Author's Note: Thought I'd have some fun with a chapter twist...

Chapter Seven

He hated the home.

&&&&&&&&

Potter lived on the same street as him.

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"Fuck."

That was the word he greeted the morning after with. He was hung over, worn out from arguing with Narcissa over the fact that Harry Potter lived on the same block – "I don't understand, he's a pureblood, I don't know where this rift between you two started, but you're an adult now, and blah, blah, blah," – and then he drank a large amount of alcohol, sat on his window sill and brooded, threw up twice and fell asleep.

"Fuck," He said again, to the ceiling of his four-poster, and then sat up dizzily.

In his doorway stood Katie.

"Fuck," He said a third time.

"Fuck?" She asked right back.

"Fuck. I mean, don't say that. Oh, fuck," He put a hand up to his forehead.

She laughed uneasily, "What happened?"

"Nothing, headache," he said sleepily, "Why are you here? Who let you in?" He forgot entirely for a minute that Narcissa was back home; that he was in a new home.

"Your mum? Hello?"

"I've got a story to write," He complained angrily, "I can't baby sit at the same time."

"I'm not a baby," Katie said, "I can take care of myself."

"Sorry, your Majesty," Draco said meanly.

"You're a buttface this morning."

"Thanks."

"A big one."

"I hope they put that on my gravestone. You're so sweet."

"Buttface."

"Fuck off," He sank back into his bed, laying down very slowly, as his brain felt as if it were rafting down a rapid river. When he looked back at the doorway, she was gone. He closed his eyes and swore mentally, until it became a freakish lullaby, and he fell into a dreamless sleep.

&&&&&&&&&&&

Correction. Potter and Mudblood and a Mini Potter lived on the same street.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

He pulled himself out of bed and looked out the window. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the lace curtains, drawing patterns on the floor. It hurt his eyes; especially when he saw the glare on the desk. Draco stood, his head reeling, and began to dress. He faintly remembered seeing Katie in the doorway and was glad he wore pajama bottoms to bed, or she'd have seen him nude.

Though originally he hoped to cloister himself in his room and never emerge, except to eat, he felt he needed to take a walk.

He ventured out into the hallway and saw that Katie's bedroom door was open. A little embarrassed, he approached her doorway, leaned against her door, and looked at her.

She was kneeling on the floor, punching out a paper doll and all her accessories. He knocked and she looked up, as did her doll. The doll smiled a plastic smile and Katie looked surprised, then her face clouded over, as if she had quite a few grievances against Draco.

"I'm going for a walk. Want to come along?"

He was trying to make up for his hung over morning. She saw right through it and said, loudly, "You'd still be a butt-face, even if you take me for a walk."

"How about a café? You can get ice cream, or a cookie, or something."

She sighed, as if she was making an unbelievable sacrifice. "All right," She stood, and then added, "For ice cream."

He walked out into the hallway. She followed him. Draco led her down the grand staircase and saw Narcissa sitting in the large living room adjacent to the entrance hallway. She looked at him, anger riddling her face, and said, "You certainly made a spectacle of yourself last night."

Draco half recalled having a slurred argument with his mother, then storming into bed, slamming his door; when Narcissa knocked on it he swore, though he didn't recall what he said, and Katie had been frightened by him.

"I was furious," Draco responded, "I can't handle Potter, at least not as far as I recall. And he has Mudblood living with him, too."

"I'm sorry, but a stupid school boy disagreement isn't enough to change my mind."

"Harry Potter? The Bow Who Lived?" Katie asked, intrigued.

"Shush," Draco told her.

"If he bothers you that much, realize that you'll probably never even see him, they live at least a mile down the road."

"That's too close anyhow, Draco said, lamely, feeling a little childish now about the argument. He saw Narcissa's tired, unhappy face and caved in a little, "I suppose I can avoid any contact with him."

"I'm no fan of Harry Potter either, he was a large part in You-Know-Who's fall, and our family had long been loyal to him, and you know your father had personally been singled out by You-Know-Who many years ago, asking for his help, he had graduated at the top of the Slytherin class," Narcissa told him, and then added, "It's time to put the past where it belongs, behind us."

Katie slipped a hand into Draco's and squeezed it impatiently, "Let's go, please?" She could still sense hostility and conflict between Draco and Narcissa, and like most children, she didn't want to see her family fight.

"I'm going out with Katie," Draco told Narcissa.

"Be home for dinner at six."

Draco nodded and opened the front door, or rather pushed it open, as it was a large two door entrance that they kept unlocked for now.

It was beautiful outside. A white butterfly winged past him, its wings glowing. The fountain bubbled and spouted, the water was so clean he could have cupped his hand and drank from it without hesitation. The flowers were still standing from summer's bloom, but autumn had begun, lighting the trees with fire, leaving leaves like embers crackling from a burning log, settled in between green foliage.

"I like your new house," Katie declared. She ran up to the fountain and sat on the marble edge encircling the fountain's pool. Her fingers dipped in the water and she shuddered in her fuzzy red sweater, "It's so cold."

He walked up to her and stood behind her, then patted the top of her head like he would a pet's, and said, "Let's get going."

Katie stood and followed him down the dirt path. It must have been at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit outside; the sun was bright but cool, the wind gentle and not too chilly. The trees swayed, the leaves hissing a mystical song. Draco paused and picked up the prickly pod of a chestnut. He showed it to her, digging his fingernails into the green shell, and pulled it apart. She picked the nut out and threw it towards a squirrel, skittering by. It stopped, sniffed the chestnut, took it into its mouth and fled.

They wandered on, sometimes in sunlight, sometimes in the shade. He was silent and so was she. They were both awed by the beauty of the manor's grounds.

"It's so pretty," Katie finally broke the silence, which wasn't at all awkward, rather it was reverent and peaceful. Draco breathed in a lungful of the autumn air and nodded.

"It's a bit of a walk from the main road," Draco admitted, "Just like the other homes out here."

"You won't see Harry," She said, then added, "Do you hate him since he fought on the other side, and was one of the people in that last battle that killed You-Know-Who?"

"I hated him before all that."

"What'd he do?"

"He rejected my friendship offer. He could have made it to Slytherin, but he chose to be in Gryffindor, I think; he became friends with a Mudblood and one of the Weasleys the second he got on the train, I bet. I didn't understand him, I was raised to think purebloods were ultimately superior. I guess it made sense for him to be on the opposing side, with his parents and all being killed by You-Know-Who. I would have still respected him, a little, there were people in Slytherin against You-Know-Who," Draco explained.

"So it goes all the way back to your first day at school?" Katie exclaimed, " Does he even hate you back?"

"Oh, it was mutual for a while, but he probably forgot about me. I wish I'd been as lucky and forgot about him."

"Do you still think You-Know-Who was right about purebloods being the only type of witch or wizard that ought to exist?"

"I don't know, I've met a lot of half-bloods and even Mudbloods as a journalist. I couldn't even tell, interviewing them, what they were. They'd tell me near the end, so I could get a background check – age, name, all that – and I'd be so surprised sometimes. People I pegged at purebloods would turn out Mudbloods; I'd interview people that I felt connected to, who gave me eyewitness reports that made me sympathize a little, and then find out they were half-blood."

"You still call them Mudbloods."

"They are."

Katie nodded finally, "You're kind of lost then with your opinion?"

"I guess you could say so."

She nodded once more, "My Mum and Dad didn't take sides."

"I know, I guess that's fine too," Draco sighed, "I just want to put it all in the past, like my mother said. The fighting , the hate in the end; it was exciting to cover as a journalist, and I had to write without showing my bias so I saw both sides, and the point of views of people on either side. Now I just want to forget all of it. Most people do, it was awful."

"Like what happened to Uncle Lucius," Katie said.

Draco blurted out, passionate now about the conversation, "Sometimes I wish it killed him, that spell. He would have gone out with dignity."

They had finally left the dirt path winding uphill through trees and gardens to the Malfoy manor and were staring on the main road, which was paved with cobblestones. It had taken fifteen minutes just to get to the actual street they lived on, and Draco was pleased and realized he wouldn't see Harry at all, and possibly his worst enemy would never even know that they were living on the same street. Katie and Draco were silent again, both thinking about ethics and politics, but Katie's mind wandered and wondered while Draco really pondered it all. He remembered Vivian's words – that he'd think things he didn't think of, that he'd do things for no reason – and saw a little truth in it. Once you veer away from control, things begin to unravel. Vivian was his veer off the road.

They had reached a busy street, pulsating like their sleepy little town's main artery, flooded with people and merchants. BAZAAR DAY, a sign shouted. Draco and Katie exchanged excited looks and they rushed towards the mass of merchant stands.

The stand they hit first was a jewelry stand. Katie lifted a silver snake pendant and said, "If I get into Slytherin this would look so cool with my uniform!" The snake pendant wriggled in her hand, the silver scales glittering.

"You'll get into Slytherin, our family's a chronic Slytherin family."

"We're distant cousins though."

"Doesn't matter, you could have a different last name, but you're still Slytherin-bound."

She grinned devilishly and gave him a meaningful look. Draco couldn't say no to her; she still had the Malfoy temperament in her blood; she'd throw a tantrum and guilt him into buying the pendant anyhow. Besides, he felt good spoiling her; she reminded him of himself at that age – manipulative, intelligent, perceptive, moody, detached, clever, Quidditch-loving and above all a fan of Slytherin.

Draco paid for the pendant and then helped her put it on. "I wish I had that pendant starting my first year, Crabbe would have loved it. Goyle too, then again. They'd probably ask me to lend it to them every other day.

"Look!" Katie pointed at a stand nearby, "It's your friend!"

"What?" He turned and saw Vivian. She was selling art pieces, books, and what looked like hand-made jewelry and statuettes. He saw her turning and he ducked behind a burly man standing nearby, but he was taller and his eyes caught Vivian's. She waved her arm, signaling to come closer. Katie was tugging at his hand, "Come on, let's check her stand out."

He walked over towards Vivian's stand. He glanced over stand. She had printed copies of her books, the illustrations on the covers moving about, charmed to entice readers and to suggest the plot of the book. Her art pieces were beautiful, and also charmed, the figures in them pruning and turning around; while a still life of flowers was illuminated by a sun that peeked through the windows, casting beautiful lighting across the painted table and making the vase glitter; then the sun would leave from the window and the still life looked sad and dark.

"Do you like it?" Vivian asked, and then handed Katie a bracelet, "Here, you can have one, I made way too many; I'll never sell them all."

Katie grinned and put it on. Draco could almost read her thoughts; Score! I'm getting all this free stuff! My friends will be so jealous! Katie waved the bracelet around, trying to get his attention, "Look!"

Draco gave Vivian a trite nod in response to her question, then glanced at Katie's bracelet. It was really cool, he had to admit; it was made of small wooden beads, with flames drawn on all of them, and it had a cute little charm cast on it so that the fire danced and crackled.

"It's nice," Draco said.

Vivian smiled and asked, "Had a tough night?"

"How do you know?"

"Your eyes are so bloodshot," She replied, "Hung over?"

He gave her a strange look.

"Woman's intuition."

"Ah."

Katie's face broke into a smile. Draco didn't like the look on her face, and he gave Katie a warning glance, just in case she'd say something that would ultimately embarrass him.

"He was so scary last night," Katie said, poking Draco in the side, "He had the biggest row with his Mum, too."

"Mmm, controversy," She grinned and looked at Draco, "Any particular reason? Just felt like drinking? Secret habit as an alcoholic?"

"I was given some bad news."

"Harry Potter lives on his block!" Katie said.

"Was that the bad news?"

Katie looked at Draco. Draco's eyes, blood shot as they were, glared like a demon's at her. She shook her head within seconds of Vivian's response, and said, "No, just randomness."

"I had no idea. I know him. I wonder why he didn't tell me that he lives on the same street as Breeler. They know I'm a fan," Vivian said.

"Well, I'm very private, and we only moved in recently."

"Can I visit sometime? I'm in the neighborhood a lot, it's lovely to walk around."

"He likes long walks too," Katie butted in.

"Do you really?" Vivian smiled at Draco, "Is this a new thing? Doing unusual things for the hell of it?"

"No," Draco replied, "I've always taken long walks."

"Yeah, that's why he's so skinny, he walks all over the place and thinks too much and eats, like, two meals a day," Katie said, meanly.

"What've you got against me today?" Draco asked, lifting one eyebrow, "I bought you a pendant."

"You were a butt-face this morning."

Vivian watched them quarrel, amused.

"Am I still a butt-face? Would a butt-face buy you a necklace?"

"To cover up that they're a butt-face."

"You're being a butt-face now too."

"Guess it runs in the family," Katie said, and gave him a Cheshire cat grin.

Draco panicked. If she called him Draco Malfoy, his identity would be out. Vivian would visit Harry Potter, as his acquaintance, and tell him about Malfoy. They'd all have a jolly laugh at Draco's misfortune, and then word would be out about the mysterious Brom Breeler and his true identity.

Katie wasn't that mean, though. She fiddled with her bracelet and said nothing.

Vivian looked at Draco, "So, any reason you came to the bazaar? Hoping to find something? Doing random things?"

"Wouldn't you wish. No, you haven't influenced me, you were wrong. I'm doing what I always do. We're going to the café," Draco said, " I'd have gone this morning but yes, I was really hung over."

"Was the drinking a random event at least?" Vivian looked a little disappointed, but mostly she was teasing him.

"No."

"Still in the cage, then. You're too afraid to come out."

"What? He's gay?" Katie exclaimed.

"NO!" Draco protested.

"Are you?" Vivian looked as if she couldn't be any happier, "That'd be so cool!"

"Why? I thought you fancied me," Draco said blatantly.

Vivian's cheeks colored a little but she ignored his statement and said, "I love gay guys. And that would explain why you're so uptight and stuff. You're afraid of facing who you are inside. Internal conflict, awesome; I could help you, like a therapist, guide you out of your closed-minded world."

"Yeah, dream on," Draco said meanly, "I'm not in a cage, you are. A cage filled with dreams and fantasies. You're heading towards major disappointment. People like you get slapped in the face by life eventually and you'll realize that there's nothing to be so fanciful about in this world, nothing. It's dreary and annoying and once you become an adult your life's pretty much drained of any fun whatsoever."

"I'm an adult and I'm having loads of fun."

"Are you making money to support yourself?"

She looked taken aback, but answered honestly, "My parents mostly help me out financially until my career as a writer and artist really sets off."

"That'll never happen," he said, "The chances of becoming a famous writer or artist are at least a million to one, you'll just be another no-name, artsy bum that'll be poor and incapable of providing for themselves."

"That's not true," Vivian exclaimed, "I want to get a normal job, and write in my free time, I know it'll be hard to get where I want to be but it's completely worth it. I even asked you to help me by getting me a job at the Daily Prophet. I bet you haven't done anything to help me."

Draco felt a little sick inside, "I've put it off, but I'll talk with my boss."

"You won't," She said, dismayed, "Maybe you are a lost cause."

"He is," Katie interjected, "He's a total meanie most of the time and he hides out in his room and writes all the time. And not just journalist stuff, poetry and stories. And he reads little kid's books, I saw him flipping through a dinosaur book again yesterday."

Draco put his hand heavily on Katie's shoulder, "I think it's time to get going now."

"Do I still get ice cream?" Katie asked.

"No."

"Nice seeing you two again," Vivian said, kindly, and looked at Draco with surprise, "I'd like to read your poetry sometimes."

"It's private. I can't believe you looked through my private papers," Draco was furious now with Katie, though he knew that she was no different than he was as a child; opting for any way possible to bully someone or to embarrass someone. It was just the way they were.

"Aw, she's just being a kid," Vivian said, then added, "She reminds me of somebody from school. Ages ago."

"Oh? Um, well," Draco tried to remember if he'd ever heard of Vivian while at Hogwarts, but the name didn't bring back any memories. However, he couldn't discount the fact that she could have gone to school with him; she might have known Draco Malfoy as everyone was in the general knowledge that Draco was a bit of an asshole, he had to admit it even to himself, "What school did you go to?"

"Hogwarts," she said.

"Ah," he nodded slowly, perplexed.

"You?"

"Oh, it was a small private school," He waved the thought away, "My parents home-schooled me a bit too."

"No wonder I haven't heard of a Brom Breeler," She said, disappointed.

"Well, we must get going," Draco said.

Katie nodded, uncomfortably. She could sense she'd gone too far.

"Bye, guys," Vivian said.

Draco waved half-heartedly in response, or rather lifted his hand in a papal-like gesture and then walked away, this time pulling Katie by the hand rather than vice versa. The moment they were out of hearing distance of Vivian, he burst out, "What the fuck was that all about?"

"You were a butt-face to me."

"Oh, you haven't even seen me at my most butt-faced," He shook his head suddenly, "And stop calling me that."

"No, butt-face."

"Then I'll call you something, too," he said.

"You wouldn't," She laughed in his face. Her breath was atrocious.

"Do you even brush your teeth?" He demanded.

"My dad never packs my stuff right," Katie shrugged, "And he doesn't leave enough underwear either."

Though, like all children, Draco used to avoid brushing his teeth and used to wear his underwear longer than hygiene would allow; however, he made a face and said, "That's disgusting, you might as well write 'dirty' on your forehead."

"You should too, then, you still kind of smell like alcohol. And puke, too."

Draco made a face, opened his mouth to argue, but only made a low-pitched croak, too astounded to say anything intelligent. Their eyes met, and suddenly they both burst out laughing. He couldn't be mad at her, she was just like him in the end. He put her in a headlock mockingly, and said, "You'll be sorry."

"Rape!" She cried out in horror.

An elderly gentleman standing nearby looked absolutely aghast and moved away.

They set off for the café, after all, and they both got double-scoop ice cream cones with sprinkles, and jeered one another the entire time, exchanging insults and jabs. By the time they got home again, their stomachs were cramped from laughing and Draco felt ten years old again.