uchisays: this is just a short transition chapter since I realized that I completely forgot to mention their martial arts training in the next chapter and I really don't think it would have fit with it anyway. this chapter is just a bit of shameless fluff between child!Harry and child!Draco. There's no poem for this chapter because it's so short.

By the way, there is a two year time skip in he next chapter.

9. Untitled

Time seemed to had slowed down. There was a almost palpable thickness in the air; a heavy silence pressing down on him. His blood was pumping fast and hard, rushing adrenaline throughout his body. Everything appeared clearer to him. Every little noise was louder to his ears. He could feel the sweat rolling down his skin. He could taste the anticipation in the air. He could- Harry turned quickly on his heel bringing his right leg up as he did so in a round house kick. A hand gripped his ankle and twisted, pulling him off balance and and releasing, sending him propelling him to the floor. His hands went up instinctively to stop his fall. His palms smacked hard against the floor, but the didn't stop to think about the sting it caused before he curled himself up and rolled away from his attacker.

"Very good."

Harry uncurled himself and looked up at his instructor with a smile. He and Draco had been taking self defense classes for just over three weeks and so far they had learned a few kicks and punches, but mostly they had been perfecting the art of falling. At their very first lesson the instructor had sent them both flying across the room and watched as they fell in ungraceful heaps on the floor. He had then proceeded to ridicule them on how poorly they had handled the fall, before lecturing them on the importance of knowing how to correctly fall and demonstrated proper falling techniques. The rest of the lesson was spent with the two boys being thrown around the room repeatedly until they learned how to fall.

The next lesson had been a repeat of the first, except this time they learned to important lesson of getting themselves out of reach of the attacker after falling. Draco had swore the instructor found some sick pleasure in bruising and abusing them; Harry was inclined to agree after lesson number three when the instructor decided they were too weak and set them to strength training which consisted of push-ups, crunches, jumping roping, running to build stamina, trunk lifts, a variation of tumbling, playing catch with weighted medicine balls, and lifting light weights. They also had to strap on weighted harnesses during all of this. It goes without saying that they were sore for days afterward. Narcissa had admitted that the teacher was a bit tough, but he was the best money could buy and they were stuck with him.

It wasn't until lesson number four that they began learning actual martial arts. After two hours of strength training they were dubbed ready enough to learn basic kicks, punches, and blocks. Except their muscles were so sore from the strength training they couldn't really enjoy learning how to fight. Lesson number five had seen them once again being thrown around the room, only at this point they were masters of falling and rolling out of harm's way, but of course the moment they were back on their feet they had to put the blocks they learned to use and guard against an onslaught of attacks until they could attempt their own kicks and punches.

Lesson six had been a welcome relief when, after only an hour of strength training, they were allowed to practice against each other instead of the instructor. It was easier to fight someone who wasn't more than twice your size, who had no more skill than you did, and who was just as sore and tired as you were.

In spite of everything, Harry really enjoyed these lessons and despite his constant grumbling over the physical exertion, Harry knew Draco enjoyed their lessons as well. During their free time back at the manor they practiced what they'd learned together and when it drew near the date of their next lesson, Draco was unabashedly excited to go.

Harry loved the physical exertion. It was the sore muscles that followed he hated. He loved the feeling of adrenaline pumping through his veins. He loved the feel of the fight. The movements like an intimate dance. He loved knowing that there was strength and power within him that he could harness whenever the need to protect what was most important to him arrived. The bruises and sore muscles weren't exactly fun, but the overall reward was worth it.

Now here they were at their seventh lesson and the training regime of the day was an hour and a half of strength training followed by the two of them teaming up against the instructor to see if they could take him down. So far they hadn't been able to so much as touch the man with a fist or a foot, but Harry assumed they were doing well since the instructor had just complimented him and that was a very rare occurrence indeed.

"That will be all for today. You two have improved a great deal. I think during our next lesson I can teach you more offensive maneuvers."

Harry and Draco shared a grin at this comment, the blond had been dying to learn more offensive moves and his excitement was evident in the sparkle of his eyes.

"Go on down to the stream an clean yourselves up," the instructor ordered, "Lady Malfoy should be arriving for you soon."

"Yes, teacher," the two boys said in unison, before pushing themselves up and heading toward the door.

Harry wasn't sure exactly where the dojo where their martial arts training was located. They traveled there by Port-key, another mode of wizarding transportation that Harry wasn't very fond of and, other than the small dojo, there was nothing in the area but trees and a stream at the bottom of the hill the dojo was situated on top of. Even their instructor was a nondescript character that gave no hint of where they could be located. He was a rather plain man with black hair and brown eyes, he spoke English without an accent, and he insisted on them calling him teacher so they weren't exactly sure of his name. His face was plain enough that it revealed no trace of his ethnic background. Draco insisted that they were somewhere and Asia, but Harry wasn't entirely sure and Narcissa wouldn't tell them.

The trip down the the stream was supposed to substitute them actually doing cool down stretching, like their strength training acted as their warm up. The stream was also the only source of running water in the area, so they went downstream to wash off the sweat and grime of the day's workout, then headed upstream for a drink if they needed it. The walk back up to the dojo was the end of their cool off, and Narcissa would usually be waiting up there for their return.

Harry and Draco ran the incline to the stream and collapsed next to the water. "That was fun," Draco declared, Harry knew he wasn't talking about the downhill run but the day's lesson. "Next time we will beat him."

Harry gave a nod of agreement, before splashing his face with a handful of water. Draco said nothing else as he splashed his own face with water. Harry dipped his arms as far as they could go in the crystal clear stream and watched as little fish swam away from his hands. It was a warm day and a light breeze blew ruffling Harry's hair. Looking up, Harry set his eyes on the treeline and smiled as he glimpsed the animals within. This really was a lovely place. So peaceful and so close to nature. He liked it.

"Harry, are you listening to me?" Draco's voice drew Harry back to attention.

"Sorry, I was a mile away." Harry gave a sheepish smile.

"What were you thinking about?" Draco always wanted to know the tangents Harry's thoughts drifted off to.

"Just that it's really nice here. I like it, being so close to nature and so far from everyone else. It's peaceful. The quiet. The animals. Even the air is more inviting."

Draco tilted his head to the side and looked at Harry curiously, before he let a large smile spread across his face. "If you like it here so much, when we grow up I'll buy us a house somewhere just like this and we can live there together. Just me and you away from everyone else."

Harry looked surprised at Draco's declaration. "Do you mean that?"

"Of course I do. You're my boy, Harry, I have to take care of you. I'll do anything to make you happy."

It took a second for Draco's words to sink in. The Malfoy had said things like this to him before, but Harry had never felt there was anything solid behind until this moment with Draco looking at him and smiling like that. A large smile spread across Harry's cherub like face and he didn't even think before launching himself at Draco and pulling the older boy into a tight hug. "Thank you, Draco."

Draco didn't seem to know how to respond to Harry's actions. Harry had never been so affectionate with him before, and he feared he's made a mistake until he felt Draco's arms wrapping around him and pulling him into a tighter hug. "You're welcome. You're a good boy, Harry." The words were spoken in a low voice and they filled Harry with such warmth he didn't know what to do.

No one had told him he was a good boy before. Back when he lived with his aunt and uncle, the "Big People" had done nothing but ridicule and chastise him. They called him names and said he couldn't do anything right. The word "boy" had been a derogatory term that implied Harry unworthy of having a proper name. At the orphanage the other children called him a freak and a monster. Whenever anything had gone wrong they blamed it on him and the Ms. Tanner believed them and told Harry how bad and horrible he was. For years his precious words had been used to make him feel as if he didn't deserve to be cared about.

Draco's words at that moment had just undone five years worth of damage to Harry's self-esteem.

"Come on, Harry," Draco said releasing Harry from the hug, "Mother is most likely waiting for us."

Harry nodded and released Draco, before going upstream for a quick drink, and then trailing his playmate back up the hill to the dojo.