial and error. Usually he had an hour of daylight left once he was done, and Harry put that hour to good use.

After last year, he knew that he needed to work on his physical health. He had been small, skinny, and vampirily pale. In other words, he was unbelievably unhealthy. After Malfoy had beaten him at quidditch for the second time since he had known him, Harry had determined to work on his own body. He knew he lost that game because he wasn't physically fit enough to play, not to mention the trouble he was having concentrating. Besides, why should he let Malfoy look better than him again this year. He never ate enough, he didn't get any exercise outside of quidditch, and he was emotionally a wreck. Of course, none of friends had noticed enough to help him. Ron and Hermione had finally gotten together, and Harry had taken a back seat to their relationship. Which at the time was fine with him.

After arriving back at the Dursley's house this summer, Harry had decided that he was tired of being the frail and sickly Boy-Who-Lived. How the hell was he supposed to defeat a madman like Voldemort if he were smaller than most third year students? He noticed this when a first year asked him what it was like to go to Hogsmeade for the first time ever, and they couldn't wait until they were third years. And he was going into his seventh year at Hogwarts soon! So, he had found a way to change things. His first day back at home found him writing to Remus Lupin asking for as many books on nutrition and physical health as he could find. Remus had replied with a hastily written note and a shrunken trunk full of books and exercise equipment(also shrunken to fit inside the trunk).

Harry,

These were Sirius's things. I hope they help. When you're ready to use them, simply take them out of the trunk and they will become their original size. You might want to take some of them out outside. Good luck pup.

R.L.

Harry was a bit disappointed that the letter wasn't longer, but he was overjoyed with what he found inside the trunk. Not only were there books on every aspect of healthy nutrition and what foods were best for wizards to eat, but a manual for each piece of equipment and the best workouts. The equipment was amazing. There was a workout for each muscle in the body. Unable to wait, he took out the first thing that his hand touched, which happened to be an ab machine. After digging in the trunk for the manual, he set about trying it out.

Five minutes later found him laying on the floor gasping for breath. He had only done four situps with the machine! He must really be out of shape! Deciding he had better read through all of the material first, he shoved the ab machine under his bed.

Now, he was outside kneeling in front of the useless vegetable garden, knowing that it was a lost cause. There just wasn't enough water to keep them alive, and if he used the sprinklers on them, Uncle Vernon would puff up like a blowfish and bellow like a mammoth in heat.

"Boy! Turn that water off! Don't you know we're in a drought!"

So, Harry had given up on the garden. He still took time each day to pull the pitiful looking weeds and and use the spray bottle of water on them like Aunt Petunia insisted. If anything, it helped keep him busy outside where he didn't have to put up with Dudley and his stupid friends. Although, right about now, he was wishing he could go into the "empty" shed he'd taken over, and work some more on his abs. So far, he had been home for two months, and the only thing he had done the first three days was read all of the nutrition advice and equipment manuals. Which really was what he needed to do first Jumping into something he knew nothing about wasn't going to help him. He had learned that lesson after fifth year when Sirius died. Then, he had proceeded to drag his trunk outside and pull out all of the machinery. He was highly impressed with what was there. By the end of the two months, he had already gained ten pounds and was a dark golden brown. His leg and arms were finely toned and his back muscles were quite defined. He still needed work on his abs, or so he thought. His stomach was tight and looked to be chiseled out of solid stone. Anyone seeing him shirtless was likely to faint.

Pulling the last scraggly weed from the hardened dirt, Harry stood up stretching his arms over his head, his back arching like a cat. For the next hour and a half he would go through an entire workout, which for a normal person should take four hours. But, Harry Potter had never been normal. At the end of his workout, he was feeling a lot better and more relaxed, not to mention, dead tired. He didn't know that it was his magic that was making the workout go faster, therefore making him more tired than it would have if it had taken the proper amount of time to do.

Harry quietly opened the back door that entered into the kitchen and crept up the stairs, avoiding the fifth step that creaked, and made for his room. His only thoughts were on taking a shower, then getting himself something to eat. He had no idea where the Dursleys were, nor did he care.

Opening his wardrobe to get his clothes so he didn't have to worry about it after he got out of the shower, he heard a tapping on his window. He looked up to find his owl, Hedwig, impatiently swatting her talon against the filthy glass. Pushing with his two fingers, two weeks ago it had taken both hands, he lifted the grimy window and let her inside.

"Hey girl, what have you got there?" Harry cooed at the beautifully ruffled owl.

Hedwig nipped his ear as she flew past and landed on his bed. There was a rather large package attached to her leg. Harry hurried over to relieve the poor bird.

"I wonder what this is?" Harry said aloud as he untied it from Hedwig's leg.

After untying the package, he noticed that there was a note attached to the outside. He grabbed it and read it first. After the episode in third year when Hagrid had sent him the Monster Book of Monsters, he had learned to read whatever notes were attached first.

Dear Potter,

I heard from Professor Snape who heard from your werewolf that you're attempting to "bulk up". Ha Ha! Anyway, I thought this might help. It should give you some incentive.

Your Most Beloved Rival,

D.M

"Oh no," Harry groaned.

He just knew it was some kind of a prank Taking a chance anyway, he unwrapped the package. To say Harry was stunned was an understatement. He was totally flabbergasted. The package turned out to be a beautifully engraved wooden box made of oak. The top had a snake plated with silver wrapping around a rose plated in gold. The leaves on the rose looked to be small bits of malachite and the snakes eyes looked to be lace agate. The details were so realistic that Harry wasn't surprised when the snake hissed at him.

"Hello, young Lord." It hissed softly. Young Lord? Harry thought. What the hell?

Even though he knew better, he opened the box. Inside, Harry's eyes about popped out of his head, were pictures. About thirty pictures of Draco Malfoy were nestled neatly inside. Pictures of Malfoy with his hair loose, flying about his face in the wind as he rode a beautiful black stallion. Malfoy in black dragon hide pants with a white silk shirt, his arm around a beautiful girl with dirty blonde hair and lapis lazuli eyes. Malfoy with his mother at some party with e bony silk pants and an agate silk shirt, which so happened to show off his physique. Malfoy with his shirt off laying on a beach with the sun glinting off his silver blonde hair. Pictures of Malfoy with nothing but a black towel wrapped around his trim waist showing off the creamy tanned skin, water droplets clinging to the slim trail of pale fuzz that disappeared inside the towel. Harry gasped and looked at the next picture. There were even pictures of Malfoy wearing nothing, his well toned body muscled to perfection. Harry closed the box so fast that he shut it on one of his fingers.

Biting back a yelp, he jumped away from the box. What the hell! Why the fucking hell was Malfoy sending him pictures of himself? Especially those pictures... Harry thought long and hard on that, then he sighed as he realized what each of those pictures showed. They showed Malfoy in the best physical condition any male could possibly be in, not to mention his magnificent taste in clothing.

Harry first got jealous, then he realized what Malfoy had done for him. He had given him incentive to work harder on his own body. Malfoy knew that if Harry saw how good he looked, then Harry would try to look better. It all went back to their old rivalry. But, why would Malfoy do that? Especially if he knew it would help? Harry was totally confused now. He would have stood there longer, but the sweat still dripping down his back made him remember that he desperately wanted a shower.

A hour later saw Harry stepping out of his bathroom with only a ragged looking towel draped across his hips. He walked over to the cracked full length mirror next to his wardrobe and looked at himself. What he saw surprised him. He didn't look bad at all. As a matter of fact, he looked damn good. His body was just as taut and toned as Malfoy's, but he was still lacking in the clothing department. After seeing the pictures of Malfoy, Harry knew he had a long way to go before he could consider himself ready to face the Slytherin Prince. There was no way that he was going back to Hogwarts looking the way he had before. Yeah, he'd put on some weight and gained a little muscle, but it wasn't enough. He knew he still had work to do. The problem was he only had a week left until Hogwarts opened back up for the first term of his seventh year.

His clothes desperately needed help. The hand me downs of Dudley's did nothing for his new body. Even though he had muscle in all the right places, he still wasn't as big as his whale of a cousin. Determined to outdo Malfoy before school started again, Harry decided that it was time to brave the company of his "family". After getting dressed, he went downstairs to talk to his aunt.

Petunia was in the kitchen, of course, preparing Dudley and Uncle Vernon lunch. She almost dropped the plate of sandwiches she was about to set on the table when Harry walked into the kitchen.

"Aunt Petunia, I need to talk to you." Harry stated matter of factly.

"Um, okay." Petunia squeaked. She hadn't seen Harry but maybe fives times the entire two months he had been here and she was quite surprised he had braved the kitchen when he knew they would be there. She knew he had been eating because she noticed certain foods were gone, but she hadn't said anything about it because it was foods that Vernon and Dudley refused to eat.

"I need you to take me to London today." Harry said looking her straight in the eyes.

"Why?" she questioned quietly. She was intimidated by her nephew now. She had never seen him look so strong and healthy. He had to have grown almost six inches this summer. It had to be magic, but then she had seen how hard he was working out each afternoon his chores were done. The boy had become a god. He was absolutely gorgeous.

"I need new clothes," Harry said.

"Um," Petunia began, but Harry cut her off.

"I don't need money. I have my... Um, I have some that the headmaster at my school sent me." Harry said quickly, catching himself before he revealed that he had his own money.

"Oh, okay. We can leave at two. Vernon is taking Dudley down the street to the park. He's trying to get the boy interested in girls." Petunia replied.

Harry bit back a laugh. He had known for the last two years that Dudley was gay. It was no surprise that Uncle Vernon was trying to get him "interested in girls". Petunia sighed as she saw Harry try not to laugh. She had also known that her son wasn't "normal" under his father's standards and she was afraid that Vernon would began to treat Dudley the way he had always treated Harry.

Harry stayed in his room until he heard Vernon call for Dudley and the front door slam. He then went down the stairs to meet Aunt Petunia in the living room. She was dressed in a prim blue dress with pink flowers patterned all over it. Her hair was pulled back in a severe knot similar to McGonagall's hair. Harry thought his aunt would be much prettier if she let her hair down and wore solid dark colors, but he could never tell her that, could he?

Vernon had left the car for Petunia to use because she had said she needed to go shopping, not mentioning that Harry was going with her. As they drove past the park she told Harry to duck so that Vernon wouldn't see him in the car. Vernon would have a fit if he saw Harry going shopping with Petunia, let alone that he was riding in the front seat.

"Where in London do you need to go?" Petunia asked, her eyes never leaving the road. She really didn't like driving. Her knuckles were turning white from gripping the steering wheel.

"Um, I guess to the Leaky Cauldron. It's the only way into Diagon Alley." Harry said hesitantly. He was unsure of how his aunt would take this.

"Oh, you need to go there? I thought you're friends from school would take you there?" she asked curiously. Petunia had never had the chance to go to Diagon Alley. Her parents had always taken Lily when she hadn't been home. She was a bit curious about it.

"Well, I don't know if they'll be able to this year. I just thought it would be easier to do it on my own. You don't have to go in. You can just pick me up later, if you want to." Harry replied unsure about the note of curiosity in his aunt's voice.

"Oh no, I don't mind," Petunia said.

They found a parking place down the road from the Leaky Cauldron , and Harry led his aunt to the front door. She looked a bit confused, but when Harry took her hand she could see the wizarding pub clearly in front of them.

"What is this place? Why couldn't I see it before?" Petunia asked in awe.

"You'll see." Harry replied with the first real smile he had given her in his lifetime.

Petunia felt her heart flutter. This boy, no, man was going to break some hearts this year at his school. She finally saw what Lily had seen in James Potter. She could see the power and virility radiating off her nephew. For the first time since he had been left on her doorstep, Petunia felt as if she needed to be protective of Harry Potter. The Lord knew, looking the way he did now, he was going to need someone to beat the girls off with a stick. Or boys? Petunia thought to herself. After all, Dudders was gay. Could Harry be too?

Harry led Petunia through the door of the Leaky Cauldron and looked back to see the look of disgust he just knew was going to be on her face. He, however, was disappointed. Petunia was slightly in awe of all the different people scattered throughout the wizarding pub. At one table there were three wizards in brightly colored robes. At another table there were two hags chatting happily over some steaming drink. And all over the room, gasps could be heard when everyone saw that Harry Potter had just walked in. Dragging Petunia by the hand, Harry made his way out the back door to the alley that held the entrance to Diagon Alley.

"Wha-what were those things?" Petunia stammered.

"What? The hags?" Harry asked, amused at her look of bewilderment.

"Those were hags? I thought they were only myths." Petunia said in a daze.

"Well, there's a lot more to see. Just follow me."

Harry walked up to the wall and tapped the bricks in the correct order causing them open up revealing Diagon Alley. He hid a smile as he caught his aunt as she fainted right there in the alleyway. I didn't even act that surprised the first time I came here, Harry thought to himself.

He patted Petunia on the cheeks softly to wake her up. When she began to stir, Harry stood up from where he had sat down on the ground. She blinked up at him and then looked through the still open archway into Diagon Alley. Her eyes once again got very wide, but she took a deep breath and stood up. Harry took her hand and helped her to her feet slowly. Then, he led her into the magical world for her very first time.

"Oh!" Petunia gasped in wonder. She had never seen a place like this before. There were people everywhere! And they were all dressed in brightly colored robes of varying styles. There were shops all up and down the street and each one looked to be doing booming business. Harry just stood there and let her stare for a few moments before clearing his voice.

"Aunt Petunia, can we go? People are starting to notice me, and I hate it when they stare," Harry said.

"Stare? Why would they stare at you? Aren't you just like them?" Petunia asked in an odd voice.

"Yeah, I'm like them. But, let me show you something." Harry replied quietly. He was about to show his aunt all the posters in the shop windows proclaiming him the Boy-Who-Lived, Savior of the Wizarding World, the Chosen One, and all the other rubbish they liked to call him.

Harry took Petunia's hand once again and led her towards Madame Malkin's Robe shop. He might as well try to get new clothes while his aunt gawked at everything.

"Over here," Harry said, pointing at a picture of himself hanging in the robe shop window announcing him as the Chosen One. "I'll be right inside this shop. Don't go anywhere. I don't want to lose you here. I'll be right back."

Petunia just nodded her head and stared at the picture of her only nephew. He hadn't been lying all these years. He really was famous in his world. Petunia smiled and shook her head then entered the robe shop behind Harry.

Harry knew exactly what he wanted. He told Madame Malkin in no uncertain terms that all of his robes were to be black silk, including his school robes. He ordered a malachite colored dragon hide cloak lined with the softest of black rabbit fur, not to mention the protection spells he paid extra for. He asked about trousers and shirts, but Madame told him the name of another shop that specialized in that type of clothing. She promised that his robes and cloak would be ready within two hours, and Harry agreed to come back to pick them up.

Petunia had sat and watched the way the witch had fitted Harry for his robes. She was giggling behind her hand because the tape measures don't seem to care if the patron is male or female and tends to bump the most embarrassing places. Harry just ignored her. He just wanted to get finished here, so he could get the other things he needed.

"Aunt Petunia, I think I should take you back to your car, now." Harry said after they left robe shop.

"Oh, but this place is wonderful!" Petunia cooed at him. "And you'll need a ride home."

"But, Uncle Vernon will be home by now. I don't want you to get in trouble. I'm suppose to meet the headmaster of my school at the Leaky Cauldron, and he will be taking me to school next week. Maybe I can find a way for you to come visit me at school. Then you can see what real magic is all about. How does that sound?" Harry felt like he was cajoling a child after refusing it candy. He only felt a little bad about lying. No one was meeting him at the pub, and it would be up to him to get himself to platform 9 ¾. But, he wasn't really worried about it.

"You're right of course. Vernon will be worried. And maybe I will come visit you this year, Harry." Petunia said. She looked up and realized they had made it all the way back to her car without her even noticing it.

"G'bye, Aunt Petunia," Harry said, closing her car door for her. " I hope to see you soon." Harry really didn't believe that she would ever take him up on his offer. He was just trying to be polite.

"Goodbye Harry. Have a good term, and maybe I can visit at Christmas." Petunia replied with a smile.

Petunia started the car and Harry headed back to Diagon Alley. He still had trousers and shirts and boots and socks, and gods! a ton of other things to buy! Not to mention his school supplies.

Harry headed for the shop that Madame Malkin had told him about. It was a small place and didn't look very well-known. There were very few people coming in or out of it. Harry was somewhat disappointed. He had asked for a shop that tailored the best clothing possible in this area. Mentally shrugging he pushed open the grimy glass door and hoped for the best.

Inside was a small room with mirrors everywhere. There were no bolts of cloth or standing stools or anything for that matter. A small wooden counter was placed at the far back of the shop, and a little, old woman sat behind it, knitting.

"Excuse me," Harry said a bit timidly. "I was sent here by Madame Malkin. She said you might be able to help me."

"Oh, do come in. Sorry, I get so engrossed in my knitting that I tend to drift off sometimes," the old lady replied with a smile, showing off a gleaming set of pearly whites.

"Oh, that's okay." Harry said, smiling back.

"What is it that you're looking for young Mr. Potter?" the lady asked as she stood.

"Well, I need a whole new wardrobe. Everything from socks and underwear to shirts and trousers."

"Wonderful! You've come to just the right place!" the old lady said excitedly.

"Just stand over there in the middle of the room, and we'll get started. Do you have a particular taste in clothing? Or possibly a favorite fabric or color?"

"I like silver. And I've found that I'm quite partial to dragon hide and leather." Harry said with a blush.

"I have just the things for you!" the lady said, her eyes twinkling madly. She reminded Harry somewhat of Dumbledore, and that made him a bit more cautious. He had been having issues with his "mentor" lately.

The lady had gone in the back room and she came back out with her arms loaded with what looked like small dragons. Harry had to look twice to see that the bolts of "cloth" were indeed not living dragon babies, but the most beautiful hides he had ever seen. There were some the color of tarnished silver. Some were a deep emerald green. Some were simply black, and there was even a purple and bluish one. Harry was thrilled.

"Okay, lad. You just stand there. I'm going to say a few words and we'll see what happens!" the shopkeeper crowed. And that's just what she did.

Harry was amazed. The hides flew from her arms and fitted themselves to his body. The black ones interweaved with the silver to make a beautiful shirt, which promptly turned to silk. Then more black ones encased themselves around his legs creating the most comfortable and well fitting trousers Harry had ever worn. It went on and on. By the time the hides had stopped creating clothing, Harry had amassed about thirty silk and linen shirts and around twenty pairs of varying kinds of leather and dragon hide trousers. Not to mention the silk underwear and linen socks.

"Perfect!" the shopkeeper cried. "Now, is there anything else?"

"Boots." Harry said.

"Of course! I'll be right back!" and she disappeared into the back room once again.

This time, she emerged with a pile of more dragon hides. The colors were simple earthy tones. Browns, gray, and black. With a few more words, the hides once again encased Harry and made him about three different pairs of boots.

"Would you mind if I wore one of those outfits home?" Harry asked. He couldn't wait to wear his new clothing.

"Oh, no! Not at all! Which one would you like to wear?" the old lady lifted her wand and pointed it at the black trousers and silver shirt that Harry had chosen.

"Thank you Madame," Harry said with a blinding grin as he went to pay her for her services.

"No, thank you, Mr. Potter." she answered with an equally bright smile.

Harry walked out of the small shop with his head held high. For the first time in his life, he felt like people should be staring at him, and they were.

The little old lady in the shop watched with pride as Harry Potter walked out looking like the prince he should have been. Oh, Albus was going to have a fit! This wasn't the same timid child that had left Hogwarts last year. This was a man who was sure of himself and what he wanted out of life. Oh, what she wouldn't give to see her brother's face when Harry walked into that school in a few days time. Giggling like a little girl, Albina Dumbledore sat back down behind her counter and picked up her knitting once again.

Harry walked proudly back to Madame Malkin's shop. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice that people were indeed staring at him as he passed. He had let his hair fall freely down his back creating an ebony wave in the wind. His shoulders were thrown back and his chin was high. Everyone wondered who the magnificent looking wizard was walking down the street without a care in the world. They wouldn't have believed you if you'd told them it was indeed Harry Potter.

Madame Malkin greeted Harry at the door. She had his order all wrapped and ready to go. She seemed a bit worried about him being there at that particular time. Then, Harry saw why. He caught a glimpse of long white blonde hair just before his malachite eyes met the argent pools of none other than Draco Malfoy.

He saw that Malfoy didn't recognize him, and chose to save this confrontation for another time. Harry thanked Madame Malkin, took his things, and walked slowly back to the Leaky Cauldron. He still hadn't caught on just how magnificent he really looked. Most of the witches and wizards in Diagon Alley that day would have sworn that a prince had walked among them for a few minutes. Only one would know for sure that he really had.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review... It makes it so much easier to write. I thought about writing the whole story before posting it, but then I realized that this will probably be anywhere from 40 to 100 chapters with at least 9 pages per chapter. At least, I think it will. It could even be longer. Please review.