Summary:
The last battle has been fought. Harry survived, but he is not the person he used to be. He forgot everything about his past. The sad things as well as the good things. He has to learn everything again. Almost like a child. But the keyword is ALMOST. The only person he trusts is Draco Malfoy. For Draco it's a difficult time, he has to adjust to a completely different situation. Now he has to care for somebody else. And what happens, when he starts to have certain feelings towards a certain boy?
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Chapter 8: Trouble Part One
He couldn't move. He just couldn't move. He was sure that he wouldn't be able to move again. Your legs couldn't move if your brain wasn't working. And he was pretty sure that the ground was shaking as well. Therefore he decided that it was a lot safer to remain where he was.
Five minutes later Draco was still leaning at the door, when he decided that it was probably safe look away from the bathroom door and let it wander around the room. He had to look twice at the couch. He couldn't believe it! He was reading! Draco was once more in his life utterly shaken and Harry James Potter or the Boy-who-lived-once-more-and-is-too-stupid-to-die was reading.
'That's it. I am a fucking Malfoy. The famous Malfoy-pride has to be worth something. I'm getting out of here right now, I'm going to find a place where I can think properly and then I'll come back and pretend nothing happened. That sounds like a great Malfoy-Plan to me. Run away, get your dignity back and make megalomaniac plans that won't go wrong.'
A smile spread across his face. He had a plan and if you could say one thing about a Malfoy; it was that they could make plans. Draco straightened himself as soon as he thought that he was able to talk.
"Hey, Harry I am going out for a bit. I have to attend to some things. But I won't be gone for long, don't worry. Nobody except Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape can enter these rooms. You are completely safe. See you later."
The Slytherin tried to turn around quickly and leave the room, but Harry had always been a fast one. He jumped up from the couch and held on to his arm, not letting him go. He clung desperately to it and looked as if Draco had said that he was going to Romania to live with the dragons and all the while leaving him alone in Hogwarts.
Draco jerked his arm out of Harry's grip, as if it had burned him. He took a few steps away from Harry and looked him in the eyes.
"Really Harry, I … I need to go. I'll be back soon, I promise."
With these words the young Malfoy heir ran out of the room. No, he didn't run; he strode. A Malfoy does not run.
He strode as fast as he could through the hallways of Hogwarts. Draco was glad that he met only a few students and that nobody was brave enough to stop him and talk to him. He was famous for his attitudes and after seven years, it wasn't only the Slytherins who knew that it was far safer to stay away from him, especially if he had on his I-would-like-to-kill-everybody-who-bothers-me-Look. Not that many people wanted to talk to him anyway. His situation had changed completely over the years.
At the end of sixth year he had decided to change sides. He was sure that he could help the Light Side to win some more ground against the Deatheaters and he wanted the war to be over, before he finished school and was forced to take the Dark Mark. All he really wanted was to live in peace and enjoy his family inheritance and never see the people who people would call his parents. Giving him life was the only good thing that they ever managed to do.
Otherwise his parents were spending all the time that they didn't use for shopping or other superficial things, serving Voldemort. Draco had heard about a lot of the things that they had done. His father used to tell him at dinner or write about his activities in his letters, so that he would know how much 'fun' it was to serve the Snake-Bastard. His father didn't know that Draco detested the degeneracy of his family.
Three months before the summer holidays he decided that it was time to talk to Dumbledore. He had listened to his request to join the fight against Voldemort and had agreed to help him; if he was willing to undergo a test with Veritaserum. He passed the test, but was met with distrust from most of the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Shocked to hear that Severus Snape was a spy for the light, he was glad to have a friend and mentor fighting the same fight as he was.
The months passed by and he gave Severus all the information that he got from his father. It would have been far too suspicious to go every few days to Dumbledore. Through his help the Order found out that Voldemort kept a lot of things from Severus. It seemed that he didn't trust the Potion Master at all. In the meantime he slowly separated himself from the other students. Nobody seemed to notice how withdrawn he was. At least he thought that nobody noticed.
A week before the summer holidays, he was cornered by bloody Harry Potter. He was suspicious and wanted to know what game he was playing. Draco was taken aback, because he hadn't known how much his behaviour had changed over the last few months. He really should have remembered to insult Potter regularly, because the boy was obviously missing that. After a lot of attempts to sell the story of having much more important things to do, like studying, duelling and not having the time to play childish games with Harry, he added the warning that he should watch his back in the future. Then he strode away leaving an astounded Harry Potter standing in a dark hallway, staring at nothing.
In the summer holidays he was able to overhear one of Voldemort's fire calls to his father, through this he could overhear the information concerning the newest plans of the lunatic, who called himself 'Lord'.
At the end of an unusually warm September the final day of the war had arrived. The beginning of October marked a new beginning for Draco. He should have been free and happy. But actually he was neither free nor happy.
He cursed loudly and made a small first year jump, who was just passing him. Finally Draco looked up. He had no idea where he had gone, but he wasn't that surprised to see that he was standing before the library. It had always been one of his favourite places in Hogwarts. The Slytherin decided to enter and use the peace to develop his plans. His only hope was that Granger-Miss-know-it-all wasn't in there; otherwise he wouldn't have peace at all.
The young Malfoy entered the library and checked immediately if Hermione or Ron could be seen anywhere. He was relieved to see that only a few third years were sitting on one of the tables and searching for a spell to make alcohol from water. Swiftly he passed the silly teens and strode to the table in the back of the library, where nobody could watch him from the entrance, because he was hidden from view by bookshelves. He loved to have his privacy and the table in the corner had become HIS place. Nobody dared to sit there, because everyone had heard the rumours that he had put about the five students that he had hexed, when he had found them sitting at the table.
He sat down and started to stare out of the window. He hadn't been outside since Ron and Hermione had rescued them. He would have liked to take a stroll around the Hogwarts Grounds, but he had to think about a few things. Life couldn't continue like this.
Ten minutes later Draco was still sitting at the table, but wasn't concentrating on his problems. Instead he played with his hair. He now had a few locks because he had twisted the streaks of hair so much. Absent-mindedly, he looked at the table next to him. The thing that he saw laying there got his full attention. He got up, grabbed the newspaper and sat down again. On his first look he saw that it was today's newspaper. The newspaper had only two pages, but each one seemed to contain even larger headlines and every headline seemed to concentrate on the same topic.
Daily Prophet, October 2nd
CELEBRATE WITH THE DAILY PROPHET! FIRST ISSUE AFTER A WHOLE YEAR OF YOU-KNOW-WHO's-REIGN!
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VOLDEMORT KILLED BY THE-BOY-WHO-SAVED-US!!!!!!!
Draco snorted in disbelieve, they really had printed cheering exclamation marks, but read the article none the less.
Yesterday, the Daily Prophet was finally able to uncover news about the last battle and how You-Know-Who was defeated. Professor Albus Dumbledore (Headmaster of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot) answered our questions.
The last battle was fought on the grounds of Malfoy Mansion. Professor Dumbledore tried to explain that the young Draco Malfoy was a spy for the cause of the Light and had delivered You-Know-Who's plans right to the Order of the Phoenix.
The battle took place on September 26th and for a total of 76 Death Eaters it was the last day of their lives. Some other 30 Death Eaters have been found and arrested since then, but the search continues. 52 Fighters for the light have lost their lives while fighting for our safety. (For more information read tomorrow's issue.)
How You-Know-Who was defeated is still unknown, the only information we were able to get from Headmaster Dumbledore, was that Harry Potter, our saviour, defeated the Evil-in-Person in a duel in the mansion's library, while nobody else was present.
Harry Potter can be called the most extraordinary wizard of our age. The shockwave of the blast that defeated You-Know-Who could be felt all over Britain. No wizard since the Great Merlin has ever shown such power. We are fortunate to be blessed with his presence in our lives.
DEATH EATERS BURIED ON THE GRAVEYARD IN LITTLE HANGLETON NEAR RIDDLE MANSION:
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Well, now they were at least where they belonged. He got a bad feeling when he looked at the last headline. It really didn't sound promising.
THE-BOY-WHO-SAVED-US-AND-LIVED-AGAIN: MENTALLY UNSTABLE AND LIVING WITH THE ENEMY!
Harry Potter living with the enemy! Professor Albus Dumbledore announced that Harry Potter, our saviour, is now living in the care of none other than Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, right hand man to He-who-must-not-be-Named!
The Daily Prophet's question is now, how anybody could have let that happen. Does the headmaster of Hogwarts know, what he is doing? We were informed that our hero is currently suffering amnesia and is not talking to anyone. Nobody except the saviour himself knows what happened in Malfoy Manor's library. Nobody knows what kind of horrors Harry Potter had to face. But he defeated the Evil-in-Person and he deserves more than the care of a kid that is known to hate him and is the Wickedness-in-Person himself.
We, the Daily Prophet, ask you to take the initiative and start an owl protest campaign to rescue the Boy-who-lived-again out of evil's grip. Don't rest – act now!
Slowly Draco put down the paper and stared blankly into space. He could not believe what he just had read. How could he have been so stupid? Of course the wizarding world wouldn't rest, once they knew that he was looking after Harry. Harry? No, that sounded wrong. Once they knew that he was looking after Potter. He was POTTER and Draco really didn't like him. Or at least he wasn't supposed to like him.
His head was spinning. He thought so many things that he didn't know what he was thinking. He had to try thinking! He needed a plan! - Draco felt as though his head was about to explode.
He slumped down with his forehead on the table. It felt good; the surface was cool and somewhat distracting for him. But still he couldn't think properly. He thought of the tons of owls that must be arriving at the castle. What had Dumbledore done with all the mail? He thought of Harry in the bathroom, nude, but so innocent. He thought of tugging him into bed at night as he would have done with a small child. He thought of Ron and Hermione and the fact that he really didn't like them at all. He thought of fighting in the last battle. He thought of the look on his mother's dead face. He thought of the feelings that were so intense that it hurt to ignore them. He thought of the fact that he didn't have any control over his life anymore.
It was too much. It had to stop. Draco straightened up and ceased to bump his head repeatedly on the table. The blonde's forehead hurt, but it helped him to concentrate on the one thought that controlled his mind. IT HAD TO STOP! The young Malfoy knew that Dumbledore wanted him to take care of Harry. He knew also, that he had to thank Dumbledore for a lot of things, but he could not ask him to ruin his own and Harry's, erm, Potter's life.
He got up and strode quickly out of the library and went quickly in the direction of Dumbledore's office. His only problem was that he didn't know the password to activate the Gargoyle. But he would think of something, Malfoys always found a solution. He really needed to see him. His pace became faster and faster, and it took the last of his Malfoy pride to prevent him from running and bring him to 'stride' along the hallway.
Once he walked around the last corner before the entrance of the headmaster's office, he managed to run into something soft and black. After taking his nose out of the cloak, he looked up in the face looming over him. As quickly as he could he put his hands away from the chest of no other than Professor Severus Snape.
"Bloody hell! Are you out of your mind. Watch your step! What are you thin….. Oh, Mr. Malfoy. I didn't see that it was you! You might want to watch your step next time around. Can I help you?"
Draco looked up at his professor, his face bright red, because of being so close to his professor. But once more very happy to be a Slytherin. Any other student would have to fear for his place in this school and his dear life, after such an incident with the easily enraged potions master.
"I am sorry, Professor Snape, but I was lost in thought. I wonder if you could help me to get to the headmaster?"
Professor Snape sighed and ran a hand over his head to get one of the long, black strands of his yet to be washed hair out of his field of vision.
"Believe me, if I could, I would help you. But I have no idea, where the old fool is. Nobody has seen him in hours and he didn't leave a note or anything. You are on your own, if you really are sure that you would like to see him."
"O.k., thank you anyways, I guess I will go looking for him."
Snape nodded his goodbye and walked down the corridor that Draco had just left. All the while mumbling angrily his opinion of senile, old headmasters, that disappear right during a school day and think of nothing else then lemon drops.
Draco thought about his possibilities and decided to go searching the castle, maybe he would be able to find the headmaster and if he didn't succeed he might be able to clear his thoughts anyways.
The young Malfoy choose a hallway to his right and started the nearly impossible task of locating somebody in Hogwarts School of Wizardry. After more than twenty minutes he was still searching and felt more and more distressed. He felt tired, because of the multitude of thoughts that roamed his head and despaired, because he didn't want to face Harry without getting the permission to tell him that he would be moved into the care of somebody else. He couldn't stand their relationship, whatever kind it was, for one more second.
Five minutes later he entered a dimly lit corridor that he hadn't entered very often. Draco simply didn't go that way very much because nothing in this hallway was of great interest, and it didn't really help travelling around the castle, for his former prank pulling.
Suddenly his eyes grew wide. With an fearful, high-pitched scream he jumped to the side, as a door appeared on the left side of the corridor and a robed person entered the hallway and left the obviously hidden room. Draco could catch a brief glance into the room and wondered, why anyone in the world would want to build a room with more than twenty toilets.
"How stupid can you be? … Oh, Professor! I am sorry, I didn't see that it was you. I didn't mean to be rude…I just speculated, why anyone would want such a room. But, oh, I am glad that I finally found you. I have to talk to you. I can't tak…. Erm, I mean, I wanted you to ask….. You want too much!"
While the first sentences had come out confused and warily, the hallway lay now in silence, although the two occupants had the feeling that the accusation at the end of Draco's tirade was still hanging in the room, ready to be grasped out of the thin air, by anybody, passing by.
"Hello, Draco.", the headmaster said no more, but looked into Draco's face, as if trying to read his mind. "Can I help you somehow? You seem a little bit distressed."
Draco looked flabbergasted and looked at the ceiling, while trying to regain his senses, to be able to pronounce a reasonable English sentence.
"Yes, I need to talk to you. Now."
Dumbledore smiled genuinely and started to walk down the hallway, waving his hand with a request to follow him. "Come with me boy, lets wander a bit on the grounds while we talk. It's quite refreshing, and we might be able to sort out those worries of yours."
The Malfoy heir caught up to the tall man and followed him, it took them almost fifteen minutes to get outside all the while neither of them came to speak of the things that were bothering Draco. But headmaster Dumbledore seemed to believe that talking about portraits and their social life would be an uttermost interesting topic for the Slytherin. Once outside, they directed their path towards the lake. It was almost nine o'clock in the evening and quite cool. For the time in the year the weather was surprisingly well and steady, but nonetheless it was the beginning of October. Cold Fall wind came blowing over the mountains.
"Well, boy, you wanted to tell me something. Go right ahead, we are not getting younger, don't worry, speak freely."
Draco turned his view from the sight of his walking headmaster towards the lakeside. He still looked at a loss of words and was wrecking his brain for a way to express them.
"Professor, you appointed me to an assignment, but I have to tell you that I can't do it any longer. I am not the right person and if you want the best for Harry, you should think of something else. I have read the Daily Prophet. The world must be enraged and they think that you are crazy. They don't know why you would want me to take care of their precious saviour and I actually don't know either.
I don't know what I shall do with him. He doesn't talk and I have really no idea what's wrong with him. He has changed so much. And I don't know what I should think of him. But I know that he deserves better help and care than a boy who doesn't know what he does.
I want my life back, I don't belong to the Boy-who-Lived. You know it and the remaining world knows it, too. He is good and I am beyond bad. Let me be and get him better help."
Now, Draco was looking straight into the old and wise face of Albus Dumbledore. "My, my, you had much on your heart, didn't you? But have in mind that you do not have to worry about the other people and what they think of you. Be assured that you have my full support. Nothing shall bother you and Harry."
"What about all the owls? I am sure that Hogwarts has been swamped!"
"Owls? Well, there have been some, but you mustn't worry. We take care of them. And it has been quite funny to open and answer them. There was the one that exploded in a puff of pink powder! Minerva and I never laughed so much! And there was the one… Oh, but I think, you don't want to hear about that."
The headmaster turned to Draco and put his hands on his shoulders and looked into the young Slytherin's eyes. It seemed to be minutes later, when he sighed and continued to walk towards the lakeshore. The blonde followed him very relieved that he had escaped the piercing look of the older man.
"Draco, do you honestly not know why I appointed to you this task?", after seeing the silent shake of the head, he continued. "I do trust you. You have been more than essential for the outcome of the war. You have been braver than the most of us. You severed for our cause; your ties to your family and all the things you know are gone. We are deeply grateful. It's easy to fight something that you hate, but fighting something that you have accepted for the most of your life is much more difficult. I could say that you showed some real Gryffindor bravery, but you wouldn't like to hear that, wouldn't you?"
The teen cringed by the thought of having a Gryffindor trait, but the thought was quickly forgotten.
Albus Dumbledore trusted him so much? He thought him to be braver, than most of the fighters in the war? He was really grateful? Draco was so astonished that he nearly missed the headmaster continuing his speech.
"You have been most important for us, we couldn't have won the war without you and for our success you had to loose everything that you have had before. Now it's time for you to build a new life. You are safe now; you can have friends and don't have to worry about them.
And there comes Harry into the scheme. I do not want to withhold from you that we need you once again. I told you so, when you woke up in the hospital wing. He doesn't trust anybody else. He can't heal if he doesn't have the help of a friend. In St. Mungo's they probably would put him in a body bind, because they wouldn't know how to help him. I have to admit that I really don't know what happened to him. Therefore I can't tell how anybody could help him, but there is connection between you and him. You two have more in common than you think. Harry can be a friend to you and if you really do not want to have him as a close friend, you might find some through him, he will help you as soon as he can."
"But I do like him!", Draco had protested before he even knew that he wanted to talk.
"Oh, you do? Wonderful! Very well, then is everything settled! I am glad. I am sure you will have a fun time together, if you need something let me know."
Dumbledore was gone before the Malfoy heir stopped wondering why he had protested. Soon the headmaster was out of his view and he turned around to see, where they had gone. Being as absorbed into his thoughts as he had been, he hadn't noticed. Surprised he saw right in front of him three large Quidditch posts.
'Quidditch… Harry likes Quidditch. We should play it sometimes. When he's better, I'll take him here. He will be thrilled… Harry… It's late. I should go home, he will be worried.'
Draco himself was surprised that he thought of their rooms as home, and that after only two days. But it was. It was his and Harry's home. He had no idea, when Potter had become Harry again, but he didn't really care. When he thought about it, all he wanted was going back to him, and have some peace. Having some peace and letting Dumbledore deal with the outside. That sounded nice. It sounded nice and like a great Malfoy-plan. What could possibly go wrong?
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Author's note:
I have had some problems with the chapter and the uploading. I had to upload it several times and got mixed up with my different versions of the story. I hope this works out now.
Hey guys! It's been some time, but I had all my test and I passed them! I got my grades and am happy about them. But I still take a second Math test in an attempt to get a better grade there. Anyways, I am really happy.
But I thought that I owe you a chapter before I started learning! :-)
I hope you liked it. Actually I wanted to make it much longer, but I had to break it into two pieces or it would have been much to long. So this chapter was focused entirely on Draco, but next chapter the real action will start. Draco has now accepted his new 'mission' and let's see, what the adventures ahead will do to the relationship of our heroes.
Well, I really have to do some math, but I will try to continue soon.
I WANT TO THANK ALL MY REVIEWER'S! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME!
Please continue to make my day!!!!! :-)
I can't believe that I got 41 Reviews! Thanks. I would like to reply to you all and write long responses, but I don't know actually, what is allowed and what not. But I will simply enclose a short thank you and hope that nobody minds! Fanfiction.net can be quite confusing!
Thanks to:
Marenvs, you are such a wonderful friend. You should try to write in English, even if you don't like it. It's much more fun for me! Thanks for all the reviews and your support. :-)
Angel74, you are an inspiration and a wonderful writer.
Fantasy101, glad you like it.
CuriousDreamWeaver, thanks you are great and such a helpful beta.
texasjeanette, did I answer all your questions? Thanks…
smilez, thank you
SilverDragon161, sorry I didn't update sooner.
AoiHyou, I hope you feel better by now.
YG, I am sorry that you don't like Ron and Hermione here, but that's how I characterise them.
CrowX, I am happy that it came across that Harry is not a child.