NEW version of Chapter 3. YAY! I'm trying to get all this fixing up done quickly to keep confusion down.
They heard a shriek from upstairs and everyone rushed up to find Malfoy face to face with Pig, the thing was just staring at him, not going crazy. Ron frowned and walked forward, Pig hooted softly and landing on Malfoy's shoulder.
"Who shrieked?" Arthur panted.
"Mrs. Weasley, she was afraid the mini-owl would kill me," Malfoy said. With a slow, almost shaking hand he opened the door to Charlie's room and looked around for a long moment.
"Would you mind if I redecorated?" Malfoy asked, trying very hard to be polite and not release a scream he'd been holding in since he arrived.
"Oh, not at all," Mrs. Weasely motioned, allowing him.
"Thank-you ma'am," he bowed his head to her and stepped further into the room he drew his wand and began transfiguring the existing furniture into black oak pieces of high quality. Soon the room looked fit for a Malfoy. He pulled a trunk in and began setting books on shelves and unloading smaller trunks containing different items.
"Pig's calm, how'd you do it?" Ron asked.
"Couldn't tell you, he's cute though," Malfoy said, nodding to the owl which bit Ron at that instant.
"OW!"
The owl sped to Malfoy and perched in his shoulder. Ginny giggled from where she stood. "He likes you Malfoy."
Draco petted its head with his index finger, "yes, I suppose he does."
"We're going back down for some food, you can join us when you want," Molly said, she then shooed everyone back downstairs.
A few moments later Malfoy seated himself on a couch and looked up at Molly "Since I'm living in England, what are we going to do?"
"We-um, we thought you'd like to stay here for today. Perhaps we can go to Diagon Alley tomorrow."
"I've never been in this part of England, what sort of events are there?" Malfoy peered out the window at the expanses of empty land.
"There aren't many, but you boys can play Quidditch I'm sure, we have some hoops over there," Arthur pointed towards some rickety hoops a few hundred meters away.
"I have a Snitch, but it's signed by a bunch of players so we couldn't use that, I may have a spare though," Malfoy said, sipping from the teacup Molly set before him.
"Who is it signed by?" Ginny asked, turning to the blonde sitting next to her.
"The Bulgarian team, the Irish team from the 1994 World Cup, Igor Lustiflor, Marque Zepua, and Ludo Bagman."
"Igor Lustiflor and Marque Zepua! Two of the world's greatest seekers! How?"
"After the World Cup they came over to the Manor for the annual Cup Party, they signed along with the two competing teams. Ludo got his name on there too but don't ask me how. Marque usually comes over to the Manor for Christmas and Igor stays over for Easter."
Ron nearly fainted and Harry laughed as Malfoy refrained from looking at anyone, staring at his tea leaves. Ginny smiled and stood up to help her mother in the kitchen. Hermione shifted her place on the floor with her back against the sofa near Ron's legs. Malfoy glanced up and looked from Hermione to Ron to Harry, raised his white eyebrows and continued with his tea leaves.
"I have a snitch, let's play," Harry said, he disappeared upstairs and returned with his Firebolt and Ron's broom. Ginny raced upstairs and grabbed one for herself.
"I'll have to change."
"Why?"
"You really expect me to play Quidditch in this? I'll only be a moment," Malfoy disappeared and came back down in a pair of dragon-hide pants and a green sweater and a pair of Quidditch boots, he pulled on some finger-less black gloves and smirked as Ron admired his new Firebolt X10 racing broom.
"I didn't know they came out with a new Firebolt."
"Neither did I, but apparently the manufacturers like me so they sent one free, I don't know, supposed to be released over Christmas they said."
"Wow, you are so lucky."
"I guess," Draco nodded. He hated the spoilt image he'd gotten over the years. He hated even more that it was fairly accurate. They reached the hoops and all rose into the air, Harry let the snitch go, Ron threw the Quaffle to Ginny who hit it back at him.
Malfoy looked around and saw Harry diving for the snitch, he didn't care though, forsomething was approached on the Southern horizon. Malfoy lowered towards the ground and watched it grow closer. He had a sinking feeling and he'd learnt long ago to trust his instincts about forthcoming things.
"Malfoy, what are you doing?" Ron called from the air.
"Something's coming," Malfoy pointed to the dot. Ron, Ginny and Harry all landed and watched it approach, it was huge, as large as a dragon at least.
"Everyone inside, it's a Death Eater," Molly yelled out at them, they all sprinted back to the house, brooms in hand.
They hurtled inside just as the huge white dragon landed where they were a few moments before. Thick black chains encircled the beast's neck and came to the hands of a tall man with long red hair. He climbed down and walked towards the house, he wore thick black pants and heavy black robes over that. He was a fearful sight evicting the very image of evil. Who was he?
He turned slowly around, looking at the landscape before taking a breath and striding, rather timidly, towards the Burrow.
"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, it is Adrian, I-I need to talk you, I-I'm sorry I disappeared but I'm back now I-" He called through the door.
Mrs. Weasley flung open the door and threw her arms around the man and hugged him close. She cried into his shoulder and began to say things no one could understand.
"Mum, it's fine, I-I'm okay."
"Adrian?" Arthur rushed forward and hugged him too. Ginny and Ron looked at him strangely. He had bright blue eyes and skin too tan to tell if there were freckles.
"Where were you? I was so scared! You didn't write for years! I-I was afraid you'd been killed!"
"I was in Ethiopia Mum, well for this last part anyway. After I left Hogwarts I- it doesn't matter, I'm back."
"Why! Why? Why did you run away!"
"I don't know," Adrian hugged his mother and shook his head slowly.
"Come in, we gave Ron your room but I'm sure we can make room for you," Molly ushered him in and sat him down in one of the chairs, he looked around and then at the clock with the faces of the Weasely family.
"Where's my face?" He asked casually.
"It almost always said you were in Mortal Peril and Molly would have a heart attack every time she saw it so we removed it. Here," Arthur pointed at the clock and another face and hand appeared, it ground away from Mortal Peril to home.
"Who are you?" Ron asked finally, Hermione rolled her eyes.
"He's your brother Ron, eldest brother too."
"I never heard about you from Bill or Charlie."
"They didn't mention him because you would ask your mom and she would feel bad about it," Malfoy answered.
Adrian looked at Malfoy for a long moment and grinned "Draco? I'm surprised to see you here."
"We all are. I'm supposed to be in Greece but instead they sent me here, to be protected. Why are you back?"
"It got too dangerous in Ethiopia and I heard Moldywart was back, I also heard that Arthur was attacked so I broke my promise to myself and came back."
"Good see you again," Malfoy nodded
"I don't even know you, why? What happened?"
"I disliked England, so I left half-way through my fourth year at Hogwarts and traveled to Asia Minor. I trained with Dragon Riders there and studied dark creatures until Lord Malfoy contacted me with the request I teach his son. So I went to France and taught Draco here until he was nine. Then I went north to Germany and studied dark creatures there, and then went back to Asia Minor. I left for Ethiopia and stayed there, training with a cult of Dragon Riders until Dumbledore contacted me two years ago and asked me to teach at Hogwarts, I refused at first, I mean I didn't want to go back. Then he offered me the change to see and study Thestrals and Merepeople and Centuars with a select group of students. So I accepted and spent a year in preparation to leave and now I'm here. Simple as all that."
"You only had three and a half years of schooling?"
"Yeah-huh."
"What did mum and dad think when you disappeared?"
"It was just before Voldemort got shut down so they thought I'd been abducted, I heard about the frantic search for 'Adrian Calters Weasley'. Which is why, for the past 16 years I have been known as Christian Victor Brent."
"Professor Brent to me," Malfoy added, sipping his tea again.
"Yeah-huh, I'm headed over there after a short half-hour visit here. I just expected I should confront the parents first so you two wouldn't ask questions," Adrian motioned to Ginny and Ron.
"Yeah, well," Ron shrugged.
"You seem to be quiet Draco, something wrong?" Adrian looked at the blonde
The room went dead.
"What?" Adrian looked at them all.
"It is a long story Professor," Malfoy said, casting his eyes at the dredges of his tea. "Perhaps I'll explain it to you later."
"Yeah, okay," Adrian understood the odd boy to some degree. Malfoy, pretty as he was, was not too talented at conveying emotions outside the range of dislike, especially in this sort of company.
"Can anyone tell me what's been happening? Like who those two are and where all my brothers are."
"Sorry, I'm Hermione Grange, Ron and I are friends from school and I'm staying here for the summer," she offered, holding out her hand, which Adrian shook.
"I'm Harry Potter, me and Ron and 'Mione are best friends. I'm being allowed to stay here for the summer too."
"Nice to meet you Mister Potter, Miss Granger," he acknowledged them both, though paid no special mind to Harry.
"Bill is in Egypt still, I think and Charlie is in Romania with dragons, he researches them. Percy has…removed himself from the family," Molly said with some difficulty.
"He always did have his head kind of far up his ass, even as a little kid." Adrian allowed.
"Adrian!" Molly sounded scandalized and then left for the kitchen.
"He did," Adrian insisted after she'd gone.
The group chuckled.
"What were the Dragon Riders like?" Hermione asked.
"Nice people, old fashioned, rugged, dangerous and smart," Adrian said, "they-we are a dying race, few people can control dragons and fewer yet can ride them. We ride rare Ivory Scales, the last hundred or two are all in the possession of Dragon Rider clans. The one out there," he pointed, "is named Arakna'ah. She's the matriarch of a strong line we call the Spider line, her name sounds so much like arachnid and all. The cult leader, Thunder Bearer, allowed me to ride her here, when I get to Hogwarts I must send her back to Ethiopia though."
"Thunder Bearer?"
"Spiders?" Ron sounded worried.
"Yes, like the American Indians, Dragon Riders have names that come from nature, symbolizing attributes the person has that pertain to nature."
"What was yours?" Hermione asked.
"Flaming Skull," Draco said, smirking for the first time in a while.
The group laughed.
"Yeah, and you were Calm Storm," Adrian said pointedly.
"You lived with the Dragon Riders?" Ron asked, jealous.
"Only for a year when I was ten, Professor Bre-Weasely took me with him. It was pretty cool." Draco admitted.
"Lucky," Ron puffed.
"Is there any dinner?" Malfoy asked.
Molly rushed in and motioned everyone into the kitchen, they walked in and sat down around the table. Food was piled high and steam rose up from mashed potatoes and meat.
"It looks great, thanks Mum," Ron immediately began to scarf down everything in his reach.
Malfoy looked horrified, he covered his mouth and looked honestly about to hurl, Adrian stuck out his tongue and placed a hand over Malfoy's eyes. Hermione slapped Ron quickly and motioned to the two, he frowned and shrugged.
Malfoy sat down and picked out a roll from a stack and began to butter it. He put some potatoes on his plate and a small dish of vegetables, he took the smallest piece of chicken available and poured himself some water. Adrian took a lot of food but ate very slowly.
Malfoy began to take small bites of food but looked very concerned about it.
"What is wrong with you Malfoy? It's good food."
"It's not that, it is good, I'm just not-"
Adrian slapped Malfoy lightly in the arm and the boy frowned at his old teacher "Eat or I'll make you."
"I am not anorexic, stop acting as if I am," Malfoy hissed.
"You aren't anymore, I remember when you were a kid, you never ate, we had to force feed you anything that wasn't water or a vegetable," Adrian said quietly
"You are exaggerating, I just hated meat," Malfoy said, trying but failing to defend himself. He was perfectly aware of his disease, Blaise, his life-friend, had sometimes been the one to keep him alive by forcing him to eat.
"You still hate meat," Adrian pointed out.
"But I eat it, it's good for me," Malfoy argued.
Ron motioned vaguely towards the salt and Harry passed it to him. Ron dumped a load onto some pork and started eating. Hermione rolled her eyes and speared a piece of broccoli. Ginny stared at Malfoy for a long moment before turning away to grimace as her brother continued his rampage of food.
"Will you four do the dishes?" Molly asked Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny "Adrian, you never said what you were teaching."
"Care of Magical Creatures," Adrian said, making the trio frown. Malfoy excused himself, getting a disapproving look from Adrian.
Malfoy appeared again with a small role of parchment and handed it off to Adrian, he sat back down and poked the meat carefully and took a small bite.
"What's this?"
"What all we've studied in Care of Magical Creatures, and the outlines for what we'll have to know for the OWL's this year."
"Sounds good."
"Will we go to Diagon Alley?"
"Soon," Molly nodded.
"I've got to head out to see about a loft in London until September," Adrian stood and headed out towards the door.
"Adrian!" Molly stopped him "Stay here for the night, I-I mean you can leave tomorrow, we haven't seen you in sixteen years. Please, just one night."
He looked around nervously and grimaced as he looked at his mother, but he nodded anyway "You can stay with Draco, I'm sure he'll be fine with that."
Malfoy nodded slowly and led Adrian upstairs. Ron finished and started helping Hermione clear the dishes. Harry frowned and took his place in the line, Malfoy was being way too civil.
"What the happened to you?" Adrian walked in.
"I-"
"Don't even lie to me" Adrian said, giving the Slytherin Prince a stern look.
Again, sorry about confusion, I'm just trying to make the story better by combining too short chapters and editing them to make characters more believable and removed overly detailed things that don't deserve so much detail.
Send me an email with questions or anything: you for being patient, you're incredible and don't feel shy about reviewing!
Love-Firestorm00X