Hey everyone, this will be my first actual multi-chapter fic, so I hope you enjoy it. I do want to warn my readers, this will be a fast-paced fic, so if you are expecting lots of long chapters, with a slow romance, I'm sorry to say that this isn't it. In fact, it's more pre-slash than slash. That being said,I got the idea for this story from a book I had to read for Uni, quite a famous one, though I won't mention its title. I'm quite interested in who is going to realize which book it is first. I know the title of my fic sounds quite boring, but that is because it's based on the book's title. (and isn't that a huge clue;) This fic is already finished, having 9 chapters, all between 3000 and 6000 words (usually around 4000). I do, however, welcome any suggestions or theories. If you ever give me an idea I like enough to incorporate into my story, I will first PM you, asking permission, and if I get it, I would credit you in the chapter it was used in. That being said, enjoy!
Warnings: Pre-slash, demented characters, OCC. Another warning, II am taking the liberty to 'report as abuse' any flame or review that does not qualify as constructive criticism in MY books. If you want to know what I consider constructive criticism, go look at my Bio.
Disclaimer: Read carefully, because I will only ever post the disclaimer in the first chapter. I do not own Harry Potter (tragically) and am writing for pure pleasure. This counts for all the other chapters I will post.
Chapter 1
Draco sipped at his drink, watching the busy streets of Diagon Alley whilst he waited for his companion to arrive. It was nearing midday and she still hadn't shown up. Luckily Draco, being the brilliant wizard he was, had managed to secure seating beneath an umbrella; otherwise his normally pale skin would already be tinted an unflattering red from the unforgiving sun. Of course that wench wanted to see him on the hottest recorded day from the past five years. He sighed as he shifted his arm once again to glance at the ornate silver watch on his wrist, feeling a flash of annoyance when he realised she was almost fifteen minutes late. For someone who had asked to see him, she sure had rude manners to make him wait. After another ten minutes, the Slytherin just about had it and was about to stand up, when a voice interrupted him.
"Draco! I'm so sorry I'm late; I had a… matter to attend to. I do hope you forgive me." Lifting his gaze, grey eyes met with pale green and he sighed in annoyance but sat down again, remaining silent whilst the woman sat down and ordered herself a drink. He leaned back, resting his arms on the armrests and crossing his legs. Finally, after her drink had arrived, she took a sip and sighed in appreciation, before looking up to meet Draco's gaze. "Firstly, I just wanted to make it known how glad I am that you have come to meet with me. There was a moment I thought you would decline my invitation." He watched as she sat forward, her deep auburn hair curling over one shoulder from where it was immaculately pinned up. She flicked a dainty wrist, causing the light green satin blouse to ripple gently, to pin her escaping locks behind her ear. Draco could feel irritation build up in him, but he repressed it. He couldn't afford to be too harsh with her. Not when Amelle Potter was one of the wealthiest and most influential witches in Britain at the moment. The political power she wielded was enough to get the Minister sacked, if she used her contacts right. Not to mention the fame she acclaimed as the abandoned wife of the Wizarding World's saviour, Harry Potter.
After the war, there had been many articles on Potter's so called 'emergence from the closet', and plenty news columns gossiped about Potter's confession of being gay. After a few months of non-stop articles about the Boy Who Lived's daily life, things had quieted down. Only for another round to burst out about the news of Harry Potter, the gay bachelor, being engaged to a foreign witch, one Amelle Bordeaux. Theories about Potter was flying around left and right, escalating from a simple lie about his sexuality to Potter marrying Amelle for her family fortune. Of course, Draco had thought it all nonsense, seeing as how Potter had his own fortune, but the fact remained that within a month Potter was married to this witch, without anyone knowing the reason behind the marriage. For two years they had lived together in a massive mansion with Potter's godson, Teddy Lupin, and practically exuded the aura of a happy family. That was…
Until Potter ran away.
The story, which had circulated around the Wizard community, was that exactly two years and a day after their marriage, Potter simply disappeared, leaving behind a note stating that he couldn't handle this domesticated life and wanted to travel. His best friends were seen protesting fiercely on Harry's behalf, stating that he would never leave behind his family, especially Teddy, but when the analysis came back on the note, affirming that it was indeed Potter's handwriting and magical signature coating the paper, they had no grounds for their claims. Of course, a widespread search was still launched by Minster Shacklebolt, starting with Potter's entire manor which included the grounds and expanding to cover the rest of Britain. Enquiries to other countries revealed that none of them were aware Potter had left Britain, and after a year, the search was officially disbanded. Of course, rumours were still floating around about Weasley and Granger, who had cut all ties with Amelle except for when they visited Teddy, who was still searching for their lost friend.
Personally Draco just thought that Potter got sick of being married to a woman and left to be with his male lover, because no sane gay man would marry a woman without a lover on the side. As a bisexual, Draco didn't care whether his lover was male or female, but as far as he knew, Potter wasn't bi, but 100% gay. But whatever Potter's reason for abandoning his wife and godson, it didn't matter, since Amelle now had control over both their fortunes and even received the newly instated Potter and Peverell seats on the Wizengamot. Now, a few months later, she was basically unstoppable in the political world. Her might combined with her charming personality caused a lot of people to support her and thus her network in Britain grew larger. It helped that she was often seen going on little outings with Teddy Lupin, endearing people to her even more, for raising a child which was not her own. Apparently, she had commented that at the age of five, Teddy is still very vulnerable and she wished to become the mother figure to him he needed, seeing as his father figure apparently didn't care enough.
"Draco? Have you heard anything I said?" Startled, the platinum-haired man glanced up to see Amelle leaning forward, studying him intently with a concerned gaze. Draco cleared his throat as he sat straight. "Forgive me Mrs Potter, I was completely lost in my thoughts. You were saying?" After looking him over once more, she exhaled delicately, once again tucking back a lock of her hair. "Please, call me Amelle, we've corresponded with each other for three months by now. Anyway, I said that I had a request of you." Draco blinked and tried not to show the surprise he felt on his face. "And what would that request be?" The auburn-haired beauty glanced away, before she answered again. "I would like it if you would take time out of your schedule to visit Teddy, if possible." Narrowing his eyes, Draco cautiously replied. "Why would you ask that? I've never met the boy and his side of the family has been disowned from the Blacks." Amelle smiled, her eyes gentling as she thought of the young boy. "Actually, one thing Harry did do before abandoning us was to reinstate Andromeda and thus Teddy into the Black line. Besides, this is Teddy's request. He was apparently talking to his grandmother the other day when the subject of family came up. When asked if he had no other blood family than her, she replied that he still had a cousin, namely you. I assume it's because he is thirsty for blood family who won't leave him at the drop of a hat, but he insisted that he wanted to see you."
Long pale fingers intertwined as Draco rested his elbows on the table and his chin on his hands. He couldn't see what harm it could bring to visit the boy, especially since his father was in Azkaban for another ten years and his mother had moved to France, visiting him each month and his father when he was allowed to receive visitors. He might as well try to reconnect with the only family he had left in Britain. He glanced up to see the witch opposite him awaiting his reply.
"All right. When can I meet him?"
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Draco blinked up at the humungous manor he had apparated to. The sleek Victorian manor had various small towers and gothic arches complimented the overall feeling of the impressive building. The stairs leading to the front door was carved from a smooth stone, and vines grew in a controlled manner on the railings on each side. The lawn itself was well-ordered and filled with gorgeous roses which welcomed guests with their sweet scent. All in all, it looked highly sophisticated and Draco had a hard time imagining Potter being happy in a place like this, unsophisticated prat that he was. As the former Slytherin started up the stairs, the huge double doors swung open, lacking the expected creak and revealing a house elf in a clean white towel bowing low. "Mistress bids misters Malfoy to come to the Tea Room. If you be following Dosy, I be showing you the way." Handing his coat to the small elf, Draco strode across the entryway into an adjacent room and through a hallway, which opened up into a bright room, filled by light which was let in by the large windows that stretched from floor to ceiling. On a pale cream couch, Amelle sat reading a book, while Teddy was playing on the floor with a small toy phoenix that was flying at Teddy's commands. Draco could see the phoenix faltering a few times as it flew and concluded that it must be quite old if the charm work was starting to fade.
"Good morning Draco! I'm so glad you could make it. Have a seat. Teddy, this is your cousin Draco Malfoy. Be sure to greet him properly." Draco watched with interest as the little boy's hair changed from brown to green as he sent a small, almost unnoticeable glare at Amelle, before he stood up, phoenix clutched in one hand whilst he held out his other. "Hello Cousin Draco. My name is Teddy Lupin. My Grandma told me about you." Draco chuckled, shaking that small hand as he kneeled down to be more on Teddy's level. "Hello Teddy, I'm very glad to meet you. I would have come earlier, but I wasn't sure if you knew about me and I didn't want to shock you." Teddy's eyes widened and a small, shy smile peeked around his lips. "Why wouldn't I wanna know you? You look nice. Not like a bad guy, like Uncle Ron says."
"Teddy, be polite! And please, use the correct form of language. It's want to, not wanna." Teddy ignored Amelle as he continued to stare at Draco, clearly still waiting for an answer. Draco could see Amelle exhale heavily, but discreetly and he wondered if Teddy normally acted this way around her. But since he wasn't the boy's parent, and thus had no right to interfere, he wouldn't say anything about it. "Well, my family was very mean to your family before you were born and some people might still be angry about it. But I'm not a bad guy, I can guarantee you that." Draco smiled winningly and Teddy smiled back, before grabbing Draco's hand and pulling him over to his box of toys, the Phoenix still gripped tightly in his hand. Digging around for a while, Teddy presented Draco with a small animated dragon, which roared and prowled around on Draco's hand. Draco could remember having a similar one as a child, but this brand was newly released, the sort that was able to be trained. "My Grandma said that Draco means dragon, so you can play with that one."
Smiling, the pale man whispered to the dragon, before watching as it took off. He made it fly loops and twirls, diving and roaring fire at the flower pot. Teddy was jumping up and down, once again ignoring Amelle when she told him not to act like an uncultured barbarian and demanded Draco show him how to do that. So far, all he could do was make them fly straight or slowly bank to a side. The rest of the morning was spent explaining to Teddy how the dragon followed a strong will and ultimately, any toy with the proper charm work could be trained. Sadly, the small boy's phoenix was an elder model that didn't have the right charms casted on it, but he had fun trying out the dragon with Draco directing him. Draco realised, however, that he never let go of the small phoenix, except maybe when he made it fly around his head or perch on his shoulder.
Sipping his Earl Grey, Draco smiled around the cup as he watched Teddy running after the dragon. The now orange-haired boy was laughing freely and the grey-eyed man found himself chuckling along with the boy. He hadn't expected to become so attached to the five-year-old in just one morning, but Teddy had a very likeable personality, which made the young child very hard to resist. If his mother is to be believed, and she generally was, his cousin Nymphadora had the same personality. "I wanted to thank you for coming. It's been a while since I saw him laughing that much. Not since Harry left. I'm grateful to you. I hope you will make it a habit of coming over to see us." The pale green-eyed woman smiled gently as she placed a hand lightly on his arm and Draco immediately noted the use of the word 'us' instead of 'him'. He supposed that it wasn't that far a stretch that the feared and revered Mrs Potter could become lonely too. The only question was why she chose him. He had noted quickly the strained relationship between Teddy and Amelle and had found it hard to believe that she adhered to Teddy's request for no reason. Though he supposed that she could be trying to buy brownie points, so to speak, but that didn't seem her style. This piqued his interest and so, Draco decided that until he found out exactly what it was she wanted, he didn't mind it too much to visit his small cousin periodically.
After all, he had always loved a good mystery.
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"Draco!" Draco let out a huff as Teddy slammed into him, wrapping his small arms around the taller man as he hugged him tightly. It was his fourth visit and each time he was met with the same greeting, to the point in which Draco wondered if Teddy had any friends. He had been sure the Weasleys still kept contact with the boy, but he wasn't so sure now. However, not wanting to bring up a painful subject if they weren't, he resolved to ask Amelle about the matter later.
In the last few days they had talked a lot, when he wasn't keeping Teddy occupied of course and Draco had found a private side to the very public woman. Amelle was more softly-spoken in private, enjoyed reading romance novels and yet had very strong opinions on political matters. He found that conversation flowed easily around her, though he still had a suspicion in the back of his mind that she was hiding something. But Draco has been slightly more paranoid since the war, so for now he would keep his silence and merely observe. He did think, however, that the matter of the Weasleys and Teddy's isolation from other kids his age should be discussed.
Later that day, when Teddy was passed out on the couch, exhausted from having played all afternoon on the toy broom Draco had bought him, Draco sipped his tea as he and Amelle watched the garden and the pond one could see in the back, where several swans were gliding peacefully. "You are awfully quiet. Is there something on your mind?" Draco rubbed the handle of his cup, considering if he should be nosy, before finally deciding that she could just refuse to answer if she found the question invasive. "Do the Weasleys still visit Teddy? Does he have any friends? He seems to be a little lonely in this manor." He glanced at the woman by his side and out of the corner of his eye could see her frowning briefly before her face smoothed once again.
"The Weasleys do still visit, however, they do it infrequently, maybe twice a month if that much. Teddy doesn't really have friends. I'm afraid to leave him in the care of strangers, so he hasn't had much of an opportunity to meet other children, I'm sad to say." Amelle said, taking a sip from the delicate teacup in her hands, placing the cup on the saucer gently before continuing. "The Weasleys were against my marriage to Harry from the start. They couldn't understand why Harry, who claimed to be gay, would marry a woman. They just didn't understand that to Harry, it didn't matter if I was a woman, he still loved me for me. Or so he said. I don't know what to believe now." Draco stared at Teddy's sleeping face, thinking about Amelle's words long after she had left the room upon a house-elf calling her regarding business. It seemed she wasn't so well off as he thought. She had sounded quite sad and slightly hurt, but Draco couldn't help but feel sorry for Teddy. Because of Amelle's insecurity, Teddy wasn't given the chance to meet people his own age.
Draco resolved to visit Teddy more, when he got the time and maybe next time his mother came for a visit, he would introduce the little boy to her. He was sure she would love him, after she got over the fact that his mother was a half-blood and his father a half-breed. Fortunately, she had gotten over most of her beliefs about blood supremacy, but sometimes it still came to the surface, mostly habit than anything else. Just then, Teddy stirred and his eyelids fluttered, before he slowly woke with a yawn, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, he spotted Draco a moment later and his hair instantly changed to platinum blond and his eyes grey. For a moment it looked like an eleven year old Draco was staring back at the former Slytherin, but then the small boy changed back to his usual amber eyes and his hair turned pink. He still didn't have much control over his ability, but he always tried.
"Draco! You're still here. I thought you had gone home already." Draco smiled as the boy clambered in his lap, staring at him seriously. "Nope, I wanted to wait a bit, until you woke up. I wanted to ask you something you see." Teddy's eyes widened and he nodded his head seriously, biting his lip nervously. Gently pulling his bottom lip from between his teeth, Draco ruffled his hair as he thought how to phrase the question, before deciding being blunt and honest is the best approach with a child so young. "I know you are a bit lonely in this big house and that you don't get a lot of friends over. I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me to a Wizarding Play Park next week. We could spend the entire day there and come back to eat supper here. What do you think?"
Big amber eyes stared at him, opened as wide as they could go and Teddy's little mouth was hanging open. Draco gently closed it with his finger and the little boy blinked, before he whispered, "Really? Aunt Amelle said I could go? Promise?" Draco smiled. "Well, I haven't asked her yet, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind." The grey-eyed man watched in confusion as the hope and excitement dimmed n those light ochre eyes and Teddy dropped his gaze. "She would never let me go. Not without her there." he mumbled. Draco frowned and tried to catch Teddy's eyes again. When he finally succeeded, he said with a serious tone, "Don't worry, I'll convince her. You deserve a day out and I want to spend some time alone with my cousin."
The boy nodded dubiously and Draco set him on the floor, patting his shoulder as he told him to pack away his toys while he went to search for Amelle. When he arrived in the entry Hall, Dosy appeared in front of him. "Can Dosy be getting anything for misters Malfoy? " Draco glanced around and then looked back at the elf. "Yes Dosy, could you show me where your mistress is?" Dosy wrung her hands, flicking her eyes left and right. Giving a short, sharp tug on her ear, she led Draco down another hallway and opened the door to an empty study. "Misters Malfoy be waiting here while Dosy be fetching the mistress." Before Draco could even protest, the elf disappeared with a pop and Draco sighed, sitting down on the comfortable arm chair. He looked around the study, whose walls were lined with books and the ornate desk in front of him. There was a big portrait of Amelle, her face impassive though her eyes gleamed with hidden sorrow, holding a tatty looking blue bunny, the plush animal's long ears flopping downward. The portrait hung on an open space between the two bookcases and a window at the far end of the room showed the gates to the property. Sitting in the utter silence, Draco let his mind drift, thinking about how he would convince Amelle.
A soft noise caught his attention and he turned his head in the direction he thought it came from. He waited a moment, but could not hear anything further. Just as he dismissed it, he heard it again. It sounded like a faint, far off scream, though his mind could be playing tricks on him. Listening intently, he thought he could hear soft thuds, but just when he stood, determined to try and find the source of the noise, he heard footsteps outside the door and all the sounds immediately disappeared. Amelle entered, smiling at him as she took the seat opposite him and Draco shook off the strange sounds, dismissing them.
"Dosy told me you wanted to see me?" Clearing his throat, Draco nodded. 'Yes. I wanted to ask your permission to take Teddy to a Wizarding Play Park. I would love to spend some time with him alone and I'm sure he would love to get out of the house and have some fun. I think-"
"No."
Draco paused, blinking back his shock at the cold voice that had emerged from Amelle's lips. He licked his lips and blinked again. "Amelle, he would be perfectly safe with me, I promise. You don't-"
"Draco, I said no! He is MINE! I am not letting him leave this house without me! NEVER!"
Draco sat back, shocked at her possessiveness. It was the first time he had seen such a menacing rage in Amelle's eyes.
What could cause her to act like this?
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There you go! Short, I know and most of the other chapters will be a bit longer, but I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, it makes me excited like a girl on candy rush to see my inbox full of reviews! I hope to get minimum 5 reviews (Am I aiming too low? Or too high?), and I adore hearing my reader's thoughts. The next chapter will be posted next Tuesday, so look forward to it:)