Chapter Twelve: Wicked Attraction
After we had eaten our evening meal and bid farewell to Lucius, I sent the boys to their rooms to relax for the night. I needed time to figure out some activities they could do to keep themselves busy, and decided that I would finally work on the outside of the building to make it look nice like the inside. I would do it magically of course and thought the boys would enjoy helping me with ideas. First we would draw it up and make sure to add the magically added windows of the upstairs hall, Harry's bedroom, and the study to the outside making it seem more like a large home and I would also fix the hole I had left in the roof. Of course, I would charm it so muggles would still see just a dilapidated building but wizards would be able to see our changes. I would also do the same to the large fields surrounding the building, making a large garden and maybe a pool for the boys to swim in. I also though of having a large grass field for romping and sports activities. That should keep us busy the first few days of Draco's visit, and help them to work with each other, instead of against each other like they usually do in school.
The next day I put my planning into action by asking the boys to the table and placing an enlarged parchment, drawing pencils one regular length of parchment and two writing pencils in front of them. With a little explaining and skillfully added praises, they agreed to help me and I put both of them to work in writing a list of what they would like to add to the garden, yard, and pool area. With a few arguments in the beginning, they finally settled into prattling ideas off each other and coming up with a decent list. After they agreed on what all was on their list I made an extra copy of their list and made another enlarged parchment. We began by drawing the shape of the building and adding in the windows and patching the hole of the roof then we added a different door to create an attractive entry and shutters to the windows. We also added shrubbery around the house and a nice walking path. Buy the evening meal the drawing of the house and outdoor areas were completed and both boy walked up the stairs talking comfortably with each other about how great it would be when it was all finished and we could enjoy our creation.
The next morning both boys woke with excitement and as soon as we finished breakfast, we went outside to begin. I added the wards so no one could see us and then I magically patched the roof and straightened the wood siding. I went around the building and placed the windows and shutters on then included the boys to decide on what colors we would make them. They bickered for a few moments before combining both their preferences and we made the siding of the building green and the shutters and facings a dark red. We colored the roofing tiles the same red and added outside lighting to the front entry and a small covered porch. Then we went in and prepared lunch.
When we came back out to continue our project Harry had brought his Herbology book and he and Draco picked out their favorite plants to add for landscaping.
"Hey wouldn't it be brilliant if instead of a regular pool we had a clean pond with fish we could swim around with?" I said in excitement.
Draco scoffed "Potter there is no way I am swimming with any disgusting fish."
I laughed at his scrunched up face and said, "Well it won't be disgusting if we magically kept the water crystal clear and had some cool plants in the bottom. We could swim down and chase the fish, it would be fun." I promised.
Draco thought on it for a moment before saying "Yeah I guess it would be fun and maybe we can have a muggle weeping willow near it so we can swim through their dangling limbs that would be brilliant too."
I agreed with a nod before asking, "Sir, could you do that? I mean make a really clean lake instead of a pool and have a weeping willow so we can swim through it?"
Snape looked at me in thought before he said, "Why don't we go look for the best place to put it and I can also place a small building near it for holding cleat owls and swim wear."
I smiled in excitement and raced towards the back of the house with Draco close behind. We figured the best place to place the pond was past where the large yard would be and we would have stepping stones leading around the yard to it. Snape agreed to go and purchase a weeping willow and asked, "How big should the lake be? We have plenty of room with all these empty fields, and we could place a few docks for jumping off of."
"Yeah!" both Draco and I agreed enthusiastically.
Snape told us, we could not help with our magic because he was worried the ministry would trace my magic here and then I could be in danger. So, Draco and I watched as he dug the lake, which we agreed for him to make it as large as he could, and then he magically drew water from the earth to fill it, and placed a magical spell that would keep the water fresh and clear.
By the end of the day Draco and I could barely keep our eyes open to eat our evening meal and we both headed to bed directly after, with strict orders from Snape to shower first.
The next morning Draco and I raced down the stairs planning another busy day to get the outside done but when we reached the table and sat for breakfast Snape said, "Boys I have been called to an emergency and will be gone for a few hours today. We will not be able to work outside, and while I am gone, you two will be staying indoors until I return."
Draco and I apparently agreed to the unfairness of being forced to stay indoors, on such a nice summer day, and began to make our arguments talking over and with each other as to why we should be allowed to go outdoors, but Snape cut us off mid rant with a glare and a raised hand.
We both pouted to show our displeasure but stayed quiet while he said, "I realize you are excited for us to continue on with our plans and I fully intend to work on them if I can return early but, I will not change my mind about letting you out of the house. I will be warding the entry and all the windows to protect you and if you try to leave the house, without it being under dire circumstances, I will see it as disobedience and you both know how our day will end."
We both gulped at the same time, understanding his meaning, and I for one am more than happy to stay inside to avoid…that, at all costs.
Snape left shortly after breakfast refusing to give us a time to which he would return. He said, and I quote, "I will not help you to keep from getting caught in whatever mischief you may get into while I am gone. I expect no messes and we have already discussed leaving the house."
After a stern glare, he swooshed his bat robes as he left, and we heard the crack of apparation a few minutes later.
"So what should we do? I am already bored and it has not even been a minute." Draco whined as he slouched into the sofa.
I was pacing in front of the fireplace trying to come up with something then asked, "What do you normally do when you get to be home alone I always had a list of chores to finish before the Dursley's would get home."
He looked at me in thought, and then said, "Well usually I play in my room or read. One time I played a few pranks on the house elves by moving things around where they shouldn't go but I don't often get left home alone and when I do it isn't for very long."
I laughed at the idea of moving Snape's things around to make him go crazy looking for them and getting confused at thing being where they are not supposed to be.
After I stopped laughing I said, "Draco that's brilliant! Let's move some stuff a little then we can find something else to do!"
He agreed so we began going through the house moving things around. After there was at least one thing switched from every room except Snape's room and lab, we met back in the sitting room laughing at how funny it would be watching Snape's reaction.
"That was fun. We could play other pranks I know a few the Weasley twins played but we couldn't do any of the big ones I mean little ones like sticking jam in Snape's slippers."
Draco laughed before saying, "That's funny but Snape would know it was us and probably make us write and essay or something."
I laughed before saying, "It would be worth it though besides he said we would be working on the yard today and now we are stuck inside with nothing to do."
Draco agreed so we played a few little pranks. I snuck into Snape's room and placed jam in one of his slippers. Draco opened his armoire and flipped all his clothes inside out before magically folding them and placing them back where he had them. I thought it would be brilliant if we could make his robes change colors after he had them on so we went into the study where I had been doing lessons with Snape and looked through my spells book to see if we could find a spell that would work.
We did find the spell and after a little practice on each other, we cast them on some of his clothes agreeing a bright yellow would be perfect for him.
After we went back to the sitting room to figure out what else we could do. We were pretty bored so I asked Draco to my room and figured we could build with my Legos.
"Really Potter; we aren't babies, why would we play with stupid muggle toys?" Draco scoffed.
I laughed before saying, "It is just an idea we don't have to, but I thought maybe we could come up with more things to do while we built."
He shrugged his shoulders so I began to lead him tom my room, but once we were half way up the stair he said, "Wouldn't it be fun to slide down the stairs?"
I turned and looked at him as if he had gone mad before asking, "Why would you want to do that? I mean, I agree it would be fun but what if we got caught? Snape would spa…uh, be angry with us again."
He flinched at my slip before saying, "Have a little faith Potter. I mean, we could just do it once. I have always wanted to but my mother and father would be angry and the house elves would tell my father if I ever did, but now we are here alone and we could do a lot of things we have never been allowed to."
He had a point and after looking at the stair for a moment, I realized it would be fun to slide down them. I had never thought to before, but I had heard Dudley do it while I was sleeping under the stairs. "How would we slide down them?"
He looked at the stairs in contemplation before racing up the stairs towards his room. I hurried to follow him and reached his room just in time to be hit in the face with some pillows.
"Watch it Malfoy!"
"Sorry, I was getting the pillows so we could put them at the bottom of the stairs for cushioning."
I got his idea and ran to my room to grab some of my pillows too. Once we had all our pillows piled at the bottom of the stairs for a soft landing I asked, "What will we use to slide down on?"
He ran back up the stairs with me following and went back to his room. This time I made it in to watch him take his trunk and flip it over emptying its contents on the floor. "Here we go we can use my trunk, we just need another pillow to sit on." I ran to Snape's room fetching one of his then returned to find Draco magically floating his trunk towards the stairs.
After we had the trunk sat at the top of the stairs with the pillow in it and ready to be ridden, I began to have second thoughts, noticing now how high the stairs actually were. I did not want Draco to think I was a baby so I swallowed my fear and watched as Draco got in for his ride.
"Potter, give me a little push. Not too hard though, I don't want to be flipped."
I nodded before getting behind him and preparing to give a nudge when suddenly the door at the bottom of the steps opened and then a scarily familiar voice growled, "Harry James, do not move one muscle!"
I froze at the order before peeking around Draco's shoulder to see the livid face of Snape glaring at me.
Before I realized what I was doing, I looked up to see my bedroom door approaching fast then noticed it was because I was running. I opened my door just as I looked down the hall seeing Draco, had done the same, and slam his door behind him. The slam of his door seemed to knock some sense and I realized how Slytherin I was being and decided to turn back and face whatever Snap threw at me with bravery.
I arrived at the top of the stairs just as Snape did, and was rewarded with a pinch to my ear before being dragged to the study and sent to stand in the corner with a giant smack to my bottom.
I heard Snape walking out of the study, probably to get Draco, so I risked a quick rub at the sting before hiding my hands between me and the corner at hearing smacking and Draco's whining as he was also dragged to the study, with a smack at every third step.
We stood in the corner for a long time. My legs were becoming sore and I kept getting scolded by Snape to be still. After another lifetime of waiting Snape finally called us from the corner only to sit us at the round table and order us to write 300 hundred lines of 'I will not be apart of any dunderheaded schemes that could result in me breaking my neck.'
It felt like we had been sitting in silence for hours with only the scratching of our quills before Snape said, "Both of you gather your parchment, quills, and ink wells. I am going to go and prepare our evening meal and since I cannot leave you two alone without fearing for your lives, I will have to keep you where I can see you."
Draco and I protested, "Aww, Snape it wasn't so dangerous we had a lot of pillows to catch us."
"Yeah Uncle Sev, we planned it so we wouldn't get hurt."
Snape turned to us and glared before growling, "And if your trunk had decided to flip over throwing you out instead of sliding down the stairs you would have been just as safe?"
I looked to the floor in defeat but Draco insisted, "We wouldn't have flipped, we both ride brooms and have very good balance; we would have been fine."
I of course new we were possibly in for more punishment so I dug my elbow into Draco's side hopefully he would take the hint and shut up; of course he didn't though and said, "Ouch, Potter, what was that for?" causing Snape to move his scathing glare in my direction.
I kept my eyes down hoping he would forget I was here, but I had no such luck. "Harry, take you and Draco's things down to the dining table. Me and Draco need to have a conversation about the dangers of stairs."
I quickly obeyed and set our things at the table then got to work on trying to finish my lines.
When Draco and Snape arrived, Draco was pouting while rubbing his bottom and Snape had a smug look on his face as he ordered, "Draco sit and keep working on your lines like Harry and do not stand from your seat until I dismiss you."
Draco followed Snape's directions hissing as he sat. I looked to him with a sorrowful wince and he gave me a smile in return before glaring at Snape as he wiggled around for a comfortable position, then picking up his quill and working on his lines.
[Announcement: Yes there were references to spanking in this chapter, but I figure the warning in the story summary should fix that. I will only put a warning if there is an actual scene. Any who I wanted to say sorry for the slow updating I have had many things going on since we just moved back to my hometown, from a few states away, and then attending many family activities for Christmas and soon New Years, which I forgot to say. Merry Christmas and happy New Years!]
