Disclaimer: Didn't have one for my previous chapters. Didn't have one for Reversal, too, come to think of it. . .anyway. . .all characters, etc. etc. anything to do with Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. Plot, however, is mine and mine alone.

Chapter 4: In which Draco discovers something rather special about himself

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lucius Malfoy roared after getting over the shock of seeing his son appear out of thin air.

They were driving me crazy, I had to get away. They won't leave me alone for one second!

"That was a very foolish thing to do, Draco, and---" Draco's father stopped suddenly.

What?

"That! You---you weren't talking!"

Course I was, how'd you hear---oh. Ohhh.

"Exactly!" his father was very excited now. "I don't believe this. . .you can communicate by mind! This is amazing! Narcissa must be told. Narcissa! I have something to show you!"

Show? What, am I a showpiece now?

"Shut up, Draco."

You can't shut me up, Father, because---

"Really, Draco. Shut up."

Narcissa entered the bedroom. She was dressed in a beautiful lavender robe.

"Hello, Mother!" Draco said brightly.

"Show her what you can do, Draco," Lucius said.

How? I don't even know how I do it.

"You just did," Lucius said.

"Just did what, dear?" Narcissa asked.

Talked telepathically to Father. Wait, I just did that to you, too! But you couldn't hear what I said to Father, could you?

"No, honey," Narcissa was startled, surprised and very pleased.

"That's odd, I didn't hear what you said to Narcissa," Lucius said.

Maybe only the people I'm talking to can hear me. Which one of you just heard that?

"I did," Draco's father and mother said at the same time.

This is so cool.

"It'll be very hard to control." Lucius suddenly frowned. "You don't even know how you do it."

Yeah, and I do it without thinking. See?

"You're staying with the Weasleys for another five weeks, how are you not going to do this?" Lucius wondered.

Try not to. . .I should be able to do it.

"You could start now. Speaking of the Weasleys. . ."

"Won't they know you're missing?" Draco's mother asked.

No, I told---"I told them I was in the bathroom, and that I was expected to be in for quite a long while. . .they won't leave me alone for a second. And I mean a second."

"You had better get back there before they are suspicious. I'll send you an owl, we really need to talk more about this."

Right, Father. Draco gave a wave. "See you!" He snapped his fingers and appeared in the bathroom.

A split-second later the bathroom door burst open, showering Draco with wood pieces and revealing a very haggard-looking Mrs. Weasley.

"What the hell. . .?" he gasped.

The next moment he found himself under the tight embrace of Ron's mother.

"Oh, I'm so relieved!" she gushed, hugging him tightly. "I thought, I thought---well, the important thing is you're safe, and that. . .why didn't you answer when I knocked?"

"I. . .I. . .didn't hear you," Draco stammered, wriggling out of Mrs. Weasley's arms. Shit, shit, shit. Next time go out in the middle of the night or something.

Mrs. Weasley let go of Draco. "I was banging on the door."

"Oh, um, you see. . ." Draco racked his brain. "I, um, have this hearing problem, where, um, I. . .have bouts of, um, deafness, yeah. Temporary deafness." Can you say, STUPID?? "I have to go." Draco pushed past Mrs. Weasley and rushed up the stairs. He stopped between the fourth flight. That was close. Really close.

Why was she so worried? 'Important thing is you're safe'? Why was everyone so concerned over his safety? He could take care of himself, and it wasn't as if someone was after him. . .unless there was, but no one was telling him. . .Draco shook the thought out of his head. Why on earth would someone want to kill him? It was absurd. Then why is everyone acting so weirdly? Maybe this family is just plain wacko.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

"You know, " Ron frowned when Draco had left for the bathroom, "Something very odd is going on."

"What? That Draco's actually human and has to pee sometimes?" Harry quipped.

Ron gave his best friend a look. "No. I mean my parents have been acting really oddly. They keep telling me to be kind to Malfoy, welcome him to the house. . .it's like, Malfoy's some delicate creature that needs extra care and protection. My parents keep checking up on him, Percy keeps checking up on him, he never gets left alone. . .maybe they're trying to make his stay very hard."

"Your parents wouldn't do that," Hermione said. "There must be a reason. . .somewhere."

"What, though? Nothing has happened to make Malfoy delicate, or even suicidal. . .is there?"

"Well, we don't really know much about his home life, or even his life in general," Harry said. "Your parents probably know something. . .maybe we should be kinder to Draco."

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this, but. . .Draco's probably under some sort of stress, so. . .I'll be nicer to him."

"Me too," Hermione said.

This was why, when Draco entered Ron's room, he found Harry, Ron and Hermione all smiling at him, further increasing his belief that the Weasleys (and now all that were connected to them) were absolute weirdos.

Draco found himself smiling weakly back. It was  amazing how contagious smiles were.

"Any of you thirsty?" Harry asked. "I'll go get drinks."

"I'll come with you, you can't carry all those glasses by yourself." Hermione got up and left with Harry.

Great, leave me alone with him, why don't you, Ron grumbled. He cast a glance at Draco. Draco was looking rather disgustedly at the small, twittering owl in its cage. Pigwidgeon.

"Um, that's Pig," Ron said. "He arrived just now." Ron did not mention that Pig had just returned with a letter from Sirius Black.

"It's repulsive," Draco said.

Pigwidgeon stopped jumping up and down. He snapped his tiny beak at Draco and turned his back on him.

"Pig may be not be perfect," Ron flared up, "but he's reliable and I like him." Pigwidgeon twittered happily.

"And who on earth would name his pet Pig?" Draco scoffed. Ron did not answer. He turned and started to make his bed.

It's midday and you still haven't made your bed? Draco wondered, shaking hi head.

"It's not like you do it," Ron said, straightening the bedcover. "You've got house-elfs at home to do it for you."

Draco was startled. That thought had not been meant to be heard. His father was right, he really had to be careful. In the meantime, however, he could have some fun. . .

I've about five. I did have six, but Potter freed him. Or was it a her?

"I'm glad he did. According to Harry, you don't treat him too well," Ron said grimly, smoothing the duvet covers down.

Oh, so it's a he. Anyway, you should see how Crabbe treats his. He kicks his around the house. Why don't you try getting that ghoul to do things for you?

"Think he'll listen?" Ron fluffed up the pillowcase.

Draco shrugged. Worth a try. What exactly do you do doing the holidays? I mean, you can't exactly---oh, SHIT. Ron had turned to face Draco so fast Draco had not had time to open his mouth.

"You---you weren't talking!" Ron exclaimed.

"Don't be daft, of course I wasn't," Draco said. Uncomfortably.

"Yes! You weren't talking!" Ron insisted.

"Do you think I know whether I'm talking or not?" Draco snapped.

"But you weren't talking! Your mouth wasn't moving!!"

"Bullshit," Draco said, turning away.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, coming into the room. She passed Ron a glass of orange juice.

Draco retrieved his glass from Harry without a 'thank you'. Harry  seemed a little miffed by that.

"Draco's insisting that---"

"Oh, look, there's Pandora," Draco said, hoping the arrival of his owl would steer the conversation away from his slip.

"Pandora?" Hermione asked. "As in Pandora's Box?"

"No, my owl, Mud---" Draco bit his lip. Better not insult her. "Granger."

Pandora flew into the room and came to a rest on Draco's left arm. She was a lovely tawny owl with an odd white diamond shape on her forehead.

"Hello, got a letter for me?" Pandora hooted softly. Draco deftly undid the string holding the letter, broke the seal and began to read.

A/N: I'm fifteen today!! Yay!

And guess who got top of her form?? *big grin* Me!! Whaaat. . .I've never got that before you know. . .

Draco'sDragon: thanks. . .I know, Lucius and Draco are too nice aren't they? I'll try to make Draco meaner. . .but I've got a soft spot for him. . .