Title: Tough Act
Author: Isabel Evelyn
Archive: SnakeCharm dot ORG

Shameless Promotion: aparecium .snakecharm . org (take out the spaces). Harry Potter Fanfiction Contest! You all should enter. I haven't thought of a deadline yet, (it will most likely be in a month or two) but I want there to be a good turnout. Please submit your own fics, or nominate someone's you like.

The small, ebony haired boy from Diagon Alley intrigued Lucius. For weeks, the man sat in his study, replaying the encounter over and over in his mind. There was something there, something he wasn't seeing. The young pick pocket was so familiar; the look in the thief's eyes when he looked up defiantly, waiting for punishment and the way an emerald eye twitched when Lucius had called him 'boy', there was something so familiar about these two things. Most of all, there was a complete lack of fear in the young boy's eyes. Lucius knew emerald eyes like that. Still, that was impossible, the potter boy had died. Dumbledore had announced the death of the boy-who-lived over two years ago. A knock at the study door pulled the blond man out of his musings; Lucius looked up as his wife Narcissa entered.

"Love," she said. "Draco wants to go to Diagon Alley to look at the new Nimbus. Should I take him?"

Lucius jumped at the opportunity to relieve himself from his thoughts. "I'll take him myself. Do you need me to pick up anything while I'm there?"

Harry had not stopped working Diagon Alley even after his encounter with the aristocratic blond man. Harry had great respect for the man and felt sure that he held some sort of respect for him. Harry constantly kept an eye out for the white-blond hair.

The dark haired child would still keep an eye out for the only person who had ever caught him. Slowly, Harry was learning how to get around or disable the easier and more commonly used charms. The blue haired kid who took Harry to Diagon Alley every day was pleased with his work.

It wasn't until about a month after the encounter that Harry saw the familiar coloured hair again. Harry pealed away from the shadows of Knocturn Alley and followed the man down the street, hoping to catch his attention. Sharp emerald eyes caught the small nod that the light haired man gave him before entering a store. Harry waited outside for a moment before entering. The store was filled with Quidditch supplies and models of all the newest brooms. The small youth saw his target lean down to talk to a boy. Harry decided that the boy must be the man's son for they had similar features and hair. Seeing an opening, Harry made his move.

A few minutes later, the raven haired boy approached the light haired man.

"Excuse me, sir," Harry said in his most innocent voice. "I believe you might have dropped this." There was a mischievous gleam in the boy's eye that the light haired man saw immediately.

"Why tank you," Lucius said in an overly sweet voice. "Here, let me buy you a little reward."

Harry almost failed at keeping his laughter under control when the light haired boy shot his father a questioning look. Quickly, the trio walked out of the store.

Draco was worried. His father had been acting very weird lately. It started with the small things: locking himself in his study, not eating or sleeping as much as he should. Now, draco knew the reason for his father's behavior was a small green-eyed street rat. The gray eyed boy returned to his ice cream after shooting the street rat a glare.

"So, boy," Draco's father said. "WHat's your name?"

Harry was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking about how he wanted to phrase the answer.

"Raven," Harry replied.

"This is my son, Draco, and my name is Lucius," The man said. "Draco will carry on the Malfoy name."

The boy shrunk in his seat when he heard his name. Harry smirked slightly and went back to the small amount of ice cream that Mr. Malfoy had bought for him. Harry was grateful but there was no way his stomach would allow him to eat it all. Harry couldn't ignore the stare from the boy across the table. Every time the raven haired boy turned trying to batch the young blond's eyes, the other boy would look away. Harry was becoming very self conscious.

"I suppose you're a mud blood, then," cold blue eyes flickered up to Harry's head as if he was looking for something.

"Mood blood, sir?"

Lucius smiled. "Your parents were non magical people. I assume by your lack of understanding that you parents were not not magical - muggles."

Harry lowered his head; for the first time in three years, Harry was reminded of his unknown parents.

"I don't know, sir. My parents died when I was a baby. I lived with my aunt and uncle until I was six."

Lucius could see that the young boy had obviously run away. Judging by the boy's clothing, mannerisms, and most of all the subtle accent, he had made a home for himself on the streets. The young boy had on a threadbare black shirt and black trousers that appeared baggy and far too long. Lucius strongly suspected that under the baggy pants, the boy was barefoot.

"I only heard their names once," Harry added. "Potter."

There was a flash of some unrecognizable emotion in the eyes of the older blond. Draco looked at the boy ahead of him in shock. His parents had told him of the boy-who-lived. Draco could not believe that the small, abused boy in front of him was one of the most famous people in the wizarding world. Draco's eyes trailed up the boy's face to the forehead that was hidden behind black matted hair; there was no scar.

As if feeling the blond's eyes on him, harry's fingers moved to finger his forehead. So many times he had been teased and taunted, now it was just another scar in his collection. Harry felt a familiar tingling sensation on his forehead and the infamous scar reappeared.

Surprised, lucius asked in a sharp, demanding voice, "How did you do that?"

Children were not supposed to be able to manipulate such magic.

Harry froze at the sound.

"Boy, what did you do?" Vernon demanded, his face slowly turning purple as his eyes started to bulge.

Harry could only cower in the corner while his uncle yelled. The young boy did not know what is uncle wanted him to say. Quickly, the yong boy tried to create excuses. No matter what harry said, his uncle would not stop yelling.

Harry's arms flung to protect his face as vernon's belt came down. There was a sharp stinging and the feeling of a warm liquid slithering down his arms. After what felt like an eternity, the beating stopped and harry was left, curled in a tight ball, trying not to let the blood from his arms fall of the floor he had just spent the day cleaning.

lucius watched as Harry's eyes glazed over and as his breath quickened.

"Potter!"

Frightened green eyes focused on the source of the sound. Draco watched as Potter began to quickly create excuses for his actions.

Harry Potter was not the golden boy who everyone thought he was and Draco was determined to find out who the boy in front of him was. Little did Draco know that his father was thinking the exact tame thing.