Friends In Unlikely Places-
Author- Me
Rating- PG-13
WIP
Warnings- Soon to be slash D/M if that squiks you, look elsewhere.
1/?
Harry winced as he heard the front door shut with a thud. Vernon was home and imaginably had a rotten day and was no doubt ready to take it out on him. Harry scooted himself out of his makeshift bed, and with a creak inched the door to the cupboard open a crack, peering into the next room.
"I wonder if it's safe to come out," he whispered to himself pensively. There was no noise at all. It was so quiet he would've been able to hear a pin drop. He wondered what in the world was going on.
CRASH
Harry was jolted backwards as his cupboard doors were slammed.
"Com'ere cousin," Dudley spat. The doors slammed again, this time flying wide open. Harry faced his bright right, round-faced relative, smiling broadly.
"Wake up freak!" Dudley bellowed, grabbing him by the shoulder of his over-sized pajamas. "Dad's got somethin' to tell us!" He ranted. Harry immediately got tossed unto his bottom, yelping as he nearly slid into the hall wall. He curled into a fetal position. Dudley scrambled into the living room yet Harry could still hear his shrill cries of "Daddy, Harry won't get up. Make him get up Daddy!"
"HARRY!" Came the tremendous roar of Harry's dreaded Uncle Vernon. It only meant no good. Of course, something dreadful must've happened if Vernon had gathered the whole family, plus Harry, to "talk."
He tentatively crept into the living room where spread about were Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and with a scowl on his face, Dudley. Vernon cleared his throat with a warning and Aunt Petunia shot him a look of disapproval.
"I trust you," Vernon began, speaking of Harry as if he were speaking of a germ-filled disease. "…To present yourself when called." His brow furrowed. "Is that so difficult to understand?" The skin under his chin bobbled with every word he spoke. Harry made a face of distaste.
"Of course Uncle Vernon," He said tugging at his enormous shirt, trying to keep it from sliding off his shoulders. "I apologize." He cautiously sat, back rigid, hands folded, on one of their flower-patterned couches.
"Now," He said with a jollier look on his face once he had stopped talking to Harry. "I know the business hasn't been doing so well lately," Harry caught a scoff in his throat (he would get punished if he dare release it). Vernon's business was on the verge of closing down lately. 'Probably because Vernon spends all his life savings on buying Dudley Christmas presents, birthday presents, Easter presents, Saint Patrick Day presents...he could go on.' Harry thought.
"…Yet I met the most charming client today!" Vernon let his voice raise high and happy, as if he were drunk. Aunt Petunia beamed at Vernon, very proud of her accomplished husband. Dudley squirmed in excitement, obviously awaiting the good news. Vernon had them all on their toes.
"A very rich fellow he is." He glowed with pride. "By the name of Malfoy. Lucious, Malfoy." Petunia sighed, tilting her head to the side. The energy in the room seemed to escalate. "He's going to buy the company!" Vernon practically screamed with delight. Petunia gasped, nearly dropping the teacup held in her lap. Dudley squealed. "Why Dear, that is absolutely amazing!" Aunt Petunia shrieked. Harry looked bored, and pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Wait, wait don't get too excited I'm not finished yet!" Vernon bellowed, laughing in mirth. He leaned forward in his armchair, bringing everyone in tightly to lean in with him, as if he were telling a suspenseful adventure story with knights and dragons. "He lives, across the bloody street!" Vernon was so red Harry thought he might burst. Petunia clenched her right fist to her chest and Dudley let out a whoop of joy.
"Can I go back to bed yet?" Harry asked dully, giving Vernon a look of total mundane.
The noise in the room stopped, the excited looks on their face turned to looks of revulsion and malice. It was obvious everyone was waiting for something to happen, waiting for Vernon to explode.
"NO." Vernon said sternly. "You most definitely," His chest heaved with a deep breath of anger. "MAY NOT!"
"Eep!" Harry cried in surprise, his glasses tumbling off his face to the floor. "Boy, you are staying RIGHT. HERE." Vernon had stood out of his chair to point fiercely towards the ground. "You are the most ignorant child I have ever met! I can't wait until you graduate high school," He clenched his fat fingers so his knuckles turned a sickening white. "…And I can get you out of my hair once and for all!" Vernon's words seemed to echo in the silence that came after them. "Never forget that Boy!" He growled to Harry.
Petunia and Dudley seemed fixed in their chairs, quiet and motionless. "Well Vernon," Petunia said softly. "Where were you going with all of this?" Trying to get Vernon calmed down she patted his back. He sat down, glaring deeply at Harry.
"He has a son." Vernon grumbled. "A son just about Dudley's age. I figured the two of them could become friends."
Aunt Petunia smiled. "That's just lovely Dear. I'm sure Dudley and…what did you say his name was?" She took a sip of her tea.
"Malfoy. His son's name is Draco." Vernon slumped down into his seat, his energy spent.
"Draco is it?" Petunia said politely. "I'm sure he and Dudley will get along just fine, won't you Dudderkins?" She smiled warmly at her butterball of a son.
"Of course Mummy!" Dudley exclaimed.
"Draco Malfoy…" Harry muttered to himself. "Sounds like an interesting fellow." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.
The doorbell rang sharply at 7o'clock, right when the Malfoys were suppose to arrive. Dudley's hair had been drowned with hair gel, his good suit pressed neatly. He opened the door slowly, one arm gesturing a welcome, putting on an air of hospitality. Harry peeked through his cupboard door to perhaps get a glance at the Malfoy family.
They were not all he expected, a tall menacing man stood in the middle of the family. He had long white-blonde hair and a very stern face with a look of utmost confidence and superiority. Harry knew he must be a very respected, important person. He wondered how he ended up meeting Vernon.
To his right was assumably his wife. She wasn't as tall as Lucious, but in turn was very pale and sunken in. She had the same waxen hair, and the same look of poise placed on her beautiful face.
Draco wasn't the smiling face he expected either. He had wonderfully snowy hair, cut to his cheekbone, and was constantly pushing it out of his lurid blue-gray eyes. He seemed to be nervous, shifting from foot to foot. He had a pair of black slacks on, perfectly polished dress shoes, and a collared red shirt complete with a black tie. Harry thought it fitted him. Draco scowled as he saw the house, obviously to his distaste. Harry felt uncomfortable
Harry was perfectly confident Draco wouldn't like Dudley, he couldn't! Nobody on earth besides Dudley's loony parents could care for such a creature. Harry glowered and crossed his arms across his chest. If he, Harry, were allowed to join their dinner he was certain Draco would like him. He was highly more likable than that dreadful brat Dudley.
'Just keep telling yourself that Potter.' He thought to himself.
As he heard the clink and clank of silverware against plates he sat back against the wall of his cupboard and tried to forget the dinner outside he was thoroughly missing.
Much to his avail he closed his eyes and immediately fell fast asleep. In his dream he was outside with the rest of them, chattering away, eating the delicious juicy chicken and moist buttered potatoes he knew they would be eating. He saw himself talking to Draco Malfoy, becoming friends with him.
…How he longed for a friend, any friend at all.
Harry opened his shining green eyes slowly, sighing. He lolled his head back against the wall. 'I bet it's morning already.' He thought to himself. 'I bet Draco hated Dudley so much he smacked him. I bet Vernon and Petunia kicked the Malfoys out because Draco hit Dudley.' Harry smiled at the thought.
His smile soon faded as he realized it was still nighttime, the Malfoys were still at the house and there was no way that Draco had hit Dudley. The noises in the house were too telltale for Harry to ignore them.
For a moment, Harry contemplated sneaking out of his prison. All he wanted was a bite of food. They were in the dining room anyway, there was no way anybody would see him. He slid his doors open quietly, trying to prevent the high-pitched squeak it regularly let out.
Gray sweat pants and tight undershirt on, he slid across the slick wood floor in his woolen socks. He looked a mess, his hair rumpled, his glasses crooked, yet he didn't stop. Harry's stomach growled, reminding him of his goal. As he passed the dining room door, he realized it was open. Craning his neck to see inside, he veered too hard to the right crashing smack dab into a pink lamp, knocking it over with a walloping crash.
The voices in the dining room stopped immediately. Harry could already picture Vernon's face growing pale, then bright scarlet. His breath quickened as he heard the scrape of chairs being pushed back. More than one chair he heard. Harry gulped and soon enough all six faces were looking down at him, sprawled in the middle of the floor, looking utterly ridiculous.
Draco broke the silence first. "Who the bloody hell is this?" He gestured crudely to Harry's disheveled form. His eyes formed a narrow look of displeasure.
Silence greeted him. "I do believe, Vernon," Lucious's voice was cold and firm as steel. "…My son just asked you a question."
"Ye-yes." Vernon stuttered. "Well. He is…my nephew in fact," Vernon said, fairly calm. "He's just visiting over the summer and I didn't think it was appropriate for him to come to dinner tonight." Vernon pulled a smile at the Malfoys.
Harry's chest heaved up and down, his shirt tightly pulling at his developed sixteen-year-old muscles. Draco stared.
"What, pray tell, is this charming young lad's name?" Lucious asked with a heavy level of sarcasm.
"My name is Harry Potter sir." Harry answered more confidently than he felt. He slowly got up, brushing his hair off his forehead. Harry knew it was sticking up, as Petunia hadn't let him wash it for nearly three days now, it was so greasy.
"Charmed, I'm sure." Lucious said, giving Harry a look down, his nose raised high in obvious disgust.
"Well I assume dinner is over." Lucious spoke again. "Seeing how it was very rudely interrupted by this…boy." He calmly dusted off his black over-coat. "Draco is staying the night as is planned?" He said. Vernon nodded meekly. "I do hope your child, Dudley was his name?" Vernon merely nodded again. "Yes, I hope Dudley is more mannered than your nephew. I hate to think Draco would be in an improper environment." Lucious's voice grew nasal.
"No." Petunia said, speaking at last. "Harry is of course, not raised by us." She said with a hiss.
Harry stood, left to boil in his own anger at the snide Lucious, and watch as he and his wife walked out of the front door.
He received a harsh look from each Vernon and Petunia as they passed, knowing full well that he would be getting more punishment once the young Malfoy had left.
"Well Dudley," Draco drawled. "…What do you do for fun around here?" Dudley chuckled and pointed at Harry. Draco's pasty cheeks enflamed red, and he burst out laughing. "We mess him up, that's what we do." Dudley said, nearly snorting with glee.
Draco stepped towards Harry who was openly scowling by this time, his fist clenched into tight balls. He held out his hand.
"Harry, is it?" He said icily.
"Yes, Harry." Harry could already feel the tight lump of anticipation forming in his throat.
"I presume you already know my name but where would I be without an introduction?" Draco asked suavely, shrugging his shoulders and loosening his tie. Dudley thought Draco was immensley funny, and started laughing at some kind of hidden joke, surely a joke on Harry.
"Do you have a place I could put this Dursely? Draco asked as he held up his newly removed tie.
"Course we do, Draco." Dudley said, a wide pigish grin still planted on his face as if he was enjoying an especially sweet lolipop. "We can put it in my room. Come along." Dudley motioned with a fat-encased arm to the staircase, trudging his equally fat legs to the base of it.
Draco sent another feral grin at Harry and Harry cowered.
"Like I was saying, Potter. I'm Draco Malfoy, and I'm very sure you'll be pleased to make my aquaintence." Draco's sharp cainines showed as his mouth curled, smiling at Harry in a way that made Harry want to hop up and start running…In the opposite direction, of course.
"Right." Harry gulped. As they approached one of Dudley's many rooms Harry braced himself for what he knew was coming, what happened with all of Dudleys friends. Harry knew that tonight he would get no rest, for Draco and Dudley would most likely take turns pounding him into a shivering helpless pulp until morning, or until they grew tired. Harry sighed. There go his hopes of finding friendship any time soon.
Dudley kicked open his door and promptly went to work looking for the television remote. The room was enormous, containing all sorts of up-to-date technology and a very inviting looking four-poster bed. There was a tacky lime-green sofa splayed in front of the TV, wearing many soda stains and food crumb from its previous use. The carpet was soft and dark brown, yet when it hit the couch looking at it made Harry's stomach go queasy.
"I'm impressed." Draco said, hands on his hips, surveying the scenery.
Harry's belly still felt a bit upest. Dudley motioned at Harry with his thumb "Ol' stupid head over here has never been allowed in here before, but tonight I think I can make an exception." Draco and Dudley shared a smile.
"I'm not some kind of punching bag you know!" Harry said defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Now cousin," Dudley said, finally retreiving his precious remote. "Don't get so defensive." He and Draco plopped down next to each other on the couch. "All we're going to do is watch a bit of the telly." He hit the ON button, sending a spark on the TV to light up; opening up to a man and a woman eating dinner, arguing about dinner table manners.
Draco stretched out his arms leisurely with a yawn; leaning against the back of the well-worn sofa with a spoony grin on his face and listened to the conversation held on the TV.
"So Potter," Draco began. "How is it you ended up here? Your Aunt and Uncle seem to be quite unfond of you. They were so quick to let my father know that they weren't the horrible creatures who graced their manners to you."
"Oh." Harry said with an indifferent look on his face. "I've always lived here since I can remember." Harry started to stare at the couch, tearing at the loose strings with nervousness. "My mum was Petunia's sister. Apparently they didn't get along too well. When my parents died I was sent here because I have no other living relatives."
Dudley snorted and Draco laughed. "Quite a sob story you have there. Can't you see the teardrops forming in my eyes?" Dudley and Draco swiftly burst into fits of laughter, loving every minute of Harry's embarassment.
"Whatever." Harry said while squirming uncomfortably and trying to pretend their peals of laughter didn't bother him.
Draco sighed at the end of his fit, regaining his breath. "I havn't had this much fun in years." He admitted.
"You must not get out much." Harry hissed vehemently, already seeking revenge for his damaged ego. Draco's head snapped to look at Harry, his stare piercing through Harry.
"Shut up Emo-boy, before I run myself right through
you." Draco spat out. Dudley watched on with wide eyes.
"I'll believe it when I see
it." Harry said back, as cooly and collectively as he could.
"You little!" Draco shouted and launched himself at Harry, grabbing at his shirt-collar. Draco landed on top of Harry, face clenched in look of pure hate, clawing at Harry's face and stomach, trying to land a punch. Harry was pushing at Draco's stomach, trying to get him off, but was still getting a few swipes in the face. His glasses tumbled off his face to the floor, and when his eyes followed their path, he could see Dudley's sock-covered feet bumbled over to Draco and him, trying to get in on the fight.
Draco groaned in frustrating, now punching at Harry's legs and thighs. His breath was now coming in rapid spurts, his chest heaving. He could feel his body hit Harry's with every inhilation.
When a huge surge of strength Harry push Draco completely off of him, decking him in the face, loving the sound of Draco's cry of pain. He grinned, not knowing that he looked much like Draco did the moment they were walking up the stairs.
Dudely then joined the fight, throwing Harry off of Draco, smirking as Harry hit the floor with a crack. Harry held his back in pain, wincing at he felt a cold blow in his stomach, causing him to double over with pain. Then…it all ceased. Draco did not sirr and Dudley did not take a step. Harry didn't move. The noise in the room was terrible, the heaving breathes of all three boys creating a ruckus. The TV buzzed on, someone having hit the remote, the channel changed to a fuzzy screen.
"Fucking hell," Harry heared Draco mutter the curse, breaking his own hiatus. "My fucking cheek Potter." He growled.
"Don't worry Draco," Dudley said extremely possesively. "I took care of him."
Harry coughed, desperate to get some air back into his lungs, and curled himself into a fetal position.
"I've never seen that kind of nerve…Just wait 'til my father hears about this." Draco mumbled. Harry glared.
"Be sure to give him my regards." Harry said with spite in his voice, still managing to fight off Draco's power over him.
"God you little…argh!" For the first time in a long while Draco was at loss for words, only growled. Harry frustrated him beyond means. He was the first boy his age that had the nerve to act supierior to him.
Harry slowly sat up, shaking his head to orient himself. "I can't believe I just…Woah." He felt strangely dizzy, his blood was rushing to his head and his stomach still tingled with the force of the blow.
He saw the vauge shape of Dudley blur before his eyes. He heard a voice but couldn't tell what they were saying. Everything started shaking and suddenly went black.