:Anecdotes:
"Go on," Blaise used his hip to nudge Harry forward. The black-haired boy gave him a look but shuffled forward. It was nearly three in the morning and Vernon had fallen asleep -or passed out rather- on the couch while Blaise and Theodore were spending the night (Draco was in Krakow with his mother).
Harry turned on the electric razor and, inch by inch, got it closer to his uncle's rather bushy mustache. Blaise nudged him once more and in a swift second half the beast was gone. The three boys gasped and darted back upstairs to the small, wood floored room Harry lived in.
As the door shut they laughed out loud, gasping for air in the cold little room.
"Brilliant."
:x:x:x:x:
A trio of kids sat in a tree, the rest spread across the grass below, and most were eating fresh fruit from the tree. Draco was laying along a branch, his legs against the trunk and arms flung over each side, trying to catch some warmth on the breezy spring day. He was growing out his hair and the brilliant white was a contrast to the dark wood of the tree. The peach pit in his hand had gnaw marks on it as Draco was prone to do.
Blaise was one of the other tree-sitters, his back against the trunk and a pile of fruit in his lap and a spread of pits on the ground below him. Needless to say no one was sitting near there. On the ground Theo and Ron were playing chess, Pansy was reading a magazine, Crabbe and Goyle were asleep and snoring, drowning out the bird songs. Harry was in the tree too, watching storm clouds build up on the far horizon. Blaise's house, a two story mansion that was set into a large hill and guarded by three lions statues, was nearby and waiting to welcome them back inside.
They had been given a name by the teachers, sort of a gang name, mostly just an easy way to reference them: The Winter Children. Oddly enough it did not seem to apply to all the other kids from the area. Everyone knew Draco was the Winter Child though it seemed that many of the kids were giving him a new epithet: The Ice Prince.
:x:x:x:x:
"Give it!" Draco was flying through the air before he landed on Harry.
A shrill scream emitted from the victim as he fell to the floor and tried to defend his prize. Draco's pillow, the one he'd received for his tenth birthday, was worn already but still very dear to him. It had been the last item on the scavenger hunt list and Harry was successful.
It ended with Harry straddling the blonde, holding the pillow out of reach. Draco pouted his bottom lip and got a smug grin from Harry.
"I won."
"Nooooo," he whined and reached his hands up for his beloved pillow, "Potter," he said in the same voice, "Please."
Harry could hardly stand his ground when faced with the big gray eyes, "Fine, you little baby," he handed it over.
Blaise walked in, burdened by equipment, "You're a huge pushover." He told Harry and set down the bag.
"What's all that?"
"Our newest trick," he said and showed them.
"We're going to jump off the roof?"
"Exactly," Blaise showed them the plans. Generally they were excited, scared but excited and eager to see if it worked. "The lightest two are the ones to 'fall' so…"
They all looked at Harry and Draco.
"What?" Harry gaped at them, "Me."
"Us?"
"Of course," Blaise said, "You two are lightest and it would sure as hell make your mum scream, Draco."
"She'll be really upset," Pansy cautioned.
"Of course she will, that's part of the fun," Blaise smiled.
"You do remember the swing incident, right?"
"Course I do," Blaise said, "But this time she'll be so relieved her baby is okay, she won't get mad."
"And we're going to do this at a garden party?" Draco examined the plans drawn on blue print paper. Blaise, being the artistic and mathematical genius he was, had drawn up very realistic, very complex images of their equipment. A reel to be bolted to the bar end of the house, a small, plastic tube for the wire to run through over the top edge of the house so it would not break, harnesses with several places for the wire to attach, even a emergency bungee cord to be attached to the house.
"You're absolutely nutters."
"It's a brilliant sort of nutters," Blaise said in his own defense, "Now, hear me out," he pointed, "We build these, right?"
:x:x:x:x:
"I cannot believe I'm doing this," Draco adjusted the safety jacket and harness underneath his shirt. The lines were threaded through the safety pipe and back over to where the kids were standing on the other side of the roof. They could hear the chatter and laughter from the late spring garden party the Malfoys were hosting. Harry waited as Theo checked over his jacket, the industrial strength wire and the safety bungee.
"Harry's ready," he said and Blaise tugged at the all the connections on Draco.
"Blondie's ready too," he smiled.
Draco was nervous but they had practiced a great number of times. The exact time he would turn, in which direction, how fast and how far. It was like a ballet, they would run to the peak of the roof, laughing about something and he and Harry would keep running down until they 'slipped' and fell off the top story of the manor.
Pansy, from where she was observing everything, gave them the go ahead.
A half second later they were scaling the roof and laughing. The party guests looked up and smiled at the children having fun. Draco watched as he and Harry continued down the other side. He saw Harry take his fall and begin to slid down and Draco took his, flipping over so he was on his stomach. He sensed himself fly off the edge of the house to a second wave of gasps, Harry had slipped off just a half second prior. The sensation of falling like that was insane. The wind rushing past his ears and the sky above him and bottomless feeling, he glanced over and saw Harry flying through the air, head first and terrified.
"Relax," he said but the wind took the words from between them.
Harry seemed to know he had spoke and he looked at the blonde, startled and saw Draco's smirk and he nodded just a little and calmed himself.
The sharp jerk of the line on his jacket, the wrenching as it stopped his fall and the jacket dug into his skin, grabbing him violently. Draco swung out as his legs came under him and then he swung back, nearly hitting the house.
Harry was stopped at his level, a few meters above the ground. Lucius realized their trick and laughed, proud of his son and most of the guests realized it to be a trick. Narcissa had a 'you'll pay for this later' look on her face as the other kids hauled their two friends back onto the roof.
:x:x:x:x:
"Acceptance letters," someone shouted and the group sat up. It was June again. They were eleven this year, ready to leave for Hogwarts. In walked Narcissa, smiling proudly and holding a stack of envelopes. She handed them out, "Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Vincent, Gregory, Theodore, Ronald," she smiled at the last one, "Harry."
He took the letter and carefully opened it.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
For YOUNG LORDS and LADIES
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of the King, First Class, Grand Knights, Chf. Head Master,
Supreme Educator, International Confed. of Head Masters)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School for Young Lords and Ladies. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins September 1. We await your response by no later than July 31.
Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGongall
Minerva McGongall,
Deputy Headmistress
Harry smiled at the letter and found his supply list with the same large name printed at the top.
Uniform:
First-year students (male) will require:
Five pairs black trousers
Five long sleeved white shirts (with collars)
Two pair dress shoes
Winter cloak (black)
Casual Clothes
One tuxedo with tie or bow tie.
Course Books
All students are required to have a copy of the following:
The Standard Book of Etiquette By Miranda Goshawk
A History of Upper Class Society by Bathilda Bagshot
Social Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Etiquette by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Faux Pas by Phyllida Spore
Fantastic Parties and How to Throw One By Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle By Quentin Trimble.
Other Equipment
1 address book
1 camera
Paper
Pens
Pencils
A family crest or personal symbol (for sealing letters)
First-year students may bring a cat OR a bird OR a small dog (no larger than a shiatsu)
NOTE TO FIRST-YEAR PARENTS: Children are not allowed to have their own horses shipped to the school, horses will be provided for them.
Harry smiled at that. Draco saw that and pouted his bottom lip, "Can we have Ripp shipped to the school next year?"
Narcissa nodded, "Of course darling."
"I wonder if the polo teams are any good," Blaise said and smiled.
"I cannot imagine they would be anything but good," Draco said, "I mean, dear God, did you see the record posted in the paper? They beat out every school in Europe."
The group nodded.
"So how are you going to tell your aunt?"
:x:x:x:x:
"Ma'am?" Harry slid inside the house. He was taller now and better fed from all the time at Draco's and Ron's houses.
Petunia looked up, "What?"
"You've heard of Hogwarts School for Young Lords and Ladies, right?"
She glared at him, "Yes."
"I've been accepted there," he said her eyes went wide. Her thin lips pressed together and her cheeks flushed red.
"What?"
"I got the letter today," he held out the first one, keeping his supply list safe in case she went nutters.
She snatched it from his hand and read it over, "I never expected they'd want you too," she spat, "How did they find us? We never reported a change of address and," she growled, "No, you're not going."
"Why not?"
His time with the Winter Children had given him some confidence, some reasoning abilities and a wicked wit.
"Because I won't let you go."
"That's not a reason."
"Yes it is."
"No, it's crap," he said and crossed his arms, "Why can't I go?"
Petunia tore the letter in half, "I will not pay so that you can become a brat."
Harry smirked, "It's free."
"I-" she stopped, "No."
"Too late," he said, "I sent in my answer already, I'm officially enrolled as a student."
Her eyes went wide again and then rolled back into her head. She fell to the floor and Harry walked up to his room, smiling.
Woo! Little stories about their time in between. I just wrote in some adventurous, cute things that evolved them a smidge. I hope it works for you lot.
NOTE: The acceptance letter is fairly similar to the one in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and I don't own any of the names or the formatting of that thing or anything.
I felt that was necessary so I didn't get smacked.
I know this is a wierd day to update, usually I do it on Fridays but I felt it would be unfair to leave it for another week. HERE!
LOVE
FireStorm