Wow! Lookie here! Another chapter! And no, you are not imagining things... I am actually updating, imagine that huh...
I apologise for making you wait all this time but my life has been pretty fucked up lately to say the least... I'm not going to list all the things that have been troubling me but a little advice to everybody out there, Don't drink too much... Let's just leave it at that... So writing hasn't been my top prioroty lately... But things are going a little bit better now.
But you know what I have been doing? I have been looking and looking for the plot, but my oh my I seem to have lost it! But then I don't know if I ever had it...
Anyway I am graduating soon, in about two and a half week! Yay! jumps around the apartment and sings along with Muse I just had to get that out of me.
Oh and one more thing, for all of you who live in Europe and watched the Eurovision song contest, don't you just love Turkeys song? I mean, how can you not be happy after hearing that?
Now, enough of my babbling...
Harry and Draco returned with a small bag each and Mrs Weasley was practically beaming when she told them that their beds was already made for them. They discovered that they would be sleeping with Ron in his room where she had made up two extra beds. There really wasn't much space between the beds, and she assured them both that they would be given their own rooms if that would have been possible, but Draco only smiled and assured her that it was nothing wrong with this at all. Since it was so late they didn't stay up much longer but got to bed rather soon. But for some reason Draco couldn't sleep. He was thirsty and was currently thinking about if he should go up and fetch himself a glass of water. In the end the thirst won and he got up from his bed and looked at Harry's sleeping form. He found it hard to sleep when he didn't have Harry's warm body next to him but he highly doubted that Ron would appreciate waking up to see his best friend cuddled up next to Draco Malfoy. But he was glad Ron had been okay with him sleeping in the same room as Harry and Ron because he wasn't sure if Harry was okay with sleeping alone just yet. He just hoped that the nightmares would go away before Hogwarts began again or Harry would have some problems. Silently, so as not to wake either Ron or Harry, he took his empty water glass and made his way down stairs.
As he neared the downstairs he heard the sounds of a muffled argument taking place in the kitchen. Carefully, not wanting to be noticed, he moved closer so he could hear what was being said.
"How dare you say such a thing Arthur Weasley! You have no idea of what Harry had been through this summer." Molly Weasley sounded very angry.
"No I don't and I know you won't tell me, saying it's Harry's choice to do so and I respect that, but this has nothing to do with that Molly and you know that dammit!"
Draco almost jumped at surprise when heard the normally calm and timid Arthur Weasley swear.
"Oh, so it's because of Draco then, blaming him because of what his parents did?" Molly sounded surprised and, if possible, even angrier.
"For Merlin's sake Molly! You know that has nothing to do with it! I couldn't care less what he comes from or who his parents are."
"Then what is it Arthur? Why don't you want them to stay here?" Molly asked, tired and more calmly.
Draco almost dropped his glass whilst hearing this. Mr. Weasley didn't want them there? He felt his heart drop to his stomach. For the first time in his life he had been given a taste of how family life was. Even if he knew it wasn't his own, and that it would only last for about week, he had planned in enjoying every bit of it and he had planned in making Harry enjoy every bit of it too. Harry deserved all the happiness he could get. After a few seconds of silence Arthur spoke again.
"You know I want them here Molly. I love Harry just as much as I love any of my other children." He took a deep breath and then he let it out as he continued. "With Hogwarts coming up now and all our children at home you know we can't afford to have both Harry and Draco here. You know how things are."
"Oh Arthur, I know things are a little tough right know but those two boys need all the love they can get and if that means that we has to eat a little less then so be it 'cause they are staying."
Apparently Arthur opened his mouth to say anything but his wife beat him to it.
"No Arthur, listen. I had not planed to tell you this but when I went out to check on the boys at dinner earlier tonight, I found Draco crying his eyes out clutching to Harry for all he was worth and all because he had never felt anything like it was to have dinner with our family: a normal family dinner, Arthur." There was a few seconds pause and Molly was probably collecting herself for her next tirade. "If his own mother couldn't do her job properly and love him, then this one will! They are not leaving! End of discussion!"
As Molly had said this Draco stepped into the kitchen making himself known. Molly who stood facing the kitchen entrance noticed him immediately.
"Oh Draco! You weren't supposed to hear that dear." She said as she hurried up to him and gathered him in her arms, she brushed away a tear that had found its way down his cheek and squeezed him tight.
As she released him he looked at Arthur who had turned around and looked a Draco with an apologizing face. He opened his mouth to apologize to the blonde boy but Draco cut him to it.
"There is no need to say anything Mr. Weasley, I understand. However, I do not wish to leave and I know that Harry desperately wants to spend some time with all of you. He missed you over the summer." He saw how Molly was about to open her mouth and say something, probably in delight over that they were staying, but he stopped her by holding up his hand. "No, please let me finish Mrs Weasley. I know you don't want to accept any money-"
"Oh, we will certainly not be doing such a thing Draco! So don't you dare suggest it!" Molly then burst out.
"What you are giving Harry and me, we can never fully repay you for. All we want is to repay at least a bit of it by giving you something that we have more of then what we will ever need."
Molly opened her mouth to give another protest but was cut out by a piercing scream from the second floor. Draco immediately identified it as Harry's. His glass dropped from his hand, shattering into thousands of pieces as it hit the wooden floor. But no one noticed. Draco shot upstairs like a bullet, and the Weasley's wasn't far behind. When they reached the room where the scream had come from they found Harry trashing in the bed and Ron was trying, without any success, to wake him up.
"Get out of my way!" Draco commanded as he made his way towards Harry and sat down next to him. He began to stroke Harry's soaked hair out of his face, as he took Harry's hand in his other.
"Harry, you need to wake up. Wake up it's only a nightmare." Draco spoke in a low and soothing voice, hoping it would bring Harry back. The rest of the Weasley's had gathered in the doorway wanting to know what was going on. The blonde Slytherin continued caress Harry's hair and face with his left hand and held Harry's hand with his right hand, stroking it with his thump.
"Come back to me, please Harry." Draco begged him as Harry continued to trash in his bed. He had stooped screaming and he was murmuring instead, the trashing subdued a little.
"He can't hurt you anymore remember? You're safe now sweetie." Draco paused a few seconds. "Please wake up." As he spoke those last three words Harry jerked awake with a cry. He panicked, looking around the room, not remembering where he was. Draco could feel his panic and tried his best to calm him down.
"Calm down Harry, it's me Draco. We're at the Burrow remember?" He continued in his soothing voice. "Shhh, Harry, it's all right. Breathe. It was only a nightmare. You're safe now. You're safe now." He repeated. Recognition finally dawned upon Harry's face as everything came back to him. He turned his head so that he leaned into Draco's hand that still lay upon his cheek. A few silent tears found their way down Harry's cheeks, and when Draco saw this he pulled Harry up in his arms, holding him tight. More violent sobs began to claim Harry's body as Draco held him tight and whispered calming words in his ear. After awhile they quieted, and he felt the raven haired boy relax in his arms. He let go of him and after a few minutes Harry was back to sleep again. When Draco was sure he was asleep again he got up from the bed and went up to the door to close it. The Weasley's backed out of the room and Draco closed the door. Just when he was about to put out the light Ron spoke up to him.
"Draco?" The redhead asked in a soft voice.
"Yeah?" He answered as he turned around to face Ron.
"I-eh-I mean, if it helps Harry with his nightmares its okay, for me that is, if you sleep together with him, in his bed." Ron managed to get out.
"It would help him Ron." Draco answered him as he looked him, his eyes showing his gratitude. "Thank you." He said as he put out the light and then he made his way over to Harry's bed. "Hey move over sleepy head, I need to fit in here too." He said to Harry as he got in the bed. Harry mumbled something unrecognisable in response and then he snuggled closer to Draco and flung an arm over his chest. Draco placed a kiss upon the black mop of hair and whispered a goodnight before he too fell asleep.
The next morning, when Ron went to wake Harry he almost had a heart attack before he remembered what had happened during the night. Harry was sleeping soundly with his arms in a secure hold around a certain blonde Slytherin who had his head his head on Harry's chest, and since both of them weren't wearing anything more than a t-shirt and a pair of boxers, it was hard to see which pair of legs belongs to whom because they were quite tangled up.
Ron only chuckled and shock his head. He picked up a pair of trousers from the floor, put them on and then went downstairs to see how breakfast was going. He left Harry and Draco to get some more sleep, breakfast was probably not going to be ready for about 20 minutes anyway.
When he reached the kitchen he saw his sister sitting at the kitchen table with her head lying hidden in her arms.
"I'm going to kill them this time. I'm going to hurt them so bad their grandchildren will feel it. I really will. Oh, no I'm not kidding!" She talked to herself, down into the table.
"Now, now, Ginny, you how many times you said you should do just that?" Molly Weasley said nicely patting her daughters shoulder.
"Well this time I'm going to. I'm going to bloody murder them. I don't care if they are my brothers." Ginny responded in a low menacing tone.
"Oh, it couldn't have been that bad now could it?" Molly said in a reassuring voice.
"Oh, it can." Ginny replied, her face still facing the table.
"Well you won't tell me what they have done." Mrs Weasley said as she pulled out a chair to sit down. But she stopped halfway down when Ginny looked up to show her mother her face. Ron failed miserably at suppressing a laugh when he saw what had happened to his sisters' face. She looked very much like Hermione had in their second year while testing the polyjuice potion. Ginny had fur all over her face, she had whiskers, yellow cat eyes... she looked like a cat.
"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY! GET DOWN HERE IMMEDIATTELY!" Mrs Weasley roared. After only a few seconds the two twins came downstairs, looking perfectly innocent.
"Well good morning to you to dear mother!" Fred said cheerfully.
"Decided on a new wake up strategy have you?" George continued.
"Quite effective I would like to say-."
"Yeah, I actually think everybody woke up at the same time for once-"
"Brilliant move mom!" Fred finished.
"Silence you two! What did you do to your sister?" She asked angrily, you could practically see the steam pouring out of her ears.
"We? What?" They both said looking questioning at each other. Then they looked at Ginny.
"Oh, did you run into a cat or something, sis?" George said chuckling. "Ha, ha, HA!" Ginny said throwing a kitchen towel at them.
"Oh, she dangerous, must be those cat genes." Fred said, looking at his brother with a serious expression.
"Now you two, undo that prank of yours or you will find yourselves looking for a new home!" Molly Weasley said in a threatening voice.
"Now even if it wasn't us who did this, which it wasn't, we happen to have just the right cookie to cure this little unfortunate thing." Fred said pulling out a cookie from his pocket. "Just eat it and you will be just as pretty and annoying as always!"
Ginny took the offered cookie and looked at it sceptically.
"Go on and it eat it Ginny dear. If it doesn't work, these two-." Molly pointed at the two twins "-will be homeless this afternoon."
Ginny took a bite of the cookie, then another, and after four bites she had eaten the whole cookie and her cat face faded back to her normal face.
"See? You can always trust us!" Fred said with a big smile on his face. That was a big mistake. Ginny flew out of her chair towards her brother who quickly ran away from her. He just managed to avoid Bill and Charlie who just came downstairs.
"I AM going to kill you Fred Weasley!" Ginny screamed as she began her hunt.
Up in Ron's room, Draco woke up slowly, feeling a warm body next to him. With a smile on his lips, he looked over at his bed mate who was still sleeping soundly. Downstairs he heard Mrs Weasley yell at the twins, they had probably done some prank again. He looked over at Ron's bed to see if he still was in it, but found it empty. The platinum haired boy then turned his gaze back to Harry. With a feather light touch he began to caress his face. Harry stirred in his sleep and he wrinkled his nose like a fly or some other bug sat on it. Draco couldn't help but chuckle at this. He then leaned forward and placed a small kiss upon the raven haired boys' lips. As he did this Harry's eyes fluttered open and he gave Draco a smile. "Good morning to you too." He said to his bed mate as he put his hand behind Draco's neck and pulled him down for another kiss. A slightly longer one...
"You know we aren't alone in this house." Draco said as they parted after a few minutes.
"I bet they kiss some time too." Harry replied giving Draco another kiss. "Judging by how many kids they have, I bet they do much more than kissing." Draco said with an evil glint in the eye.
"Oh GOD! Shut up! I did NOT need that mental image of-of Molly and Arthur doing, things... Oh God! You really are evil!" Harry said as he shuddered.
"Yeah I know, but you love me anyway." He said as he rolled of Harry and got of the bed.
"Don't be so sure Mr. Donovan." Harry said mockingly.
"HEY! If you EVER tell ANYONE about that name I swear on, shit I don't know, something very holy that you will die Harry Potter, a very painful death." If Harry hadn't known that he had been joking he would probably been a bit afraid 'cause Draco looked quite serious when he was saying this.
"Is that a threat?" Harry asked.
"No my dear friend that is a promise."
"Oh, I am so afraid..."
"Oh but you should be afraid Mr Potter." Draco then said as he walked up to his boyfriend and placed a kiss on his lips. "Be very afraid." Harry only smiled at this and kissed him back.
"How about a little trip to Diagon Alley today?" Draco asked as they parted and he began to get dressed.
"Diagon Alley?" Harry asked questing.
"Yeah, you know that place in London with all the wizarding shops." Draco responded indifferent.
"Oh shut up you big twit! Of course I know what it is. What I meant was, what are we going to do there? We haven't got our supply lists yet."
"I just thought that you would appreciate a little trip. Besides I have an errand to Gringott's, and then I thought that we could go up and check the apartment and pick up anything we might have forgotten." Harry started to say something, but Draco silenced him with his hand. "And then I thought that we might take a trip out to muggle London, if you want to that is. AND- " Draco silenced Harry once again. "-if you want to, you can take as many of your Weasley friends with you as possible." Draco looked at Harry who only stood there with his mouth shut tight.
"May I speak now, Sir?" Harry said, imitating a six year old and batting his eyelashes.
"Yes, you may." The blond responded, smiling a very big and very fake smile.
"I think that sounds like a very good idea." Harry said as he buttoned up his shirt. "Now, how about some breakfast?"
"That would be good." Draco responded, and they headed downstairs.
The breakfast table was all set when they arrived, just at the right time.
"Oh splendid boys! You're awake. I was just about to send Ron to wake you up." Molly said as she placed the two bread baskets on the table. "Now sit down and tuck in."
Harry was grateful that no one mentioned his nightmare episode. He noticed that Molly was looking at him questioningly, asking him if he was okay. He gave her a small smile as a response. She seemed satisfied with this and sat down.
As they pulled out their chairs they saw that, next to George, Fred was sitting with a black eye and, next to Charlie, Ginny was sitting looking very content with herself. Draco only raised his left eye brow at this and looked at Fred.
"Don't ask." Fred said in a sullen tone.
"Oh, but do ask." Ginny then said "My dead brothers here decided to pull ANOTHER prank on me, and this time I got back."
"Mum refuses to heal it, and she won't allow anyone else to do it either." Fred said in an even more sullen tone.
"Well it should teach you a lesson, even if I don't condone in you hitting your brothers and sisters." said mother spoke, looking sternly at Ginny. "This is why you three are grounded for three days, and if you two pull any sort of prank during this tree days you will find your grounding much longer."
"But Mum-" Fred began.
"We are grown up-"
"Oh really?! You certainly don't behave like that."
"Besides, we didn't hit anyone, she did!" George said and pointed accusingly at Ginny like this was all her fault.
"Oh you are right, you didn't. But you started it all and as long as you are living under my roof you follow my rules. Understood?" She said in her stern "Mrs Weasley" voice.
The twins mumbled something unrecognisable as a response.
"I said, understood?" She said, a bit louder this time.
"Yes Mum." They chorused.
"Now since that is settled, lets all have breakfast before is gets cold." And she didn't have to say that twice. All the Weasley's and Harry and Draco dug in and began to eat hungrily. Needless to say, no prank was attempted by the twins. Halfway through breakfast Harry decided to ask Ron if he wanted to join them in Diagon Alley.
"So Ron, any plans for today?" Harry asked as he refilled his glass with milk.
"No, not really." Ron responded with a mouth full of food.
"Oh, that's just grouse, cover your mouth for crying out loud!" Draco burst out.
The whole table went silent for a few seconds and Draco went absolutely white. Then everyone erupted in laughter and a very red Ron swallowed and mumbled an apology.
"Good one Draco! We have tried to teach him some table manners for years." Charlie chortled.
"Anyway, Draco and I thought that we were going to go on a little trip to Diagon Alley and then out in muggle London, you can come too if you want." As Harry said this Ron's eyes shone up.
"Yeah? That would be wicked. No need in asking them, eh?" He nodded towards the twins and Ginny who all gave their brother an evil glare worthy of a Malfoy. "So when are we going?"
"I don't know? As soon as possible?" Harry said and looked over at Draco.
"Yeah, I think that would be fine, I just want to take a shower first and then I'm ready to go." When Draco had said this Harry lent in and whispered something in his ear. The look on the Slytherin's face was priceless. His eye's got as big as saucers and he looked completely taken aback.
"Get that mind of yours out of the gutter, Potter!" He then exclaimed but Harry only snickered.
"What?" Ron asked looking between the two boys.
"Nothing." Harry said looking innocent.
"No I want to know, you got me curious here!"
"Believe me, you don't want to know." Draco said and looked at Ron.
By this time breakfast was finished and people began to leave the table. Bill helped his mother clean up while Ron, Harry and Draco returned to their room. After an hour Harry and Draco was standing in front of the fire place waiting for Ron who had forgotten his money upstairs.
"Are you sure about this?" Harry asked Draco, looking unsure.
"What do you mean." Came the surprised answer.
"Us going to Diagon Alley, together I mean."
"Well it was my idea." He said hurt. "If you don't want to go, just say so Harry." "NO! It's not that, I want to go... it's just that if we go together, there's probably going to be something in the papers tomorrow. You know I am the Boy-Who-Lived and you are a Malfoy, and we aren't exactly known to be friends." Harry spoke, looking everywhere but at Draco.
"I don't care about that anymore. If you haven't forgotten, I've been disowned by my mother, and besides, the rest of the world is bound to find out that we are friends when we enter Hogwarts, 'cause I'm not going to pick fights with you in the hallways just for the fun of it." Draco said as he put his fingers under Harry's chin and tilted his head upwards so that he could look him in the eyes.
"Let's just not snog in front of Gringott's yet. I don't know if I'm ready for those headlines just yet." Draco then said with a smile on his lips.
"Yeah, you probably right." Harry said as Ron decided to make an entrance.
"So, you lot ready to go or what?" He said cheerfully as he grabbed some floo powder.
"Yeah. We're ready." Harry responded and looked from Draco to Ron smiling.
"DIAGON ALLEY!" Ron shouted and he disappeared into the green flames. Draco pulled out a deep blue velvet pouch and handed Harry some floo powder and then he took some himself. Then the blonde boy stepped into the fire place and after a few seconds he too was gone in a green swirl of flames to Diagon Alley and Harry followed after him.End of chapter seven...Wow, I never thougt I would finish this chapter... Took my time didn't I? But don't worry, next chapter won't take that long for me to update because I have it all done in my head (almost) just need to get it down on my little computer...
A VERY BIG THANK YOU to all of you who has reviewed on this story! If it wasn't for you guys I would have abandoned it loooooong ago.
And another VERY BIG HUG to my beta Rio who is absolutely fabulous. Without her this story would be much harder to read for you guys since English is not my first language and I am quite talented at doing grammar mistakes...
Sooo... If you want to keep reading this story you better keep reviewing...
Have a nice day and watch out for invisible cows!