Sorry for such a late update! Here is the next chapter. Thanks for all the terrific reviews! This is a shorter chapter than usual, but I hope it satifies!
"Is Draco coming over, tomorrow?" Harry asked as he jumped into his bed, sitting on top of the blankets.
"Yes, Harry," Severus said. He was starting to think that Harry had sneaked a couple biscuits while he wasn't looking earlier, because the boy was beyond hyper. "First thing in the morning. Now, let's get you under the covers . . ."
Severus pulled out the blankets from under his son. Harry started to lie back on his pillows then suddenly crawled out of bed.
"I forgot to brush my teeth."
Severus sat on the edge of the bed and waited patiently for his son to finish in the bathroom. When Harry came back, Severus stood and pulled the blanket back. Harry crawled in bed, but before Severus could cover him, Harry crawled across the bed and jumped off on the other side.
"I forgot to fill Hedwig's bowls!"
Severus watched as Harry filled his owl's food bowl then took the water bowl and refilled it in the bathroom. After reattaching the water bowl to the owl stand, Harry crawled back into bed.
"Finished?" Severus questioned.
"Yeah, sorry," Harry gave his dad a small smile. "I'm done."
Severus lifted the blanket up once more. Once again, Harry gasped in remembrance and crawled away before he could cover the squirming child up. Severus huffed as he sat on the bed and dropped the blanket.
"Sorry, Dad!" Harry called from the bathroom. "I really needed to use the bathroom."
Severus listened to the toilet flush and the sink run for a few seconds before Harry reappeared and stood in front of him.
"I'm ready, now," Harry said.
"Are you?" Severus smirked. "You're positive?"
"Yes."
"You're absolutely sure?"
"I'm sure."
"There's nothing you're forgetting?"
"Dad! I'm sure!"
"Alright, alright. I'm just making sure. In."
Severus stood and pulled back the covers. Harry crawled in bed and laid back on his pillows, smiling up at his father. Severus prepared to tuck his son in when he saw the boy's eyes stray to the bathroom. He realized that Harry had forgotten to turn the light off.
"Oh, wait, Dad," Harry said, crawling towards the other side of the bed.
"Oh, no, you don't!"
Severus reached forward and grabbed his son by the waist. Severus leaned forward slightly to slide his other arm under Harry's bottom and pull the boy up into a cradle position.
"Daddy!" Harry laughed as he was lifted off his bed. "I forgot the light in the bathroom."
"I have tried several times now to tuck you in and I will do so if it's the last thing I do!" Severus growled playfully.
Severus plopped a laughing Harry back down on the bed and wrapped the blanket around him before he could escape. Severus roughly patted the blanket smooth and tucked it firmly around Harry, who was still giggling softly.
"Stay," Severus commanded. He held his hands above Harry, waiting to catch the boy should he move.
Harry gave a short burst of laughter at that.
"I'm staying," Harry smiled.
Severus snorted then sat on the edge of the bed.
"How long is Draco staying for?" Harry asked.
"Just the weekend, son," Severus answered. "You two have been owling each other all week just begging to see each other, so now you've got your wish. Why you couldn't use your own owl is beyond me. You have a perfectly capable owl to deliver your own letters, now, you know."
"I know," Harry smiled at Hedwig. "I want her to be a surprise."
"I expect both of you to be on your best behavior," Severus said in his serious tone.
"We will be."
"Good," Severus leaned forward and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, son."
"Night, Daddy."
Severus turned off all the lights. He was later surprised that Harry managed to fall asleep at all that night.
From the moment Draco stepped through the floo, the two boys have talked about nothing but the upcoming years at Hogwarts. Harry and Draco were very excited to begin their schooling that began in two weeks. They first studied each other's wands. Draco had a 10-inch wand made of hawthorn wood with a unicorn hair core. Harry marveled at the unique wand before showing off his own. The boys compared their equipment, quality of their robes, and other knick knacks for Hogwarts. Then the two showed off their owls.
"This is Aero," Draco said. "He's an eagle owl. They are very majestic and proud birds."
The tall eagle owl eyed Harry as the boy reached out and stroked his feathers. Harry smiled at the bird. Aero was a very Malfoy-ish bird.
"He's really cool," Harry said. He ran over to his open window and whistled. After a moment, Hedwig came flying into the room and landed gently on Harry's arm. Harry walked her over to Draco.
"This is Hedwig," Harry introduced her. "She's a Snowy Owl. Isn't she pretty?"
"Yeah," Draco smiled, reaching out a hand and stroking the white feathers.
With the close distance between the owls now, Harry and Draco heard strange growling and clacking noises. They pulled back to find Aero holding himself up high and emitting a throaty growl and Hedwig snapping her beak at him. The boys took a couple more steps back away from each other. After a couple moments, the two birds stopped making any noise, completely ignoring each other.
"They hate each other," Draco nearly whined.
"Does this mean they can't be in the same owlery together?" Harry wondered.
"I hope not," Draco answered. "Maybe we have to introduce them properly. Let them sniff each other."
"Okay," Harry agreed.
They walked closer to each other slowly, bringing the owls closer together. When they were nearly a foot a part, Aero began growling and Hedwig began snapping her bill again.
Harry and Draco paused and allowed the two birds to settle down again, growing quiet. They still ignored each other, however, showing no interest in looking at the other bird. Harry lifted his arm up a bit towards Aero.
The two birds made eye contact and then there was a blur of feathers and hisses and growls and barks. Harry and Draco shrieked and stepped away from the entangled two birds. Harry wasn't sure what to do, so he did the first thing that came to mind. He ran out into the hall.
"Dad!" Harry yelled. "Come quick!"
"What's wrong, Harry?" Severus ran up the stairs and to his son's room.
Seeing the owls, Severus pulled out his wand and cast a sleeping spell. The two owls fell over. Harry and Draco ran forward and lifted their owls gently, cradling the limp bodies.
"What happened?" Severus asked.
"They hate each other," Draco said. "We were trying to introduce them and they attacked each other."
"Is she okay, Dad?" Harry held up Hedwig for his father to see. Draco also brought Aero over to Severus.
Severus brushed aside feathers as he looked for injuries.
"They're both a little scratched up; looks like a couple bite marks as well," Severus said. "I'll apply a healing balm and then you two will put them in separate rooms."
"How are they going to live at Hogwarts together?" Draco asked.
"Will they be able to stay in the same owlery?" Harry asked.
"Of course," Severus said. "They're owls, son. Not dogs. They have to get used to each other and that will take time. Remember when Phantom first met Hedwig, Harry?"
Harry thought back to when his father's great grey owl first met Hedwig. Harry had been feeding Hedwig some bacon when Phantom arrived with mail for Severus. The owl landed on the table with letters in his beak and sneered at Hedwig. However, when Severus tapped the table with a finger, the owl delivered the letters and accepted some scrambled eggs from his owner. Usually, Phantom would walk over to Harry and accept some bacon or sausage but the owl flew away instead. Phantom avoided any contact with the strange white owl, keeping his distance and flying away whenever she was in the same room.
After a week or so of observing Hedwig and monitoring her behavior around Harry (the owl seemed to stalk him when he had Hedwig out), Phantom reluctantly accepted the new addition. Now, Harry fed both owls at the table with little conflict.
Harry hoped his father would teach him how to train Hedwig. Phantom was a smart owl. He knew to pick up or fetch a letter on command, how to catch something in midair, and how to hang upside down while holding on to his father's hand. And those were just Harry's favorite tricks. Severus promised Harry he would help him with some beginner bird tricks.
"Yeah," Harry answered, pulling out of his reverie. "I guess Aero and Hedwig need time, too."
The boys followed Severus to the potions lab where the potions master applied healing balms to the owls. Harry didn't really like how limp Hedwig seemed in his father's hands. It reminded him too much of the previous Hedwig's death. However, after voicing his complaints about the sleeping spell, his father reassured him that it was a weak spell and should wear off within the hour. After healing the owls, they were returned to their proper rooms and left to sleep.
To pass the time, Draco and Harry decided to play wizard's chess at a small chess table. Ten turns in, it was Draco's move.
"So, I've been thinking that when we get to our dorm, we have to find the two closest beds," Draco said as he moved a pawn. "Can you imagine all the late nights we could have? With no adults telling us what time to go to bed? Think of all the mischief we could cause in our house. And we would be the leaders, of course."
"Um-uh . . ." Harry stammered.
"But if our new housemates get there first, then I guess it's okay if we are across from each other," Draco continued.
Harry didn't know what to say. He still wasn't entirely sure what house he wanted to be in or if the hat would even give him a choice this time. Harry also didn't know how Severus might feel if the man's only son ended up in a house other than Slytherin. Harry felt very conflicted with what he was supposed to do. What house he should choose.
"What do you think, Harry?" Draco interrupted his train of thoughts.
"I don't know," Harry admitted.
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Draco frowned.
"Well," Harry looked down at the board, the game no longer making sense as he tried to think of a way to explain his thoughts. "I may . . . not be in . . . Slytherin."
Draco frowned, confused at first, then a hurt look taking over his face.
"You don't want to be in the same house as me?"
"No!" Harry said quickly, startling Draco more. "I mean, no. It's not that. Not that at all, Draco. I'm just not . . . well, I may not end up in Slytherin."
"Well, your dad is Slytherin," Draco stated.
"Yeah, but, my mum was a Gryffindor," Harry said. "I guess I could be in either house."
"But . . ." Draco looked at the game, not even sure if Harry had moved a piece or not. "You want to be in Slytherin, right? I'm positive that's where I'll be. You and I could have so much fun together."
"I don't know if I want to be in Slytherin," Harry admitted. "I don't think it really matters though."
Draco frowned.
"What do you mean you don't want to be in Slytherin?"
"That's not what I said! I said I don't know if I want to be. Get it right. Besides, I guess I wouldn't mind being in a different house."
"Why? Cause your mudblood mother was in Gryffindor?" Draco snapped.
Harry saw red as something in him snapped. He lunged forward, knocking the chess table over, and punched Draco in the eye.
Draco held his eye and stared at Harry in shock, his grey eyes watering. Then he frowned.
Draco lunged forward and shoved Harry to the floor, falling on top of him. Scattered chess pieced poked into Harry's back. Harry felt Draco's fist connect with his cheekbone. Harry's eyes watered but he looked up just in time to see Draco's fist falling again. Harry grabbed Draco's hand before it could hit him again. He palmed Draco's face and pushed the blond boy off of him.
Harry rolled on top of Draco, pinning the boy down by his shoulders. Draco struggled against the hold. Harry raised a hand to strike Draco.
Suddenly, Harry fell backwards and off of Draco. A paw on each shoulder pinned him to the ground. Harry looked up at the wolf-sized fox snarling down at him. Harry cringed at the fox growl equivalent to a scolding. He looked over and up in time to see his father lift Draco to his feet. He noticed the black eye and tousled hair. Harry was sure there was a bruise on his cheek and his hair probably looked no better.
"What is the meaning of this?" Severus growled.
"Harry punched me first!" Draco whined.
Harry saw his father glare at him. He felt Sam let off his shoulders and he sat up but remained on the floor. Sam sat next to him, his three tails twitching.
"He called Mum a mudblood!" Harry pointed a finger at Draco.
Severus returned a scathing glare at Draco. Draco stared wide-eyed and took a step back.
"He . . . he . . . he hates me!" Draco pointed a finger back.
"What! I never said that! He's . . ."
"Silence!" Severus snapped. "Both of you! No more."
"But . . ." Harry started but quickly shut his mouth when Sam snarled at him, the fox's ears flat against his head.
Severus reached down and pulled Harry to his feet.
"You – go stand in the corner," Severus gave Harry a gentle shove towards a vacant corner in the living room. Harry stumbled forward a bit before walking over to the corner, sulking in front of it.
"And you," Severus directed Draco towards the kitchen. "You are getting your mouth washed out."
Harry made a face, remembering the taste of soap in his mouth when he had told his father to sod off. After a quiet moment, he glanced behind him. The only other person in the room was Sam, who had returned to his dog bed. Harry must have stared too long because Sam opened his eyes and looked right at him.
: Face the corner. The fox told him.
Harry felt his cheeks burn as he turned back to the corner.
After what felt like hours (and was really only twenty minutes), Severus returned to the living room.
"Come with me, Harry."
Harry followed his father up the stairs and to his room. He wondered where Draco was.
"Sit at your desk."
Harry did as his father said.
Severus tapped the table and parchment and a quill set appeared.
"Write what I say down. I will use my words instead of my fists," Severus waited for Harry to finish writing the sentence. "I want three hundred lines of that sentence. That should fill up your afternoon until dinner."
Harry groaned. He rested his head in his hand and began writing another line of the tedious assignment.
"But before you begin," Severus removed the quill from Harry's hand, setting it down, and turned Harry's chair so it faced him as he sat on the bed. "Let's have a talk. Why did you hit Draco?"
Harry frowned. His father knew exactly why he had hit Draco. What was the point of that question?
"He called Mum a mudblood," Harry wondered if he should say more but he wasn't really sure how to justify his actions.
"He did. Why?"
"I don't know," Harry's frown deepened. "I guess, well, before that, we were talking about what house we might be in."
"What house do you think you'll be in?"
"I don't know. I never really gave it much thought. You were in Slytherin and now you're the head of Slytherin, so I guess it would make sense if I was in your house. But Mum was in Gryffindor and I . . . I don't know, Dad, I don't know."
Severus was silent for a moment.
"You know what I think, Harry?"
Harry shrugged.
"I see both a slytherin and a gryffindor in you. Honestly, you could be in both houses if it were allowed. You are very much like your mother and you're a lot like me. However, whatever the hat decides to put you in will be up to what the hat sees in you. You'd do fine in Ravenclaw, even."
Harry offered a small smile before frowning again.
"What if the hat puts me in Gryffindor? You're not very fond of Gryffindor." Harry looked down as he said that. A hand lifted his chin and he looked at his father's serious face, the black eyes gentle.
"Then I'll be very fond of one particular gryffindor." Severus smiled gently.
Harry smiled back then frowned again.
"But what about Draco? He'll be really upset that I'm not with him. He was really excited about us being dormmates and all."
"I've already spoken to Draco. If you two aren't in the same house, then you're not in the same house. He'll just have to get over it. But that shouldn't change how you two behave towards each other. You're still cousins and always will be. You'll just have to accept what the hat decides to do, if you're in the same house or not."
Suddenly, Hedwig let out a loud hoot, announcing her awakening. She flew over to Harry and landed on his desk and attempted to groom his hair. Harry laughed.
"Like Hedwig and Aero have to learn to accept each other." Harry said.
Severus smiled at his smart son.
"That's my boy," Severus said.
"Thanks for talking to me, Dad. I feel a lot better now."
Harry stood from his chair and hugged his father.
"You're welcome, son." Severus gave a brief nod before reaching into his robes and pulling out a small container. Removing the lid, Severus scooped up a small amount of the white gel substance and rubbed it on Harry's cheek. Harry leaned into his father's touch, enjoying the cooling sensation then warmth the bruise balm brought. Severus returned the container to an inner pocket in his robes and ruffled Harry's hair.
"Now, get to work on those lines. I expect them to be done by dinner. If they are not, I'm adding another fifty lines."
Harry groaned but started working on the lines. Hedwig watched his quill scribble before she gently nipped at it playfully, trying to pull it out of his hand.
"Hedwig!" Harry laughed. "Go back to your perch."
The owl hooted gently, before taking off to her perch obediently. She rested her head under her wing. Harry smiled at her before focusing on his lines once more. He was not happy for the way he would be spending the rest of his afternoon. Sighing, Harry began scribbling again.
2. I will use my words instead of my fists.
3. I will use my words instead of my fists.
4. I will use my words instead of my fists.
Harry walked out of his room with the parchment, shaking out his sore hand. He met Draco at the top of the stairs. Draco also had a parchment in hand.
"Hey," Harry greeted. "You had lines, too?"
"Yeah," Draco answered. "I will use my words instead of my fists."
"That's the same I got. I thought you would have something about your language. Besides, I threw the first punch."
"I guess two minutes with the soap took care of that. And I also hit you back, so I guess he wanted us to learn the same lesson about fighting, whether we started it or not."
"Oh."
There was an awkward silence as they both thought about what to say next.
"Are we cool, now, Harry?" Draco asked. "I'm really sorry for what I said about your mum. I didn't mean it."
"That's okay. I forgive you. And I'm sorry for throwing the first punch."
"That's okay. I forgive you, too. I guess you and I will just have to wait to see what house we end up in. I don't care what happens though, we're still best mates."
Draco held out a hand and Harry eagerly shook it.
"Yes, we are," Harry agreed.
"Boys!" Severus called from the dining room. "Dinner is on the table. Bring your lines to me. They better be done!"
"Ready to face the bat of the dungeons?" Draco smirked.
"Hey, that's not nice," Harry said. "But yes. Let's go." Harry began walking down the stairs with Draco in tow.
They handed their papers to Severus before sitting on either side of him. Severus looked over the parchments before sending them to his study.
"I trust we will have no more problems." Severus said, almost wording it like a question.
"Yes, sir." Harry and Draco said.
"Good. No matter what happens at Hogwarts, you two are cousins first and foremost. Understand?"
"Yes, sir."
Severus smiled before helping the boys serve themselves.
As dinner drew to a close, Harry glared at the peas and corn salad. He didn't mind peas and corn, but he had already eaten half of it and his father was refusing him dessert until all of it was gone. His plate was nearly empty, as was Draco's. Glancing over at Sam's bowl, Harry noted the fox was gone and the bowl was empty. Harry smirked. He had discovered that Sam usually never said no to more food. He had first discovered that when he offered Sam his Brussel sprouts once when his father was in the kitchen. He could sometimes slip some of his least favorite vegetables to the fox and Sam would never say a word.
"Keep eating, you two," Severus warned. "Or there will be no treacle tarts for dessert."
Harry ate another spoonful of the salad. Draco did the same, making a face as he did.
Sam, Harry called out in his mind to wherever the fox was, want any more peas and corn?
: Of course.
Severus stood and left to the kitchen for more tea. Harry quickly picked up his bowl and held it under the table, motioning for Draco to do the same. Sam was patiently waiting under the table and he chomped away at the remaining salad in the bowls, licking them clean before misting away. Severus came back just as Harry and Draco set the bowls down on their empty dinner plates. They both shoved a spoon in their mouth before Severus looked up at them.
"I win," Draco said. "I knew I would."
"I was right behind you," Harry said, playing along.
"What did you win, Draco?" Severus asked as he filled Harry and Draco's glasses with more milk.
"I won the race to see who could eat the salad the fastest." Draco answered.
"I guess so," Severus looked at the empty, clean bowls. "What did you two do, lick the bowls clean?"
"Maybe," Harry smirked.
Severus shook his head but tapped the table. The dirty dishes disappeared and treacle tarts appeared in front of the boys.
Harry and Draco smiled at each other, happily enjoying the dessert. No matter what happened, they decided they would make their friendship continue through Hogwarts, whether in Gryffindor or Slytherin.
I'm sorry it's not as long as it could be, I promise the next chapter will be longer.