Summary: Number 12 Grimmauld Place is the spiteful home of a nineteen-year-old Harry, who along with Draco and other old friends from Hogwarts, studies at the Academy of Magic in central London. Almost three years after the end of the war, it seems that the dust has settled and the magic population is experiencing a period of peaceful daily life. But it's only the appearance. Thanks to the bizarre house that Sirius left him, Harry will discover that nothing is as it seems. Not even his sexual tastes.
Chapter 1
Advanced Charms
Good times for a change
See, the luck I've had
Can make a good man
Turn bad
So please please please
Let me, let me, let me
Let me get what I want
This time
(The Smiths: please please please)
The phone rang in vain at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, while Harry was making coffee in his pyjamas, his face still sleepy.
"Aren't you going to answer?" Draco entered the kitchen barefoot and walked towards the window.
"I haven't had coffee yet …" Harry mumbled. "And at this time it is surely some call center. They are the only ones who call me here, other than Ron."
He looked at his friend in pyjamas that he himself had transfigured from his clothes the night before. He had fallen asleep on his bed, while they were studying for the Advanced Charms exam.
He wondered how it was possible that even pajamas could look like evening attire on him.
The phone stopped ringing.
"And if it was for me?" said Draco looking out of the window.
"Aren't you being a bit self-centered?" Harry ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the kitchen counter, yawning.
"Well, ever since we started studying for this exam, I've practically been living here!" Draco said casually "Not that I mind. With the renovations, this house has gained a certain class! ... If I omit your room, where, to be honest, it looks like someone enjoys spending time Stupefying the wardrobe."
Harry snorted. "OK, tidiness is not my forte, but if you don't like it, you're always free to leave." he said as the coffee maker began to gurgle.
"So you would go back to eating Kraft Singles on the sink for dinner?" Draco replied as he turned his gaze back to the window.
They were sipping their coffee, sitting on the small terrace cut in the roof, which Draco had nicknamed The Pensive.
"What an unusual day," he said, looking at the clear sunny sky kissing London, the roof tiles, and its chimneys, making them look less gray and decadent.
"Yeah, it makes me loose my resolve to study." said Harry, leaning back on his hands.
"A day off wouldn't hurt ... We didn't even stop on Sunday!"
Draco caressed the edge of the cup with his finger. "The Muggleborn is reviewing for the third time already. In fact, she maybe has found a way to travel into the future, already finished the Academy, and is pursuing a second degree."
Harry smiled. "I'm calling her later, she asked if we'll be getting together tonight, wanna come?"
"I suppose the Beggar will be there too. "
"Of course, Draco, they've been together for three years! And when will you stop calling them names? They're our friends!"
"They are your friends, Potter."
Harry rolled his eyes.
They had been studying together for that exam for three weeks. They had agreed to it one day, by chance. They had met at the coffee shop in the Academy of Magic. Harry had noticed Draco holding the book of Advanced Charms and had mentioned the exam, finding out that they were preparing for the same session.
By now they were in the second year of the Academy of Magic and were taking many of the same classes.
After the war, the seventh year at Hogwarts had been gloomy and sad. The castle would have looked like a cemetery if it hadn't been for the clear laughter and naive voices of the first-years.
It was indeed the graveyard of many loved ones that Harry, Ron and Hermione had lost in that devastating war, of Draco's friends and of his mother, who had all lost their lives to the hands of the Dark Lord after switching to the Light side.
Lucius Malfoy had ended up in Azkaban, but Harry had defended Draco in court and had brought evidence of his innocence, revealing the whole truth about Snape and Dumbledore's murder. Draco had thanked him coldly and then had closed himself behind the walls of Slytherin house. Always barricaded between Zabini and Parkinson, he had wandered around the school in the worst mood, not even looking his way during the rest of the school year
Harry had never even seen him smile.
Then the following year, they had met in their first lecture at the Academy and Harry had greeted him.
Slowly, day by day, he had succeeded in establishing a dialogue and they would, at times, sit together in class, elbowing each other while taking notes. Occasionally, it would also happen by chance for them to study together in the library, but other than those moments, they had not associated with each other and had not pushed their conversations beyond academics.
At the end of the first year of the Academy, Harry had hosted a couple of demolition parties in Grimmauld place, before renovating it, and had invited him and his friends. By that time, Draco had been less stiff and had started talking about the house his Godfather, Sirius Black, had left him, and the modifications Harry could make to it.
Draco had been over a few times, trying to help him get rid of all the ridiculous spells that infested the various rooms of the house, with poor results.
Harry had ended up calling some professional wizards, who had not even managed to remove the paintings hanging on the walls with permanent sticking charms. They hadn't managed to figure out how to access the rear garden of the house, that you could see from the window, either. Not to mention when they had tried to empty a room full of large objects, covered with sheets, that changed shape from time to time and that only existed when they were under the sheets. But at least, they had found a student trapped in a cupboard since the last party, who told them of fabulous adventures in parallel dimensions, before being admitted to St Mungos.
Even now, the house was hiding many oddities and surprises, and not always pleasant ones. It had driven all architects who had tried to draw the plans crazy, and it had made the people who delivered the furniture flee. But in the end, Harry had managed to give the rooms a less spooky, cleaner, and more modern look, though still in Black style.
One day, he had invited Draco over for tea, so he could see the renovated house. They had hung out all afternoon and even started studying for the Advanced Charms exam. Draco had ended up coming back every day, for a week and then even during Spring break to continue their study sessions. Harry would wait for him and if he was even a little late, it would be immediately noticed.
The blond would bring bottles of mead, roasted pumpkin seeds, and sometimes whole bags of food, to give purpose to Harry's ever-empty refrigerator. And his visits had become a ritual. But he had never stayed over, except the previous night, when he had literally collapsed with the book on his face and Harry hadn't had the courage to wake him.
He watched him place his lips absentmindedly on the edge of the cup, without drinking, and staying like that, hugging his knees, his back slightly curved sitting on a cushion on the terrace. The rare times he would witness him deviate a little from his proud composure and slip into a somewhat sloppy and slumped position, Harry felt like one of those lucky people who saw sea turtle eggs hatch in the silent night on some distant Caribbean beach.
Draco was a handsome guy, no doubt about it. Slender body with harmonious and well-designed muscles, tufts of very fine blond hair that fell over sharp eyes with icy blue-gray irises, smooth and perfect skin and outlined lips with edges curved in ruthless enigmatic smiles, from time to time.
And everyone liked him. Men and women.
Since he had stopped considering him as an enemy, Harry had consciously begun to admire his appearance and noble bearing. Although, he did it with the right discretion and the self-assurance that admitting the aesthetic qualities of his schoolmate was simply a straight and disinterested affirmation.
He wasn't even sure of Draco's sexual orientation. He seemed to like women, or so he wanted people to think. Although, apart from his long-time friend Pansy, he had never seen him with a steady girlfriend.
"So, shall we give in to well-deserved leisure?" Draco asked, shaking Harry from his thoughts.
"Sure, why not," he answered.
xxx
"I thought you meant something more relaxing when you mentioned leisure!" said Harry, trying to remain on his horse's saddle.
"And what could be more relaxing than this, Potter? Keep your back straight! And squeeze your knees, for Merlin's sake, you're not on a broom!"
Draco spurred his white horse, which with a slight rearing, lunged for the endless grassy expanses of Malfoy Manor, followed by Harry's black one. Harry couldn't understand how riding a wild Hippogriff while flying over a lake could be easier than staying on the saddle of a trained thoroughbred horse.
"Potter, get yourself together, you look like a koala!"
"Stop this beast, Malfoy!" Harry complained dejectedly.
xxx
Sitting against the trunk of a willow on the shore of the lake, the two boys were passing a tiny roll of slow burning paper between them, while the horses drank peacefully a few steps away from them.
"This Morgan Weed is remarkable, who gave it to you?" Draco blew the smoke towards the ground.
"Neville grows it, it's a hybrid of his invention, and it doesn't burn your neurons! ... At least now I'm actually relaxed!"
"I must say ... You really are incompetent on the saddle, Potter!"
"I had never ridden a horse before today!"
Draco drew in another puff and looked ahead of him, passing Harry the joint. "I'll give you some lessons, if you want."
"I'd love to," Harry smiled, coughing up the smoke.
xxx
After dinner, the two walked towards the pub, where Hermione was waiting for them. As soon as they sat down at the table with beers in hand, the girl smiled cheerfully.
"Guess who's expecting?" she winked.
"Oh, no, Granger. Please tell me you're not already reproducing!" Draco raised a dramatic hand, leaning back in his chair.
"Don't worry, I was talking about Fleur!" she said and smiled at Draco's sigh, who still looked disappointed about a new Weasley coming into the world. "Ah, here they are!" the girl added, getting up from the table, while Bill, Ron and Fleur entered the pub.
"Trésor, how are you?" Fleur said softly, hugging Hermione and giving her three gaudy kisses on her cheeks.
Behind them, Draco pretended to vomit into his glass and Harry chocked on the beer.
"Hello Harrì! ...Malfoì, you are also here!" she said, pronouncing their name with her heavy french accent.
The blond produced a fake smile, squeezing his eyes a little "Hey" he greeted her with little conviction and a brief wave of his hand. Two redheads were already the most he could stand for an evening. The overly sweet French half-Veela stuffed with Weasley, annoyed him to death.
Harry looked at him smiling. When he was so surly, which was almost always, he found him highly amusing.
"Hi Harry! Hey Draco!" As Ron approached them, Harry felt the blond snorting imperceptibly. Then he saw him return the greeting with a raised eyebrow.
"Hi Ron, I haven't seen you for a while, how are you?" he said to his friend.
He sat down at their table. "Good! I'm still preparing Muggle Sciences, for the short course at the Ministry. And you? How is the Academy going?" he asked, playing with a coaster.
"Not bad, Draco and I are studying together for Advanced Cha-" His eyes teared up when Draco kicked him and hit an ankle bone.
"You're studying together?" said Ron with a mischievous smile.
"What have you got to smile like a fool for, Weasel?" Draco asked threateningly.
"Nothing, well I mean, I'm still not entirely used to seeing you as friends ..." Ron answered.
After Bill and Fleur had left, Hermione came up with one of her Friday night ideas.
"Do you guys want to go to the amusement park?"
"Pourquoi pas?" said Draco annoyed, imitating Fleur's voice with his face resting on one hand. Then he turned his eyes to Harry, with the shadow of a horrified look.
Harry smiled.
xxx
"Can you please remind me who convinced me to get a ticket for the Ferris wheel? They Obliviated me, didn't they?" Draco asked, standing next to Harry as they waited in line in front of the huge mechanism.
"Promise it wasn't me!" said Harry, eyeing the white metal carriages that dangled over their heads with suspicion. "I would have rather stayed at the pub with Bill and Fleur all evening!"
"What a bore, Potter! I was getting hives, seriously." The blond snorted. "That one was doing nothing but pontificate on motherhood!"
"What was she supposed to do? She is expecting a child!"
Draco crossed his ankles with his hands buried in his pockets. "And why should we care?"
"You're so cynical." Harry chewed on a fingernail and noticed Draco's impatient movements. "Do you have to use the restroom? You should go before getting on the Ferris wheel, the ride lasts quite a bit."
"What, you got maternal instinct now?" Draco looked increasingly annoyed as he turned away.
"When does this damn wheel start again? I can't hold it anymore!" the blonde complained as his leg was skipping nervously.
"What did I tell you?" Harry leaned back in the seat "It stops here for a while so people can enjoy the view."
"Or disgustingly make out behind our backs!" Draco added, looking at Ron and Hermione in the carriage behind them.
Harry turned around. "At least they're happy."
"I'd be happy to get off this ridiculous Muggle invention!" Draco said and settled back in his seat.
Harry looked at the sky "What is that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "Look over there, what is it?"
Draco looked up into the night sky.
"Strange, it's not a star, it's not a plane, it's not a fucking anything, Potter! Must be a plastic bag... or something... For Morgan's sake! I have to get out of here!"
"Calm down, this thing rocks a little too much! And look closer, don't you think it's an unusual shape?" Harry continued to inspect the firmament.
Draco looked again, shivering. "What the hell! It seems ... it's too far away, I don't know. I have to get off this monstrosity!" He moaned as he leaned forward, tapping his foot on the metal floor of the carriage.
"It's really disturbing." said Harry, still staring at the thing in the sky "Hey! You see that thing?" he said a little louder, towards Ron and Hermione.
The two turned in the pointed direction and narrowed their eyes. "What?" they asked in unison.
Harry was distracted by Draco's hand being brought between the blond's legs. It seemed that he was squeezing something of a certain thickness through the fabric of his black jeans ...
"Potter?"
The brunet jolted and looked up. "Huh?"
"What are you looking at?"
Harry blushed.
xxx
Draco was about to start crying when the wheel finally restarted and brought them to the ground.
As soon as they got off the carriage, he hurried away.
"We're going to the bathroom for a moment, see you in a little bit," Harry said to the other two.
"We're going? Do they also go to the bathroom together?" Ron said with a disgusted look as Hermione smiled.
"Ron, you're really narrow-minded at times," she said with sufficiency.
Harry was following the blond, who stepped safely behind the caravan of the Ferris wheel.
"Draco! You're going the wrong way, the bathrooms are on the other ..." he stopped with his thumb pointing behind him and looked at Draco unbuttoning his pants as he was standing in front of a wired fence. He felt troubled by the slight moan of pleasure he uttered, as the sound of the liquid hit the ground forcefully.
"Oh yes ..." Draco whispered in a sigh.
Harry turned his back on him, trying to ignore his vague embarrassment, but he couldn't even turn back to face him. He contemplated, for a moment, the dark and slender figure, elegant and proud even in that circumstance, with his black coat that reached down to his knees, his long legs slightly open. The blond head that leaned back a little while his body relaxed, that perfect profile with stretched, open lips that barely revealed his white teeth made Harry's mind wander into thoughts he never thought he could have, and which he immediately defined as inappropriate.
He got closer to the fence as well, not far from Draco, looked around as he opened the zip of his jeans and released himself.
Suddenly he remembered the open robe of the uniform waving with a certain class behind the Slytherin, as he walked with the usual refined gait, through the corridors of Hogwarts a few years ago. Without realizing it, he had carefully observed him at that time, even in
details that were irrelevant to his investigations, when he thought he was plotting something to help the Death Eaters.
"Phew, I was going to die!" the blond commented, buttoning himself up with a last sigh. "You coming?" He added, and walked off, followed by Harry.
xxx
Once past the protective barrier around the house, Draco looked at Harry and raised a hand. "Goodnight Potter, see you tomorrow," he said dryly before he disapparated, leaving him alone on the doorstep.
Harry went inside thoughtfully and jumped, cursing, at the cry of Walburga Black's painting, or Aunt Burghy as Draco called her. "Oh God, I'll never get used to it ..." he said, closing the curtains in front of the picture with a hand on his chest.
He sat on the couch, trying to put together a plausible reason for what crossed his mind. He wanted to avoid a sleepless night, with his thoughts fixed on Draco, as it used to happen way too often back at school.
Back then, he had a mission, he had to find out what he had been plotting. He was endangering the school, trying to kill Dumbledore. It was normal for him to think of him every minute!
But now?
Harry sank into the cushions and sighed, shaking off the feeling that his interest in Draco was probably beyond that of friendship.
xxx
"Harry, I find it normal!" Hermione was sipping tea as they sat, enjoying the sun in her garden on the morning after. "All these years of fighting and all that has happened made your relationship special. It's not a regular friendship. When two people who hate each other become friends, the intensity of feelings they generate is certainly very high, and easy to misunderstand. And even if it is, I would not judge you. You can rest assured."
Harry was looking at her worriedly.
"Wait, no! It was just a doubt ... I don't think ... Not a word to Ron, alright?"
"Who do you take me for? I'm still your best friend and I know Ron well enough!"
Harry sighed, his gaze lost in a rose bush. "I've felt strange since last night."
Notes.
I'm excited to deliver the first chapter of one of my favorite Drarrys!
This fanfic is a real gem and it gives me a lot of satisfaction that I'm helping it reach even more readers.
I would like to thank the author, DracoMalfoy, for allowing me to work on this translation! She'll be checking the reviews, so make sure to leave her all your love!
If you know Italian, I highly recommend reading it on Nocturne Alley dot org, because nothing beats the original. While you're there, take a look at DracoMalfoy's other works, they're truly exquisite.
I would also like to thank Mizuki 23 for betaing this chapter!
Here is the chapter pic (no spaces and replace "dot" with "."): i216 dot photobucket dot com/ albums/ cc218/ Lawlietta/ TGOP/ George- Christie- London- rooftop- 1816687 dot jpg
One last thing, scientific evidence from several studies suggests that weed (the regular non-Morgan one) doesn't really kill brain cells. It actually promotes neurogenesis, which is literally the opposite. It can be harmful, however, when consumed before the brain has fully developed, which doesn't happen until you reach adulthood.
I just want to make sure the implications in this story don't end up giving you false information. I also want to make sure that you don't go do something harmful if your brain is too young to take it.
Remember to review and 'til the next one!