Thirty-seventh
"Ahhhhhhh," Harrison sighed gustily as he flopped down on his bed. "It's good to be home." Draco could only nod, eyes blinking sleepily. They had endured a long, tense trip home. Lavender Brown, as well as Roger Davies, Ernie MacMillan, Zacharias Smith and Morag MacDougal kept eyeing the raven speculatively whenever he and Draco were in the train corridors, which raised the hackles of the blond. Neither teen was sure exactly why those students were watching Harrison, but they were pretty convinced it had something to do with their fathers' involvement in the 'pureblood revolution'. "Why don't you go take a shower," the raven suggested with a fond smile. "I'll have Sandie prepare a snack for us, then we'll go to bed. Tomorrow will definitely be better."
Nodding, Draco stumbled off to the bathroom, re-emerging a half an hour later, hair still wet. Snorting softly, Harrison summoned a small towel and gently dried the blonde locks. Draco stood there, enjoying the loving care that his boyfriend was showing him. When the brunet finished, the blond reached up and brushed a soft kiss to Harrison's lips, making them tingle. With a mumbled 'good night', Draco staggered to the bed and dropped into it, curling around Harrison's pillow and drifting to sleep instantly. "Sandie," the raven called softly, trying not to wake Draco. The little elf popped in, smiling at her charge fondly. "Could you please take away the snacks? I guess Draco was too tired to want to eat."
"I is being happy to," she nodded happily, pulling her wand to banish the dishes to the kitchen.
"Well done, sweetie," Harrison enthused softly, kneeling to hug his elf. "Our lessons together are working quite well."
"Thank you, Master Harrison," she squeaked, blushing. "You is being a wonderful and patient teacher." Emotions on overload, the elf quickly popped away before the raven could respond. Chuckling, he stood up and grabbed his pajamas and his toiletries.
Harrison took his own turn in the bathroom, then climbed into the bed behind Draco, wrapping his arms around the blond and snuggling into his back. Malfoy murmured in his sleep, wriggling back and sighing blissfully as he sank deeper into his dreams. Clenching his teeth to get his hormones under control, it took a few moments before Harrison could close his eyes, the scent of his love wafting around him and soothing him to sleep.
"I have some surprises for you and your friends, Harrison," Lucius said as he stepped into the library at the Keep. The brunet looked at his uncle curiously. "I happen to have several empty warehouses and storefronts scattered around wizarding Great Britain and France. If you like, your father and dad, godfathers, friends, Draco and I can go and look at the properties. Perhaps you'll find what you're looking for in one of them."
"Thank you, uncle Lucius," the raven replied, pleased. "That's very generous of you."
"As you have pointed out many times, we are all family, and family takes care of each other. Besides, the properties are just going to waste, sitting empty like they are. I figure that if we can convert a few of them into the businesses we spoke of, then I may be able to turn a profit from them."
"I would have no problem paying you rent for the spaces we occupy," Harrison said promptly. "After all, it would only be fair."
"Nonsense," the blond scoffed gently. "The properties you choose will become yours. I only require first option to invest in them. In fact, I would like to be majority stockholder in them, if possible."
"I'll go you one better, uncle Lucius. For your incredibly generous offer, we all will be willing to make you partner in all of our ventures. After all, with the Malfoy name behind our efforts, they're sure to be a success, especially now that you're Minister."
"Deal," Lucius agreed promptly, smiling widely at his son's future mate.
"That empty warehouse in Knockturn Alley would make a perfect movie theater," Harrison enthused happily. "We just need to take a tour of some really nice muggle movie theaters, and find the décor and setup that we'd like for ours."
"I like the storefront across from the warehouse," George said, looking at his brother with a raised eyebrow. Fred nodded his agreement, a wide smile on his face. "It's got a great deal of space in front, with a large storage area behind the counter. As well, it has an expansive living space above it. We think it would be perfect for a joke shop one of these days."
"Actually, gentlemen, that is what I wish to speak with you about," Tom interjected softly. "From the information I've been gathering from the students and staff at the school, your jokes and pranks have been greatly toned down. They're no longer cruel or vicious, and are very highly regarded by most of the students. So, this is my proposal. Lucius is willing to give you that storefront, and I am willing to be one of your backers. You continue to develop those pranks and jokes, with an eye toward fun, and when you graduate, you'll already be set to take the wizarding world by storm."
"Are you serious?" Fred asked incredulously. At the nods from both Tom and Lucius, the twins whooped loudly and hugged each other, dancing around the room like madmen and eliciting delighted laughter and giggling.
"As long as I can be a silent partner, I see no problem with it," Lucius said loudly, stopping the twins mid-twirl. They stood up straight and approached the blond, blue eyes serious.
"You have a deal, sir," George said, sticking out his hand. Lucius shook it, then shook Fred's when he offered it.
"That medical facility in Haguenau, France looked quite promising," Severus murmured softly. "It already has a great deal of equipment within it; all it needs is a good cleaning and to convert a couple of the smaller labs into potions labs. There is also plenty of office space for you, Neville, and your mother. She is quite excited about assisting us in our research."
"Thank you, Severus, for offering her the position. She's been spending as much time with me as she can, so that she can be brought up to date on all that we've discussed, and all that I've already done."
"It's yours, Severus," Lucius said quietly, smiling at his best friend. "I can see no greater endeavor in which to dedicate that empty facility than yours and Neville's research facility."
"Thank you, old friend," the Potions Master said with a small catch in his voice.
"That large building dead center of Knockturn Alley would be perfect to be a publishing house," Seamus said into the thoughtful silence. "It has several different floors, and we can convert some of the other levels into dance studios, acting studios, and musical studios. We could house a great many types of talent in that one building alone, and I'm sure that there are a fair few denizens of the Alley that have the talent we're seeking, and would be thrilled to be offered an opportunity to shine."
"Great idea, Seamus," Sirius chirped with a wide grin. "We could even put a bulletin board outside the building, advertising the types of talent we'd need."
"Hey, Luna?" Dean said to the blonde. She looked at him with her slightly glazed grey eyes, a small smile on her face. "Would your father be willing to relocate The Quibbler to an actual printing press? I'm sure he'd like to be able to stretch out and expand his enterprise."
"I've actually written Father about that, and I sent him a photograph of the building I think would be perfect. It's that large building near Gringotts."
"It would be my pleasure to gift your father with that building," Lucius told the girl, basking in the wide smile she gave him. "With all of these wonderful business opportunities opening up in the near future, I will be making money hand over fist just being a partner to all of you."
"Honestly, sir, we'd consider it an honor to have your business acumen backing all of us," George told the blond solemnly. "You've made all of the businesses you now hold extremely profitable. We couldn't go wrong with you in our corner."
The boys were upstairs with the rest of the gang, planning the layouts for their businesses, as well as the advertising to draw in the talent. Severus, Lucius, Sirius, Remus and Tom were, once again, in the Dark Lord's den, discussing the revenge that they were about to enact against the Dursleys. "The potion works as it should, Sev?" Riddle asked his husband.
"It does," the dour man replied softly. "We will dose their food with it, and it will make them repulsive to all, except for the whale's sister. It was fortunate that we were able to pick up some of their hairs and skin cells when we scoped out the place. It was a bit difficult finding a moment when the house was completely empty; we were able to succeed, however, and everything is ready to go."
"I found an obscure spell in one of my family's old books," Sirius told them with a malicious grin. "It's Dark, but not really harmful in the strictest sense. I'll cast it on their house and surrounding yard; it'll make it look like the place is a run-down derelict to outsiders, but won't look any different to the residents."
"So, we've got something that will make them repellent to any who meet them, and something that will make their home look like a shack," Lucius summed up. At the nods of agreement, he said, "Well, what are we waiting for?"
"Didn't Harrison want to be involved with this?" Remus asked softly as Sirius finished casting the spell on the house. Tom had disillusioned himself, since his invisibility spell was the strongest, and had crept into the house, dosing all of the Dursleys' food with the potion and setting up recording charms so that they could watch the fallout.
"He did," Tom agreed softly, watching the sickly yellow glow around the property fade as the spell settled. "I think, though, that he'll be willing to allow our punishments to work until the time comes when he decides he wants to deal them the killing blow. He'd expressed the desire to torture them at some point, but I was able to talk him into letting us do this. I am hoping that, when it gets closer to their demise, he'll have had a change of heart, and will allow things to take their natural course. I do not wish for him to inflict pain on another, even if they deserve it. I don't want to see his innocence tarnished in any way."
"Thank you, Tom," Sirius murmured, once again grateful that this man had chosen to liberate his godson and give him a good life. "I agree; if he were to go down that road, it would change him in fundamental ways; ways from which he could never come back."
"Rodolphus. Rabastan. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Tom said in surprise as he saw the two men at his door. He stepped back and bade them enter. They followed him to the lounge, where Sandie had set up refreshments. "Please, sit and help yourselves."
"Thank you, Tom," Rodolphus said softly. "Buster Brown has given us the task of 'kidnapping' Draco during your visit to Diagon Alley to get their school things. He believes, rightly so, that Draco would have no problem coming with us, since he's seen us around his Manor frequently, when Bella would go visit her sister."
"So that's their next move?"
"It is," Rabastan concurred. "We cannot stay long; we just came to warn you so that you could possibly put some plans in place to keep our nephew safe."
"Have no fear, gentlemen. Draco is very important to my son's well-being. Besides, I've grown very fond of him, and I will do all I can to see him protected." Nodding their heads, the Lestranges took their leave, knowing that Tom would call them when he had a solid plan in place. Riddle stalked through the Keep, finding Lucius, Severus, Sirius and Remus in a lounge near one of the libraries. "The Lestrange brothers have informed me that Brown and his cohorts are planning the abduction of Draco during our outing to get the children's school supplies. They will be the ones to 'kidnap' your son, Lucius, so we need to come up with a plan to protect him."
"Dad? Can we talk?" Harrison said as he entered his parents' suite. Severus, who had been sitting at the writing desk, looked up at his son with a wide smile.
"Of course, son," he told the teen. He put his quill back into the inkstand and stood, beckoning his son to the settee in front of the fireplace. They sat, Harrison leaning into his dad's side happily as Severus wrapped an arm around the boy.
"I was thinking about your research facility," the teen finally said after a comfortable silence. "While I was still living with the Dursleys, I would hear them talk about the different illnesses with which the muggle world was struggling. Things like cancer, and AIDS, and muscular dystrophy. That last one, especially, they would talk about, because a very famous comedian, by the name of Jerry Lewis, would hold a telethon every year on the American continent during something they called Labor day. He started it in the 1960's, when one of the staff members of his comedy show asked for help with the bills and medical treatment for their child, who had this debilitating disease. He did it mostly for the children, to try and raise money for research into a cure.
"There are so many different illnesses and diseases that the muggles deal with on a daily basis, that I think we could come up with cures for, through your research facility. We want to be able to get along with them, on a limited basis, and adapt their technologies to our world. It would be a great way to reach a hand of friendship and cooperation across our borders if we were able to use our talents to help them combat some of these diseases."
Severus was quiet for a time, pondering his son's remarkable idea, before he finally spoke. "I think that's a fine idea, Harrison," he finally said, hugging his son closer to himself. "I know of some muggleborn doctors that have dedicated their skills to the muggle world, who would be able to get me the necessary research materials, as well as the biological samples, so that I may study these illnesses, and see if I can perhaps divine a way to halt or alter their method of infection."
"Thanks, Dad," the raven sighed happily. "I knew that you would understand. Just think; if you were able to come up with cures for some of these deadly and debilitating diseases, you would be known worldwide as the greatest Healer ever born."
"I just don't understand it," Petunia whined petulantly. "I mean, I've done absolutely nothing to the neighbors for them to turn their noses up at me. They treat me like I'm meaningless, for heaven's sake. It's appalling."
"I know, Pet," Vernon grumbled roughly, looking shabbier than he'd ever done. "I have no idea why I lost my job, either. I've been their top salesman for many years. To suddenly be sacked, just like that…" The conversation was interrupted when Dudley came tromping through the door. Petunia gasped loudly at the condition of her precious Dudders. His clothing was torn and filthy, and he had bruises and cuts all over his face and arms.
"Diddikins! What on earth happened?" she shrieked, making Vernon wince at the decibel level of her voice.
"I don't know, Mum," he mumbled. "I was hanging out at the park, waiting for my friends. When they got there, they looked at me as if I was a slug under their feet, and started beating up on me. It's a miracle I was able to escape." None of them gave a thought to Harry Potter; they had forgotten that the freak had ever existed. Dudley vaguely remembered a small kid that he used to bully, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember who it was. As well as being persona non grata in the neighborhood, he'd discovered that he was losing weight. More than once he'd had to hold his pants up. His mum was overjoyed at his and his father's weight loss, even though they hadn't changed their eating habits in any way. Dudley was a bit suspicious of it, however. He'd heard that people who had cancer lost enormous amounts of weight, because the disease would take all of their calories to feed its growth. His mum had taken he and his dad to their internist, who reassured them that they weren't diseased. The physician was thrilled at the weight loss; he'd been after the Dursleys for years, trying to get them down to a healthier weight. Whatever they were doing was succeeding remarkably well, and he couldn't be happier. He was a bit concerned about Petunia, though. The woman was thin to begin with; her unexplained weight loss was reaching dangerous levels for her. However, because he couldn't find any root cause for the reduction, he advised her to take in more calories, to prevent any sort of organ failure due to a lack of nutrition.
"Well, we'll just have to weather this storm," she chirped with false bravado. "It should pass, in time. We need to figure out how to get some money, though. The bills are starting to pile up, and we've already burned through most of your savings, Vernon."
"I know, Pet," the man gruffed. "I've contacted Marge and told her what was happening. She's agreed to move in here and help us out until we're able to get back onto our feet."
"That's good," the woman sighed. "I like your sister, Vernon. Such a sensible, kindly woman."