Author: Lenuvira Dostar
R-English-Romance/Adventure Pg.11
Summary: This is my first slash ever so please bare that in mind as you read it. This takes place after Order of the Phoenix; don't say I didn't warn you.
Draco and Harry are as different from each other as night and day. Harry being look up at from all angles and being seen as a hero, and Draco surrounded by darkness, only being praised by those who don't care about him. The orbits of the sun and moon however, always cross each other's paths, and it's only a matter of time before the two enemies start to open up to each other. Many things have happened to each of them and their inner selves are in a constant battle. They both need to get their feelings out somehow, but they both need something else as well…. or possibly someone else.
Pairing: Draco/Harry, of course :D Also a bit of Ron and Hermione and even…. well I'll let the third one be a mystery. All my personal favorites finally rolled up in one. I rated it R, because I'm detail oriented…some will like it and others will say TMI, you don't like it, don't read it.
Disclaimer: Gosh, I wish I did own Harry and Draco…. I mean…never mind. You all know that I don't own the wonderful world that J.K. Rowling has created or any aspect of it, I'm just adding my own flavor to it;)Hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Chapter one-Two house holds, both alike indignity
I don't want to talk,
about things we've gone through.
Though it's hurting me,
now it's history…
The gods may throw a dice,
their minds as cold as ice,
and some one way down here,
looses someone dear.
-The winner takes it all, ABBA
Walking into King's Crossing and moving in between the bustling people around him, Harry made his way swiftly away from the Dursley's as he walked in between platforms nine and ten, immerging in front of the scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express. Looking around him he craned his head over the noisy crowd of wizards and witched assembled around him, spotting a group of redheads up in the distance, an invisible load was lifted from Harry as he made his way towards them. His real family was waiting for him, just like always. Running up to the assembled Weasley's, Harry smiled as best he could, before he was enveloped in a group hug. Ron, right at his side, Ginny behind him, and Fred and George at his other side. Mr. Weasley was clapping him on the back, and Mrs. Weasley was almost on the verge of tears as she embraced Harry, lovingly as ever, asking question upon question towards him that made him become conscious of just how much he had missed the Weasley's over the summer.
"Oh Harry, dear. How are you? We've missed you so much, how was your summer? Are you Ok? Those muggles treated you good after the incident didn't they?"
A laugh rippled through those gathered around Harry at the mention of his summer. For the first time in a while, he laughed along with them, remembering the vacation he had spent this year with the Dursley's and what exactly had taken place at number four Privet Drive.
Dumbledore had said that it would be best if Harry stayed in the only place he was safe outside of Hogwarts, that being at his only living relatives home. Harry didn't like it one bit, especially since they didn't, and probably never would understand what had been going on, and was still going on in his world, the wizarding world. Harry had reluctantly gone to the Dursley's, but in no time at all he had gotten fed up. All the while he had been trying to get more information on what was going on in the wizarding world, from the muggle news, from the Daily Prophet, from anywhere, but Uncle Vernon had been fed up as well. He locked Harry in his room again and this time, locked Hedwig in the downstairs cupboard, preventing the Daily Prophet from arriving and preventing Harry from contacting anyone else. Harry had been furious, but unless he wanted to get expelled from school, he couldn't do anything about it. That all changed however the night that Errol showed up.
The old owl of the Weasley's had been sent because, naturally the family was worried, they hadn't heard from him at all and had grown anxious. As soon as Errol had recovered from his last flight, Harry sent him back with a very long letter with so much in depth information that it would have made Hermione proud. He had described to them every detail of how he was living at the Dursley's, and then some. The lack of food, his and Hedwig's imprisonment, the way each member of the Dursley's had taken turns coming up to the door of his room and shouting at him while pounding on his door at random times, and the lack of sleep he was getting. Even though the lack of sleep was more due to his dreams about his godfather and such, he still mentioned it in the letter. As he watched the silhouette of Errol fade away into the night, he prayed the old feather duster like owl managed to get to its destination.
No reply came, and Harry was beginning to worry about Errol and wondering if the Weasley's had gotten the letter or not, if maybe Dumbledor had prevented them from making contact with him, or if anything was wrong, but in two days time his worries evaporated. In two days time, both Molly and Arthur Weasley, Tonks, Remus, and Mad-eye Moody arrived at number four Privet Drive.
It was a chaotic scene as the Dursley's tried to stop the Order members from coming through the door. Uncle Vernon had recognized Mr. Weasley from two years before, when he had blown up the fireplace, and Fred and George had enlarged Dudley's tongue. The over weight man was attempting to prevent them from entering his house, but fell over when he saw the wands pointing at him. Aunt Petunia was beside herself with anger, yelling something about the neighbors seeing them in broad daylight, and about how she would call the police if they didn't leave.
No one paid attention to them as the five Order members each went off in there own direction. Tonks walking over to the cupboard beneath the stairs and opening it with a swish of her wand. Hedwig fluttered out angrily screeching as she flapped her wings, but calmed down a bit at the sight of the wizards and witches around her. Mr.Weasley stayed downstairs trying to talk to Harry's relatives, but they where trying to get as far away from Moody's roving eye as possible.
Harry had heard the commotion going on downstairs and was pressing his ear up to the door. All that he was able to make out was his Uncle's voice yelling, as usual, for someone to get back. Then footsteps came up the stairs and stopped at his door. Afraid that it was Aunt Petunia, he stepped back as the handle giggled a bit. Then there was a pounding, as if someone was throwing his or her weight onto the door. After a moment of silence, the door magically bust open with a loud bang. It squeaked on it's hinges half hanging from the side. Remus and Molly where standing in the frame of the door bickering,
"Well Molly it was locked and I didn't have the key now did I."
"That still gives you no right to blast the door open Remus, you could have used alohamora."
"Hello Harry, how are you?"
Beaming at the all too familiar sight of them, Harry walked over and embraced them with out saying a single word, his actions showing his gratitude more than words ever could. But before any of them where able to say anything else, a high pitched scream was heard from downstairs. Harry recognized it to be Aunt Petunia's in a split second. All of them looked at each other and walked down to find the most interesting scene that Harry had ever laid eyes on.
Tonks was at the base of the stairs positively limp from laughter with Hedwig perched on the banister of the stairs. Arthur Weasley was shocked about something, yet was still trying to calm Aunt Petunia and yell at Alastor Moody at the same time.
"Now, please there is no need to panic…Mad-eye honestly he wouldn't have hurt me…..we'll have him right as rain in no time…..won't we, Moody?"
At the center of the four, was a rather lumpy rat that was scurrying around the area. Dudley was nowhere to be seen, but since Aunt Petunia was screaming out,
"VERNON, oh my gosh…. don't you touch him…. Vernon!"
Harry had a pretty good idea that the rat was no ordinary house hold pest. What really made the scene funny was the fact that Aunt Petunia was afraid to get too close to her husband. She obviously was concerned out of her mind, but didn't want to get to close to the rat. Mrs. Weasley was looking at her own husband and back at the rat, then looking at the wand Moody was still pointing at the wandering animal as it ran around in circles on the carpet. Giving Moody the look she usually reserved for Fred and George, Mrs. Weasley placed her hands on her hips, speaking in a frighteningly severe tone she turned to Mad-eye and asked,
"Moody, what have you done?"
At this Tonks, who was trying to get back up from the floor, collapsed in to another fit of boisterous laughter, trying to say,
"..Isn't….it obvious…..Molly…..?"
No one took heed to Tonks' comment as Moody spoke up and said in a huffy like voice as if it was no big deal,
"He was going to punch Arthur, and was threatening us, I wasn't going to take that, so I turned him into something fitting."
Immediately Harry had had another vision of the past at that moment, this time not of a rat but of a bouncing white ferret, and he joined Tonks on the floor. The vivid memory of Draco Malfoy transfigure in his fourth year at Hogwarts by the Moody impersonator, playing over in his mind. He was lost in a genuine spasm of laughter like he hadn't had for a good amount of time. He barely heard Mrs. Weasley's words as she exclaimed,
"Oh, for heavens sake….Moody put him back to normal. Harry, Tonks get up and stop laughing. Arthur you might want to modify there memories."
"Don't you come near me or my family! Get away….you…you…freaks!"
It seemed Aunt Petunia was about to fain with a mixture of relief and fright as another loud pop rang through the hallway. Uncle Vernon re-appeared on the floor where the rat had last been, on all fours crouched down on the carpet, shivering from fright.
Even though it was a shame that his Uncle was back to "normal" and that the Order members had to leave him at Privet Drive, Harry was happy to be free of his room once more after that memorable afternoon. The Dursley's memories had not been modified, but there where still some changes around the house after that eventful day. In fact through the rest of the holiday, all Harry had seen of his relatives was Aunt Petunia's skirt as she ran from the room, heard Dudley squeal when he came close to his cousin and…. frankly he hadn't seen Uncle Vernon for a while, until September 1st that is.
By then they where acting very helpful towards Harry, helping him load his trunk in the car and courteously ignoring his on the entire way to London, they where most likely just keen to have him leave them for a while. Harry had the whole back seat to himself with Hedwig, as Dudley had insisted on sitting up front with his father and mother. The sheer sight of what seemed like two meatballs and a stick, amusing Harry for the whole entire journey to King's Cross.
Now he had left the Dursley's behind and was standing in the middle of a bright sunny day on platform 9 ¾ with his real family, his only family. Laughing and enjoying the little time they had together before the train departed and he went home, to Hogwarts.
At that moment a bit of the suns light reflected off of Ron's chest, catching Harry's attention, the badge he wore on his new robes was much bigger than the Prefect badge he had gotten last year. Looking closer he realized what it was and caught Ron's eye, asking,
"Ron, when did you get made Head Boy?"
Fred and George both took up this cue with a sigh and said,
"Oh, Harry isn't it awful, we have another one in the family. I just hope Ginny won't go down that shameful path too."
George gave Harry a smile as he said,
"Where just glad you didn't mate, it would keep you from all those adventures and all."
Winking at him and turning again to his brother the twins both looked in turn at Ron as they said alternating each sentence, getting closer to Harry and Ron so only they could hear,
"Of course you'll have to go alone now,"
"…Ron will be busy with his duties and all,"
"…unless you find your self a girl,"
"… then the adventures would really start."
Winking and grinning at Harry they stepped back a bit and Harry turned over to Ron just as his friends' ears had gone pink with embarrassment. It seemed he was about to explain how and what had happened, but was cut off by Harry's warm hug as he said,
"Congratulations mate."
Ron had been stunned speechless by Harry's move and was greatly relieved by his friends support. The two boys pulled apart, being looked at from all angles by the assembled Weasley's. Ron finally found his voice and said,
"Thanks Harry, that really means a lot to me. I got the letter a couple of days ago…and so did…."
"Harry! Ron!"
At that moment a ginger cat ran up to Harry and rubbed it's self on his leg, as its owner made it's way towards the group. Hermione came to stand temporarily in front of the two boys before hugging them both at the same time.
The trio pulled apart and Harry saw a similar badge on Hermione's chest. She had apparently, also been made Head Girl, to no surprise of anyone.
The three started to busily chatter about their summers; Hermione had spent it at the Weasley's since her parents had gone to France, they had gone to a conference for dentists or something. She had just met up with them and had gone to say good-bye before she had come up to the station. Ron had taught her a bit of quidditch over the summer, but had decided that it wasn't her forte. She had kept score most of the games that he and his brothers had been training Ginny to be chaser. Since Hermione was good at stuff like that she didn't mind, she didn't like to fly so she readily accepted the task of scorekeeper. Mean while Harry told them all the details of his own adventure at the Dursley's. His friends and audience where listening to his summer tale as intently as ever, not taking there eyes off of Harry, but there was some one else who wasn't taking there eyes of him as well.
Off to the side of the platform, Draco Malfoy was also sporting a Head Boy badge just like Hermione and Ron, and just like Hermione and Ron, he wasn't taking his eyes off of the jet black hair and the emerald eyes of the boy he so hated.
Walking off to the train he met Goyle and Crabbe, not even hesitating to say good-bye to his mother, who like him, wasn't stopping to say good-bye either and disappearing in the opposite direction. Getting together with his Slytherin house members he was welcomed immediately, before they boarded the train, the Slytherins making a tight knit group around their respected Head Boy. The white blond hair slightly fluttering back as the steam from the train blew at him, hiding his steely gaze and preventing anyone from seeing that the Slytherin boy was still looking at Harry and his friends. With one flourishing sweep of his robes, Draco was gone inside the compartments of the train, walking away from the group of housemates towards the Head Boy and Girl compartments.
At the opposite end of the train station, Harry, Ron, and Hermione where saying there last good-byes before they too went to board the train. Harry opened the cage that contained Hedwig and released her into the air. Watching the snowy owl glide through the sky in the general direction that the tracks where headed, to Hogwarts.
Looking back at his adopted family, he too said his good-byes and boarded the train, as the whistle went off with a loud piercing blast. As they got on and the train slowly started moving, Harry watched as Ron and Hermione left in the direction of the Head Boy and Girl compartments. Ginny made some excuse about going to see a friend of hers, and also left in the same direction.
Smiling and taking in a deep breath Harry went to the back of the train. They're where less and less people there as he walked past the compartments, finally coming upon the last one, and opening the door. Sliding his school trunk in, he hoisted it up to the racks with a heave. Once it was firmly secured he then slumped down on the seat, gazing out the window at the passing buildings as they gained speed. The rhythmic motion starting to lull Harry into a trans as he looked out the windowpane and watched the speeding London passing by.
After a while Harry had started to reflect back on his past and on what had happened his last term, he had been putting this off for a while, but now that he was a lone, in the world he belonged to, it seemed almost fitting that his thoughts should wander back to his godfather.
A single tear started to roll down his cheek, the green of his shimmering eyes matching the countryside as he stayed there, his robes spread haphazardly and almost elegantly around him. His left hand across his stomach and his right, fingering his wand at his side.
Only getting up so that he could buy a couple of cauldron cakes from the trolley, he stayed there looking out the window, lonely and yet content as ever. Because he knew he was on his way home, with his friends somewhere nearby and no more worries of what the Dursley's where up to, let alone anyone else.
Vaguely aware that there where dull thuds of footsteps coming closer and closer to the end of the train, Harry finished the last bit of cauldron cakes and kept looking out the window wiping off a tear just as the door of the compartment opened.
Not turning he expected it to be Ron and Hermione finally coming to see him on the last bit of the journey. But the reflection from the window made him catch his breath, as his hand instinctively went to grasp his wand. Spinning around in the seat his burning green eyes met a pair or cold silver ones as he stared at Draco Malfoy's face. Standing up slowly and cautiously both boys faced each other with their wands at the ready, the tension building around them, as it always did in their encounters.
It seemed as if time it's self had stopped while the Slytherin and Gryffindor looked at each other, neither wavering, and neither saying a thing but screaming at each other with their eye contact. The first to move was Harry, as his tight lips parted to speak at his enemy standing before him,
"Can't wait to get to school, huh Malfoy, have to start it all up again before anyone gets comfortable. At best your troubles will get you some day into Azkaban, just like your father…. but then again it's your life's goal to be just like him isn't it."
A sharp intake of breath followed Harry's words as they hung in the thickly charged air around them,
"I will make you pay for what you did to my father, Potter. If it's the last thing I do, I swear….."
"You really shouldn't swear Malfoy, it wouldn't be very gentlemen like. You need to uphold the filthy name of Malfoy now don't you."
"Shut up Potter!"
If Harry hadn't known any better he would have sworn he had just seen the other boy shiver as he had spoken. Both wands where still pointed at the other and before either of them knew it, they seemed to be flicking at both boys, as if they had a will of there own. Both of their lips parted at the same time as each yelled out at the same instant the disarming spell,
"Expelliarmus!"
A shot of blue light flashed at both boys' hands, like lightning zapping trough the distance between them. The two wands went soaring into the air away from their owners, and both boys where left in a sickened and startled daze. They both stood there for an instant, looking at each other with deep emotions burning through their vein, and this time it was Draco who moved first.
Lunging out at his own wand, which lay behind Harry by the window, Draco tried to get at it before anything else happened. Harry though, had grown used to detecting small movements through the years of seeker practice and quidditch. Noticing the movement in the other boys muscles, he also threw himself, but not at the wand. His body hit Draco's as he successfully prevented the Slytherin from getting the wand. The force had knocked both of them down to the ground, Harry attempting to pin Draco down to the floor, as the other boy tried to punch him in the face.
Harry's hand slipped in the fabric on Draco's shoulders, leaving him free range for an instant. Before he knew it there was a blur of a fist coming at Harry's head, making contact and causing his lip to bleed. Harry returned the punch at the cheek of the other boy, as Draco took in a quick breath. The boys twisted on the floor each infuriated by the others actions and each trying to punch and kick at the other.
Breaths where coming short as both of them continued fighting in the compartment, the others on board completely oblivious to what was happening in the last compartment of the train. Making scoff remarks here and there at each other they did there best at trying to beat the other to pieces,
"I'll get you for all you've done to me Potter"
Another swing came at Harry, as the boy beneath him said this. Ducking the blow, he attempted to kick Draco's shin while saying,
"What have I ever done to you Malfoy? You're the one who starts all this, notice you came to me."
The two bodies tumbled over and Draco's body was hovering on top of Harry's as he shook him with anger, his silver eyes like shards of glass.
"That is one of the stupidest things you have ever asked. But I suppose someone as thick as you wouldn't know the pain I'm going through."
At these words something in the back of Harry's mind was triggered, and memories came flowing through his intellect. Every unwelcome memory he had ever had, now came surging forward in his brain. Before he knew what was happening he was watching in his mind, Sirius. His godfather was falling again, through the veil in a graceful and haunting like arch as he plummeted, and just as his godfather's body fell completely through the veil, a burst of emotion made Harry throw the other boy down as he rolled over and pinned him furiously to the floor.
His hands shaking slightly at what Draco had said a moment before; Harry took a shaky breath as his emerald eyes cut into the Slytherin underneath him. Speaking through his clenched teeth Harry's words came out like a hiss as he said,
"How dare you speak of pain. You have no right, to lecture me on that topic Malfoy! You don't know what's like, and don't pretend that you do…"
His words where cut off by the struggling boy beneath him,
"I have every right, Potter! I do know what it feels like to…"
The boys words where cut off this time, not by a strike from Harry, or even a nasty remark, but by a tear. A single tear that had come from the forest green eyes, splattering on his left cheek almost burning into his pale skin. Looking up at the boy he realized that Harry had no clue that he was crying, no idea that his tear had hit his nemesis harder that any blow he would be able to offer with his bare hands. Another thought struck him as he looked into those green eyes, the eyes that everyone said belonged to this boy's mother, the mother this boy didn't have. Potter was right, and how Draco hated that, the very thought of his own parents and this boys parents….
The silver eyes of the boy beneath him where starting to water as Harry looked down at him. Fear like none other grabbed a hold of Harry as he watched the tears in his boys eyes threaten to flow over the rim of his lashes. Harry hesitated and realized that he himself had and was shedding tears. Lifting up his hands and moving them over to his eyes he tried in vain to clear the tears away. His godfather was the only thing on his mind as he felt a sharp stinging pain in his left cheek. Looking down again at the Slytherin, he took in the fact that he had just been slapped by Malfoy, and that they where both crying on the floor of the Hogwarts Express. They locked eyes contact with each other, neither moving nor making a sound, Harry's body hovering on top of Malfoy's as he looked down at him.
Both boys started to get up, their faces back to the way they had been before they had started to fight. The tears had made both their faces rosy and there eyes glistened in the light from the setting sun that streamed in through the window. Both of the boys left cheeks where stinging, Harry's from the slap, and Draco's from the tear drop. Time halted once more, as both looked at each other, numb from what had happened in that compartment.
They both moved at the same time, each shifting around the other to get to their own wands on opposite ends of the room. Once there hands closed around the wood of the wands they both made to put them away, just as the door to the compartment opened again.
Hermione and Ron where walking in with faces of disgust and worry as they fell upon Malfoy. The two stopped and blocked the open door as Draco turned from the two new comers and back to Harry,
"This is just the beginning Potter. Mark my words."
Ron looked at Hermione in a concerned way as if asking if it was Ok to throw a curse at him then and there. Hermione however was not looking at Ron, but at the other two faces in the room. Something else had gone on there, and she felt the air in between the two charged, as if there was fire burning in between them. A fire so intense, that if anyone else would try to put out they would be easily over whelmed, in fact she didn't think they wanted anyone to put it out at all. Turning to Harry she gave him a quizzical look, the two boys however, where not looking at her and Ron, but at each other, and she felt as if they didn't know that they had even arrived.
Draco put his wand into his robes and gathering himself up once more, he turned to the Head Boy and Girl of Gryffindor and walked past them, thrusting himself in between them as he walked by. Making his way down the corridor, he tried to put as much distance between him and Potter as possible not realizing that a tear was rolling down his pale skin once more.
Ron and Hermione sat down across from Harry, watching him as he sat back down and put his own wand away. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked out at the darkening sky, his reflection coming back to meet him, a tear rolling down the face of the boy that looked back, mingling with the blood from his lips.
"I miss him…. he was the closest thing I ever got to my parents…. he doesn't know, he'll never know!"
Harry's thoughts had been drifting back to his godfather, but somehow ended up back at Malfoy and what had just taken place. Ron and Hermione sat across from him not knowing what to do, feeling help less and as if their friend had been separated from them, off to a place where few could ever reach him.
As the train kept moving forward towards it's destination cutting through the nigh, two boys so different and yet so similar in their own ways, rested there heads back on the seats of their compartments, as water came rolling down their stinging left cheeks.