Disclaimer: Just a few of the characters are mine. You will know which
ones.
Warnings: This story contains slash, means boy/boy love. So, don't like don't read.
A/N: Hey, sorry it took so long. But I have a good information. A very good indeed. I get my own Computer. YES! Then I can finally write the chapters directly on the computer and the chapter shouldn't take so long anymore. Now, when this aren't good news. Whatever. Hope you will like this chapter. It is shorter than the last, but I didn't want to let you wait any longer. So I wish you a Merry Christmas and a good New Year.
################################################
Chapter 12: Friend or Foe: Return of Old Friends part 2
Dark clouds covered the sky from one horizon to the other, thick and heavy because of the rain they carried. The ground was wet from the rainfall and here and there were wide puddles.
Harry eyed the clouds suspiciously, uneasily shifting from one foot to the other. Surely it would rain again soon and he had to remind himself that it had been his own idea to await the arrival of the Hogwarts Express at the station instead of in the warm cozy Great Hall. But he was nervous.
Soon all of his friends would be with him again. And within four days he had to tell them about his new relationship with Draco Malfoy, or the blond Slytherin would do it, which would cause a major catastrophe.
Harry groaned. He could just imagine Ron blowing up, threading to kill Draco.
He had to find the right words to avoid that.
"Harry?"
Surprised, Harry flinched. He hadn't thought he would hear that voice for quite some time.
Slowly he turned around, until his eyes finally fell on the lean figure of Sirius standing behind him. What he saw shocked him.
The taller, black-haired man was totally drenched. His robe was hanging on him like an old rag and under it he was only wearing washed-out jeans and a white shirt, which clung onto him like a second skin.
And his eyes.
Harry cringed inwardly as his heart made a painful twitch in his chest, as he returned Sirius' look out of dull eyes.
So tired. So exhausted.
"Sirius."
Sirius shifted a bit, seemingly unsure if he should stay or leave. Harry hurried to take a step forward. He couldn't let Sirius walk away like that.
"Sirius." He said again, reaching a hand out to him.
Harry felt the taller man flinch at the hand on his arm.
"Sirius, please. We have to talk." Sirius lifted his eyes to look into pleading green ones.
"About what?"
Harry withdrew his hand. "You came to me. You spoke my name just minutes ago."
Harry held the gaze of his godfather in silence, aware of the tension between them. But they had to talk now or they would lose each other, that he was sure of.
Finally, after a few minutes that seem to Harry like an eternity, Sirius let out a deep sigh.
"I'm sorry, Harry. It was not in my right to speak to you like I did in the infirmary. I yelled at you and I shouldn't have done that. But I was mad because of the Malfoys, for what they had done to you."
Harry stayed silence. He didn't know what he should say to that. Sirius' words in the infirmary had hurt him.
"We don't know each other that well, Harry." Sirius continued in a low voice, just loud enough that Harry could understand him. "We had just a few hours together last year, too few to know what kind of person the other is. I had too few with you. And when I saw Malfoy kissing you and you kissing him back, I became jealous. He, the son of a Death Eater, had spent more time with you, while I, your godfather and the best friend of you dead parents, had to hide because of a crime I didn't commit."
"It wasn't my idea to bond my life with a Malfoy." Harry murmured, seeing the jealousy in Sirius eyes. "I was shocked, too, as Draco told me what he had done. And I'm not in such a good mood that he has done this to me. But I think that I trust him, now that I know him a bit better. He isn't that spoiled bastard that I always thought he was. He wants to protect me and he and his family have completely broken with Voldemort."
"A trick." Sirius spat.
Harry shook his head firmly. "No. It's the truth. Draco has told me something last night, that convinced me that he is telling the truth. And before you ask," Harry raised a hand as it looked as if Sirius wanted to say something, "I promised Draco I wouldn't tell anyone. I will not break this promise."
Sirius glared at him out of darkened eyes. Harry returned his gaze silently. He wouldn't tell Draco's secret. Not before Draco would give him the permission.
Sirius heaved a sigh. His gaze softened.
"How can you be so sure?" he asked, resignation in his voice.
Harry couldn't help but to blush.
"He loves me."
"And do you love him?"
"No, I don't think so." Harry's blush deepened. He averted his eyes to the ground. "But to tell you the truth-I think I can learn to love him." This time Harry sighed. "But I'm really not sure. I'm so confused right now. I can't forget what Draco had done to me and my friends in the past four years, but on the other hand he has totally changed his behaviour."
"You mean toward you." Sirius said with a growl. He shook his head and stepped beside Harry. " I can't tell you how you should feel, but I can tell you that Lucius Malfoy's son won't stop looking down upon all the others who aren't pureblooded wizards. For that he is too much of an aristocrat and too proud of being a pureblood. You'll see."
"Maybe."
But couldn't he bring Draco to change?
Sirius shifted his gaze from the railroads disappearing into the horizon to the mighty silhouette of Hogwarts.
"I can't say that I'm happy with your new relationship, Harry, but I can accept that it wasn't your decision. And, after all, I don't have to live with the Malfoy under one ceiling. So, friends again?"
Surprised, Harry looked at Sirius's hand, outstretched to him, and then up at his face. Should it really be that easy?
A happy smile appeared on Harry's face as Sirius' large hand wrapped itself around his in a strong grip.
Sirius returned the smile before he pulled Harry in a tight embrace.
Harry relaxed into his hold, ignoring the wetness starting to damp his own clothing.
"I'll try to make it up to you." Sirius whispered, tenderly brushing his fingers through Harry's unruly hair. "Every year that you were forced to live with those Muggles. And I will try not to see your father in you, like I sometimes do. You are you."
Harry closed his eyes. His father. He had missed his parents his whole life long, had often imagined how his life would have been when they were still alive, even when he had been unable to remember them clearly. What must Sirius had felt, who had grown up with James Potter? What had he felt like when he had seen Harry, who just looked like his best friend?
He couldn't imagine.
Harry tilted his head back to look up at the man his parents had chosen to be his godfather.
"You must miss my parents a lot. More than me, I suppose. You had known them so many years."
Sirius' smile turned sad. "Not more than you, Harry, just in a different kind of way. But let's not talk about it anymore," he continued, stepping back. He let his eyes shift over Harry's body and they narrowed slightly as he discovered something.
"What's this?"
"What do you mean?"
Sirius reached a hand out and carefully touched the side of Harry's neck with two fingertips, where two deep red and purple spots were clearly to see on the lightly tanned skin.
"There are two bruises. But when I think about it, they look more like," his eyes shifted to confused green ones, "they look more like hickeys."
Harry felt the familiar heat creep up his cheeks. And with it came the memory of a smug grin on Draco's face and his comment about another mark on Harry.
Sirius face stayed calm as he watched Harry starting to stammer, his face red from embarrassment.
He lifted a hand to stop any speaking. "Let's not talk about it. That is something between you and your life-partner," Sirius couldn't hold back a growl, "that I don't want to know more about. It is your decision alone what you do. But I would beg you not to do it when I could see it."
Harry kept his eyes firmly on Sirius'. He clearly remembered Sirius' opinion in this matter.
"That's right," he said.
The older man shook his head. "Let's not talk about it," he repeated. He turned away. His eyes swept over the little station. Soon the students would return to Hogwarts and he would help to teach them.
"It's not long until your friends will arrive. Have you already figured out how to tell them your little news? The journey to Hogwarts isn't that long."
"Draco gave me four days to tell them."
Sirius snorted. "I already can see how your hot-tempered friend Ron will blow up, when he hears it."
//I can see it, too.// Harry thought, keeping it in his mind.
Ron had to accept it. There was no way to change it, and when Azula was right about her feeling of Draco's brother, they all had to stand together, instead of fighting each other.
Not that that helped him to figure out how to tell his friends.
"I have to go." Sirius suddenly said, turning back to Harry. "Dumbledore and Snape want to speak to me about the potion, before the students arrive. When they enter the hall all the teachers have to sit at the Head table."
Harry's face lighted up. "What will you teach?"
A teasing grin appeared on Sirius' face.
"You'll see."
He sent Harry a wink, before he started to walk up to Hogwarts, his stride now more relaxed than before.
Harry smiled and watched him getting smaller and smaller. He couldn't explain how glad he was that Sirius wasn't mad at him anymore. And he couldn't wait to enter the Great Hall to see who Sirius Black would be from now on. Even though it was a bit sad that he couldn't teach as himself.
When Sirius had gone, Harry turned his attention back to the horizon where the train would appear, then shifting his green eyes to the slow-moving rain clouds.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The interior was gloomy, despite the sun outside.
Draco's eyes needed some moments to adjust to the abrupt change. He waited, wand in his hand, before he stepped further into the room, noticing with displeasure the dust covering nearly everything.
Not that there was much to cover- just some destroyed chairs in one corner that showed that people had once lived in here.
"It is good to see you, Master Malfoy."
Draco's eyes shot to the darkest corner.
A tall man stepped out into a dim light coming from a crack from a window that was, like all the others, closed shut with crossed boards.
A nearly blinding white robe hung down his skinny body, not better than from a coat-hanger, and unlike the robes wizards usually wore, this one couldn't be opened at the front. A wide hood hid the head under it completely in shadow, but Draco knew the face nearly as well as his parents. A face with skin that looked like old parchment and eyes so dark that nobody could look into them, eyes where you couldn't where the pupil began.
Well, not nobody.
Draco relaxed as the man slowly came to him and lowered his wand.
"It is good to see you again, Wenshore. How long has it been since we last saw each other?"
Wenshore pushed back his hood and smiled at the blond boy. "Long enough that you could grow into a good looking young man, Master Draco. It is appropriate to congratulate you to your bonding. I'm sure your choice is excellent as always."
"Of course." Draco couldn't help but to grin as he thought about his chosen. "After all, my bonded, Harry Potter, is the son of two wizards. Not a pureblood like me, but that's not his fault."
Wenshore smiled. "I'm Mr Potter will be a good addition to the Malfoy family. It will be my pleasure to meet him when you introduce him to everyone."
"Not so soon, Wenshore. Harry still needs time to understand that I'm now part of his life. But your wish to congratulate me wasn't the reason you wanted to see me, was it? Why did you send for me?"
The smile vanished from the older man's face as he bowed before Draco. "I fear I have bad news. A friend of mine gave me this." He handed a piece of paper to Draco. "This will be published in the Daily Prophet tomorrow."
Frowning, Draco looked down at the paper. As his eyes fell on the neat handwriting, they widened in surprise.
"What the hell?!"
**************************************************************************** *******************************************
"Harry!"
Before Harry could react in any other way than to stare at the two people who came running to him through the crowd of kids, they already were with him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Ron? Hermione?" Harry gasped, nearly crushed between his friends.
Carefully he untangled himself from them and looked at the two people who meant everything to him.
To do that he had to look up.
Ron had always been the biggest one of them, but now he seemed to tower over Harry from a height nearly two heads taller than in the year before. He must have had a really amazing growth spurt over the summer.
And Hermione.
Slowly Harry let his gaze wandered away from the grinning Ron, to the girl in the Golden Trio. Even she had grown, he noticed, slightly miserably. But not only in height.
Blushing Harry noticed the more feminine curves of her body and face. And there were two more things that had grown in the summer.
"You're looking a bit like Ron, like when we met in London." Hermione said, amused.
Harry could feel the heat in his cheeks rising. Quickly he looked up, into bright eyes. To do that he didn't have to raise his head as much as with Ron, but he still had to.
Could it be that he was the only one who hadn't grown in the holidays?
Maybe the teachers had given everyone growth pills before fourth year had been over, and he was the only one who hadn't gotten one.
Grinning, Ron grabbed him, ignoring the startled yelp. "It's so good to see you again, mate. But you really have to explain something to us. Why haven't you answered our letters? If my dad hadn't told us that you're already in Hogwarts, we would be worried to death."
"I'm sorry. I was forbidden to owl you. Snape said that nobody was allowed to know where I was."
Shortly Harry stayed locked in Ron's arms, allowing him to hold him - //Not as comfortable as with Draco.// - before he stepped back.
"But it's really good to see you again. I've missed you guys."
They shared a grin. Finally they were together again.
"What did you do all alone?" Hermione asked, as they walked together to the horseless carriages, Harry between his friends like in old times.
"It was boring. Right, mate?"
Harry rubbed his belly. "Well, not really. I had enough distraction."
// In the form of a certain Draco Malfoy.//
Harry hesitated, waiting as Ron and Hermione climbed into an empty carriage.
Should he tell them about Draco now?
Surely it would be easier to get it over with as fast as possible, wouldn't it?
"Hey, look at that. The Ice Prince with his minions." Ron suddenly called out, startling Harry. "I can't believe he has the nerve to come here."
Dumfounded Harry looked at his friend. Ron sighed and turned his head around so that he could see the named Slytherins. Draco Malfoy and his two bullies, Crabbe and Goyle, making their way through the chattering teens.
Hermione leaned past Ron to see. "He looks strangely satisfied, don't you think."
Ron let out a disgusted snort and glared at Malfoy. "Maybe he and his morons have harassed some poor first years."
Draco turned his head to them as he walked by, flashing them a knowing smirk.
Ron fumed and only Hermione's hand on his arm prevented him from jumping the blond.
"Ron, don't!"
Malfoy raised one fine eyebrow, before he continued walking, pushing some second year girls out of his way.
"That arrogant bastard! He thinks himself above everyone!"
Hermione ignored Ron's anger. Curious, she watched Malfoy entering another carriage. The first thing that she noticed was that the summer must have been good to him. She always had seen him as handsome, even if she would never tell that to her friends, but now he was more than that. He was beautiful.
She squinted her eyes together. But how out of character of him, not to greet them with a sneer and an insult.
"That's strange, he didn't even insult us. Don't you think so, Harry?"
No answer. Just another disgusted snort from Ron.
"Harry?"
Hermione turned to Harry, still standing beside the carriage and was greeted with the sight of her friend with a bright blush on his face and glazed-over eyes.
"Harry?"
Harry blinked and blushed further as he met the curious eyes of Hermione.
"W-What did you say?"
Had Hermione caught him staring at Draco?
He couldn't help it. In the second Ron had turned to look at blond Slytherin, he hadn't been able to look away anymore. He had been enraptured by the sight of...of his Draco.
And as his silver eyes had met his, all thoughts of telling Ron and Hermione about the bond had vanished.
Harry shook his head, trying to erase the dizzy feeling.
//Don't think about it. I have four days to tell them.//
He shot a look at the scowling Ron. // I just hope he will not do anything stupid.//
"Harry?"
"Yeah?"
Hermione sighed. "You're not listening, Harry. Now, for the third time. Don't you think that Malfoy acted strange just now? He didn't say anything mean or insult us in any way."
"Maybe he has changed during summer." Harry said tentatively.
Thoughtfully Hermione stared at the carriage in which Malfoy had climbed as it started its way up to Hogwarts.
Harry hurried to climb in with his friends. He didn't want to be left behind when their carriage started.
Ron glared slightly at his two friends, as they sat opposite him.
"I don't know why you think Malfoy's changed. He will never change. He's too proud of his heritage as a Malfoy and of being a pureblood. And don't forget his Death Eater father."
Hermione leaned back. "Maybe you're right. One summer seems not enough time for someone like him to change."
Harry sighed and placed a hand on his belly, where the magical tattoo was. His friends would never accept the bond with Draco.
*************************************************************************** ****
Hey, don't forget to review, okay. Love you, until then.
Your P.D-chan (
Warnings: This story contains slash, means boy/boy love. So, don't like don't read.
A/N: Hey, sorry it took so long. But I have a good information. A very good indeed. I get my own Computer. YES! Then I can finally write the chapters directly on the computer and the chapter shouldn't take so long anymore. Now, when this aren't good news. Whatever. Hope you will like this chapter. It is shorter than the last, but I didn't want to let you wait any longer. So I wish you a Merry Christmas and a good New Year.
################################################
Chapter 12: Friend or Foe: Return of Old Friends part 2
Dark clouds covered the sky from one horizon to the other, thick and heavy because of the rain they carried. The ground was wet from the rainfall and here and there were wide puddles.
Harry eyed the clouds suspiciously, uneasily shifting from one foot to the other. Surely it would rain again soon and he had to remind himself that it had been his own idea to await the arrival of the Hogwarts Express at the station instead of in the warm cozy Great Hall. But he was nervous.
Soon all of his friends would be with him again. And within four days he had to tell them about his new relationship with Draco Malfoy, or the blond Slytherin would do it, which would cause a major catastrophe.
Harry groaned. He could just imagine Ron blowing up, threading to kill Draco.
He had to find the right words to avoid that.
"Harry?"
Surprised, Harry flinched. He hadn't thought he would hear that voice for quite some time.
Slowly he turned around, until his eyes finally fell on the lean figure of Sirius standing behind him. What he saw shocked him.
The taller, black-haired man was totally drenched. His robe was hanging on him like an old rag and under it he was only wearing washed-out jeans and a white shirt, which clung onto him like a second skin.
And his eyes.
Harry cringed inwardly as his heart made a painful twitch in his chest, as he returned Sirius' look out of dull eyes.
So tired. So exhausted.
"Sirius."
Sirius shifted a bit, seemingly unsure if he should stay or leave. Harry hurried to take a step forward. He couldn't let Sirius walk away like that.
"Sirius." He said again, reaching a hand out to him.
Harry felt the taller man flinch at the hand on his arm.
"Sirius, please. We have to talk." Sirius lifted his eyes to look into pleading green ones.
"About what?"
Harry withdrew his hand. "You came to me. You spoke my name just minutes ago."
Harry held the gaze of his godfather in silence, aware of the tension between them. But they had to talk now or they would lose each other, that he was sure of.
Finally, after a few minutes that seem to Harry like an eternity, Sirius let out a deep sigh.
"I'm sorry, Harry. It was not in my right to speak to you like I did in the infirmary. I yelled at you and I shouldn't have done that. But I was mad because of the Malfoys, for what they had done to you."
Harry stayed silence. He didn't know what he should say to that. Sirius' words in the infirmary had hurt him.
"We don't know each other that well, Harry." Sirius continued in a low voice, just loud enough that Harry could understand him. "We had just a few hours together last year, too few to know what kind of person the other is. I had too few with you. And when I saw Malfoy kissing you and you kissing him back, I became jealous. He, the son of a Death Eater, had spent more time with you, while I, your godfather and the best friend of you dead parents, had to hide because of a crime I didn't commit."
"It wasn't my idea to bond my life with a Malfoy." Harry murmured, seeing the jealousy in Sirius eyes. "I was shocked, too, as Draco told me what he had done. And I'm not in such a good mood that he has done this to me. But I think that I trust him, now that I know him a bit better. He isn't that spoiled bastard that I always thought he was. He wants to protect me and he and his family have completely broken with Voldemort."
"A trick." Sirius spat.
Harry shook his head firmly. "No. It's the truth. Draco has told me something last night, that convinced me that he is telling the truth. And before you ask," Harry raised a hand as it looked as if Sirius wanted to say something, "I promised Draco I wouldn't tell anyone. I will not break this promise."
Sirius glared at him out of darkened eyes. Harry returned his gaze silently. He wouldn't tell Draco's secret. Not before Draco would give him the permission.
Sirius heaved a sigh. His gaze softened.
"How can you be so sure?" he asked, resignation in his voice.
Harry couldn't help but to blush.
"He loves me."
"And do you love him?"
"No, I don't think so." Harry's blush deepened. He averted his eyes to the ground. "But to tell you the truth-I think I can learn to love him." This time Harry sighed. "But I'm really not sure. I'm so confused right now. I can't forget what Draco had done to me and my friends in the past four years, but on the other hand he has totally changed his behaviour."
"You mean toward you." Sirius said with a growl. He shook his head and stepped beside Harry. " I can't tell you how you should feel, but I can tell you that Lucius Malfoy's son won't stop looking down upon all the others who aren't pureblooded wizards. For that he is too much of an aristocrat and too proud of being a pureblood. You'll see."
"Maybe."
But couldn't he bring Draco to change?
Sirius shifted his gaze from the railroads disappearing into the horizon to the mighty silhouette of Hogwarts.
"I can't say that I'm happy with your new relationship, Harry, but I can accept that it wasn't your decision. And, after all, I don't have to live with the Malfoy under one ceiling. So, friends again?"
Surprised, Harry looked at Sirius's hand, outstretched to him, and then up at his face. Should it really be that easy?
A happy smile appeared on Harry's face as Sirius' large hand wrapped itself around his in a strong grip.
Sirius returned the smile before he pulled Harry in a tight embrace.
Harry relaxed into his hold, ignoring the wetness starting to damp his own clothing.
"I'll try to make it up to you." Sirius whispered, tenderly brushing his fingers through Harry's unruly hair. "Every year that you were forced to live with those Muggles. And I will try not to see your father in you, like I sometimes do. You are you."
Harry closed his eyes. His father. He had missed his parents his whole life long, had often imagined how his life would have been when they were still alive, even when he had been unable to remember them clearly. What must Sirius had felt, who had grown up with James Potter? What had he felt like when he had seen Harry, who just looked like his best friend?
He couldn't imagine.
Harry tilted his head back to look up at the man his parents had chosen to be his godfather.
"You must miss my parents a lot. More than me, I suppose. You had known them so many years."
Sirius' smile turned sad. "Not more than you, Harry, just in a different kind of way. But let's not talk about it anymore," he continued, stepping back. He let his eyes shift over Harry's body and they narrowed slightly as he discovered something.
"What's this?"
"What do you mean?"
Sirius reached a hand out and carefully touched the side of Harry's neck with two fingertips, where two deep red and purple spots were clearly to see on the lightly tanned skin.
"There are two bruises. But when I think about it, they look more like," his eyes shifted to confused green ones, "they look more like hickeys."
Harry felt the familiar heat creep up his cheeks. And with it came the memory of a smug grin on Draco's face and his comment about another mark on Harry.
Sirius face stayed calm as he watched Harry starting to stammer, his face red from embarrassment.
He lifted a hand to stop any speaking. "Let's not talk about it. That is something between you and your life-partner," Sirius couldn't hold back a growl, "that I don't want to know more about. It is your decision alone what you do. But I would beg you not to do it when I could see it."
Harry kept his eyes firmly on Sirius'. He clearly remembered Sirius' opinion in this matter.
"That's right," he said.
The older man shook his head. "Let's not talk about it," he repeated. He turned away. His eyes swept over the little station. Soon the students would return to Hogwarts and he would help to teach them.
"It's not long until your friends will arrive. Have you already figured out how to tell them your little news? The journey to Hogwarts isn't that long."
"Draco gave me four days to tell them."
Sirius snorted. "I already can see how your hot-tempered friend Ron will blow up, when he hears it."
//I can see it, too.// Harry thought, keeping it in his mind.
Ron had to accept it. There was no way to change it, and when Azula was right about her feeling of Draco's brother, they all had to stand together, instead of fighting each other.
Not that that helped him to figure out how to tell his friends.
"I have to go." Sirius suddenly said, turning back to Harry. "Dumbledore and Snape want to speak to me about the potion, before the students arrive. When they enter the hall all the teachers have to sit at the Head table."
Harry's face lighted up. "What will you teach?"
A teasing grin appeared on Sirius' face.
"You'll see."
He sent Harry a wink, before he started to walk up to Hogwarts, his stride now more relaxed than before.
Harry smiled and watched him getting smaller and smaller. He couldn't explain how glad he was that Sirius wasn't mad at him anymore. And he couldn't wait to enter the Great Hall to see who Sirius Black would be from now on. Even though it was a bit sad that he couldn't teach as himself.
When Sirius had gone, Harry turned his attention back to the horizon where the train would appear, then shifting his green eyes to the slow-moving rain clouds.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The interior was gloomy, despite the sun outside.
Draco's eyes needed some moments to adjust to the abrupt change. He waited, wand in his hand, before he stepped further into the room, noticing with displeasure the dust covering nearly everything.
Not that there was much to cover- just some destroyed chairs in one corner that showed that people had once lived in here.
"It is good to see you, Master Malfoy."
Draco's eyes shot to the darkest corner.
A tall man stepped out into a dim light coming from a crack from a window that was, like all the others, closed shut with crossed boards.
A nearly blinding white robe hung down his skinny body, not better than from a coat-hanger, and unlike the robes wizards usually wore, this one couldn't be opened at the front. A wide hood hid the head under it completely in shadow, but Draco knew the face nearly as well as his parents. A face with skin that looked like old parchment and eyes so dark that nobody could look into them, eyes where you couldn't where the pupil began.
Well, not nobody.
Draco relaxed as the man slowly came to him and lowered his wand.
"It is good to see you again, Wenshore. How long has it been since we last saw each other?"
Wenshore pushed back his hood and smiled at the blond boy. "Long enough that you could grow into a good looking young man, Master Draco. It is appropriate to congratulate you to your bonding. I'm sure your choice is excellent as always."
"Of course." Draco couldn't help but to grin as he thought about his chosen. "After all, my bonded, Harry Potter, is the son of two wizards. Not a pureblood like me, but that's not his fault."
Wenshore smiled. "I'm Mr Potter will be a good addition to the Malfoy family. It will be my pleasure to meet him when you introduce him to everyone."
"Not so soon, Wenshore. Harry still needs time to understand that I'm now part of his life. But your wish to congratulate me wasn't the reason you wanted to see me, was it? Why did you send for me?"
The smile vanished from the older man's face as he bowed before Draco. "I fear I have bad news. A friend of mine gave me this." He handed a piece of paper to Draco. "This will be published in the Daily Prophet tomorrow."
Frowning, Draco looked down at the paper. As his eyes fell on the neat handwriting, they widened in surprise.
"What the hell?!"
**************************************************************************** *******************************************
"Harry!"
Before Harry could react in any other way than to stare at the two people who came running to him through the crowd of kids, they already were with him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Ron? Hermione?" Harry gasped, nearly crushed between his friends.
Carefully he untangled himself from them and looked at the two people who meant everything to him.
To do that he had to look up.
Ron had always been the biggest one of them, but now he seemed to tower over Harry from a height nearly two heads taller than in the year before. He must have had a really amazing growth spurt over the summer.
And Hermione.
Slowly Harry let his gaze wandered away from the grinning Ron, to the girl in the Golden Trio. Even she had grown, he noticed, slightly miserably. But not only in height.
Blushing Harry noticed the more feminine curves of her body and face. And there were two more things that had grown in the summer.
"You're looking a bit like Ron, like when we met in London." Hermione said, amused.
Harry could feel the heat in his cheeks rising. Quickly he looked up, into bright eyes. To do that he didn't have to raise his head as much as with Ron, but he still had to.
Could it be that he was the only one who hadn't grown in the holidays?
Maybe the teachers had given everyone growth pills before fourth year had been over, and he was the only one who hadn't gotten one.
Grinning, Ron grabbed him, ignoring the startled yelp. "It's so good to see you again, mate. But you really have to explain something to us. Why haven't you answered our letters? If my dad hadn't told us that you're already in Hogwarts, we would be worried to death."
"I'm sorry. I was forbidden to owl you. Snape said that nobody was allowed to know where I was."
Shortly Harry stayed locked in Ron's arms, allowing him to hold him - //Not as comfortable as with Draco.// - before he stepped back.
"But it's really good to see you again. I've missed you guys."
They shared a grin. Finally they were together again.
"What did you do all alone?" Hermione asked, as they walked together to the horseless carriages, Harry between his friends like in old times.
"It was boring. Right, mate?"
Harry rubbed his belly. "Well, not really. I had enough distraction."
// In the form of a certain Draco Malfoy.//
Harry hesitated, waiting as Ron and Hermione climbed into an empty carriage.
Should he tell them about Draco now?
Surely it would be easier to get it over with as fast as possible, wouldn't it?
"Hey, look at that. The Ice Prince with his minions." Ron suddenly called out, startling Harry. "I can't believe he has the nerve to come here."
Dumfounded Harry looked at his friend. Ron sighed and turned his head around so that he could see the named Slytherins. Draco Malfoy and his two bullies, Crabbe and Goyle, making their way through the chattering teens.
Hermione leaned past Ron to see. "He looks strangely satisfied, don't you think."
Ron let out a disgusted snort and glared at Malfoy. "Maybe he and his morons have harassed some poor first years."
Draco turned his head to them as he walked by, flashing them a knowing smirk.
Ron fumed and only Hermione's hand on his arm prevented him from jumping the blond.
"Ron, don't!"
Malfoy raised one fine eyebrow, before he continued walking, pushing some second year girls out of his way.
"That arrogant bastard! He thinks himself above everyone!"
Hermione ignored Ron's anger. Curious, she watched Malfoy entering another carriage. The first thing that she noticed was that the summer must have been good to him. She always had seen him as handsome, even if she would never tell that to her friends, but now he was more than that. He was beautiful.
She squinted her eyes together. But how out of character of him, not to greet them with a sneer and an insult.
"That's strange, he didn't even insult us. Don't you think so, Harry?"
No answer. Just another disgusted snort from Ron.
"Harry?"
Hermione turned to Harry, still standing beside the carriage and was greeted with the sight of her friend with a bright blush on his face and glazed-over eyes.
"Harry?"
Harry blinked and blushed further as he met the curious eyes of Hermione.
"W-What did you say?"
Had Hermione caught him staring at Draco?
He couldn't help it. In the second Ron had turned to look at blond Slytherin, he hadn't been able to look away anymore. He had been enraptured by the sight of...of his Draco.
And as his silver eyes had met his, all thoughts of telling Ron and Hermione about the bond had vanished.
Harry shook his head, trying to erase the dizzy feeling.
//Don't think about it. I have four days to tell them.//
He shot a look at the scowling Ron. // I just hope he will not do anything stupid.//
"Harry?"
"Yeah?"
Hermione sighed. "You're not listening, Harry. Now, for the third time. Don't you think that Malfoy acted strange just now? He didn't say anything mean or insult us in any way."
"Maybe he has changed during summer." Harry said tentatively.
Thoughtfully Hermione stared at the carriage in which Malfoy had climbed as it started its way up to Hogwarts.
Harry hurried to climb in with his friends. He didn't want to be left behind when their carriage started.
Ron glared slightly at his two friends, as they sat opposite him.
"I don't know why you think Malfoy's changed. He will never change. He's too proud of his heritage as a Malfoy and of being a pureblood. And don't forget his Death Eater father."
Hermione leaned back. "Maybe you're right. One summer seems not enough time for someone like him to change."
Harry sighed and placed a hand on his belly, where the magical tattoo was. His friends would never accept the bond with Draco.
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