The Oxyuranus Perspective
By silvershadowwolf24
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
The following applies only to this chapter, and will change in the future.
Warnings: Non-explicit abuse (meaning the scene is not actually in the chapter). Summary: When Draco gets stuck in his Animagus form, and only Harry can help him, he hides in Harry's trunk on his way to the Dursleys for the
Genres: Angst, General.
Rating: PG/K
Pairings: None.
Notes: The chapters should start getting longer after this one.
Chapter IV
A Strange Turn
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Harry, Selene and 'Dante' had curled up comfortably on the small cot that had been pushed up against the back wall of Harry's cupboard. Draco was so confused, his mind reeling with what he had already learnt about the Boy Who Lived. Honestly, in all the years of knowing Potter, he had never once expected him to be locked in a cupboard every summer.
Selene had started immediately hissing angrily, her posture indicating a deep-seated fury. She was ranting, both in 'signing', and in her whispery tones that indicated Parseltongue. What she was ranting about, however, confused Draco even more. She was furiously hissing about what she called 'the Fat Man'.Draco assumed she was talking about either Potter's cousin or uncle.
He had seen the green-eyed male's relatives enough before and after the school year to know that his uncle and cousin were very obese. The question was why Selene was so furious at them.Of course, it could be the obviously reason that Harry had been locked into a cupboard. But then, why wasn't the cobra hissing about Potter's aunt too?
Subtly shaking his head to clear it of his thoughts, Draco 'listened' as Selene hissed and Potter tried to calm his livid familiar.
'I'm going to spit into his eyes, and bite and infect and kill!'
Potter actually had to grab the snake's neck, gently because the cobra's hood was flared, and force her to stare into his eyes with her own, unblinking pair.
::Selene, there shall be no killing. We have been through every time we are here. I love you dearly, my dear snake, but enough is enough.::
Draco was silently impressed with the way he handled himself. He didn't act like the person Draco tormented at school. It was like he had a maturity that the Malfoy heir had never seen before. He probably did. The conversation gave Draco more questions that he desperately wanted answered. Selene wanted to kill whomever she was talking about, Draco still assuming it was one of Potter's relatives. What had happened that was so bad that Potter's obviously protective snake wanted to kill?
He didn't know how soon his question was going to be answered.
--
"Boy! Get out here and cook dinner for Dudley."
Harry tensed, and Draco cocked his head, annoyed that he couldn't hear anything in the air as a snake. However, Selene was obviously very used to it.
::What did those horrible people say?::
Harry sighed, "Coming, Uncle Vernon."
::Vernon wants me to cook dinner. Stay here!:: Selene hissed in annoyance, and Draco bared his front teeth in a smile. Apparently, she had heard that order before. ::Dante, I can't really tell you what to do, but I'd really advise staying here and being quiet.:: Draco flicked his tongue out, and felt as Selene pushed him to move underneath the cot they had been resting on. Harry had piled clothes underneath it, and had cast a very powerful warmth containing charms on them before they had left school. That meant that when the two snakes curled up amongst them and around each other, it was very warm and comforting. Draco felt as the door was opened, and shut again. He felt as Selene rested comfortably against him, he felt the warmth of the clothes. He even felt the vibrations of the people walking past the cupboard he was lying in.
It suddenly occurred to him that he was actually inside the home of one Harry Potter, the Gryffindor Golden Boy, and the Boy Who Lived.
What a strange turn his life had taken.
--
Draco was abruptly awoken from his doze by the door of the cupboard opening and re-closing. Automatically, his tongue flickered out to try and get the scent of whatever it was. He vaguely saw Selene doing the same next to him. He caught a scent that his snake senses identified as blood, then another scent, slightly overpowered by the blood; that smelt horrible. With a start, he realised it was burning flesh.
Selene was already moving, and curling around Harry's leg as he collapsed on his cot. Draco followed her up the green-eyed man's leg, and coiled over Harry's heaving torso, as Selene was doing. Draco didn't know what had happened, and just followed Selene's lead. The cobra was burying her black nose into Harry's neck and face, trying to comfort him.
It didn't take long for Draco to realise Harry wasn't crying; he was gasping, and cradling his arm to his side.Slowly, Harry's breathing stopped its erratic pace, and Selene turned and gave Draco a staring look.
::Harry, what happened?:: she asked quietly. Harry whimpered quietly, Draco could tell because he felt it through the Boy Who Lived's chest.
::I made dinner just fine, but Vernon didn't think it was 'up to standard'. He took his steak knife to my arm, then held my hand over the stove top.:: Draco hissed, and a lead ball of outrage formed in his elongated gut. He vaguely realised that Selene probably felt the same. He wanted to go, and destroy that man. Draco could see that Selene wanted to comment, but stopped herself in the face of Harry's pained look. She, and Draco, pressed themselves tighter against Harry's frame, and tried to offer any comfort they could.
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