CHAPTER ELEVEN: Happy Christmas (Really!)
Author's Note: It's so short. Ah it burns! I'm so sorry! D: The chapter was telling me it was time to end it! Hopefully longer chapter next time xoxo Struggled a bit with this chapter, hope it isn't noticeable. Sorry sorry!
Harry quickly followed the other boy down the steps. Soft Christmas carols that Harry didn't recognize rang through the halls. The mistletoe was enchanted to play music. Draco was already at the bottom step by the time Harry reached the top of the stairs. The black-haired Slytherin raced down the steps three at a time to catch up, feeling dizzy from moving so fast so early in the morning.
"Happy Christmas Mum!" Draco's voice rang out from the sitting room just as Harry entered. Mrs. Malfoy looked tired, but a soft smile played on her lips, her light blue eyes shining with warmth. Draco looked around her, eyes scanning the room as if he were looking for something.
"Happy Christmas Draco," she said, scooping him into a quick hug. Draco squirmed free, eyes immediately alighting upon the massive pile of presents beneath the tree, lips parted in awe. "Your Father had an emergency work call, but he said he'd like you to open the presents without him and tell him about them later."
Harry stood in the archway, eyes also glued to the massive pile of presents. Somehow, they managed to make the enormous tree seem even larger. He quietly scooted off to the side of the room to watch as Draco made a dive for the pile of presents, ripping a large one off the top of the pile.
"This one's for you Harry!" Draco shouted, setting the large box to his left and looking to where Harry stood with a look of disbelief on his tired features.
"For me?" Harry said faintly, eyebrows pinching slightly in confusion.
"Yes for you, what are you doing over there, standing around, looking uncomfortable? Get over here," Draco snapped, turning back to the pile, and pushing some out of the way as he went for another big one.
Harry reminded himself to close his mouth and slowly drifted over to the Christmas tree, a look of shock seeming permanently glued to his face.
"I-" Harry started, stopping as he realized he was genuinely at a loss as to what to say.
"Go on, open it!" Draco said impatiently as he pulled a heavy present of his own into his lap.
"Don't shake that one," Draco's mother warned him as he stared down at the odd present.
She looked over to Harry, smiling as he sat down by the tree and gently touched the ribbon on top of his own gift.
"You didn't need to get me anything, really," Harry said, pressing his lips together, his expression unreadable.
Narcissa smiled. "We wanted to, Harry. Draco, why don't you open this one first?" she added, stepping over to the tree and pulling out a large present that was a similar shape as Harry's, and handing it to the blond.
Draco nodded eagerly, taking the present from his mother and ripping into the thin wrapping impatiently.
Harry peeled off the first layer, and the boys managed to give almost simultaneous gasps of wonder.
"How?" Draco demanded, ripping the remaining wrapping off of the heavy wooden box, which was engraved neatly in the corner: Nimbus 2001.
"Your father pulled some strings, he'll have to tell you about it later," Narcissa said, eyes pinched with a smile as Harry gaped openly at his own gift.
Draco turned to Harry, looking to check that he had indeed gotten the same thing.
"Thank you," Harry breathed, running a hand over the smooth wood of the case, eyes sparkling with joy. He carefully pushed open the case, unhooking the latches.
"We are going flying right away, do you understand me?" Draco said shortly as he stared down at his own broom in awe. He looked up very sharply, eyes wide with disbelief and delight. "Thank you, Mum!" he said.
Harry nodded and Narcissa laughed. "You both still have more presents to open and Harry hasn't eaten breakfast!"
The boys did end up obediently finishing opening the rest of their presents - Harry got a book of new charm spells he'd never heard of, some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, a pack of Snitches each ingrained with different personalities to challenge every aspect of a Seeker's abilities, and a lovely new scarf in black, silver and green. Draco's idea of his mother buying him mittens also seemed to hold some truth to it, as he did indeed find a soft pair of black gloves stuffed into the bottom of one of his presents.
Harry decided to skip breakfast with the encouragement of Draco - not that he needed much, the green-eyed boy wanted to test out his new broom, his very own new broom right away - and took out one of the Snitches which apparently tested the speed of the Seeker. They'd thought about using the one that tested your ability to find a hiding Snitch but decided they didn't want to lose the first one they took out of the pack.
Harry held tight to his new broom as it shot through the air, hot on the heels of a desperately fluttering Snitch, Draco at his side, arm outstretched.
Harry urged his broom faster, nearly blinded by the wind, eyes pinched closed. His knuckles were white from the force of his grip and the tips of his ears were pink.
He reminded himself to breathe. It was easy to forget on a broom - flying literally did take your breath away at speeds like this.
Neither boy could speak, the force of the wind drowning out their voices. The Snitch took a dive and the boys followed suit, Draco's broom finally lagging behind by a foot, then a couple feet, then ten.
Harry pushed on, following the Snitch into the blinding dive, the wind stinging like a slap to the face. He forced his eyes open and they watered madly. He blinked the tears away, fighting to keep a visual on the shimmering Snitch.
He took another gasp of air. Finally, finally, he found that he was gaining on the stubborn Snitch. Its hummingbird-like wings began to flutter a bit slower, as if it simply couldn't keep up the pace any longer.
And in that moment of hesitation, Harry snatched it from the air and gave a whoop of delight that was ripped away by the wind and came out as a startled gasp. Nonetheless, a watery-eyed grin ate up his entire expression.
His broom began to slow and he gasped for breath, his vision swimming momentarily as he laughed, holding up the Snitch, smiling blindly.
"Four minutes," Draco said breathlessly.
Harry laughed in response, his stomach muscles flinching from the effort, his limbs aching in exhaustion but his smile never faltering. "This is amazing," he panted out. "This broom, did you see, wow," he said eloquently through his grin.
"I think that is the fastest I have ever seen anyone go on a broomstick in my entire life," Draco declared. "Let's go ask Morsus if he's ever seen faster."
Harry laughed again, shaking his head and finally lowering his hand holding the snitch, fingertips grazing the smooth metal. "I don't think Morsus makes a habit of watching wizards fly on brooms," he said helpfully as the boys pulled their brooms down toward the ground, landing.
Morsus was the eldest of the snakes in the hibernaculum. Upon finding that Harry was a Parselmouth from the other snakes, he had taken a keen interest in the boy.
He was a magical snake, not like the others. He was much older and held much more intellectual conversation - many of the others liked to talk about how mice and rats tasted, all hours of the day - and was generally more aware of things in the human and wizarding world than the others.
Harry still seriously doubted that the old snake, as politely interested in humans as he was, had any idea what Quidditch even was.
Harry convinced Draco that it was best to leave the snake to enjoy his Christmas actually hibernating, as he liked to, and the two headed inside.
"Draco," Harry started suddenly as the two put their brooms away, heading up the large staircase.
Draco stopped at the other boy's tone, looking at him and arching one eyebrow quizzically.
"I - what your family - what I mean to say is, is I really appreciate-" he stuttered, frowning. Draco held up a hand to stop him.
"You're my friend Harry. And my fourth cousin, twice removed or something-"
"-Really?"
"-And you don't need to keep thanking us for treating you like family should. All right?"
"We're cousins?"
The boys spent the last few days of their break practicing the gags they'd bought from the joke shop and playing on their brooms. As the day they'd return to Hogwarts drew closer, they discussed their plans on approaching the Quirrel problem.
"There's sure to be several layers of protection, loads past a hellhound. I'm sure Quirrel's biding his time this year, trying to figure out just what he's up against, and get there as prepared as possible," Draco said, eyes drifting closed in thought.
Harry nodded. "Do you think he's ready to steal it now? Why else would he have attempted on Halloween?"
Draco paused, then slowly shook his head. "No, no. The troll wasn't a long enough of a distraction. He was just trying to get a look, I think. And Professor Snape probably headed him off, knowing that the troll was a ruse. So that stopped that. I suppose that slowed him down a bit."
"Maybe he'll never get past Fluffy. I mean it's not likely you figure out that playing an instrument makes a giant magical creature happy. And he's impervious to stunning spells."
"He could just kill him," Draco pointed out.
Harry nodded. "Good point," he said sadly, slouching in his seat.
"But he wouldn't do that before he found out what defenses the Stone already has. Because if he did, he risks it being noted that someone is after the stone in Hogwarts, and having more defenses placed or having it moved. So that does buy us time."
"Do you think the Professors would take us seriously if we told them about this?" Harry asked hopefully.
Draco shook his head. "I'd like to tell Professor Snape when we have indisputable proof. I worry that my Mother's made him make some Unbreakable Vow or something though, about keeping me safe. And I assume letting me investigate the possible theft of the Philosopher's Stone would be considered unsafe."
Harry sighed. "What's an Unbreakable Vow?" he asked finally, rubbing at one of his eyes sleepily.
"A vow that you can't break," Draco drawled.
Harry glared at him grumpily.
"It's a magical binding contract. You die if you break it."
Harry gaped, sitting up a little straighter. "You can't seriously say that your Mum would make Professor Snape make an Unbreakable Vow," he said disbelievingly.
Draco shrugged. "They're not fatal unless you break them."
Harry stared at him before shaking his head, sighing.
"All right. So we get back, and after hours we sneak out with the Invisibility Cloak to find out what Quirrel is up to. Right? And maybe find out what he has with him that makes my scar hurt."
"Right," Draco confirmed. "If we find out anything is happening, like if Quirrel is planning on making a move for the stone that night, we go to Professor Snape."
"Right," Harry agreed.
Draco nodded and Harry stood from his seat, walking over to his trunk and letting out a sudden, defeated groan.
"Is something wrong?"
"We had History of Magic homework for over the holidays," Harry said miserably.
