Disclaimer: Oh yes, of course they're mine. Just as the sun is made of ice
and money grows on trees. Miss Rowling? If you wish to sue please find
someone else, I can't even afford a lawyer let alone a settlement.
Warnings: Nope, none.
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.
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Blood & Nails.
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Part Seven. Best Laid Plans.
Draco threw his jacket on to the counter as he returned home from a day of practical lessons at Hogwarts. It had been two weeks since he'd woken up with no memory of the last five years and he was slowly starting to get his life in order.
He was of course, still very pissed off with Mortel or whoever had been in charge during those years, but he couldn't do much about that now.
He debated about calling Hermione about a small problem he'd had in Arithmancy class, but he wasn't too sure if that was a good idea. She had given him an odd look when she had come to drop off some of his work he'd asked her to check over before he handed it in. He had no idea what it had been about either as she had barely muttered a greeting and then left after shoving the papers into his hands.
"Well," He announced to his floor. "I've got nothing else to do."
Someone picked up on the fourth ring. "Hello? Granger and Weasley's House of Pain ... in the Necks." Came the sleepy voice.
"Er, Harry?"
"Oh, um, hi Draco. Er, no-one else is home, if it's Hermione you're looking for."
"Oh."
A long, uncomfortable pause.
"How have you been? Are you settling in, okay?" Harry's voice sounded strange.
"Yes, thank you, I'm getting along."
Another pause.
Draco cleared his throat. "Well, um I guess I'd better go."
"Yeah." That word was without any feeling at all.
"I'll, er, probably see you around."
"Yeah, okay, bye."
"Bye." Draco said softly and then hung up the phone. He sighed at his own stupidity and then glared at his carpet. "I know it's not his fault. But it's ...... odd. I mean, he ...... and I've ........ we ...... and .... argh! I'm buying a cat, just so I have an excuse to talk when no-one's here." He stormed out.
True to his word, when he returned to his apartment half and hour later he indeed had a cat, a very nice looking black cat with grey eyes, in fact. Professor Snape had been very understanding, saying that Steel needed a longer break away form the students anyway. Draco placed him on the table in one of the places and sat down, looking at Steel. "I still feel stupid." Shrugging, he decided that nobody had to know. "Okay. So it's the problem with Harry."
Steel sat there quietly as Draco tried to forget that he had done something similar to this before to help him cope with being a spy. But that had involved a different cat. At the time he had thought it might have been Hermione's as it had looked familiar, and not like a stray. He hadn't known it's real name so he'd called it Scratch and the cat hadn't seemed to mind much. It turned up every night Draco went to the Astronomy Tower, calmly sitting there and listening to him rant.
"Okay, so there's Harry and I'm really not too sure what's going on." Draco put his elbow on the table and leant his head on his hand, bringing him closer to Steel as grey eyes met identical grey eyes. "I was crazy about him in school, which was a silly thing for me to do in the first place. And then came along Mortel or whatever the hell he wants to be called. He took over my body for reasons unknown and just ...... just ..... started living my life! And I woke up one day to find out that people were dead and I was engaged."
Draco looked over to the kitchen drawer where he had put the ring and sighed. "Engaged to Harry. Now, I know what you're thinking, you're wondering 'Why is this bad?' right? Well it sort of is. You see, I, as in the real me, wouldn't have done anything like that, or even go near him. Well, I might have, if Voldemort hadn't been a problem, but he was, so Mortel had no right to risk it like that. And, I don't remember why or how or ..... "
Draco trailed off and blushed. "I would be a fool to think that we hadn't, well, you know." He leant even closer. "Sex and all that. And that kind of really pisses me off. My body, Harry's body, and I didn't even get to be there." He scowled. "Life's a kick in the head, that's for sure. But anyway, there's also the last problem. Well, the last *big* problem anyway." He sighed. "When Harry looks at me, I can see it hurts him that I don't remember. I can see that he's wondering if the real me would want him. Don't get me wrong, I do. I still want him more than anything but .......... "
He trailed off again and stared sadly at Steel. "But what if he only wants the Draco he knew? I keep thinking that if I tried anything with him, this me wouldn't live up to it. Wouldn't be enough. Oh, I don't know. I guess I worry too much. But it's in my nature to overanalyse things like this. I just get so paranoid. What do you think?"
Steel remained sitting there quietly, as Draco thought over everything he had said. But the phone rang, making him jump slightly.
"Hello?"
"Good evening. I was wondering if I could speak with Mister Draco Malfoy?"
"Speaking."
"Good evening, sir. This is Marco from Pacino's. I was calling to check on the reservations."
Draco looked at the silent but curious Steel. "Er, reservations?"
"Yes. You have dinner booked for two on the thirty first of July."
"I do?"
The voice on the other end started to sound worried. "You didn't arrange for a small birthday celebration?"
"Whose birthday?"
"Mister Harry Potter's. Sir, if there has been some mistake please allow me to apologise and .... "
Draco's brain had finally kicked in at Harry's name and he interrupted. "Oh, I see. No I understand now. Um, yes I remember that now." He lied through his teeth, wondering what else his phantom friend had arranged. "I'm very sorry, I've been working far too hard and it completely slipped my mind."
"Then you shall be attending?"
"Yes, yes of course." Draco said absently as he scratched Steel under the chin.
"Excellent sir. You're booking is still set for Eight."
"Yes, thank you very much."
It only occurred to Draco as he hung up the phone, that he had no idea why he had agreed. Seeing nothing else that could be done, he pressed re-dial and waited.
"Hello?"
"Um, hi Harry."
"Oh, hello again."
Draco took one more look at Steel and nodded, as if the cat was saying something with his purring. "Look, here's the thing. The previous occupant of this body seems to have made a booking for a birthday dinner at some place called Pacino's. For *your* birthday, that is."
"Oh, I see. You won't be able to get you're deposit back."
"Won't I?" He hadn't even thought about the money. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. I was wondering if you still wanted to go?" He held his breath.
"With you?"
"No, with the Queen. Of course with me! I thought, we could, you know, talk and sort out a few things." He glared at Steel as he stretched slightly, making it look suspiciously like he was laughing. "Aren't there things you wanted straighten out? I just thought, seeing as I like Italian food, and I'm guessing you do to, we could have dinner. You could tell me about me, and all that stuff."
"Um, well, okay. I don't see any harm in it." Harry still didn't sound very thrilled.
"Great well. I'll meet you there, it's at Eight."
"Okay. I'll see you then. Bye."
"Yeah, bye." Draco hung up the phone and tried to slow down his heart that was beating at an alarming rate. "Christ!" He announced to Steel. "That was terrifying. I don't know how normal people do this whole, invite others to dinner thing? I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life? And that's including the time I had to pass the mind scan in order to get my Dark Mark. That was easy compared to this." He smiled. "Now that's one thing I really don't miss about my Pre-Phantom life." He put on a look of arrogance. "It clashed with my lovely pale skin."
He straightened out some of Steel's fur as he checked the clock. "Okay, I have seventy four hours to get ready. That should be enough, if I could just stop this really weird happy feeling from making me want to burst out into song."
He stood up and headed for the bedroom, deciding to have a shower and then do all his week's school work that night so he would have to worry about it later.
Steel lay down, placing his head on his front paws and curled his tail around his body. And waited.
To Be Continued.
Warnings: Nope, none.
.
.
.
Blood & Nails.
.
Part Seven. Best Laid Plans.
Draco threw his jacket on to the counter as he returned home from a day of practical lessons at Hogwarts. It had been two weeks since he'd woken up with no memory of the last five years and he was slowly starting to get his life in order.
He was of course, still very pissed off with Mortel or whoever had been in charge during those years, but he couldn't do much about that now.
He debated about calling Hermione about a small problem he'd had in Arithmancy class, but he wasn't too sure if that was a good idea. She had given him an odd look when she had come to drop off some of his work he'd asked her to check over before he handed it in. He had no idea what it had been about either as she had barely muttered a greeting and then left after shoving the papers into his hands.
"Well," He announced to his floor. "I've got nothing else to do."
Someone picked up on the fourth ring. "Hello? Granger and Weasley's House of Pain ... in the Necks." Came the sleepy voice.
"Er, Harry?"
"Oh, um, hi Draco. Er, no-one else is home, if it's Hermione you're looking for."
"Oh."
A long, uncomfortable pause.
"How have you been? Are you settling in, okay?" Harry's voice sounded strange.
"Yes, thank you, I'm getting along."
Another pause.
Draco cleared his throat. "Well, um I guess I'd better go."
"Yeah." That word was without any feeling at all.
"I'll, er, probably see you around."
"Yeah, okay, bye."
"Bye." Draco said softly and then hung up the phone. He sighed at his own stupidity and then glared at his carpet. "I know it's not his fault. But it's ...... odd. I mean, he ...... and I've ........ we ...... and .... argh! I'm buying a cat, just so I have an excuse to talk when no-one's here." He stormed out.
True to his word, when he returned to his apartment half and hour later he indeed had a cat, a very nice looking black cat with grey eyes, in fact. Professor Snape had been very understanding, saying that Steel needed a longer break away form the students anyway. Draco placed him on the table in one of the places and sat down, looking at Steel. "I still feel stupid." Shrugging, he decided that nobody had to know. "Okay. So it's the problem with Harry."
Steel sat there quietly as Draco tried to forget that he had done something similar to this before to help him cope with being a spy. But that had involved a different cat. At the time he had thought it might have been Hermione's as it had looked familiar, and not like a stray. He hadn't known it's real name so he'd called it Scratch and the cat hadn't seemed to mind much. It turned up every night Draco went to the Astronomy Tower, calmly sitting there and listening to him rant.
"Okay, so there's Harry and I'm really not too sure what's going on." Draco put his elbow on the table and leant his head on his hand, bringing him closer to Steel as grey eyes met identical grey eyes. "I was crazy about him in school, which was a silly thing for me to do in the first place. And then came along Mortel or whatever the hell he wants to be called. He took over my body for reasons unknown and just ...... just ..... started living my life! And I woke up one day to find out that people were dead and I was engaged."
Draco looked over to the kitchen drawer where he had put the ring and sighed. "Engaged to Harry. Now, I know what you're thinking, you're wondering 'Why is this bad?' right? Well it sort of is. You see, I, as in the real me, wouldn't have done anything like that, or even go near him. Well, I might have, if Voldemort hadn't been a problem, but he was, so Mortel had no right to risk it like that. And, I don't remember why or how or ..... "
Draco trailed off and blushed. "I would be a fool to think that we hadn't, well, you know." He leant even closer. "Sex and all that. And that kind of really pisses me off. My body, Harry's body, and I didn't even get to be there." He scowled. "Life's a kick in the head, that's for sure. But anyway, there's also the last problem. Well, the last *big* problem anyway." He sighed. "When Harry looks at me, I can see it hurts him that I don't remember. I can see that he's wondering if the real me would want him. Don't get me wrong, I do. I still want him more than anything but .......... "
He trailed off again and stared sadly at Steel. "But what if he only wants the Draco he knew? I keep thinking that if I tried anything with him, this me wouldn't live up to it. Wouldn't be enough. Oh, I don't know. I guess I worry too much. But it's in my nature to overanalyse things like this. I just get so paranoid. What do you think?"
Steel remained sitting there quietly, as Draco thought over everything he had said. But the phone rang, making him jump slightly.
"Hello?"
"Good evening. I was wondering if I could speak with Mister Draco Malfoy?"
"Speaking."
"Good evening, sir. This is Marco from Pacino's. I was calling to check on the reservations."
Draco looked at the silent but curious Steel. "Er, reservations?"
"Yes. You have dinner booked for two on the thirty first of July."
"I do?"
The voice on the other end started to sound worried. "You didn't arrange for a small birthday celebration?"
"Whose birthday?"
"Mister Harry Potter's. Sir, if there has been some mistake please allow me to apologise and .... "
Draco's brain had finally kicked in at Harry's name and he interrupted. "Oh, I see. No I understand now. Um, yes I remember that now." He lied through his teeth, wondering what else his phantom friend had arranged. "I'm very sorry, I've been working far too hard and it completely slipped my mind."
"Then you shall be attending?"
"Yes, yes of course." Draco said absently as he scratched Steel under the chin.
"Excellent sir. You're booking is still set for Eight."
"Yes, thank you very much."
It only occurred to Draco as he hung up the phone, that he had no idea why he had agreed. Seeing nothing else that could be done, he pressed re-dial and waited.
"Hello?"
"Um, hi Harry."
"Oh, hello again."
Draco took one more look at Steel and nodded, as if the cat was saying something with his purring. "Look, here's the thing. The previous occupant of this body seems to have made a booking for a birthday dinner at some place called Pacino's. For *your* birthday, that is."
"Oh, I see. You won't be able to get you're deposit back."
"Won't I?" He hadn't even thought about the money. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. I was wondering if you still wanted to go?" He held his breath.
"With you?"
"No, with the Queen. Of course with me! I thought, we could, you know, talk and sort out a few things." He glared at Steel as he stretched slightly, making it look suspiciously like he was laughing. "Aren't there things you wanted straighten out? I just thought, seeing as I like Italian food, and I'm guessing you do to, we could have dinner. You could tell me about me, and all that stuff."
"Um, well, okay. I don't see any harm in it." Harry still didn't sound very thrilled.
"Great well. I'll meet you there, it's at Eight."
"Okay. I'll see you then. Bye."
"Yeah, bye." Draco hung up the phone and tried to slow down his heart that was beating at an alarming rate. "Christ!" He announced to Steel. "That was terrifying. I don't know how normal people do this whole, invite others to dinner thing? I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life? And that's including the time I had to pass the mind scan in order to get my Dark Mark. That was easy compared to this." He smiled. "Now that's one thing I really don't miss about my Pre-Phantom life." He put on a look of arrogance. "It clashed with my lovely pale skin."
He straightened out some of Steel's fur as he checked the clock. "Okay, I have seventy four hours to get ready. That should be enough, if I could just stop this really weird happy feeling from making me want to burst out into song."
He stood up and headed for the bedroom, deciding to have a shower and then do all his week's school work that night so he would have to worry about it later.
Steel lay down, placing his head on his front paws and curled his tail around his body. And waited.
To Be Continued.