"Master Draco… , Master Draco, time to wake up sir" Draco(Harry) woke with a start. A young house elf in a filthy pillowcase cringed next to the bed with its arms held defensively waiting for a blow. Harry quickly checked his watch, he still had another 10 minutes to go before he needed another sip of potion.
"I'm up, go away" Draco(Harry) told the elf who was obviously surprised at not being hit for waking Draco. The elf fled the room not wanting to push its luck. Harry knew from Dobby that Draco took his time in the morning before appearing for breakfast, so Harry ran a deep bath. He undressed but before stepping into the bath he stopped and looked at himself in the mirror. It was quite fascinating having a naked Draco Malfoy peering back, following every move Harry made. Harry made a series of silly poses as he got to know this strange new body he inhabited. Finally, Harry lowered his gaze down and turned quite red. He turned back to the reflexion of Draco in the Mirror and said "You wish Malfoy!" and laughing, sank into the bath.
About an hour later Draco(Harry) emerged from his room looking every bit the Malfoy. He was wearing a royal blue robe with gold trim. He had also played with all of Draco's toiletries. He reeked of so many different fragrances, his nose twitched as it tried to cope. He wandered down to the dining room and walked in to find only his place set. On the side board trays contained a bewildering array of breakfast foods. Harry was loading his plate with food when a cough from behind caused him to jump.
"Young Master, I hope I didn't startle you." The ancient servant who had served last night said apologetically. "Master Lucius has left for the office and asks for you to be ready when he returns at 6 o'clock tonight. He said you would understand."
"And mother?" Draco(Harry) asked.
"Mistress has retired to her rooms for the day, Master Draco" the old man looked surprised at Draco(Harry)'s question. Draco(Harry) shrugged and the old servant turned and left without further comment.
Harry returned to his breakfast. At least he could eat his breakfast without worrying about Lucius' painful little lessons. He looked down at his breakfast and thought to himself //And the condemned man ate a hearty meal// and putting worry about what would occur that evening aside he began to eat.
When he was finished Harry decided he wanted to see the grounds while he had the chance and left the manor via the huge front doors which had opened at his approach. The ground was covered in a light dusting of snow and the air was cold but in the sunlight Harry was warm enough in his cloak. He enjoyed the brisk fresh air as he walked down the gravel drive. A turning on his left, lead to a small village. Harry was curious enough to walk down to see who lived there. The ancient cottages looked a picture with their thatched roofs covered in glittering white snow.
"So you think you can pass by my door and not visit your old nanny." A voice from a nearby cottage doorway said.
Harry turned and saw an old woman bent over a walking stick standing in the doorway. He tried to think what to say. "No I was just coming to see you."
"You use to be able to lie a lot better than that!" the old women replied apparently amused by Harry's attempt at deception. Harry just stood there uncertain of what to do next. "Well come in, come in! We'll have some tea." the old woman asked. Harry walked over to her and she stood aside in the door to let him in. Inside was a nice roaring fire and a couple of comfortable chairs. On a small table with a silver tea service ready to be used. The inside of the cottage reminded Harry of Hagrid's hut, comfortable but not very fancy. After the opulence of the manor it was a bit of a shock to Harry.
"So tell me young Drake, how have you been?" The old women asked as she sat back down in one of the fireside chairs.
"Fine, fine thanks" Harry answered.
Things going alright at Hogwarts, are they?" the old women asked seemingly looking forward to hearing all about Draco's life at the school.
"Yes" Harry replied wishing he could think up better conversation than this but he had no idea of who this woman was.
"Would you mind pouring the boiling water for the tea dear, I'm afraid my old hands aren't what they use to be." The old women said indicating the steaming kettle at the fireplace.
Harry carefully lifted the kettle off its hook and poured the boiling water into the waiting teapot. He put the kettle back and had just turned around with the teapot in his hand when he noticed the old woman was no longer smiling. No her face now held a terrible expression, her eyes a piecing look and worse of all she held a wand in her hands pointed directly at Harry.
"Who are you?" she said with a strained voice.
Harry tried to think. "It's Draco!" he said hoping to bluff his way through.
"I may be old but I am not senile. Think I don't know the boy I raised from a baby. I know an impostor when I see one. Where is my Drake? If you have hurt him, I'll kill you, so help me god!" the old women said with absolute conviction in her voice.
Harry was speechless. What could he do now. He maybe could take the wand away from the old women but it was a big maybe. She didn't look like she was going to let her guard down anytime soon and then what? The only way he had to ensure she didn't talk was to kill her and he was not prepared to do that.
"He's fine, safe and sound back at Hogwarts." Harry tried the truth.
The old women looked at the boy in front of her. He certainly looked the part. A small bell caught her attention. "What is that?" she asked him reading herself for some trick.
"The alarm on my watch." Harry replied. His time was up. Slowly his face began to change, the hair growing darker and the scar forming on his forehead.
"Oh my," the old women said as the boy she knew so well changed before her eyes into Harry Potter. She let her wand drop back into her lap.
"Are you going to turn me in?" Harry asked.
"You're the spitting image of James, except for the eyes." The old women said kindly.
"Are you going to turn me in?" Harry repeated. It was after all a very important question as far as he was concerned.
"To who dear?" the old women asked.
"Lucius" Harry replied.
"Ha I wouldn't give the time of day to that bastard." The old women said. "No you don't need to worry dear, I won't let anyone know who you really are. Now give me that teapot. The tea is getting cold. Sit! Sit!"
"I better take some more potion in case someone comes in." Harry said and taking a good sip from the tube in his sleeve he was soon looking like Draco again. "What should I call you? I mean what is your name?"
"Just you call me Nanny dear. Everyone calls me that and that is what my Drake calls me too. No one has used my real name in many years, I have almost forgotten it myself. Now tell me are you and my Drake friends?" Nanny asked.
"Well not quite." Harry replied not wishing to upset the old women by telling her exactly what he did think of Draco Malfoy.
"No, I guess he is pretty rotten to you, isn't he. Now you shouldn't mind that dear. That's the way my Drake shows affection. It's the Malfoy blood in him. That's how you gave yourself away. You didn't insult me. My Drake always does and he would certainly never have poured the water for me. That's servant's stuff! He'd say." The old women laughed to herself and shook her head. "Speaking of the tea dear, would you mind pouring. The cups are over there."
Harry poured the tea into two fine china cups and sat sipping the hot sweet tea. After his walk in the cold air it was very welcomed. "My Drake, dear you are sure he is safe?"
"Yes he's being looked after by some of my friends. We haven't hurt him, I assure you." Harry reassured the old lady. She had an almost Dumbledore like piecing gaze. "Why do you call him Drake instead of Draco?"
"That's his real name dear. Named after my Narcissa's family name of Swan. Draco is what Lucius insists he is called. Lucius hates anything that does not have him at its centre. A black soulless bastard! Pardon the language dear but I get so worried he'll force my Drake into his filthy dealings. Thinks I don't know what he does. Would soon put old nanny in the ground if he knew how much I did know, he would."
"What exactly do you know?" Harry asked trying to make it sound like an innocent question. Inwardly he was keen to find out anything that could help him against the death eaters.
The old women gave Harry a knowing look however and said "Just like you father. He asked me to find out what I could before… I'm sorry dear I didn't mean to upset you. He was a good man your father, one of the best, and your mother was too."
"My father asked you for information before he died?" Harry asked keen to hear anything of his parents.
"Yes, it was I who sent the warning that Tom Riddle was after them to Dumbledore but it did no good." The old women patted Harry's hand and the tears in here eyes were real.
"They were betrayed by a friend. It wasn't your fault." Harry told her and they sat in silence together for a few minutes each with their own thoughts of that night 15 years ago.
"So what brings you here dear. Trying to get something on that bastard Lucius." Her eyes held a flame of expectation.
Harry had to decide how much he trusted this old woman. Her story of working for his father may be just her way of getting him to trust her but he didn't think so. He decided to go out on a limb and tell her. She did after all know his true identity and barring casting a memory charm on her, she was already capable of getting Harry killed.
"I'm here to take Draco's place at a death eater's meeting tonight. I have to find out what Voldemort is planning if we are to counter it." Harry told the old women as his eyes blazed with green fire.
"Lucius… was… taking… my… Drake… to… that… meeting?" the old women said slowly, her anger bubbling just below the surface. "I warned him!" her tone was now murderous.
Harry saw the intent in her old eyes. "You must not do anything to disrupt my plans. I must get to that meeting. It is our only chance to find out Voldemort's plans before more people die. It is vital!"
The old women shifted uneasily. "Very well dear I won't do anything till after the meeting but that Lucius is going to pay."
"It is not just Lucius. He is one of hundreds of Death Eaters willing to serve Voldemort. We must find a way to defeat them all. Voldemort is the key to that." Harry said earnestly. He suddenly realised the old women never even blinked at his mention of the dark lords name. "You don't seem to be upset when I say Voldemort. Everyone else jumps and complains."
"Voldemort, silly name. I was there when Tom Riddle made it up." The old women said.
"You knew Tom Riddle?" Harry asked stunned.
"Yes dear long ago when we were both at Hogwarts. " Nanny said looking thoughtfully down into her cup of tea. "before he changed into… Voldemort."
"You should know some things before you go to that meeting dear. Things that only Drake and his father know. And me! Yes I can tell you what you need to know. Now remember dear my Drake is not a nice person. Its not his fault but he is not nice. You shouldn't be either or you will be discovered again." She told Harry kindly.
Harry returned to the Manor house in the late afternoon. He had enjoyed talking to Nanny for most of the day in her cosy little cottage in the village on the Malfoy estate. He knew even more about how to act like a Malfoy now. She certainly did also know a lot about Lucius' dealings. Who he had seen recently and even what they had discussed. With each piece of information the puzzle of Lucius , the death eaters and Voldemort became clearer. He was ready as he would ever be, to attend that meeting tonight.
Returning to Draco's rooms he found a new robe had been laid out for him. It was a Death Eater robe, black and unadorned. Beside it a mask lay on the bed. He was loath to even touch it and sat for a long time just staring at it deep in his own thoughts. Finally just before 6 o'clock he changed into the vile garment and waited.