Title: The Dragon Pendant

Chapter: Two

Author: DaemonGirl or aka Phoenix

Rating: bordering between R and NC-17 for sexual relations and violence, maybe language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and Co, just borrowing them for a little while then putting them back where they belong. I also do not own any songs mentioned either.

When Harry arrived at the Burrow, he was greeted by most of the Weasley family, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George, and Charlie who was home visiting. They all hugged him or shook his hand glad to see that he survived another bout with the Dursley's.

Hermione was overjoyed to see him. She squealed and gave him a hug that almost knocked him over. "I missed you too, but can you release your grip, I am having trouble breathing." He tried to remove his friend of almost seven without much success, but he did manage to get her to loosen up her grip.

"I have been so worried about you. I mean, no one has heard from you since we left school. Then you show up almost unannounced. Then. and, and." she stammered squeezing him tighter again, then finally letting go.

"I know," replied Harry, looking a little haggard from his trip. "The Dursley's are getting worse every summer. This is the worst summer yet." He sighed. He did not want his friends and almost family know what really had happened to him. He preferred to keep that too himself. He did need any more sympathy then he already got from them. It made him feel awful. "Probably," he continued, "because they don't want me to come back next summer. Seeing how I am old enough to be support myself according to muggle law and whatnot."

Mrs. Weasley came over to him and latched on to Harry, "Oh, you poor dear," she fretted, "what will you do without a family to go home to during the summer holiday next year?"

"Oh, Molly, you worry too much," Arthur said looking at her with a sly grin. "Things have a weird way of working themselves out." He then looked at Harry with a serious expression on his face and told him "If you can't find a place to stay by graduation, you can come stay with us until you can get on your feet and find a place to call your own. Lets just say it would be a graduation present from us to you."

Harry was dumbfounded. He stammered, "Thanks Mr. And Mrs. Weasley." He still couldn't believe his luck in having such wonderful friends, and those friends having such a wonderful family.

"Please, Harry dear, call us mom and dad," said Molly. "It's like you are already part of the family."

Harry smiled and replied, "of course, mom." He finally felt at home.

Draco, on the other hand, was being sent to his bedroom again without any food because his father had seemed to find fault of some kind with him. What that fault was, Draco did not know nor did he care to know what that fault was. All he knew was that his father was more heartless then usual this summer.

"I cannot stand this stupid insolence from you Draco," Lucius yelled. "You disgrace the Malfoy name," he spat. "I want to know the truth right now, I have given you the best of everything. I have even had to bribe some of your teachers, but still, you are an inconsiderate brat as well as a spineless bastard."

Draco just looked down at the floor, wishing he were some place else besides here in his father's study listening to him rant and rave about how a pureblood should act. He was also tired of being ridiculed for not being good enough, about how a mudblood like Hermione Granger was better then he was at everything.

"No she isn't, Father," Draco thought to himself. "She isn't well adapted to taking a verbal abuse and the physical beatings that you have given me. I can't even remember a time when you praised me or even encouraged me for doing something to your liking. Using all those curses to try to teach me a lesson has only taught me one thing, to resent you and everything you stand for." He rolled his eyes at this thought.

Lucius seen this and bellowed in rage, "Don't you dare roll your eyes at me, boy! I want you to go to your room now! I do not want to see you for the rest of the summer holiday, because if I do, you will wish you were never born."

"Too late for that," Draco thought as he started to get up to leave.

"Oh, by the way Draco," Lucius said in an oily voice, suddenly changing his manner and trying to sound sincere. "Think about joining the Dark Lord. It would do you some good and may be help you grow a spine."

"Yes, Father," replied Draco, "I'll think about it." Then he thought, "join the Dark Lord, are you kidding me. I would rather be dead and feed to werewolves then join him!"

As Draco was about to open the door, Lucius told Draco, "Don't give me another reason not to disown you. It wouldn't look good for the Malfoy name."

"Yes, Father"

Draco left the room. He muttered under his breath all the way to his room, " join the Dark Lord! What does he think I am, crazy? If he really cared about what I wanted he wouldn't do this to me. He would let me be who I want to be and not some replica of him, a spineless bastard. Then again he is a selfish arrogant bastard who is the one who doesn't have the spine. Who is the one who has a master that he goes crawling to when summoned. Who licks the slime off their master's shoe? Who is the one who controls his actions? Not Lucius that is for sure, but Voldemort."

When he reached his room, he slammed the door behind him. He was sure that it could be heard throughout the house, but he didn't care. He wanted his father to know just how angry he was. Draco did not like being treated like a puppet. He wanted to be treated like a human being.

With an exasperated sigh he threw himself down on his bed, wondering how he was going to spend the next four weeks avoiding his father.