Draco leant against the cold stonewall beside the Great Hall entrance doors. He folded his arms on his chest, waiting. After fifteen minutes standing alone, finally came what he was waiting for. Harry Potter with his two friends appeared from the Great Hall.
"Potter," Draco called.
"Malfoy," Harry stopped before him. Crumbs of treacle tart from their dessert that night scattered over his brown T-shirt. Draco held the urge to cringe.
"What do you want now, Malfoy?" Ron moved one step forward. Draco raised his eyebrow at that.
"None of your concern," Draco gave the ginger head a lazy look. Irrelevant person.
For a minute of silence, students who passed the corridor glanced curiously at them. Then,
"I won't be long, 'Mione, Ron. I'll see you guys in the common room," Harry dismissed his friends. Draco smirked triumphantly. And seeing it, Harry bit his bottom lip and started to walk toward the courtyard. Draco followed him.
"What do you want?" Harry said after they stopped by a big tree.
"You made no progression on your Occlumency," Draco stated.
"How did— Did you just slip into my head?!" Harry fumed.
"It doesn't matter how I know! What matters is you must toughen the wall in your head to block intruders!" Draco replied in equal anger. "And I did not enter your mind!"
"What do you care!" Harry shouted.
"Because," Draco stepped forward, grabbed Harry's T-shirt and yanked him until their bodies flushed against one another. "if the Dark Lord knew about us, he will use it to harm my mother and me!"
"And all you care about is yourself! Fvck you, Malfoy!" Harry screamed at Draco's face, took his grip off of his T-shirt harshly and ran to the far east of Hogwarts castle.
"What…" Draco blinked, bewildered by what had just happened.
~o~
Draco followed the invisible pull he felt guiding him toward the Astronomy Tower. When he arrived at the top of the tower, Draco looked around and spotted Harry Potter standing on the balcony. After standing still at the top of the staircase for a moment, Draco walked to the far edge of the balcony, leaning over the railing and looking out to the ground.
Draco glanced to his right side. The breeze was swaying Harry's unruly lock gently. It felt cold up there even though summer was only few weeks away. Draco knew what was the meaning behind Harry's words he yelled at him in the courtyard. Draco understood why Harry was angry. Draco remembered the first time he saw the cupboard under the stairs. And Draco felt a pang in his chest when he remembered what he saw in Harry's memories.
Not his problem, Draco thought. Potter had caused his father sent to Azkaban. It was karma in advance for Potter, Draco reasoned. No need to feel guilty or sympathise with Potter.
Both sixteen-year-old teens stood in silence for over half hour on the Astronomy Tower balcony. Silver rays of moonlight made the whole land of Hogwarts looked monochrome from above there.
"I can assist you in mastering the Occlumency," Draco said softly. He didn't want to break the serenity that was enveloping them that night. "I can be more tolerable and painless than Professor Snape. You can thank me, Potter."
Harry snorted inelegantly. For two minutes there was no reply to Draco's offer. The only sound heard was Bloody Baron's groan on the tower. Draco put his right hand into his trousers' pocket and fingering the mini dragon statuette discreetly. He liked the statuette. Draco liked dragon. He liked green, too.
"Yeah, okay," Harry turned his head toward Draco. "I guess you're right. The quicker I master it, the better. I can't stand Snape. So, we start tomorrow?"
"Yes. Right after the Charms exam," Draco told him.
"Okay," Harry nodded. Then silence fell again between them.
"So…" Harry glanced at Draco.
"Curfew," Draco reminded him.
"Right. So, see you tomorrow. Good luck on your exam tomorrow, Malfoy." Harry moved hesitantly but then he drew back from the balcony and took the staircase to leave the tower.
Had Potter always been so clumsy, Draco wondered.
~o~
The next day on Tuesday at eleven o'clock, after the sixth year students took the Charm final exam, Draco watched Harry excused himself from his friends. The Gryffindor walked out of the Great Hall fast after he made eye contact with Draco. They met at the Grand Staircase and proceed to walk to the dungeon.
"All right. Get ready," Draco commanded after he locked the door of an unused room. "The first couple of tries I will tell you when I'm about to penetrate your mind. Next tries I will not give a cue nor use the spell verbally,"
"You can do nonverbal spell?!" Harry cut his sentence. Draco gave him withering look without an answer. "Right. Okay, I'm ready."
"Prepare yourself to resist. Now. Legilimens!"
Memories flashed in Draco's mind's eyes. Granger. Potter. Weasley. Dumbledore. Potter. An old parchment of map. Draco. Great Lake.
Draco immediately released the spell from Harry. He blinked. Did he just saw himself in Potter's mind? He took a look at Harry's face. The teen looked pained and aghast.
"Ouch, Malfoy! That hurt!" Harry held his head. Draco saw no change in Harry apart from the pain expression. So, perhaps what Draco saw was a false image? Why would Potter think of him anyway?
"Again. Ready, Legilimens!" Draco pointed his wand at Harry and entered his mind again.
They tried it over and over for one hour yet Harry still couldn't repel most of the attacks. Both of them were exhausted.
"Potter, you know what your problem is?" Draco sat on the only desk exist in the room. Dirty, but Draco was too frustrated to care about dust right now. "You think too much, stressing your mind."
"You don't say," Harry replied from his seating on the floor. He glared at Draco. "You still did it as painful as Snape, Malfoy."
"Less painful. If not, you wouldn't be motivated to get better," Draco squinted his eyes. "Idiot!"
"Fvck you, Malfoy," Harry replied. There was no malice behind his voice. Draco wondered why he found so many images of him in Harry's mind.
"Tomorrow. Same place, same time," Draco told Harry and he left the younger teen to visit the Room of Requirement. He hoped he would make solid progression on the cabinet.
~o~
It was the third day Draco had given Harry private lesson on Occlumency but no succession so far. Draco started to lose patience and hope on the Chosen One. But he took the delight on revealing Harry's stupid memories during their training sessions. Draco didn't like to see the dark memories of Harry's though.
He was sitting in an armchair reading Arithmancy book in the Slytherin common room for tomorrow's exam when Pansy and Blaise stood before him.
"Best wishes to our bossy prince on his special day," Pansy smirked and hugged the sitting Draco awkwardly. She handed two small silver boxes to him. Then Draco noticed the Eagle owl perched on Blaise's forearm.
"Icarus!" Draco stood up and took over his personal owl.
"He came with this," Blaise handed him a silver-green box. It's from Draco's mother!
"Thank you, Pans', Blaise. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll open this somewhere private." Draco nodded at his close friends and retreated to his dormitory.
As soon as he sat on his bed, he opened the box from his mother. He didn't care for the birthday present she sent. Draco was more concerned on the letter written by her mother inside. It was brief, but Draco exhaled in intense relief after he read that her mother was well and safe in the manor.
I'll meet you soon, Mother, Draco promised. The Vanishing Cabinet was almost set.
"Haven't opened our presents yet?" Blaise stood by the door. Beside him was Pansy smirking. Draco wondered if they knew about him and his mother's situation. Pansy's father was a Death Eater, after all.
Draco smiled gratefully at them and was ready to open his birthday presents. However, the moment was disturbed with a tug on his chest.
Oh great. Now what.
Draco ignored the calling. He tore open the wrapping paper from Blaise's box. He got a bottled green ink. He exchanged smirks with Blaise. They once joked about what it would be like to use green ink in Arithmancy class as their Arithmancy professor hated green so much.
"Tomorrow you can use that ink and see what grade you will get on Arithmancy," Blaise suggested. The three of them laughed.
"Ugh!" Draco felt hard tug on his chest. Persistent git! "Nothing," Draco told his friends before they asked as to not alert them. He opened the next box from Pansy.
"A pink scarf?!" Draco shrieked in horror.
"That's for giving me pink gown last year!" Pansy put her hands on her hips.
"But the dress looked good on you. It complimented your skin!" Draco said in defense.
"You know I hate pink!" Pansy glared at him, and then at Blaise who was laughing at her.
A stinging pain on Draco's chest made him forget the joys he rarely had with his close friends. He excused himself and stomped out of the Slytherin dungeon toward the invisible pull. It brought him to the empty room where he trained Harry in Occlumency.
"Bloody hell, Potter. What do you want?!" Draco spoke to the air. Harry revealed himself from under his Invisibility Cloak.
"Did I interrupt you on something?" Harry asked innocently. Draco wanted to put his hands on Harry's neck and choke him to semi death.
"Obviously! Unlike you, I have Arithmancy exam tomorrow, Potter! I was studying!" Draco didn't lie. He did read Arithmancy book before Blaise and Pansy distracted him.
"I...sorry. I just wanted to give you this." Harry approached Draco and shoved something to Draco's chest that he grabbed in reflect. Then, before Harry walked out of the room, he uttered, "Happy birthday, Malfoy."
Draco was almost, almost, opened his mouth wide. Potter gave him a birthday present? Wait. Potter knew his birthday?
"Potter, wait!" Draco ran to catch Harry. When he reached the other teen, Draco asked, "How did I not know this? How did you hide it? I didn't see it in your mind this noon at the training."
"Well, I tried hard," Harry shrugged.
"What? You did it?!" Draco was genuinely surprised and amazed. "So, you can close your mind when you tried hard to hide something…"
Draco was thinking of something. Hm, maybe he could use threats to make Potter gain his skill on Occlumency. Time was running out. He had only few weeks to train Potter, before...
"So…" Harry rubbed the back of his neck.
"How did you know when's my birthday?" Draco held his present box between them. "Did you check on my—"
"Bye Malfoy!" Harry dashed out of the dungeon without an answer.
Draco's suspicion on Harry increased. For whatever his suspicion on was. And oh look, how thoughtful of Potter. He gave Draco three chocolate bars with a note attached in the box that said,
Eat more, Malfoy. You're getting thinner.
Well, thanks, Potter. Sweet chocolates for his sweet seventeenth birthday.
Oh Merlin. He came of age today!
~o~
On Friday noon the next day, 6 June, Hogwarts students were bursting out of the Great Hall with heavy sighs. Finally the final exam was over, they smiled freely. Draco leant against a pillar outside the Great Hall, waiting for Harry. When the bespectacled teen appeared, he made eye contact. As the emerald met the silver ones, murmurs arose between the student body.
Draco had heard some ludicrous theories born among the students, inspired by he and Harry's recent interactions. Some said he and Harry made secret meeting in order for Draco to take revenge on Harry concerning their duel in the bathroom last May. Harry had no way to avoid it because Draco had Snape's support. Another theory said Draco had taking control on Harry with the power he received from the Dark Lord.
Harry's sudden quietness, the change of attitude and his withdrawal from everyone encouraged the second theory.
Draco ignored those rumors, of course. Harry seemed to do so, too. Harry's two best friends on the other hand looked concerned, though.
Draco straighten up and walked toward the Great Staircase, followed by Harry.
"The Room of Requirement?" Harry asked when a door appeared from the wall on the seventh floor corridor.
"Bloody Baron and Peeves messing around in the dungeon," Draco explained the reason on the change of training place. "I want you to concentrate hard this time, Potter. I'm starting to get tired of this. I will intrude your mind and search for the deepest memories you are hiding."
"What? That's not fair!" Harry protested. "And this training was your idea!"
"Ready or not," Draco raised his wand and without further warning, he penetrated Harry's mind.
Exam. Great Lake. Granger. Weasley. Draco. Dumbledore. Quidditch.
No, deeper. Dumbledore. Gringotts. Draco. Black House. Draco's room. Bars on the window. Crumbles on plates.
"No. Stop!" Harry's panic voice sounded far.
Cupboards under the staircase. A muggle. Ministry of Magic.
Images wavered. Harry tried to fight back. Draco tried harder.
Food. Sirius Black. Cupboard. Cedric Diggory. Potter curved in petal position on the floor. Cupboard. Foot against Potter's rib. Crumbles on plates. Sectumsempra. Cupboard. Dark haired wizard and dark red haired witch. Broken arm. Void—
"Stop it, stop!"
Suddenly Draco was casted out of Harry's mind. He flung and fell on the floor hard.
"That was too much! I hate you, Malfoy!" Harry screamed and ran toward the door that immediately appeared per his request and exited the Room.
Draco was trembling on the floor. By Harry's anger, by the memories, and mainly by the void he found in Harry's mind. Yes, void. There wasn't supposed to be a void in human's mind.
What was that void he saw in Potter's head? Whatever it was, it certainly had frightened Draco.
~o~
At exactly nine o'clock that Friday night, what Draco was anticipating finally happened. He didn't understand why it had to come one full day after a wizard came of age. Twenty four hours after his birthday, on exact hour exact minute exact second, Draco received his inheritance as the heir of a pureblood Malfoy. It wouldn't be painful, his parents once said. Only the strengthening of his magic core. It was a common inheritance for every pureblood wizard and witch.
But this time was different.
Draco was given heavy burden as the only heir of the Malfoys. With the current situation his family was having, his father had prematurely resigned his full claim on each and every thing of The Malfoys to Draco. They had performed the transfer ritual in secrecy a year ago before Lucius was sent to Azkaban. It was his father's wish. His father had always thought far ahead, total anticipation.
Draco's magic was to be synchronised to the Malfoys' grounds. But Draco's magic hadn't matured yet for all that. It was five years too early for him. He could die in the process if he wasn't strong enough. He could only pray to every All Mighty entities to give him enough strength for tonight.
Secured by Severus in his curtained bed in his dorm —because someone was currently using the Room of Requirements—, Draco began to whimper. His body was heating up. Stage one of his inheritance. The connection between the raw magic enthroned Malfoy Estate and his magic core was activated. He felt as if he was being pulled harshly and at the same time being pressed by something extremely heavy. He almost couldn't breathe. It went for few minutes and then all pressure left his body. Draco felt so light and his body was cooling down. Unfortunately, without giving him a break, another wave of raw magic hit Draco.
Entering stage two; full synchronising with the Malfoys' wards. It lasted for full seven minutes. It felt like hell. Draco felt his body burnt and was hit rapidly by invisible punches that he was close to faint. Cold sweats and burning sweats pouring down together. He bit his bottom lip, holding back not to scream. It hurt a thousand time worse than being sliced by the Sectumsempra curse. When it all stopped, Draco only had a chance to inhale one deep breath before his sense was flooded by another wave of intense magic. He wanted his mother to be there to soothe him.
Last stage, Draco prepared mentally and physically, the transfer of the ownership of all the Malfoys' possessions. The magic attack was less aggressive than on the second stage, but it still made Draco trembling and he felt like his head was hit by huge hammer. His head was about to explode. This stage lasted longer than the second stage. He, apparently and definitely, didn't know the amount of possessions the Malfoys had. The ownership transferring process took so long. He wondered why the Malfoys were so obsessed with attaching their magics to their possessions. Especially to the dark artefacts that were lashing their dark magic at him at the moment.
Finally, after what seemed like half hour inheritance process, it finished. Draco breathed short and heavy, exhausted. His face was wet with tears, skin flushed red. He was only seventeen. He shouldn't be taking this responsibility before he was twenty. He was so incapacity. No wonder his mother was so persistent to accompany him in his inheritance day. Cursed that Dark Lord he couldn't have his mother tonight! His body turned into jelly. He needed his sweets. He could eat the whole Sugarplum's Sweets shop right now!
After he gained full consciousness and awareness back, Draco noticed that someone was trying to pass through the protection he was set around his bed. Had he alerted everyone? Was it Dumbledore? But Draco had Severus notified the headmaster about his inheritance which would give a little disturbance to the Hogwarts magic. It was always unnerving when raw magics crashed one another.
But oh, Draco started to notice another thing. The hard tug on his chest.
Oh Merlin, could it be…?
Draco opened the curtain of his four-poster bed and was immediately face to face with frantic Harry Potter.
"Potter?"
"Malfoy!"
They called simultaneously. Draco, hoarsely.
Blaise, Theo, Vincent and Gregory were standing in the center of their dorm, watching Harry in annoyance. Draco noticed the air in his dorm was heavier than usual.
"I don't know what's on his mind. He pounded the Slytherin door until someone opened it and he ran straight toward your bed," Blaise informed.
"Like some lunatic, kept trying to open your curtain," Vincent added.
"What happened in there, Malfoy? You look miserable," Theo was staring at Draco's pale and sweaty face.
Draco studied Harry's face. The younger teen was staring at him in morbid.
"I felt—" Harry started but was cut with an authority voice by the door.
"Felt what, exactly mister Potter, if you so kindly to tell me, that urged you to break into my House?" Severus came into view.
"Professor! Draco, he—" Harry's word was again cut by Severus.
"Mister Zabini, Nott, Goyle and Crabbe, if you please leave the room for a moment," Severus ordered them. He locked the door and put Muffliato spell on the door after the four Slytherins were out.
Draco's head was still hurt and unfocused. Maybe it was only his imagination that he heard Harry addressed him in his given name.
"I felt pain on my chest and Malfoy flashed in my mind. I thought something was happening to him because the pain increased every minute," Harry was staring at Draco. His fingers twitched, likely holding himself not to reach for Draco.
"You felt it?" Draco asked, voice trembling, along with his whole body. "Since when?"
"I don't know. But it was definitely some minutes after curfew began. Are you okay? What happened? You're trembling." Harry was running his eyes on Draco's body wildly, head to toe.
"I'm fine. It's just my inheritance," Draco told Harry. Then he turned to Severus, "How could he felt it, too? Isn't our bond only connecting our magic signatures?"
"Well, obviously it has developed to another level," Severus kept his eyes on Harry. "Our next training tomorrow, Potter, I expect you already able to build wall inside your mind." Severus opened the door, waiting for Harry.
Harry bit his bottom lip and gave the miserable looking Draco one last look before he reluctantly walked out of the Slytherin dungeon escorted by Severus. Draco hoped Harry didn't alert the Dark Lord through his mind.
~o~
In the next morning, body still a bit exhausted from last night, after he took the Apparition License, Draco visited Gringotts accompanied by the Malfoys' solicitors to deal with the transferring of all Malfoys assets under Lucius' name into his. This time he left Hogwarts full guard and alert as to not stumble upon any Dark Lord's subordinates again. It took only one and half hour at Gringotts so Draco could Disapparate (he was legal to do it now, yay Merlin!) back to Hogwarts on time to attend Harry's Occlumency training with Severus.
"What is he doing here?" Harry frowned upon seeing Draco entering Severus' office. Severus tilted his head slightly.
"I want you to master Occlumency today, or soon," Draco looked at Harry in the eye. "Something is happening with our bond. It's not as simple as we thought it was. I don't want the Dark Lord find out about it."
"Why you care too much about the bond, Malfoy?" Harry asked in hostile. Draco didn't understand this one teen. Last night he was worried to death for Draco, but now it seemed like the Gryffindor was mad at him.
"Because, you idiot, if he knows about us, he will think that I am in Dumbledore's side now. And he will think that I betray him. I don't need to tell you what will happen to my mother if that happens!" Draco seethed anguishly. If Potter wanted to play selfish, so would Draco!
Harry opened his mouth but he closed it immediately.
"Right. Then I want you to train me, not him." Harry stared at Draco challengingly.
Draco was a skillful Occlumens. So, when Severus tried to pry his mind to know why Harry demanded such thing, the professor got nothing. Severus then aimed his eyes on Harry.
"Potter," Severus called.
Uh oh, if Potter makes eye contact with Severus, his godfather will know that they have secretly training together.
"Sir," Draco took Severus' attention back to him. "Allow me to train him. I have an effective method I can use to accelerate his skill on Occlumency." The urgency in his voice was enough to make Severus didn't question any further.
"Very well, if you are so confident, feel free to use my office for as long as you need. I'll be inside, working with my experiments." Severus nodded and left them to his private lab.
~o~
Harry was mad at Draco. He was so worried about him last night. His heart was beating hard and faster than a Snitch flying being chased, cold sweat drenched from his head to toe when he felt the pain. But the blond just dismissed Harry easily from his dorm when he visited him —well, broke in to his dorm.
Harry didn't want Draco to know how worried and scared he was last night. He would try his best to block the blond from his head today.
You just see, Malfoy.
Three first tries he failed in blocking Draco. He was so mean to dig deep into Harry's mind, watching unpleasant memories of his life. It was so embarrassing that now Draco knew about the small cupboard under the stairs, bruises on his body, his abusive relatives, and oh Merlin. Draco found numerous images of the blond in Harry's mind. He couldn't help it. Most of his limited social interactions in sixth year was contained the blond Slytherin.
If he couldn't close his mind, Draco would know more about his private matters. If Harry couldn't master Occlumency, Voldemort would be able to enter his mind and the life of Draco's mother would be at stake.
"Potter, concentrate," Draco admonished. "If you can't clear your mind, at least concentrate on one thing. Focus on it and fill your mind with it."
"Okay. I can do that," Harry told him. He would think of treacle tart Mrs. Weasley baked. It was very delicious. Harry craved for it. Even the Hogwarts elves couldn't make treacle tart as good as Mrs. Weasley.
He felt Draco penetrated his mind. Harry was lost for half minute, but regained control and tried hard to think of treacle tart. Turned out it was more difficult than he thought. He still slipped, letting Draco swam into his memories.
They tried again, and again, and finally on the sixth try, Harry filled up his head with treacle tart.
Not half minute later, Draco pulled out.
"What the…" said Draco, amused. Then he giggled.
Oh Merlin, Malfoy giggled!
"What?" Harry frowned at him.
"Treacle tart, Potter? Really? Oh Merlin!" Draco let out a brief laughter and then his face returned blank.
That git with his strong self control!
"Hey, Malfoy," Harry called. And when their eyes met, Harry pointed his wand at Draco.
"Legilimens!" Harry had enough training session that he remembered how to properly cast the spell. Draco's stare turned sharp and a second later Harry was thrown from Draco's head and he fell hard bottom first on the floor. He felt like his head split in two it hurt so much.
"Never try to penetrate an Occlumens' mind," Draco said coldly.
"Fvck!" Harry swore. Okay, lesson learned. How the hell would he know that Malfoy was an Occlumens?
"Enough playing. Now you will learn how to build wall around your mind!" Draco stepped closer.
For one hour, Draco taught Harry how to build the wall and they practiced for another two hours.
"Malfoy, I'm tired. And hungry. Can we stop?" Harry pleaded. He casted Tempus that told him it was almost three afternoon.
"Whatever," Draco disregarded. He looked tired as well. And fed up.
Merlin, the git hoped him to master Occlumency in five hours? The blond must have lost his mind! Harry rolled his eyes mentally.
"Tippy!" Draco called and then a loud crack broke the air. A house elf appeared before Draco who was slouching against Severus' armchair now.
"What is Tippy can do to please Master Draco?" The house elf bowed low.
"What was that?" At the same time Snape emerged from his private lab adjoin the office.
"I give up," Draco told Severus without looking at the professor. "Tippy, bring me my chocolate box from my trunk in my dorm."
The house elf disappeared with a loud pop and Severus was glaring at Draco. Then the older wizard sighed.
"Potter, that's enough for today. Return to your own place." Severus drawled and returned to his lab.
"Wait. Malfoy, if you can summon your house elf, then why didn't you ask it to monitor your mother?" Harry gave incredulous look at Draco.
"…Damn!" Draco swore.
~o~
Draco was so consumed in his tasks and despair that he completely forgot he had a loyal free house elf! Salazar, why didn't he think of it!
"Here Master Draco's chocolate box," Tippy re-appeared in Severus' office.
"Tippy, were you in the Malfoy manor for the past year?" Draco asked while taking the sweet box from the elf.
"Yes, master. Tippy is stay taking care of Master Draco wing," Tippy said proudly.
"So you know how was the manor situation. How is Mother? Did you see her?"
"Yes. Mistress Narcissa is in the master bedroom all time, yes, Master Draco. She is eats in dining room with people and a giant snake," Tippy spoke with her head nodding all the time. She frowned, "Bald man sit on head chair. He hiss and make giant snake be beside mistress Narcissa."
"In which chair does Mother sit? How often they sit in the dining room together?" Draco paled.
"Right side of bald man. They is sitting every Wednesday." Tippy said.
"Who are those people joining the dinner?" Draco asked nervously.
"They mister Lucius call Death Eaters," the elf answered. Draco paled. Then the elf added, "Mistress Bellatrix also is there."
At that Draco calmed a bit. No matter how crazy his aunt Bellatrix was, she wouldn't let those Death Eaters hurt her sister.
"All right. Go back to the manor. Don't tell anyone we met. Assist Mother in everything she needs but don't let those people know. And do tell mother I sent you." Draco dismissed the house elf.
Draco glanced at Harry. Merlin, he owed that idiot. How could the idea didn't cross his mind? Draco stood up. And after a moment, he walked toward Harry. Draco handed Harry his chocolate box and then he left Severus' office without saying goodbye to his godfather and Harry.