AN: I own no part of this, nor do I get paid for it, though I wish I did. Harry will address Lucius in a way different than he would in canon, because he is getting to know the man and not just his story. Please review! I love you guys.
"You don't have to be so quiet, Harry," Draco mumbles to me as we eat ice cream and wait for his father at a small table outside of Florean's.
I spoon some butterbeer ice cream into my mouth.
"Neither do you," I say, "I thought we were going for strong and silent."
He hits me with his spoon, but it makes him smile and that was my goal. I lick the Cherry Jubilee specks off of my lip while staring pointedly at Draco.
"Cherries and butterbeer do not go together as well as you might think," I grimace.
Draco laughs recklessly and sticks his spoon into my bowl, almost as if I had challenged him to try it. He winces a little, barely noticeable to anyone who didn't know his every facial expression by heart, but smiles triumphantly as he successfully swallows what must be the worst combination there is.
"There you go. Don't be so sullen. I came to spend the last two weeks with you so that you would be happier," I say.
It hadn't been easy either, since the Dursley's are so intent on my destruction and detest anything that might make me happy. But since I so carefully neglected to tell them that we aren't allowed to use magic at home, it wasn't as difficult as it could have been.
"And it worked. But I've been hiding out in Diagon Alley all summer. I only talked to my father to tell him what day you were arriving," Draco says sadly.
"I lived in a cupboard. I think I've got you beat as far as family life goes, lo….. Draco," I say.
He smiles at me wickedly and eats a giant scoop of my ice cream, but I'm far too shaken by what I almost said to stop him.
"How has that been. Harry? I wouldn't want you to spend another day there. I wish you didn't have to," he says.
"Better. They're afraid of me now, so Uncle Vernon doesn't beat me every single day anymore," I say.
"Afraid?" Draco looks incredibly intrigued. As soon as I told him of my situation at home, he started begging me to hex the life out of them. It still astounds me that out of everyone, I trust him the most.
"Do tell me everything."
I shrug my shoulders and eat the last cherry from his bowl.
"There isn't much to tell. They hate me because they're afraid of magic, which I conveniently forgot to tell them I'm not allowed to do, and because they know that it's obvious they hate me, they're afraid I'll do something to them," I say.
Draco's fingers ghost across my wrist.
"I've been at the burrow since Ron rescued me about three days ago. Mrs. Weasley didn't want to let me go to you, but I begged," I continue.
"Glad to know I was invited," Draco says.
I hit him over the head playfully.
"Don't be silly, Draco. It's not fun to be smothered and hovered over and overfed," I say.
"Smothered? They hardly said goodbye when they brought you here. Just took your books and looked uncomfortable," he says.
I just look at him, hoping he'll catch on without having to say the words out loud.
"Oh," he says sadly.
"They'll get over it," I say.
Mr. Malfoy arrives in the middle of my sentence. Draco looks at me, trying desperately to force me to remember without drawing attention to himself.
A book sits precariously atop my head while I read out of another one.
"Draco? I don't really understand this step," I say.
"Is this really necessary? I asked you to greet him formally, not.. whatever this is," Draco sighs.
I almost tip over while I attempt to walk to him in a stiff, uncomfortable way so that the book doesn't fall to the ground.
"I need to look refined," I say.
"More like ridiculous. Harrym what is that you're reading?" Draco asks.
I twist around to keep him from seeing the cover, but only manage a spectacular fall.
"Great, now my half hour starts over," I sigh.
"Meeting His Parents:A Guide to Pureblood Manners?" He laughs.
I lay my head on my knee, which is now conveniently close to my face.
"Harry, what are you doing? This book has sections on courting and marriage contracts," Draco asks.
"I just thought.. that this was important to you and I didn't want to mess it up and.." I mumble.
Draco wraps me in a hug. I can feel his shoulders shake with laughter.
"Harry, just pretend I'm him, okay? We can go over conversations, and return this silly book. No one does these things," he says.
"No one?" I ask while wiping my eye.
"...er, unless you do want to court me. But, Harry, I don't think your leg is supposed to do that," he says.
Draco walks toward me and looks at the odd position I've found myself in.
"Me either," I sob.
I stand quickly, but not fast enough to overturn the chair.
"Nice to meet you, sir," I say.
"Mr. Potter. I've been so longing to meet you. Tell me, do you really have the-?" Mr. Malfoy says.
I lift my hair gently to reveal the jagged lightning bolt that he's looking for. Draco looks upset to be in his presence. I want to cease all contact with this horrible man and just pull Draco into my arms and hold him, but I don't. I just nod and follow them as Mr. Malfoy leads us to a floo nearby.