Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark violation is intended.
Added note/disclaimer: I also use quotes from other places. If you find a quote that wasn't cited, please notify me.
A/N: A reminder - this story has not been edited. Sorry about any mistakes. I did the best I could to go over it again, and quickly scan through it, but that's not real editing. Let me know where the mistakes are and I'll come back when this whole story's finished to fix it.
"A true friend is someone you can disagree with and still remain friends. For if not, they weren't true friends in the first place. "
Year Two: Part One
Testing the Waters
-1-
The Burrow
"Can we please go with you?" Layla's voice was whiny, which Draco absolutely hated. She blinked big blue-gray eyes at him beseechingly.
Draco sighed, "I'll ask Ron."
Layla nodded, gracing Draco with a beaming smile before she turned and walked out of his room.
Draco knew without thinking about it that she'd gone to find Aran and tell him the news. Aran and Layla had been plaguing him for days on end now. They knew that he was going to the Burrow – most likely sometime this week, toward the end of July.
What they didn't know was that he was worried. The family owl kept coming back empty. He'd send a dozen letters to Harry, but hadn't received a single one in reply. He'd written to Ron and Hermione – both of whom owled back saying they'd written, but he hadn't responded either.
"Dobby!" Draco suddenly said in the emptiness of his room.
"Master Draco!" the house-elf squeaked, bowing in his direction.
Draco frowned at his house-elf. This was by far the strangest house-elf in Malfoy Manor, and mind you, that was saying a lot.
"So…I was wondering… could you go to Privet Drive?" Dobby did not respond, but merely watched him with his huge eyes. "Number four Privet Drive, that is, for me? I just want you to check on my friend – he lives there."
Dobby was now looking at him with a very curious expression on his face. Draco briefly considered demanding whether or not he knew who Harry Potter was, but decided against it.
"Dobby is doing as Master commands," Dobby said finally with a bow and Draco looked after him with a very odd look on his face.
xxx
"Mum!" Ron yelled to his mother, "Draco's written to me – he wants to know if – Dad!"
Arthur Weasley walked into the house, his face tired. He looked curiously at Ron before asking carefully, "You weren't talking about that… Malfoy were you?"
"Well, er – yes," Ron said finally. "He – well, he owled to ask me if he can bring his siblings along with him – Aran and Layla, that is."
"Of course he can," Molly Weasley said immediately. "I'd like to meet him properly – Lord knows, I barely greeted him at the station…"
"Yes, write to him. It's what we all need," Mr. Weasley said dryly, not at all himself, "more Malfoys in the house. Although maybe Malfoy's son could talk some sense into Harry – he's gotten an official warning for underage magic in front of Muggles."
"Great," Ron said, sighing. "So, can I owl him back? His owl's still waiting…" Then Ron realized what his father had said about Harry.
What the bloody hell was Harry thinking? Doing magic in front of Muggles, Ron wondered.
"Yes, yes, go ahead dear," his mother said. Ron smiled and headed off to write Draco an owl.
"Ron, are you –" Fred began
"Writing a letter to our dear friend –" George continued
"And heir to our prankdom –" said Fred.
"Draco Malfoy?" Fred and George chorused.
"Actually, I am."
"Wicked," they said. "Come here." And so, Ron was dragged into the room.
xxx
Draco,
Bring them… Oh, by the way, prepare yourself for a little… adventure.
Ron
Draco looked at the very short note. He supposed that he shouldn't be surprised seeing as this sending owls back and forth was merely for show – or almost for show. Draco was well aware that he could contact any of his friends telepathically, no matter how far away they were, but it gave him a migraine every time he did long-distance telepathy.
Draco nodded to himself and ventured off to the little explored part of Malfoy Manor. It was little explored seeing as Layla and Aran had claimed it for themselves and hexed anyone who came into their private wing of the Manor.
xxx
"Have you packed your medicine?" Draco looked at Layla. At the moment she looked so much like their mother that Draco almost thought she was Narcissa.
"Yes," Draco said, closing his trunk. "Now, I guess we're going to use the Floo."
"I hate the Floo," Aran groaned. "Why can't we just Apparate?"
"Because we don't know how and we wouldn't want to splinch ourselves," Layla responded.
"Well, I doubt anyone would mind terribly if he splinched himself," Draco commented. "It might do wonders for his looks."
"Hey!" Aran protested. "I look just like you!"
"No you don't. I have gray eyes, you've got blue and your hair's much darker than mine."
"Same facial structure though," Layla commented. "Although it's meant for Draco's fairer looks than your darker ones, Aran."
"That's unfair – you're my sister!"
"She's my sister too," Draco pointed out, hiding a smile as he met Layla's blue eyes. She rolled her eyes.
"Come on, Aran. Let's not argue – have you got your letter of acceptance? Good." Layla said and hurried off to get God knew what else. Draco sat on his trunk, waiting for Layla.
"Hello," a masculine voice said, peering into the room.
"Dad!" Aran said brightly, jumping to his feet, a smile on his face.
"Father," Draco said, standing. He hadn't seen his father since he'd left for Hogwarts, nearly a year ago.
"You've grown," Lucius observed, looking at his son. "Now… Draco, I've seen your grades and –"
"Hermione is first in my year," Draco said quickly, "But I'm close in second."
"Ah… yes," Lucius said. "Hermione Granger – that Muggle-born girl Crabbe's son told him that you're good friends with."
"She's a good witch," Draco said immediately.
"I don't doubt it," Lucius said dryly, shooting Draco a pointed look. Draco felt himself blushing at the defensive tone his voice took. "And I'm pleased," Lucius continued, "that you've made friends with those of the other world. However… should he rise again, you shall have to find a safe place to stay."
"I… I know," Draco said softly.
Lucius's gaze was penetrating. "Do you, son? Let me tell you, the life of a Death Eater is not easy or simple. Action is the greatest asset you will have."
"I suppose you want me to make sure Aran and Layla don't fall into a bad crowd?"
"Yes. I'd rather see them living with the Weasleys than joining the ranks of newly recruited Death Eaters," Lucius said quietly. "Your Grandfather told me not to accept the job, you know. I'd rather if you stayed out of this if it ever comes to happen."
"You're planning something," Draco said flatly.
Lucius gave him a sad smile. "I must. If I did not, then the supporters who are still out there will know something is wrong. Oh, and Draco, please remember not to mention anything to the Weasleys while you are there."
"I won't," Draco said.
"Good. And behave, will you?"
"I'm not going to do anything," Draco said. He paused and added, absently, "At least, nothing except break into Harry's house. Now where did I put my book? I just had it in my hand!"
Lucius shook his head.
He and Narcissa were due for a long "pillow-talk" where they would discuss the nature of having a Seer for a son.
xxx
"They should've been here by now," Ron said, glancing for the millionth time at the fireplace.
"Maybe they're running late," Fred offered.
"You know Draco, he's always forgetting something," added George.
"I know," Ron said quietly. He hoped Draco would remember his medications. It was bad enough that Draco forgot to take them half of the time, but to deal with not having them on hand would be much worse.
xxx
"Bye Mum," Draco said to Narcissa, and then looked at Lucius. Lucius looked at him and offered him his hand. "Goodbye Draco. I shall see you at the end of the term."
Draco frowned, "What about Christmas?"
"I think it would be better if you stayed at Hogwarts," Narcissa said. Her mouth twisted into a grimace. "The Parkinsons have decided to have a… social gathering… I am sure there will be some form of… talk or other."
"Oh." Draco said. "All right."
Draco shook his father's hand, before suddenly hugging him. Lucius was taken aback.
"Bye, Daddy," Draco said with a smile, before throwing Floo powder into the fire, calling out, "The Burrow!" and vanishing into the green flames.
xxx
The flames turned green and Draco appeared, struggling with his trunk. Ron noticed that Draco only brought one and wondered why that was.
Suddenly two other people were coming out of the fireplace, both of them with trunks, which Fred and George immediately jumped in to take.
It took them an hour to get everything organized. Draco shared a room with Ron. Ginny and Layla would share a room. Mrs. Weasley said Charlie and Bill could room together so that Aran could have a room to himself. Aran and Layla both said they could room with each other; they'd never had a room that they did not share.
Eventually it was settled.
xxx
"Are you awake?" Ron whispered to Draco that night. Everyone seemed to be sleeping – or that was, until the door opened and Fred and George stepped into the room.
"Malfoy," Fred said.
"Weasley," Draco responded, raising an eyebrow. Then they grinned at each other. "All right, spill. What've you got planned?"
"We're going to pay Harry a little visit…" Fred said.
"We're worried," Ron added, "because he hasn't answered any of my letters…"
"He hasn't answered any of mine," Draco admitted. "But it could be he's just really bad at keeping in touch."
"I doubt that – you weren't there to see when his family came to pick him up. They seemed horrible…" Ron said.
"So, we're going… now," George added.
"Let me guess," Draco said. "We're using an illegal method?"
"Well, probably… yes," said Fred.
"Oh, good." Draco said. "I've always wanted to do something that was dangerous, illegal, and potentially deadly."
"Brilliant," Fred, George, and Ron said.
And that was how Draco found himself sitting in the backseat of a flying car. An illegal flying car, that was.
"Where did you say he lived again?"
"Number four, Privet Drive," Draco responded, who took up the duty as the guide and map-reader.
"Fred, you're driving a little too far to the east," George said.
xxx
Harry Potter, on the other hand was not having an interesting holiday. In fact, the most interesting thing that had happened to him all summer long was the fact that none of his friends had written to him and that – that house-elf thing – Dobby had appeared out of nowhere. Dobby was the reason why Harry was now locked in his room with bars on the window.
Presently, Harry was telling Hedwig, "It's no good turning your beak up at it – that's all we've got."
Harry went back to his bed, wondering if anyone would send someone from Hogwarts to see what his family life was like. That was, supposing he was still alive four weeks from then.
xxx
"That's the house," Draco announced, pointing at it.
"How do you know?"
"I just do," Draco said simply.
"It's got… bars on the window," Ron said, sounding shocked. Draco frowned when he saw them. He'd heard it, of course, if he vaguely remembered back in his first life – that Harry hated the Muggles he lived with, that was.
"Let's go down a little lower and have a peek," George suggested. They dipped down to hover next to the window and Ron peered into the room through the bars.
"Harry," Ron called out in a hushed whisper.
From the inside of the room, after a few minutes of both Ron and Draco calling out Harry's name in hushed whispers, before Harry moved, mumbling, "Stop it. Leave me alone… cut it out… I'm trying to sleep…"
"Harry!" Ron called out once again and Harry sat up, blinking in the darkness. Then he moved out of bed, hurrying to the window and whispered, "Ron! Ron, how did you – What the –?"
"Hi, Harry," Draco said cheerfully. "It's a fine day – er, night to be floating outside your window in a flying car. Rose trellises are all out of fashion these days or else I swear I would've climbed it since I felt the need to be outside your window."
Harry couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped him.
Yep, Draco was still the same, Harry decided.
"All right, Harry?" George said, finally, sounding very amused.
"What's going on? Why haven't you been answering my letters? I've asked you to stay about twelve times – and Dad for using magic in front of Muggles," Ron said.
"It wasn't me – how did he know?" Harry asked.
Draco decided he had enough of being ignored and said, "His dad works for the Ministry of Magic. Oh, and the car's not ours; it's Ron's Dad's. We're just borrowing it without his knowledge or consent. It's quite lovely, really. We might even get arrested. Lovely, thought, isn't it?"
Ron rolled his eyes at Harry who grinned, but then asked anxiously, "How're you –"
"Stop gibbering – we're here to take you home with us."
"You can't magic me out," Harry said.
"We don't need to," said Draco, smiling as he tossed Harry the end of a rope.
"Tie that around the bars," Fred said.
"If the Dursleys wake up, I'm dead," Harry said as he tied the rope tightly around the bars."
"Don't worry," Fred said.
"Just stand back," Draco added as they revved louder and louder until the bars were pulled out of the window.
"Get in," Ron said in unison with Draco, who said it telepathically.
"But my Hogwarts –"
"I'll get them," Draco said and he climbed out of the car into Harry's room.
"Where is it?" Fred asked Harry.
"Under the stairs – in the cupboard – I can't get out of this room."
"Harry, as much as we love the sound of your voice, I need to ask you to stop blethering." Draco announced and went to the door. He pulled out a hairpin and got to work.
Fred and George watched him silently until the door opened.
"I don't believe it," Fred said to George.
"Our little boy has grown up. Oh, I think I'm going to cry."
"Oh, do shut up," Draco said sourly as he went down the stairs.
xxx
They barely managed to escape the Dursleys, who woke up when Hedwig was nearly forgotten and left behind. Vernon Dursley fell out of the window and landed in the bushes, which made Draco have a good laugh at the Muggle. Harry's parting words ("See you next summer!") gave him more reason to laugh to himself.
Now, Draco listened to Harry give an account of his summer – how Harry hadn't gotten any letters ("But I wrote you everyday!"), how it turned out some psycho House-elf had been intercepting the letters. Somewhere along the story of the House-elf, Draco began to have a bad feeling about it all.
"Did you say the House-elf's name was Dobby?" Draco blurted unable to stand it for much longer.
"Er… yes," said Harry, looking at him strangely.
"Oh…" Draco closed his eyes and finally said, "I'm so sorry! I sent my House-elf, Dobby, over because I was worried when you didn't answer to any of my letters – I knew he's insane, but I didn't think he'd do that!"
"So, Dobby's yours?" Harry asked, looking at him curiously. "He seems to think that you're all bad wizards."
Draco shuddered. "Dark Magic," he replied, shuddering again. "It's all over my house – not to mention my family's been digging through it for generations."
"Oh."
No one had anything to say after that for quite a while, until finally, Ron said, "I'm glad we came to get you. I was getting really worried when you didn't answer any of my letters. At first I thought it was Errol's fault –"
"Who's Errol?"
"The Weasley family owl," Draco said. "He crashed into the wall. It was very funny."
Harry looked at Draco, again. Draco had mentioned that his family had money, but just how rich Draco was, Harry didn't know.
"So, where do you live?" Fred asked causally.
Draco shrugged. "Wiltshire – in a house that's a bloody mausoleum… seriously, if I think it's five o'clock in the east wing when it's one in the west wing. I haven't been in every single room. I need a map to not get lost on my way to the dinning room. We never use it unless it's a formal occasion and I'm usually not invited."
"Oh," they said. Draco smiled brightly, adding, "The Burrow's awesome – no, really, Ron, it is. I love it. You'll love it too, Harry. You'll see."
Fred, George, and Ron looked each other, clearly wondering how a rich kid like Draco Malfoy could love their shabby little home.
But Draco seemed to as he told Harry about the place they lived in, describing it with surprising accuracy and somehow making it seem very beautiful.
xxx
On the way to the Burrow, they spoke of Percy, who'd been acting oddly recently, closed up in his room and not letting anyone use his owl, Hermes, sending a lot of letters.
"There's only so many times you can polish a prefect badge…"
"Oh, he's a prefect?" Draco asked in surprise. That small corner that was reserved for the part of him that lived in the other life, remembered prefect-ship and shuddered.
"Yeah… you're driving to far to the west, Fred," George said.
"So, does your dad know you've got the car?"
"Er, no," Ron said.
"Of course not," Draco said, sounding offended. "D'you really think we'd tell someone we're going to steal a car and fly it to your place and back? Really, now! It'd be rather like going up to an Auror and saying, 'here, arrest me please!'." Draco paused. "That'd be a bit kinky, as Mum puts it."
"Okay," said George, "your parents are officially mad."
Draco shrugged. "For each other, yes. For the rest of the world… well, I think they're ready for the world, it's just that the world isn't ready for them."
"Anyway, Dad had to work tonight. Hopefully we'll get it back in the garage without Mum noticing we flew it," Ron said.
"I wouldn't count on that, boys," Draco said cheerfully. "My radar for punishment and trouble is screaming 'Danger! Danger!' and sooner or later, it'll start screaming 'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' and then there'll be a dreadful silence."
Harry choked on a laugh. "You really know how to lighten up the mood, don't you, Draco? And why can't we call you 'Drake?'"
"Because it means a male duck and the last time I checked, I did not have feathers, waddle, I was not edible nor did I say 'quack!'" Draco said.
"You just did," Ron pointed out.
Draco rolled his eyes and wished for a pillow to hit Ron with. Since he didn't have a pillow, Draco hit him with the other thing he had handy – Harry's hand, which was lying on his lap for some reason.
"Hey! Ow – don't hit me!" Ron wailed.
"I didn't hit you," Draco said sweetly, with Harry leaning over him because Draco had his arm and was it using to whack Ron over the head. "Harry did."
xxx
In the end, Draco was right about one thing – they wouldn't get away with stealing the car. Ron's mother yelled at them for over an hour screaming about not leaving a single note and telling Mr. Weasley. And so it went until Mr. Weasley arrived home from his overtime shift, and more than anything he seemed curious as to whether or not the car had flown all right.
Draco, Harry found, had been right. The Burrow was the best house he'd ever seen. A bit on the shabby side, yes, but it made up for it with the love that abounded inside its walls.
xxx
Ginny Weasley had a problem. Her brother Ron had invited two boys over to their house. He'd extended that invitation to one of the boys' siblings. What was more that boy was Draco Malfoy. She'd heard things about his father – how he'd supported You-Know-Who and how he'd been right at the top of the Dark Lord's inner circle. She'd heard things about Draco Malfoy – how he was going to go the same way his father had. He was going to be a rich filthy liar and a cheat. A Slytherin – the word was quickly spat out with all the disgust. Except… Draco Malfoy was sorted into Gryffindor.
He was the only Malfoy to ever be sorted into any house aside from Slytherin. And he happened to be one of her brother's best friends. More than that – he was best friends with the least likely person a Malfoy could be ever friends with – Harry Potter.
The problem, Ginny mused, wasn't that he was Harry Potter or that the other boy was Draco Malfoy. The problem was that they were both eye-candy. She considered herself a fairly mature girl for her age. She liked boys, after all. Specifically – she'd liked Harry Potter. Everyone knew what Harry Potter looked like – messy black hair, green eyes… he was very young girl's dream. The perfect Prince Charming for all daydreams. For Ginny it had only been Harry from the start. When she'd heard of him, she idolized him, loved him. She loved him.
But…
But…
But that was before she got a glimpse of Draco Malfoy who had, when he stepped out of their fireplace, smiling a little sheepishly at Ron, looked like a god… no… some gods were ugly… He looked like an angel. An angel of light, all light. No darkness touching his fair skin. His light eyes, and his hair the pale color of sunlight, shining like a halo…
Ginny sighed. She was in a bit of a fix. She liked two boys.
"So… are you going to Hogwarts this year?" a girl asked her – the sister of Draco Malfoy.
"I'm Layla," she said. "Layla Malfoy. We sort of invited ourselves over."
"I know who you are," Ginny said slightly annoyed. She hadn't been that obvious had she?
Layla looked at her sighing. "Okay, okay. So you know who we are. Anyway… what do you think of Harry Potter?"
"He's all right. He beat You-Know-Who."
"Voldemort?" Layla asked, ignoring Ginny's jolt. "Oh, yes. I suppose he did. Draco says he'll come back though."
"Yeah," another voice said, to her right. "But Draco also said that if Voldemort comes back he'll make Voldemort believe hell may be heaven."
Ginny gaped at the… at the… vision in front of her. He looked similar to Layla, but he was… he was gorgeous – even more than Harry and Draco combined…
"I'm Aran, in case you're nearly as bad as me with names," Aran continued. "Layla and I are twins. Faternal twins. We weren't the same –"
"Aran!" Draco said interrupting him. Ginny, Layla, and Aran looked up at him. Draco looked faintly amused when he said, "The two of you go and make your beds. Now!"
"Yes, Dad," Aran said rolling his eyes.
Layla grinned, "All right. We're going."
xxx
Ron and Harry looked at Draco.
"Why'd you make them stop?"
"Stop what?"
"From talking… From maybe becoming friends."
Draco stared at Ron. "Ron… do you really want your sister to hear how my mother and father made my brother and sister?"
"What d'you mean?"
"Wait…" Harry said, recalling when he met Aran. "Do you mean he'd go on a rant about…?"
"The… um… graphic details of what happens in the marriage bed." Draco finished.
"Oh," Ron said. "In that case…there are things I can die without knowing."
"Lucky you," Draco said. Harry and Ron stared at him. "I live with him. He's my brother, remember?"
-2-
Ginny Weasley and Aran Malfoy?
Draco found himself enjoying his stay at the Burrow, although Aran was a bit of an embarrassment, mentioning things that should be kept behind closed doors. Such as the reason why he knew that Lucius and Narcissa led a very active sexual life.
"My brother, the Peeping Tom," Draco whispered to Harry, who choked on his dinner, but he could see the embarrassed blush on Draco's face so he said nothing.
By the time their booklist arrived, Aran had lost interest in embarrassing his older brother by talking about IT. This was something Draco was eternally grateful for. However, a new worrisome habit came to light. Aran and Ginny were whispering in the corners. Layla occasionally joined them, but she seemed to be more amused by their – whatever it was they were whispering about.
"Have you seen them?" Ron whispered. "I've never seen Ginny shut up about Harry – mind you, he is here…"
"And Harry would appreciate if you didn't talk about him as if he weren't," Harry said.
"I sincerely hope Aran hasn't corrupted Ginny… with all that talk!" Ron said
"Yes," Draco said. "It's a sad fact of life that my eleven-year-old brother is obsessed with act of…copulation."
"You're blushing," Harry observed. Draco's faint blush turned a more obvious color.
"Let's just change the subject shall we?" Ron suggested.
"All right." Draco agreed. And so they began discussing how all their books for school were by Gilderoy Lockhart.
"Hey!" Aran said loudly, when Ron was in the middle of guessing it was a witch – a fan of Lockhart. "What are you whispering about?"
xxx
Hermione's letter came the same day their booklist did. Ron read it aloud to Harry and Draco – and everyone else in the general vicinity.
"'Dear Ron and Draco and Harry if you're there,
I hope everything went all right and that Harry is okay and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out…'"
Well, not illegal, exactly, Draco thought amused. Ron read the rest of the letter as Draco imagined Hermione's reaction when she found out that the Weasleys had a flying car.
"How can she be?" Ron's voice interrupted Draco's thoughts. A moment later, Draco realized that he was talking about Hermione's being busy with schoolwork.
It was decided that they would join Hermione in Diagon Alley next Wednesday.
But for today, Draco, Harry, Ron, Fred and George were going to the small padlock the Weasleys owed to practice Quidditch, as it was surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below. Aran, Layla, and Ginny followed them. The three were acting very suspiciously – obviously planning something. Draco amused himself by trying to guess what his brother could've come up with in such a short period of time.
He soon gave it up in favor of playing Quidditch.
Their talk turned to Percy Weasley, whom Draco and Harry had only seen during meals.
"Wish I knew what he was up to. He's not himself. His exam results came the day before you did; twelve O.W.L.s and he hardly gloated at all," Fred said frowning.
Ordinary Wizarding Levels, Draco told Harry silently aiming the thought in Harry's general direction and had fun watching Harry almost fall down in surprise.
Don't do that, Harry scolded.
Don't do what? Ron asked bewilderedly, turning to look at the two of them suspiciously.
Draco shook his head at Ron. He directed his thought to Harry, I'd better teach you how to block it or else this could get problematic, all right?
Harry blinked, acknowledging Draco's comment.
"… Bill got twelve, too. If we're not careful, we'll have another Head Boy in the family. I don't think I could stand the shame."
Draco knew, not just from his father, but from the Weasleys themselves, that Bill was the oldest, followed by Charlie. Draco liked Charlie – or he liked what he knew of him. Bill sounded boring – working in Egypt for Gringotts.
"Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year," said George, bringing Draco out of his thoughts. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything…"
Harry and Draco looked at each other, both uncomfortable. Draco was a Malfoy – he had money. He lived in a manor for crying out loud. A castle – complete with a set of dungeons and a tower…. More than one tower actually. He lived in a house that could not be called a house, but a castle that could have been straight out of Faerie. Not just that, but Draco knew that his family had money. They were rolling in it – literally. He remembered when he was quite small his mother had taken him to his own vault. She called it a trust fund. From where he was standing, it seemed that the goblins had built towers upon towers that stretched to the ceiling of sparkling gold coins. Galleons, he'd repeated to himself silently when he'd been so small, gaping at it, marveling that it was all his.
Now he felt faintly guilty. And he felt even guiltier when his mind flashed to that other life. He'd made fun of the Weasleys for being poor. Draco sighed, wishing that he could only have one set of memories. And besides, he didn't even know if that other life was real or not. For all he knew, he might've imagined it in the throes of fevered dreams while he'd been sick…
He was still sick, but he shoved the thoughts back.
xxx
On the following Wednesday they were awakened at an "ungodly hour" (as Draco's brother had grumbled), to head into Diagon Alley. Draco watched, his head still slightly fogged with the last ties of sleep, as Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot from the kitchen mantle.
"We're running low, Arthur. We'll have to buy some more…" she sighed. She looked at Harry, who looked bewildered.
Draco suddenly realized –
"Oh! He's never traveled by Floo powder," Ron said suddenly. "Sorry, Harry. I forgot."
Draco felt slightly embarrassed that he'd forgotten that Harry had never traveled by Floo before. A quick look at Ron, he saw that Ron was slightly embarrassed. It radiated off him in waves that had Draco shivering from the sudden overdose sensation that came with using his empathic powers.
"Never?" said Mr. Weasley. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"
"I went on the Underground –"
"Really?" Mr. Weasley looked eager for new information about Muggles. Draco was faintly amused as Mrs. Weasley interrupted her husband, saying, "Not now Arthur. Floo powder's a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before – "
"He'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Harry, watch us first."
Draco watched Harry, sensing the sudden apprehension, and he opened to his mouth to say something encouraging when –
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, dear. This has to happen. Even I can't change this," Shae said standing next to him. The Fate was cold – almost like a ghost, and caused Draco to start violently. He looked at the Fate, a little wild eyed, because he had never been able to See things like this. The future, the different possibilities, yes. When he was much younger, he'd talked to the people only he could see. He'd innocently said things he shouldn't have revealed he knew about other people he'd never met before.
Layla had once told him that he scared everyone away by the mere fact that he knew their names before they ever introduced themselves.
Draco looked at Shae, taking in the flowing robes, the pristine aura of light that surrounded the Fate. He was so busing watching Shae that he almost missed Harry's going. He frowned. Harry had not said that clearly… he didn't think.
Then it was his turn to step into the fire.
xxx
Aran, Layla, and Ginny were plotting. They weren't plotting any old thing – they were plotting the best way to make being at Hogwarts a bit more… livelier.
"I'd say match people up with their soul-mates," Aran said. "I mean, come on! Have you seen the statistics? About fifty percent of all marriages – if not more, end in divorce. Thank God our parents really do love each other."
Ginny held her breath. Aran grinned at her, "In more ways than one."
Layla and Ginny groaned, both of them shoving him. He laughed at them, childishly sticking his tongue out at them.
Layla rolled her eyes and huffed, "I'm going to find Luna. She's strange, but she's not as childish as you, Aran. Come on, Ginny."
"Ginny wants to stay with me," Aran said, grinning at his sister. Layla looked like she wanted to strangle Aran, before she walked away, calling over her shoulder, "Ginny, if you want to come with me, then by all means, come. If not, then stay with him. Make sure he stays out of trouble!"
Ginny grinned at Aran, "You're incorrigible, you know."
"I know," he said, smilingly cheekily. "It's fun annoying her. I mean she makes it so easy!"
Ginny laughed, and said, "So… what's going on – Mum seems worried."
"Have you two seen Harry?" she asked them. Both shook their heads silently.
"Great," said Ginny softly. "We've lost Harry up a chimney."
Aran snorted a laugh. "Right – hey look at Draco. He's planning something with your brother."
"Draco, Ron, and Harry whisper with each other too much," Ginny complained. "I wish I knew what they were up to."
"Let's make them think the same thing about us," Aran whispered in her ear. Ginny giggled as she felt the warm breath on her ear from Aran's breathy whisper. Aran grinned, delighted. "Can I kiss you?" Aran suddenly asked.
Ginny's giggle died halfway through. She stared at him, wide-eyed.
"I… I've never kissed a boy," she said.
"So?" Aran grinned, "I've never kissed a girl. It'll be our experiment."
Ginny looked at him, musingly. "All right," she whispered.
She was, after all, eleven years old. So why shouldn't she kiss a boy? He was cute and very nice to her.
Aran was a little taller than her – no more than half an inch, but she noticed it when he stepped up to her. He hesitated, then he slowly leaned in close and kissed her.
Their noses bumped into each other and they broke apart. "Well?" Aran asked.
"I think I'll try that again when I'm older," Ginny said. "I don't see why they make a big deal about it."
"It felt nice," Aran agreed, "but why is it a big deal. I'll try that later." He rubbed his nose, muttering under his breath something along the lines of, "And how do they keep their noses from getting in the way?"
"Did you just kiss Ginny?" They both looked up. Ginny flushed as she saw Fred standing there, looking at Aran.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Aran blushing hotly.
xxx
"Did my brother just kiss your sister?" Draco asked, blurting it out. Ron turned and saw what Draco was seeing. He began to tense, before he realized it could be worse.
"All right," Ron said. "So she kissed your brother. At least he's your brother."
"What if he's in Slytherin?" Draco asked. "I mean, really – a Slytherin dating a Gryffindor? It's unheard of! Or at least I've never heard of such a thing."
"He's your brother. You'll kill him if he does anything to your best friend's sister," Ron said simply.
"All right," Draco said. "Fair enough."
But he was bemusedly thinking, if this was my old life, he'd've never accepted him so quickly! But I don't have a brother… oh... Draco was surprised at the pang he felt when he realized that Aran wasn't alive in that other life. He didn't exist and neither did Layla.
"Let's go find Harry," Ron said next to him. Draco nodded, grateful for an interruption of his thoughts.
xxx
Harry found himself in a place called Knockturn Alley, as Draco informed him when they found him. Then he steered him away from the hags selling Muggle body parts.
"Harry, this is not a good – Dad!" Draco said. Ron and Harry followed Draco's gaze and they both spotted Lucius Malfoy.
"…several items that may seem – Draco?" Lucius Malfoy cleared his throat, and looked at the two men. "My son."
He turned to Draco, saying, "Go, Draco. I shall meet you in Diagon Alley. Understood?"
Draco opened his mouth to say something, but then sighed, saying, "Yes, Father." He turned to Harry and Ron, muttering, "C'mon."
"What was he doing?" Ron asked Draco. "I mean… I hate to say this, but it's suspicious, Draco. I mean, Lucius Malfoy in Knockturn Alley?"
"He's doing business," Draco said defensively. "I think he was selling something."
"Really?" Ron asked. "Listen, Draco, mate – my Dad's Muggle Protection Act could seriously affect your dad if… if the stories are true."
"What stories?" Draco asked sharply.
Ron was silent and Harry quickly changed the subject, searching for the first thing that came into sight.
"Hagrid!" he said.
Ron and Draco were distracted from their venture into dangerous territory by the arrival of Hagrid.
"What d'yeh think yer doin' down –"
"Harry got lost. We came to look for him," Draco said helpfully. "And found him, as you can see."
They walked with Hagrid, who seemed a little angry as he steered them to Diagon Alley. Draco, Ron and Harry were silent until they saw Gringotts, when Hagrid said, "Yer a mess."
They looked at each other blankly, before Draco realized, Oh, Harry.
"What?" Harry asked aloud, not realizing Draco hadn't spoken. Draco reached out and muttered a spell under his breath to fix Harry's broken glasses. He wiped them clean, handing them back to Harry.
"Skulkin' around Knockturn Alley, I dunno – dodgy place, yeh three – don' want no one ter see yeh down there –" Hagrid said finally, seemingly not notice Draco's actions.
"I realized that," Harry said. "I was lost and –"
"What were you doing down there, anyway?" Draco asked suddenly, interrupting Harry.
"I was lookin' fer a Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent. They're ruinin' the school cabbages." He looked at the three boys suspiciously, "Yer not on yer own, are yeh?"
They shook their heads.
"Mum and Dad were with us – but Draco and I went to look for Harry because we lost him when we used the Floo."
"He's never used it before" Draco explained, finishing for Ron.
Hagrid gave them an odd look. "Yeh know, I never thought I'd see a Weasley an' a Malfoy," he muttered under his breath.
Draco and Ron looked at each other, both thinking about Aran and Ginny.
-3-
Professor Pompous
"How come yeh never wrote back ter me?" Hagrid asked as they walked down the street.
"That's probably my fault, I'm afraid," Draco said. "My house-elf, Dobby, was… er… holding back Harry's letters. I didn't know. Dobby's a bit…"
"Batty?" Harry asked. Draco nodded, and allowed Harry to tell Hagrid his whole story.
"Lousy Muggles. If I'd've known –" Draco had a very violent image of the Dursleys dying painful deaths at Hagrid's hands. He shot the gamekeeper a suspicious glance. He was fairly certain that that was the image Hagrid had just had, inadvertently sending it to Draco.
"Harry! Over here!"
Harry turned at the sound of his name, Ron and Draco both turning to see who called out his name a split second after him.
Hermione was standing at the top of the steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them.
"What happened? Hello, Hagrid, Ron, Dray," Hermione said, looking at all of them.
"Aran kissed Ginny," Draco blurted out.
"Yer brother kissed…" Hagrid fell into a shocked silence. They all stared at him.
"Be happy he's not gay, mate," Ron said. "It could be worse, you know. He might've gone after Fred or George… or both."
They let Ron's comment sink in and then shuddered. The last thing anyone wanted was Aran Malfoy to join up with Fred and George. Fred and George were troublemakers, but neither seemed overly obsessed with what Aran was fixated with.
"Are you coming into Gringotts," Hermione asked finally. Draco shook his head distractedly, "I have to go and meet my father."
"As soon as I've found the rest of the Weasleys," Harry said simultaneously.
"Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said, nodding toward the crowded street. Harry, Ron, Draco, and Hermione all looked around and spotted the rest of the Weasleys running down the street.
"Harry," Mr. Weasley said. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far…" Then he whirled on Ron and Draco, telling them Molly Weasley was furious with Ron.
"Where did you come out?" Ginny asked.
"Knockturn Alley," Draco responded for Harry, distractedly. "I need to go and find my father. He was there – I think he was selling…" Draco looked at Mr. Weasley, almost as if he realized what he'd just implied. "I'm sorry. I have to go and find him."
They nodded. "All right."
"Do you want us to come with you?"
Draco shook his head. "No… I'll come and find you here…"
"Are you sure you don't want us to go and see Dad with you?" Aran asked him. "I mean… you know how he gets after a business dealing… especially when it's in Knockturn Alley…"
"You know he hates going there," Layla added. "And then he –"
"You make it sound like he's going to, I dunno, beat me or something," Draco told them. "He'll yell at me for being in Knockturn Alley, but I'm sure he won't do anything else. He's our father." With that Draco left them, disappearing into the crowded street.
xxx
"Do you really think this is going to work?" the man asked.
"I don't know. Fate… didn't tell me anything. They just need us to be here."
"I thought they had a provis –"
"It's not enough to make it work," the man's companion said. "You and I are the next step to ensuring everything goes as planned. You know Albus would never do what they want."
"No," the man agreed. "Dumbledore… he is not a fool, but he…"
"Is ignorant of the workings of the Higher Powers."
"Yes. I am afraid… that is true."
"He is not… favorable among those who support Fate, you know."
"Tell me again how this… Fate thing works?"
"Two immortals, one mortal. The Elder is not the original Fate – he is merely the Lord of the Oriels. He does not have power over Fate… Fate is above all power, to say the least. But Fate has no power except to reveal what was already there. Everything that happens is because Fate reveals this particular course of events. But it is not the only course. It is not the only future. There are many, many futures that the world has never known and may never know. By the standards of the… Powers, Fate is young. But Fate is doing something… what… the others have not yet figured it out."
"And what are they doing?"
"I am not at liberty to say."
They both fell silent, contemplating their own silence.
xxx
Lucius Malfoy was in a bit of a fix. He had gotten what he sought – Riddle's diary. He needed to give it to Harry Potter to destroy without giving anyone a hint that he was giving it to Harry Potter. He could give it to his son, but Draco had the misfortune of being branded as a traitor to their cause already. He was apprehensive about this – but he was glad. None of his children would become Death Eaters, because they had already gone to Harry Potter and all the former Death Eaters had marked them as traitors.
But his cause – the cause of the Malfoys was different. They were to keep to the light, and guard… well, they were the Guardians and they had always been, of course. That was why they were spies for the 'light'. It had always been this way – they were always in support of something greater. He did not know what it was, still. But he knew… there were signs of which side they must support. Alas, it was that fool, Dumbledore this time around. Or rather, Harry Potter.
Lucius stood impatiently, waiting for his son to show up, wondering what to do. He could not give the diary to Draco. He could not give it to any of his own children.
It was something he could not do.
"Hello Father," Draco said.
Lucius looked at Draco. Draco, that rare and precious gift Life had given him. Lucius felt his chest tightening as he realized that Draco would be gone all too soon, taken away from him… from this world… from this life.
The curse that would take his son away had a name… Rerox's Syndrome.
It was rare – so rare and so horribly deadly it seemed like it could not be real. Yet it was.
Even the Muggles had this – and it was rare in their world. It was even rarer in the Wizarding World.
Draco was waiting patiently.
"Your mother wanted me to find you and make sure you were doing all right," Lucius said, his voice surprisingly gentle.
"I'm all right," Draco said.
xxx
By the time Draco met up with Ron, Harry, and Hermione again, they were getting ice cream, and had money in their pockets.
"So, what did your dad want?" asked Ron, when Draco happily accepted the ice cream.
"To talk about my health," Draco said, making a face.
They stared at the blonde, before Hermione tentatively asked, "But you're all right, aren't you?"
"Yes. I'm fine," Draco said, sounding slightly annoyed. "I haven't gotten sick all summer! Not even once! That's a very good sign."
"Oh," they said, and happily changed the subject to the upcoming year, and wondering who would be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, "since Quirrell was sacked" as Ron said.
Draco snorted, correcting him, "Dropped dead, you mean. He kicked the cauldron before they could sack him. Pity in my opinion…"
"Speaking of our adventures, what's up with that cloak of yours?"
"Which one?"
"That white one."
"Oh… that." Draco sighed. "That's called Geist Mantaeu."
When even Hermione looked at him blankly, he sighed.
"Let's just say it's one of a kind. It was created long before the Wizarding world had recorded history. It was a normal cloak that was washed in the waters of Babylon… the river Euphorates. It was the year five hundred ninety seven – this was before Christ. Jerusalem was destroyed by the King Nebuchadnezzar of Chaldea. Those who were captured were held in captivity in Babylon. If you asked a Muggle, they'd tell you it's the Babylonian Exile. Anyway, it was the Golah who had this cloak. I know for a fact that this was the very first one of its kind and now it's the last." Draco looked at Hermione, hoping she'd recognize the history.
"Babylon…. I learned about that in my Muggle primary school," Hermione said. "It had some religious reference or something."
"Well, yes. Babylon… well, anyway, among the Golah, there was one – he was a boy, or so the story goes. They said that he was born of a Malakhim and a woman, one of the Am ha'Aretz. Others said that no, it wasn't a Malakhim, but one of the Bene Elohim. But there is one thing that the story agrees on – he had this cloak. It was not white – a gray, perhaps, but not white. It had been given to his mother by his father. They claimed that he was abnormal – something was off about him, but no one could figure it out. Anyway, the boy, washed his cloak in the waters of Babylon, which they claimed was where the angels had once bathed. This turned it white, but it wasn't until after the one they called Messiah was born that it became what the historians of the Wizarding world call an astral item. It was his descendent – a young girl who mated with the fallen Morning Star. He gave her the feathers of his shredded wings as payment for the night they had together. The story goes that he loved her – he truly fell in love with her and that among the angels, giving the feathers of their wings is the ultimate symbol of love. Angel's souls are in their wings."
Draco smiled slightly. It was an old story – one that he didn't really believe. He carefully noted the looks on his friends' faces.
"She took the feathers of his wings and weaved them into the cloak, which was old – it was wearing thin. She wanted to repair it, but she only had the feathers, so she weaved them into the cloak. That gave the cloak astral powers," continued Draco. "She kept it for a long, long time. Then she passed it on to her child, who they say was conceived by the fallen Morning Star. Her child had magick. It was the magick of the Aerials, not of our magick, but the astral magick. Her child was the first to use the cloak. Then a just a few years later, her son tried to destroy the cloak, claiming it was an object from Munkir that cursed Black Angel, and threw it to Gehenna, as they called it. But it didn't destroy it. The blood-filled fire changed the dynamics of the cloak though. It enabled it to turn the wearer invisible, activated the magick of the feathers woven into the cloak so the wearer could take a walk through time. Terrified, the son cast a spell on the cloak, so that it could only be used by will. It passed on, drifting into legends, until it became obscure and slipped away from all knowledge. It wasn't until the twelfth century that a wizard – they claim it was a descendant, cast a spell of duplication and sold it for mountains of gold. But two centuries later, they were destroyed, called by the magickal community, a Dark Item. Only the original was not destroyed, which is the one that my grandfather, Arabaxas, passed on to my father… Lucius who passed it on to me."
"But you're not a…?" Hermione began.
There are the Ancients… the old, old power of the Ancients….within your blood…. We are of kin.
Draco felt the little hairs at the back of his neck stand up in as a feeling of icy horror flooded through his veins.
"I – I don't know," stammered Draco. "I need to talk to my father about it." He was reeling. Arabaxas, the fallen Angel of the World…. Lucius – the bringer of light…. The one who fell….
And now him… Draco… Dragon… the Serpent.
"Draco?" Harry asked alarmed by the color Draco's face had blanched to. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Draco said shakily. He straightened and changed the subject.
xxx
They meandered through the streets of Diagon Alley, chatting comfortably, as old friends do. Draco made a mental note to buy Ron something from Quality Quidditch Supplies for his birthday when he noticed Ron staring longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes.
Hermione, ever practical, dragged them off to buy ink and parchment. They ran into Lee Jordan, Fred, and George and were just talking when they spotted Aran and Ginny in Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop.
"What are you doing?" Aran asked looking at them a bit suspicious. Draco looked at Aran just as suspiciously.
"We're stocking up our supplies of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks," said Fred.
"Among other things," added George.
"Who're you?" Lee asked, looking curiously at Aran.
"Oh!" Draco exclaimed. "Sorry – this is my brother, Aran. Aran this is Lee Jordan. He's the one who does the commentary for the Quidditch games at school."
"Hey, d'you think we can get on the team?" Aran asked. "Me and Ginny are going to be First Years…"
"No," said Draco shortly.
"Why?" asked Aran.
"Well, for one thing you're too young – it's not allowed. Secondly, I don't particularly think you're interested in the game," said Draco.
Aran sighed, but didn't deny it. "C'mon," he muttered to Ginny and dragged her out of the store.
"Those two are going to cause a lot of trouble," Fred observed.
"Wait until they get to dating," George told Draco. "Then we'll be in major trouble."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Knowing what Aran's like, he'll become a womanizer."
When they stared at him, he blushed and muttered, "That's what my mum says."
They drifted off, wandering into a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales and old cloaks covered in potion stains.
"What a dump!" Draco couldn't help but exclaim. Hermione shot him a warning glance. "But it's interesting," Draco added quickly.
"A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers," Ron said. Draco looked up from examining a curious hematite amulet to see Percy Weasley engrossed in a book called Prefects Who Gained Power.
"Very ambitious that Weasley is," Lucius said laughingly. "I think he'd die for a little bit of your power, My Lord."
"Of course. Your son made a very good find," the Dark Lord said.
"He's expendable," Lucius said coldly, but he did not say who was expendable.
There was a Dark Mark on Percy Weasley's arm…
"Draco?" Harry said.
Draco blinked, shaking his head.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked him, peering at him anxiously.
"I'm fine," Draco said. "Really. I just…" Draco shook his head. "I'll explain it to you later."
Harry gave him one last suspicious look and Draco turned to Ron and Hermione just in time to hear Ron saying, "…unds fascinating…"
"Go away!"
"'Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out… He wants to be Minister of Magic," Ron told them as they walked out of the store.
"Be careful," Draco blurted out. "Your brother… he's ambitious for power and right now he can go both ways. Toward the light or toward the darkness."
"What are you talking about?" Ron demanded. "Percy wouldn't go and do Dark Magick!"
Draco shook his head and opened his mouth.
"You should listen to him," Layla said, coming out of nowhere. "He's a Seer."
"Layla!" Draco exclaimed.
"Well you are. That's what Mum and Dad said. They were arguing about whether or to not shut… I mean, nothing!" Layla said quickly.
"Shut what?" Draco asked dangerously.
"Nothing!" Layla said firmly. "Forget I said anything."
"Are you telling me they were considering binding my magick!" Draco said in a furious whisper.
"Well…" Layla sighed. "Listen, don't tell them I said anything, okay? They don't know I heard them. I have to go. Harper's calling me."
"Harper?" Draco repeated blankly. He turned to look at Harry, but he found his three best friends staring at him.
"A Seer?" Hermione said in a strangled voice. "But – but – a real Seer?"
"That's serious, Draco," Ron said. "I mean… Dad told me there hasn't been a true Seer in centuries! And – and they have to be registered with the Minis –"
Draco shook his head. "My father doesn't want them to know. Fudge knows, but… they paid him off. Nobody can know, Ron. Nobody."
Ron looked at him before he nodded. "Right. But how're you going to stop predicting the future. I mean, I've noticed it. You just say it and you don't even realize you're saying it, right?"
Draco nodded. He bit his lip before he said quietly, "Glasses would help. There's something in the glass that stops the visions from coming… but I can't."
"What happens if people find out?" Harry asked.
"St. Mungo's would take him and put him in a ward to study him," Ron said. "Either they would, or the Unspeakables would. True Seers are rare. They don't just See – they See all. They every possible future and nobody knows how far they can see. Some reckon a few centuries into the future. They've got a reputation for saying things and never being wrong. Or hardly ever being wrong," Ron said.
"Right," Harry sighed. "So Draco's a Seer… a true Seer?"
Draco shook his head, "No. Just a Seer." Then he frowned, admitting, "Though, I've never been tested, actually, so I don't really know. Maybe a true Seer, but probably not. There's a handful of Seers out there that aren't true Seers. But…" Draco hesitated, "I see possibilities. That's what I know about it. It's not exact… but it's not implausible. But I can stop myself from saying something…" Draco sighed. "I can't tell you about that right now. I'll tell you… eventually, all right?"
They nodded.
"Come on," Harry said finally and they began walking to Flourish and Blotts.
xxx
"Hey, what's going on?" Ron wondered aloud when they came across the large crowd in front of the bookstore.
"Gilderoy Lockhart," Draco said, nodding at large banner stretched across the upper windows, which proclaimed that Lockhart would be signing copies of his autobiography "Magical Me" from twelve thirty to four thirty.
"We can actually meet him!" squealed Hermione, causing her friends to stare at her. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"
Draco rolled his eyes, muttering something about girls being so ridiculous.
"Calmly, please, ladies…. Don't push there… mind the books, now…." Draco turned and saw a harassed-looking wizard at the door, trying to control the crowd.
Draco, Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed. Draco wanted to say something about the long line that wound its way to the back, where Lockhart himself stood signing copies. Thankfully, none of the four paid mind to the line until after they'd each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2, when they snuck up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were.
"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley breathlessly, patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…."
Draco blinked.
"Thinks a bit highly of himself, doesn't he?" Aran whispered to Draco, suddenly appearing at his side.
Draco nodded in mute agreement, staring at all the dazzling pictures of Lockhart.
"Out of the way, there," snarled the short, irritable-looking man who was dancing around taking photographs. "This is for the Daily Prophet –"
"Big deal," said Ron, looking at angrily at the man as he bent down to rub the foot the photographer stepped on.
Draco was about to tell Ron to hush, when Lockhart looked up and saw them, then saw Harry.
"Harry," Draco said quickly taking his arm. "Let's get out of here before some –"
"It can't be Harry Potter?" Lockhart shouted.
Draco watched helplessly as Lockhart grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him to the front as the crowd applauded and the photographer clicked away, his camera emitting puffs of purple smoke with every click.
Draco began to edge away when he spotted Blaise Zabini, hoping to talk to him before they started school, when Lockhart said, loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen. What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!" Draco rolled his eyes.
Lockhart really thought too much of –
Draco turned his head; certain he'd seen his father in the crowd.
"… this September, I will be taking the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at…"
"Oh no," Draco muttered under his breath to himself. "I hereby predict an utter disaster of a year."
"What was that?" Ginny asked him, as he joined her.
"Nothing."
"You have these," Harry mumbled suddenly joining them, and dumping the new copies of the Lockhart books in the cauldron. "I'll buy my own."
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Draco could have screamed. It was the exact echo of the words he'd said in a past life. He turned and faced Theodore Nott. Beside him was Blaise Zabini, who seemed to be trying to send him a telepathic message that Draco did not get.
Draco narrowed his eyes at Zabini, who looked at a corner. Getting the idea, Draco muttered something about having to use the restroom and left, causing Nott to sneer something about being a "bloody coward, as always" and sending Blaise after him.
Once they were alone, Draco looked at Blaise. "What is it?"
"Parkinson," Blaise said simply.
"What?" Draco looked at him blankly.
"She's on your side. She told me to tell you that something's going on. Her father told her – well, not her exactly, but she overheard him saying the Chamber of Secrets is going to be opened this year. She told me and told me to pass on the memo to you."
"Oh." Draco wondered what on earth was that about. Pansy – in the last life – had been all for Voldemort… how could that change?
You're no longer in Slytherin or even on Voldemort's side, now are you? Draco didn't turn his head. He knew it was that blasted Fate – Shae. Shae was beginning to annoy him or scare him and he wasn't sure which it was yet.
"All right then – and…"
There was a loud thud of metal and then –
"Get him, Dad!" one of the twins cried and Layla saying, "Dad! No, you mustn't do –"
Draco watched in horror as his father and Mr. Weasley went rolling about on the floor in a fist fight.
xxx
"I'm so sorry," Aran said to Ron. Draco sat next to him, shamefacedly.
"I'm sorry," Ginny said. "I can't believe them – I mean, we're the kids and we get along!"
"I… think Father wants us to go home with him," Draco said softly.
"Are you going to go?" Ron asked, somewhat coldly.
"He's my father!" Draco protested. "I can't say – "
"Yes you can," Ron interrupted. "Who knows what he'll do, Draco! You're with us – he's still against Muggles and Muggle-borns and – and – and…"
"Weasleys," Aran said helpfully.
"Thanks, Aran," Draco said flatly.
"Well, yeah," Ron said.
"I'm sorry about my father," Draco said finally.
"I'm sorry about mine," Ron said after a while.
"I know. But what can we do? It's their feud, not ours," Draco said with a sigh. "I guess, we're just going to have to go home…"
"Draco," Ron said finally. "Just go if you want."
"Well… all right," Draco said finally. "If that's the way you want it."
"No!" Ron said. "We're friends, aren't we? Maybe our fathers hate each other, but we don't…"
"We don't," Draco agreed. Harry decided now was a good time to get involved.
"Well, we'll see each other on the train to school, right?"
"Yes." Draco nodded. "Definitely."
"Good," Hermione said. "True friends stick together no matter what. Right?"
Ron and Draco nodded.
And just like that, they were all right with each other. Their friendship was a little strained now, but they would certainly stay friends – despite the fact that Weasleys and Malfoys were meant to be at war with each other.
– Sandy Ratliff
A/N: I hope I didn't randomly change any of their personalities from the first few chapters. It's been a while since I've gone to this story. And let me tell you, this was hard to write! I hope it's up to the usual standards… Oh! And before I forget – yes, the mental link between Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Draco is still there. I know that was in the original story. I'm sorry – I'm afraid I don't really know what the original story contained, but I do know what was planned. And I like planned out stories. I was wondering, does anyone have a copy, by any chance? I know some people copy the stories and save them someplace. But… I get the feeling they didn't get much past the First Year, yes? Anyway, I won't explain anything, unless specifically asked in a Private Message or review, because I'm afraid this story needs shorter Author Notes. But the chapters, hopefully, will become shorter once we break off completely from the actual series….
Citation/Disclaimer(s)/Reference:
1. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets. U.S.A: Scholastic Inc: 1999.
2. The word 'Drake': drake drayk (plural drakes) n male duck: a male duck 13th century. Origin uncertain: probably ultimately from prehistoric Germanic.
Encarta ® World English Dictionary.
3. The story that Draco tells them… um, I don't know Hebrew, but I'm told that Golah means the exiled, Malakhim means "messengers", which in my studies of angelic lore have led me to believe that these were the Irin, also known as the Grigori. "Am ha'Aretz" means, or so I was told, "People of the Land" and Bene Elohim, which is my favorite, "Sons of God". The Bene Elohim are listed as angels in the order of angels. As for the rest of the story, I half-made up, half-took from the notes my friend gave me with this story. I used a little bit of artistic license with it. It's partly angelic lore, religious lore, myths (really obscure to the point nobody agrees on anything), and by the way, Gehenna is usually translated as "Hades" or "Hell" but it was really derived from the valley of Ge-Hinnom, which was a valley near Jerusalem that was used as a landfill. It was unsanitary, unhealthy, and huge mountain of garbage, which was periodically burned. When it was burnt, it would burn for many weeks on end, and so they came up with the analogue that Hell was like Ge-Hinnom and used the word "Gehenna". Of course, life's sense of irony made the modern valley of Ge-Hinnom a public park! (Then again, the word "Hell" came from the Teutonic word "Hel" which meant, originally, 'to cover'.)
Review Response:
Hyuga Kyuuketsuki
Niuhana
helloitsme-again
nomidemoogle
Night Essence
bena24
NinjaoftheDarkness
Plotbunnybrat
Thank you so very much for reviewing! I'm sorry I don't update this story as often as I should. But I'm glad I found the free time today to update! Anyway… seeing as I seem to update this story so slowly, I'm guessing it'll be a while before you get the next chapter. (All seven years will be in the same story.)
And I've decided to give you some hints… um… Draco does get a bit "powered-up" but most of them are there for a reason. The fact he's a Seer is, well, obviously, to help him deal with having memories of another life. But never mind those powers. The most important one in this one is the mind-link. His telepathic power is the most important.
Anyway, drop me a line if you'd like. I never demand reviews, so you don't have to. But if you do, constructive criticism is always welcomed!
Keir
P.S: It'd be really helpful if you can help me edit this thing! (Arwen'll get to it eventually… I think. We've done the brief scan through most of it, but it's got errors still, I know that much… let me know where they are, though. Thanks!)