Title: Exclusive Property
Author: Lady Rinehart
Email: lady rinehartyahoo.com
Rating: PG Now, R later
Pairing: Draco/Harry
Summary: Draco Malfoy never believed anything could help him get his one desire, until he rips out a page one from an unknown book in Flourish and Blotts. And of course, everything that followed was Potter's fault. Unfortunately for both boys, the consequences of their actions may be too much for their hearts. Ancient, powerful magic will be released and the fate of two hormonal boys rest where it should—in their own hands.
Prologue: Understanding Draco Malfoy
Many people believe that Draco Malfoy was a spoiled child, growing up with every care, need, and want carried out by his parents, and anyone else that felt the power the Malfoy name commanded. People believed that Draco's parents spent more money on their son than the Ministry spent on all of its departments combined, including the Department of Peculiar Occurrences, which had the largest budget in all of Britain because no one truly knew what the department's responsibilities were and people liked to donate to a cause that sounded grand, even if it was unknown. However, many people were wrong. The case of the matter was that Draco Malfoy was far from spoiled. At least, it was wrong in the sense that most people's opinion of said young man was based upon.
Draco's earliest memory was his birthday, age three. He was standing in the entrance hall of his estate, and it was his estate since his parents each had their own estates that were separate on the expansive Malfoy Family Grounds, being hugged by a rather plump woman whose name he could no longer remember. His mother was standing a few feet away, ordering maids and house elves a like. She seemed to be in a hurry to leave, especially on her son's birthday, but young Draco didn't appear to be sad in the least considering his mother was not staying. Narcissa Malfoy was a beautifully elegant woman, with a commanding personality and a sharp wit. Most men, however, did not like strong willed women who spoke their thoughts and opinions with an authoritative nature, as if they were superior to men or had the entitlement to state such things in the presence of men, even if her beliefs were simply the result of men such as her father and husband. Of course, as the wife of one Lucius Malfoy, she demanded certain respect from the wizarding world, including conservative men from even the purist of Wizarding families; the more modern woman of the era looked down on her and her 'respect' because it was achieved only with the help of a man. This woman was cool, collected and exactly the image of the female head of the Malfoy family should be. Unfortunately for young Draco, this image did not include a loving and indulgent mother. And at the moment, she was only there, not to say a heart-felt goodbye to her only child, but to make sure things were properly taken care of in her absence.
Draco stood there, trapped in the arms of some random nanny. Honestly, he'd had so many, especially for being so young, how was he to know the name of them all? The small child was cringing from the contact, but otherwise looked unconcerned that his mother was leaving. This is why Draco knew that, although this was his first memory, his mother was unreliable in the role of mother and must do things of this nature very often. Draco was accustomed to his mother's traveling schedule and he was fully prepared to say goodbye in the usual fashion and then be whisked off to his room where his etiquette studies would begin for the day. It was nothing new to the child, for his day to begin in such a way, for his mother loved to travel around the world. Draco was also accustomed to days when he only saw his mother at dinner or other meals. She was busy woman, she had told him once. He had taken that statement for face value and never questioned it again. After all, its how it had always been and that was the way he was thought to think.
In Draco's memory, Narcissa would make one final command to a trembling and terrified house elf, slap the small creature on the head for not answering with the speed that she demanded, and would turn to her son. She would walk over and tell the small boy she would be back in a few days and that she wanted him to not disappoint her in his studies. She would then turn quickly, and leave the estate without a glance back. Draco would be then ushered back to his room. Throughout this memory, young Draco felt no grief or unhappiness for the absence of a parent and certainly didn't want for her to come back.
This was how Draco was raised. He'd never spent much time with his parents, except at certain meals or events the family hosted at their mansion. Even then, talk was limited and Draco was often critiqued on his manners at the table or how he acted in the company of guests. The people he spent most of his time with were hired professionals, at least twenty years older than himself, paid to teach him the proper way to behave in civilized company. The teachers changed regularly, so he never became emotionally attached to any of them, which was the main reason he almost never learned their names. He always called them Sir or Ma'am, showing respect without actually giving respect, as he was taught. He was used to being ignored and alone when not being tutored, and as such, he learned to maximize his time when no one was around. He made the most of his solitude by reading books that were not on the instructional agenda, finding hidden passages throughout the house and grounds, and watching people, whether the be servants or guest of his parents, without their knowledge. That was his favorite pass time.
At the age of six, Draco had his first thought that his parents may not want him. He knew that he was small, fragile child who was unlike any other young boy he'd ever met. He was once ridiculed at a party for looking like a girl by another boy, not much older than himself, whose family name was Melifua. He'd hated that boy ever since, even though he knew that he was related to the annoying brat in someway. He'd never spoken to him again, and was often scolded for being rude to his elders by his instructors. However, he refused to speak and thus was punished by his parents. His parents took the side of another child of their own. He understood that his parents were busy, and as such they didn't have time to spend with him, but he felt they should have at least taken his side. Hadn't the other boy been rude to call Draco a girl, he asked. Of course, his father had said, a gleam in his eye, but Malfoy's are still polite to guests. He father had then order him to be locked his room without dinner and that the next week Draco would be unable to leave his room. From then on, Draco knew his parents didn't love him and probably didn't want him as their child. However, he also understood, from his lessons, that the first born of any significant family (and what family is more significant that the Malfoys?) was an heir, and thus his parents was stuck with him, no matter how much of a disappointment he may have been to them.
After that, Draco no longer cared that he spent almost no time with his parents. Before, he'd always looked at the meals as special, even though he was never disappointed when such things were cut short or that he's parents left him alone all the time. He'd still, like most children, cherished the small moment he had. Now, however, he no longer felt the need to be around his parents. This opinion came to him easily, and although he thought it odd a child should think so ill of their parents, he was unconcerned by the turn in his thoughts. After all, he reasoned with himself, it was my parents doing, not mine. So, he enjoyed his small freedom, because he had a feeling that it would not last forever.
Lucius Malfoy began to take a more personal interest in his son, or so it would seem, when Draco turned eight. He hand picked his son's playmates, appearing to the public as a dotting father who only wanted the best to be companions to his son. However, Lucius simply didn't trust his son's judgment on making and keeping acquaintances of the proper status in the community. Who his son associated with reflected upon the parents, his father had told him. Therefore, Draco was forced to spend certain amounts of time with two boys his age, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Draco's opinion was that if this was the best his father could find for him, then the world must be lacking in anyone interesting or intelligent in his own age range. So, he never believed he would have any associates that were worth having as friends. And being the type of person he was, knew not to hope for any such person to exist.
Therefore, Draco was not spoiled, not in the sense that the perceptions of other were based. He got many present on his birthday, he received special treatment when around others his age, and he even revealed in the power he had over others, even adults, but he was not spoiled. Draco knew this power and privilege came from his parents, not out of the kindness of their hearts, but because that was what being a Malfoy was all about. It was understood that he would have the best things and that people would shower him with respect. Outwardly, he showed that he enjoyed such power, and he did enjoy it, even though he knew it could disappear any time his parents deemed it appropriate. That was the reason Draco was not spoiled, because while he did not dislike the power, it was not something he wanted for himself, just something that he was accustomed to receiving.
As stated before, Draco had always liked watching people, seeing how they acted and respond to others. His fascination with people soon turned into a curiousness with all things that he was not supposed to see or have. As such, he obtained a new habit, one that was now, years later, so completely ingrained in his personality and actions that he sometimes was unaware he'd carry it out. He began to pick up objects, regardless of what they were or who they belonged to, and studied them. Often times, there would be people around and, not wanting to share his inspection with others, would take the chosen treasure with him to a place he could examine it in earnest. He almost never returned such items for he found that they were always special it their own unique way and felt the need to keep them. And since no one had ever caught him in the act of stealing, for he knew the term of his latest tradition would be called that by others, he never desired to quit or return his prizes.
It was years later that this particular practice landed Draco in a mess that he was unsure he could survive. At the age of twelve, he'd been in Flourish and Blotts, a book store in Diagon Alley, when he'd torn the page from a book in passing. That page contained knowledge that would later change his life in every way he ever wanted and craved, only to bring about the destruction of his dreams.
Draco had been watching Harry Potter at the time when he ripped the page out, so of course, he claimed all things that followed, whether good or bad, were Potter's fault.
End Prologue
And so our journey begins...
Lady Rinehart