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Happy Thursday! I'm really glad that everyone seems to be enjoying all the new chapters! I admit that I am a little nervous about the next couple chapters.
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Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and only the storyline and any OC's belong to me
Saturday, May 8th, 1999
Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, UK
Petunia Dursley's hand shook violently as she carried the teacup over to her unexpected guest. The shaking caused it to clink and clatter against the saucer. The sound oppressively filled the room.
Draco accepted the offered cup. On the small side table beside his armchair, was a silver tray with all the accoutrements needed to fix his tea how he liked it.
Petunia clasped her hands together, her thumb rubbing in harsh circles across the back of her opposite hand. She was anxiously awaiting to find out the purpose of this visit. A visit from a ghost.
Since the war ended and the threat to the Dursleys' lives subsided, Petunia liked to pretend that the Wizarding World didn't exist. She liked to pretend that Harry was overseas. Out-of-sight, and out-of-mind.
It had been a bright, normal morning. Not a whiff of peculiarity was in the air. Dudley was home for the weekend. He was enrolled in a vocational school, aiming to become a carpenter. Vernon had popped out to the shops. Petunia decided to bake.
Petunia was in the middle of slowly mixing the dry into the wet ingredients for her chocolate chip cookies when the doorbell rang clearly.
Petunia smoothed down the front of her apron and placed her bowls off to the side and headed for the front door.
Perhaps Mister Jones is returning those measuring cups he borrowed on Thursday, Petunia thought.
She'd unsuspectingly opened the door, and her normalcy crashed and burned in an instant. Petunia shrieked when she saw Draco Potter looming in her doorway. A pleasant smile that didn't reach his eyes led her gaze to the murderous intent openly showcased in his grey eyes.
A few months ago, Petunia was assaulted with memories of him and his sister at Lily's wedding. Potter's siblings . In the same way Petunia liked to pretend Harry was overseas, she liked to pretend that the memories didn't exist.
"Pot—Potter," Petunia said dumbly. Her hands wobbled as she fidgeted with her hair, fussing to make sure it was neat and ordered. She snuck a glance past Draco and saw Harry behind him. The boy looked perplexed.
"Hullo Petunia, lovely home you have," Draco greeted. He hadn't aged a day. It was bizarre. It uprooted her and slammed her into the past, back to a time when her sister was alive and thriving.
A vision of her glowing sister on her wedding day flashed in front of Petunia's eyes. It was a beautiful ceremony and a lovely reception. At the time she'd been envious, bitter at how well Lily was doing; surrounded by magical, unnatural freaks.
If Lily could do magic, why couldn't she? It wasn't uncommon for Muggleborn siblings to be wix in the same generation, Severus had told her so. Right before he sneered that she was unremarkable, petty, and horse-faced.
"May I come in?" Draco asked. His tone left no room for argument, she stepped to the side and let him in. Harry trailed after him, offering her a tiny smile.
Petunia swallowed, and with a trepidacious exhale she closed the front door.
The main reason Draco brought Harry with him was he had no idea where the Dursleys lived. He could have figured it out, but it would have been an arduous process.
If not, Draco might not have brought him. Draco was having a hard time controlling the anger broiling in his gut. The two wizards had made a lot of progress, so hopefully, Harry didn't think less of him by the time they left the boring, ordinary neighbourhood.
"Harry, sit down. You're making your Aunt nervous," Draco instructed languidly. Harry shrugged, perching himself on the arm of Draco's chair. Harry had refused any food or drink when Petunia begrudgingly offered out of ingenuine politeness. She'd offered because it was what one did, not because she wished to.
"Do you remember the last time we saw each other, Petunia?" Draco asked in an impassive manner. He took a sip of his tea before he held it out to the side, and when he removed his hand, it floated in place. Petunia eyed the casual display of magic, but her thin lips remained pressed together.
Draco's eyebrows rose, he crossed one leg over the other, and leaned back with his hands resting in his lap. "I detest having to repeat myself unnecessarily. I'll ask that you don't make me do it again. Do you remember the last time we saw each other, Petunia?"
Petunia nodded jerkily. "I remember."
"What did we discuss?"
"I don't recall. Something about leaving your family alone."
Petunia was lying. She'd averted her gaze and a bead of sweat ran down the side of her face. The true intention of his visit was made abundantly clear.
"I told you that if any harm should befall my family—verbal or physical—I would hunt your husband down. Then I would make him rue the day his Father decided to poorly shag his Mother and create him." Draco said. Draco recalled the words with such clarity because he'd repeated the threat mentally for days afterwards.
Harry's mouth fell open beside him. A litany of questions and comments were ready to burst forth, but he held his tongue.
They hadn't kept their word. Well, technically they'd never agreed, plus, they wouldn't have remembered once the memory spell fell into place. Not that that mattered.
Draco made that threat possessing knowledge of those facts. Therefore, it was a promise of retribution for the egregious neglect they would inflict on Harry.
"That sounds familiar," Petunia said breathlessly, turning her gaze skyward.
"Good. Do I seem like the kind of person who doesn't follow through with his promises?"
"No," Petunia replied. "What now? You're going to dismember me and leave me for my husband and child to find?"
"Goodness no, that's particularly medieval, wouldn't you say?" Draco asked calmly. He picked his teacup out of the air and took a long drag, finishing it. The empty teacup and saucer bobbed through the air until they landed on a free space on the silver tray.
Petunia fixed her gaze on Harry. "He was a miserable child. You don't know what it was like, he kept crying and crying in the beginning."
"His parents were murdered by a genocidal, cruel man. He was a one-year old," Draco snarled.
Harry stiffened, unsure if he should be present for this conversation. Another part preened as his bond with Draco grew warm. He couldn't see it, but he was getting a better handle on feeling it.
"We raised and disciplined him as needed—"
"Neglected. You neglected him," Draco corrected with a rumbling growl. The lights flickered in the room, a crack splintered across the crystal vase across the room on the windowsill. An assortment of seasonal flowers were on display. Beads of fresh, clear water appeared along the crack.
"Draco. It's okay," Harry muttered, but Draco firmly shook his head.
"No. It isn't," Draco said. He narrowed his eyes at Petunia, lip curled in disgust. "Truthfully, Petunia, I want you to suffer, I want you and your walrus husband to burnfor how you treated Harry."
Petunia flinched, but she didn't speak.
"Disciplined him," Draco scoffed. "I'd be hard pressed to recall ever hearing a more blatant lie."
Petunia haughtily stuck her nose in the air. "He was left on our doorstep without our consultation. He wasn't ours."
" And?! The fact that he was your own flesh and blood wasn't enough? The fact that your sister gave her life to save her son was meaningless?" Draco jumped up. The lights flickered again. The vase shattered and a gush of water and glass sped towards the ground; the flowers strewn about sadly.
Draco stalked over to Petunia, towering over her, his fists clenched and shaking with fury and malice.
"Lily Potter was not only one of my best friends—practically my sister—but she was good.She had a temper like no other, but she cared about others and was a spectacular woman...and you treated her son like the fucking dirt on the bottom of your shoe!" Draco vituperated, grabbing fistfuls of Petunia's blouse and hoisting her up into the air until her feet dangled off the ground and they were level with one another.
"Draco," Harry said weakly. His voice had faded into the background, blood was pumping in Draco's ears. Tiny spots swam on the edges of his vision.
"You deserve to suffer endlessly for what you did, but, I'll leave after saying this," Draco grabbed a hold of Petunia's face.
Petunia was trembling, expression punctuated by fright. Her hands moved to grasp at his wrists.
"Lily loved you, it broke her heart whenever you would treat her as a stranger or like filth for being a witch," Draco growled, voice dripping with contempt.
"Draco…she isn't worth it," Harry mumbled. "She…she lost a sister too."
Draco froze, drank in a deep breath. He didn't have the wherewithal to meet Harry's eye.
Draco gruffly released Petunia. She crumpled to the floor, fingers digging into her carpet, forehead close to the ground. A dry sob heaved from her. Draco crouched down beside her, and placed his index finger against her temple. She tilted her face up to him, her cheeks a blotchy red, her eyes bloodshot.
"Draco?" Harry prompted. Draco held up a hand, gesturing for Harry to give him and his Aunt a moment.
"I want to show you something," Draco murmured. It was a complex combination of occlumency and legilimency knitted together. He projected a snippet of memory into Petunia's mind; his last conversation he had with Lily about Petunia. Petunia's eyes were glassy as she watched the memory. It wasn't as effective as a pensieve, but it would do the trick.
Plump tears welled up in the corner of her eyes before they rolled down her cheeks.
"You don't deserve her forgiveness, but you have it, and it is by the grace of your sister's wishes that you're getting out of this unscathed."
Draco pursed his lips and made an absent tutting sound. "Although, I would be remiss if I didn't follow through with one of her wishes." Draco muttered an incantation and then removed his hands from her person. Petunia's brow furrowed in confusion.
"I think Mum would approve," Harry said with warm inflections to his tone. Draco continued to avoid looking at the other wizard. He wasn't ready to see the look on Harry's face. Draco had lost his composure and gone further than he originally intended.
Petunia rose to her feet, her bony knees knocking together as she wandered over to the hallway's full-length mirror. She spotted her amethyst coloured hair. Her shrill shriek rebounded throughout the house.
It was so loud in pitch, and so sharp that it drew Dudley from upstairs. The boy groggily rubbed sleep out of his eyes and held a metal baseball bat in his left hand.
"Duncan," Draco greeted. He sent a curt nod at the boy and made for the front door. His business here was finished.
Harry and Dudley engaged in a brief chat. It was surprisingly pleasant considering the fact that Petunia hadn't stopped shrieking.
Draco was proud of his permanent charmwork. Even if she shaved her head, it would grow back the same colour, and if she tried to dye it, it wouldn't work.
Harry was apologising for the commotion, and Dudley was asking after Harry's wellbeing. He didn't seem concerned about his Mother's screaming, nor her new hair colour. From what Draco had heard, the mellow disposition was uncharacteristic for Harry's cousin.
"It's a shame that I didn't get to see Vermont," Draco hummed as he strolled through the door onto the front landing. He halted his tracks, and he was flabbergasted by what he found.
Vernon Dursley was facedown, bound and gagged, his face turned towards the house. Hermione was primly sitting on the hood of his vehicle, arms folded over her chest with her legs crossed.
"How did you find us?"
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Sirius. He told me where you were going."
Draco nodded slowly as he approached Vernon. "What are you planning to do with him?" The man was squirming, and the jute rope was tightening and further constricting his movement the more he struggled.
"I already placed a permanent sticking charm on his shoes," Hermione shrugged. She brushed her raven curls over her shoulders. "Also don't worry, I cast a disillusionment and silencing charm over the house and its boundaries. None of the neighbours will be any the wiser."
Hermione hopped off the hood, and stormed over to Draco. She was wearing her old Quidditch jersey, faded blue jeans and some black trainers. It was a sharp contrast to Draco's white button down, silver cufflinks Charlus had given him for his birthday when he was sixteen, tailored black trousers, and viridian dragonhide shoes.
Hermione jabbed a finger into the middle of his chest, her hair crackling with angry sparks. "What were you thinking? Why did you bring Harry with you?"
As if on cue in a play, Harry and Dudley stepped outside. Dudley rushed to his Dad's side with thunderingly heavy footsteps. He attempted to loosen the ropes, but they slithered tighter. Dudley quickly abandoned the task and pulled the gag from Vernon's mouth.
"I figured it was a bad idea somewhere in the middle," Draco grumbled. He shoved his hands into his pockets and obstinately avoided the fiery gaze of the petite witch.
Hermione was displeased by his nonchalance. She pinched his thigh, and he yelped involuntarily.
"What the fuck, woman!"
"That's for bringing Harry. And for not bringing me!"
"I didn't want to involve you."
"Didn't want to involve me? You must be taking the piss. Bloody hell, Draco! How could this not involve me?"
Draco sighed, his head fell back. The witch could be infuriating when she tried. He opened his mouth to snidely retort when Vernon regained his voice.
"What do you freaks want?!" Vernon demanded, his pudgy face smushed against the concrete driveway, his complexion puce and splotches appeared as his anger rose. Spittle flew from his thin lips.
"We're the freaks? Vermont, that is morbidly funny. Besides, why would you insult the people who have you hog-tied like the pig you are?"
Reason was unravelling, and the situation was swiftly spiralling out of control. Hermione opted to seize the reins. She pushed past Draco over to Dudley and his irate, wiggling Father. Vernon continued to assault them with unpleasantries.
"Dudley, you should go inside and calm down your Mother," Hermione said gently, she squatted beside the large boy.
Dudley squinted suspiciously at her. "What are you going to do to my Dad?"
"That's up to him," Hermione answered honestly.
Dudley wasn't pleased by that answer, but he sensed arguing would be a futile exercise. He reluctantly got up and headed back inside. Dudley paused by Harry. Harry said something to his cousin that appeared to appease him further.
As soon as Dudley crossed over the threshold, Harry turned his attention to his pack members. "What are you two doing?" Harry hissed, marching towards them indignantly. "And what would have happened if I wasn't here?"
"It would have been the exact same, you just wouldn't have to see it," Hermione replied callously. She didn't have time to soothe Harry's ruffled feathers when she was livid.
"You can leave if you want. We'll be along shortly, we just want to have a chat with an old friend," Draco said. He dropped to one knee by Vernon's face. The other knee pointed upward and he dropped his forearm onto it.
"It's 'we' now?" Hermione asked bitterly.
"Can we discuss this later?" Draco drawled, jaw taut as his witch glared at him.
" Freaks. The lot of you! You and your whore of a sister disappeared and left us to raise that runt!" Vernon spat. "Your worthless brother died, leaving that ungrateful brat on our doorstep."
Any amusement died on Draco's face. Hermione hissed out a harsh exhale, her eyes ablaze with copper, her hair undulating around her. Draco gripped Vernon's face, his fingers digging into the man's oily face.
"What did you just say about my brother?"
Harry could taste the menacing aura emitting from the other two Potters. Harry feared for Vernon's life. Aunt Petunia's permanent makeover paled in comparison to the possible agony Vernon was about to endure.
"I know your laws! You can't harm me!"
"He's right," Harry pointed out. He was in between Hermione and Draco. They were both posed to strike like big cats in the jungle. Harry stared down at the trio with an erratic heartbeat.
"Harry," Draco said. The anger vibrating through the man was absent from his voice, his words were steady as he continued. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. Godric, if we're being honest I've been looking forward to it. Plus, it's just so fucking rude to talk ill of the dead, especially when he's talking about my brother."
Hermione made a noise of assent. She withdrew her wand from behind her ear and waved it at Vernon. The man howled in pain as all his fingernails disappeared at once. The tender, unprotected flesh began to bleed. "It could be worse, Vernon. I could cut off some toes."
"Hermione," Draco warned. "Don't get carried away."
Draco gripped fistfuls of Vernon's hair and pulled his face upwards and bent down so they were eye-to-eye. In a flash, Draco morphed into a snow white wolf and his bared teeth were inches away from Vernon's fleshy neck. Vernon soiled himself in fright.
Draco shifted back in the blink of an eye. He unfolded to his full height and used the heel of his shoe to push Vernon onto his side. "Tell me Vermont. How is a cupboard under the stairs, proper room and board for my nephew?"
Vernon's eyes were watering, he remained mute.
"Listen closely, Vermont," Draco said slowly, as if explaining complex concepts that he didn't think Vernon would be able to comprehend.
"You treated Harry dreadfully when he was your ward. Hermione and I—my lover by the way, Merlin the scandal," Draco said with wide eyes. In spite of the fact that she was cross with him, that earned an amused snort from the witch.
Draco didn't care to explain to the twat that he and Hermione weren't actually related, and he frankly didn't give a shit what he thought.
"Hermione and I were otherwise indisposed, and incapable of taking care of Harry. So, he was unfortunately entrusted to you—a sorry excuse for a human—and your lovelywife."
Vernon made a noise in the back of his throat in protest. Draco shook his head plaintively. "You failed in your duty."
Vernon began hurling heinous profanities at them, calling them abominations, and not learning his previous lesson, he further insulted Harry's parents.
"Truly, you're causing a scene, Vermont." Draco said.
"Sometimes, violence is the answer," Hermione ground out, she inched closer to Vernon. A panther moving in for the kill.
"My name is Vernon!"
"Don't care. You lost the privilege of respect and dignity when you harmed the heir to our house." Harry's head snapped sharply in Draco's direction.
"Don't look so surprised, Harry. We may not be as traditional as other Pureblood families, but that doesn't stop us from following some of the ancient rules."
"James was the firstborn, and the heir. That title was passed down to you when you were born as we were in between the fabric of reality," Hermione elaborated. "We can discuss responsibilities and division of duties at another time."
"Duties?" Harry asked with a furrowed brow. The three of them momentarily forgot about the bound man vigorously wriggling around at their feet.
"The Wizengamot seat for starter's," Draco said. "It's been vacant since Dad passed. James never officially took it up."
"Can't you handle that bit?" Harry's nose scrunched up. He was displeased at the idea of being drawn into the eternal, political dance that the ancient wizarding families had been doing for centuries. Draco had been raised to play in those sand boxes.
Draco froze. "You would allow me to do that? I would be representing the entire family."
"Why not? I trust you, plus you would have our best interests at heart."
Draco dropped a hand onto Harry's shoulder and squeezed briefly to express his gratitude. Harry's trust was priceless. Draco beamed at the youngest Potter. "Thank you."
In another world he would have taken up the Malfoy seat, but he'd relinquished his right to it. Lucius and Draco were waiting to sign the blood contracts, do the necessary rites, and waive Draco's rights to the Malfoy name. They wanted to wait until Narcissa gave birth. Things would be more complicated if she had a girl.
Narcissa refused to find out the gender with a quick spell. She wanted it to be a surprise.
"Now look here—" Vernon started. Draco snapped his fingers. He was tired of hearing Vernon's grating voice. Vernon's subsequent words came out garbled and twisted.
The man grew frustrated, and tried to speak again, but the noises he made sounded like gibberish.
"You called us freaks. Now, you are an honorary member of our little freaks club," Draco smiled warmly. Draco snapped his fingers again and the ropes keeping Vernon immobile vanished.
Vernon rolled onto his back, his hands at his sides, needle-thin streams of blood ran along his fingers. He panted quickly and harshly, blowing air through his nostrils. He was staring at Draco with unveiled hatred. Draco shrugged.
"I would fix you, but I'm not inclined to help those who ignore me and can't follow simple instructions. Especially when they don't show remorse. Especially when those simple instructions would have drastically changed Harry's life for the better, you twat." Draco sneered down his nose at Vernon.
"I'm famished, we should go grab some food at that Chinese place," Hermione suggested. She jumped up and tucked her wand behind her ear, and slid her hands into her jeans' back pockets. The couple strolled down the driveway. Hermione wandlessly dismantled her charms, and removed the permanent sticking charm to Vernon's shoes.
"If it's still there," Draco pointed out.
"It must still be there."
Harry lingered a moment longer. Staring down at Vernon as he pointedly yelled gibberish at Harry, waving a meaty finger at the youngest Potter. Harry grimaced, and wondered if it made him a bad person since he didn't have any empathy for his childhood tormentor.
Harry jogged to catch up to the pair. "Are we just going to leave him like that?"
"Yepp. It could have been worse. I could have gone into his head and hollowed it out so he was a useless husk," Hermione cavalierly threw over her shoulder. Harry was infinitely grateful that they were on his side. They could be terrifying one moment, and positively pleasant in the next.
"So, what's this place you two mentioned?" Harry asked.
"It's this charming hole in the wall we used to go to after a night out in Muggle London. Mostly after concerts," Draco answered with a cheeky grin. Harry fell in step with Draco.
Draco reached down to lace his fingers with Hermione's. The witch sent him a droll stare, but squeezed his hand.
"I'm still upset with you," Hermione sniffed. Draco rolled his eyes, and ducked down to press a chaste kiss to her lips. He didn't falter in his steps.
"You can't just kiss me, and expect me to forget that you came here without me," Hermione grumbled. She attempted to tug her hand from Draco's, but he tightened his grip.
"It does help though," Draco sent her his signature smirk. Hermione swatted at him.
"Draco you are incorrigible. I should call off the wedding."
Draco jerked to a halt, Hermione's arm jolted harshly at the impact. She flew backwards and slammed into his front. Hermione muttered profanities under her breath as she tilted her head back to look up at Draco.
"Even if you're cross with me, don't joke about that, Hermione," Draco said softly. A moment of rare vulnerability was openly displayed on his face. Harry stuttered to a stop and watched Hermione tiptoe and grasp Draco's face delicately.
"Sorry, love. I haven't forgiven you for today, but you're right. I shouldn't joke about that." Hermione whispered.
Draco gripped her hands, and bent at the middle until their foreheads touched. He breathed in and out deeply, as if grounding himself.
Harry closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around them. It seemed like the right thing to do. "Thank you," Harry said, pressing his forehead to theirs. They both drew in shuddering breaths.
"Lily wouldn't be happy that I vanished his fingernails," Hermione laughed airily.
"No, but compared to what he did to her son, I think she'll forgive us."
"It wasn't that bad," Harry mumbled.
"Forcing you to live in a cupboard, putting bars on your window, barely feeding you, and treating you as an inferior burden aren't great things, Harry." Draco said. He felt around until his hand landed on the back of Harry's neck. He lightly scratched at the hair on Harry's nape. A shiver ran down Harry's spine.
"They deserved worse, but I think that punishment should suffice."
Dudley was the only one who hadn't had any punishment meted out to him. Harry said that aloud, and Draco shrugged. Dudley was a child as well, he'd learned his incorrigible behaviour from his parents.
Harry cleared his throat. "Dudley isn't bad these days. He's got a handle on his anger issues. He says building things and putting his energy in a positive direction helps."
"You're still in contact?" Hermione asked with pursed lips.
"We write every now and then. He apologised in August last year. He wanted to have a fresh start."
"That's good to hear," Draco said. He pulled back from the other two.
"We can talk about it more while we eat. I'm famished," Hermione said. She placed her hands on the wizard's shoulders.
"You're right. We've spent enough time here," Draco replied.
"Agreed," Harry nodded.
Hermione closed her eyes, focused on her destination, and side-along apparated them to a back-alley in London.
The three peculiarities disappeared from the ordinary neighbourhood, with its ordered rows, tiny streets, perfectly trimmed hedges, and well-kempt lawns. They left two behind at Number Four Privet Drive.
Hopefully no one thinks that Hermione or Draco went too far. Again, I am kind of nervous about the next chapter, but I really do hope you enjoy this one and the upcoming chapters. See you in a couple days lovelies!