Title: An interesting development

Author: enchanted nightingale

Beta Reader: pussycatadamah

Timeline: AU, Harry is 16, the Potters are alive, Voldemort was vanquished, more details in the story.

Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I merely use them in my plot for fun.


Chapter 4:

Hogwarts, September 12th

Harry was lounging in the Slytherin Common Room, robes forgotten in favour of a much more comfortable outfit with a book in his lap and a mug of coffee floating within reach of him.

Draco happened upon this scene when he returned to the dungeons.

"Hey! Harry!" he called out even as he was making his way towards the youth. The blond aristocrat along with the rest of the Slytherin's was careful around the green eyed raven. Even before the year had started Harry Potter's health had taken an odd turn. Harry had been ill quite a few times during summer and had been again once the school year had started. What was even odder was that he was being treated by his own uncle, Rodolphus Lestrange. While Draco knew that Lily Potter was in a tentative friendship with many Slytherin's, including his father, godfather and uncle, he had not expected Rodolphus to put up with such a menial 'task' as taking care of a teen, no matter his status as the Boy-Who-Lived.

"I'm reading Draco," Harry told him as he turned a page.

"I can see that. And you are also using your magic recklessly," Draco scolded him as he took the cup of chocolate and put it on the low table next to where Harry sat.

Harry rolled his eyes and closed his book. "Draco, I'm fine," he told his friend. "This is nothing serious, just seasonal." But inwardly, Harry was wincing. His deal with Rodolphus was already showing its drawbacks and the teen feared that soon he might have to take up the older wizard on his offer of spreading a virus in the magical world, if only that would help him escape the looks his friends and family were giving him.

However he was beaten to it when a letter arrived that very evening. While his September was pretty much free, and the months following, (Madame Pomfrey was not in on this deal with Rodolphus and she would never let that man or any other personnel in her infirmary routinely unless he was dying, neither Rodolphus nor Harry were desperate enough to go that far) but apparently he was booked for December in advance.

Harry sighed. He would have to wait for months before he could learn the details. Until he met with Rodolphus!

Shrieking Shack, October 25th…

Rodolphus renewed the warming charms he had cast around him to keep warm. He was already getting anxious as the boy was late.

No sooner had he thought that, than a black clad figure appeared from the tree line. Lily's son was running towards him, already looking out of breath.

"Sorry… late… Draco…"

"Stop, I cannot understand a word," Rodolphus told him.

Harry nodded and caught his breath. "Sorry. I'm late, Draco held me up forever doing his worried mother hen thing and I've had to run like the wind."

Rodolphus snorted at that but did not argue the point. He remembered the blond as a four year old bringing him all sorts of animals to heal, from injured owls to scratched Kneazles. His wince was Harry's answer.

"Anyway," the young Slytherin muttered. "What did you want that you could not write to me about?"

"All Hallows Eve Ball. You cannot miss it and neither can I!"

Those words made Harry groan. "Nooo!"

Rodolphus almost smirked at the exaggerated despair in the teen's response. "Yes."

Harry dropped his head. The he looked up. "Okay, I can survive, I'm a Slytherin. I have survived Yule in Malfoy Manor."

The Lestrange wizard snorted this time. He had survived a number of celebrations thrown by Narcissa Malfoy. Few people knew just how energetic and prissy the former Black was. Sometimes Lucius' wife gave him shivers at times and as he had been married to the insane Black sister; that said a lot.

"You never said what happened with that witch from the continent," As Harry remembered.

So far the teen had faked illness twice for his merit and three for the older wizard's. Harry used various methods to achieve the symptoms of various illnesses. The tricks and pranks the twins invented were a big help but now Harry had the option of using some of the potions or spells Rodolphus had created that mimicked the common cold, dragon pox, pneumonia and a dozen other common illnesses. The teen had found that Rodolphus had a cruel but teasing personality when he wanted to and the duo had put it to good use. It also helped that the two were of the same Hogwarts house and their personalities were not all that different. For Harry, Rodolphus Lestrange became a new, older and fun, not yet friend but the man had potential. The last time he had been sick, Harry's parents were both at work and their house elves were busy cleaning one of the Potter properties. Rodolphus had offered to stay with him to 'monitor his condition'. They had made it so that Madame Pomfrey was away from Hogwarts at the time so that Rodolphus could be called as a substitute. Lily had been grateful for this. Harry was grateful as well by the end of the day. The older wizard had been great company that day and a lot of fun. They played chess; with Harry being defeated in a most humiliating way (Rodolphus was too smart for the game to be fair). They also bantered and mocked several of the potential wives that were presented to Rodolphus. The teen really liked the man, hence the newly found confidence Harry had around him and the snigger he made when he saw the grimace of the former Slytherin's face.

"That bad, huh?" the green eyed wizard commented.

"Worse," Rodolphus replied. "She was a real slut, wouldn't stop hitting on me during dinner. She even flirted with my brother and Rabastan is happily married. Our Aunt never noticed a thing."

"How come? From what Draco tells me she usually has very keen eye for such things."

"Apparently Miss Rosier's dowry is too large for her to care about fidelity; that's what marriage contracts exist for."

Harry winced. "Tough luck."

"I know."

"How long till you become Lord Lestrange?" the teen asked.

"Two more years."

"You make it sound like time in prison," Harry observed. "Do you even like women?"

"Sex does not matter to me," Rodolphus replied.

"Species?" Harry teased.

The older wizard glared at him but there was no real danger or threat in the look. "Careful brat."

Harry gave him a cheeky grin. Then he shuddered. "It's cold."

"Warming charms," Rodolphus intoned.

"Bah, you purebloods are so lazy," Harry muttered. "Listen I need to go now. Is there any date you need me to be sick?"

"Not yet. Oh, and know from now that you and your family are invited to the celebration Rabastan is holding for Yule."

"We are? Huh. I wonder how mum is going to convince dad about that?"

Rodolphus smirked. He had an idea of exactly how sweet, gentle Lily managed her husband but he did not want to scar the teen for life. There were just a few things kids never should or need to know about the personal lives of their parents.

"Just giving you heads up."

"Thanks," Harry beamed. "Now I really need to go. Bye!"

Rodolphus shook his head as he saw the teen's back. He wasted no time Apparating away.


Slytherin common room, October 31st

"I still can't believe you turned him, down," Blaise complained to Harry.

The two teens were sprawled in a corner near the fireplace. Lots of chocolate and bottles of Butterbeer were shared among them and a contemplative Draco Malfoy. A carefully placed 'Muffliato' was added to the privacy ward they had erected. Not that the Common Room was very busy. It was well after midnight and most students, even upper years were in bed after the delectable feast in the Great Hall.

"I can," the blond admitted. "The guy was a complete idiot. He strutted up to our St. Mungo here," he nodded at Harry. "You know how Potters are. A good sob story and they can pity even a killer."

"Just because I said ONCE that I understood how Tom Riddle turned into Voldemort does not mean I forgive that bastard," Harry shot back.

"Keep telling yourself that," Draco taunted.

"Why… I ought to hex you," Harry threatened.

"Boys," Blaise said in a stern tone. "One stray hex and I'll spread the rumor that you two snogged each other."

"But we did," Harry and Draco said together.

"Exactly." Blaise's grin looked shark like. "Imagine all those fan girls…"

The other two shuddered. Harry had his own group of fans as the Boy-Who-Lived. Being sorted to Slytherin did not deter them from kissing the ground he walked on. The fact he was single, good looking and the sole heir was merely a good bonus. The last three reasons were behind Draco's own club of stalkers.

"I will not have you aid those Gryffindor twins and their obnoxious betting poll."

"There's a poll?" Harry wondered.

The other two Slytherin rolled their eyes.

"Centuries of Gryffindor blood are not helping him, poor boy," Draco mock-cried.

Harry threw a Chocolate frog at him.

"Seriously though," Blaise spoke again. "Why did you turn Diggory down?"

Harry shrugged. "I just found him a bit boring."

"Really? I have heard some very interesting rumours about what goes on in Hufflepuff after curfew," Blaise winked.

Draco grimaced in distaste. "Blaise, your taste is deplorable."

But the Zabini heir shrugged Draco off. "So, Hufflepuff's poster boy is boring. Anything else?"

The green eyed wizard shrugged again. "I dunno. He just does not have that flare or any spark."

"Flare?" the other teens asked.

"Yes, you know, nothing exists but that special someone. One look and you turn to mush. That kind of thing."

"Aha! You snogged Diggory!" Draco accused triumphantly.

Harry blushed but he did not deny the accusation.

"And all that talk about flares and sparks?" Blaise teased Harry, throwing his words back at him.

"He was probably just… browsing," Draco smirked.

Harry threw another frog at the blond. This one Draco caught and threw back, hitting the Potter heir on the forehead.

"So, was he any good?" Blaise was curious to know.

"He gets points on technique," Harry admitted.

"And?" Draco motioned with his hand for Harry to continue.

"That's it. Great guy, nice snog, not dominant enough."

"Now, that's one juicy piece of gossip," Draco commented.

Harry nodded. "Chang was far more dominant than Cedric," he added.

"You snogged the Ravenclaw Seeker as well?" Blaise yelped. "When? And didn't Chang date Diggory at some point?"

"Before they broke up," Harry unabashedly admitted.

"You dog," Draco sniggered. "How was she?"

"Wet," Harry flatly stared. "That's how I knew girls are a no-no for me."

"Wet?" Blaise echoed. Then he shrugged. "Then again that's what I thought when I snogged Boot."

"I thought he was a homophobe," Draco frowned.

Blaise snorted. "Oh, he's bi, just that most guys in Hogwarts won't date him. Personality can be an issue even if he is a pretty boy."

"Puberty sucks," Harry sighed.

"I'll drink to that," Draco cheered.

"And better snogging material," Blaise added.

Harry smirked. "Too bad it's not Fire-whiskey."

"Did you try and smuggle anything under Snape's nose," the Zabini heir retorted.

"Nope. I like my limbs intact," Harry replied before picking up his bottle of Butterbeer and toasting with his two best friends.


Hogwarts, November 16th…

"SLYTHERIN WINS!"

Harry felt dizzy from the high of the victory. The Snitch was still fluttering in his palm, trying to escape. He landed gracefully and was immediately suffocated by his excited team mates. Draco almost succeeding in cracking his ribs, the blond being a successful Chaser. Blaise clapped him on the back as well, the Beater waiting until the Malfoy heir was done with him before he could get his turn.

The green eyed wizard spotted his parents in the crowd that wanted to congratulate him. His father was arguing with his Head of House, again. His godfather was mopping as the team that got destroyed in the game was his old House (420 to 150 was kind of embarrassing for the house of the brave). However, Lily was giving him a worried look.

"Good game pup," Sirius admitted grudgingly.

Harry beamed and hugged him.

"I still can't believe how bad Gryffindor played," James despaired.

Lily rolled her eyes at their antics and made to hug her son but then pulled back.

"Well, you could do with a shower," she admonished Harry.

"You know you want to hug me," the teen teased her and threatened to hug her.

He fooled around for a bit until the witch finally gave him a tight hug.

"I can never get used to seeing you pull those stunts on that deathtrap."

"The Firebolt is a perfectly safe broom!" Sirius piped up, defending his gift to his godson.

"Are you sure you're okay Harry?" Lily asked. "You should not be standing here, all sweaty. You might catch a cold again."

"I'll be fine," Harry told his mother. "But just to get you to calm down I'll go shower and change right now, okay?"

"Yes, you do that," Lily ordered.

Harry walked away, meeting with his team in the locker rooms.

"What is it with your mother?" Blaise asked. "She was acting like Weasley's."

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea. Now let's hurry. It's pasta for dinner tonight."

"Did you bribe the house elves again?" Draco groaned. He hated pasta.

"Nope. Remus did."

"I thought he was the serious one!" Draco whined.

"That's how he gets people to underestimate him and then he strikes," Harry boasted.


End of chapter

A/N: It's more like an interlude that leads to the Christmas period. I hope you like it.