AU: When Draco moves into a new town, he expects to be miserable. What he finds is a green-eyed beauty searching for love. Can Draco show the shy boy what it is to be truly loved? It won't be easy, especially with Harry's possessive boyfriend constantly intervening. SLASH, Abuse, Angst.
Unbeta-ed this time because I wanted to get this out as quick as I could, so please forgive any mistakes!
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize does not belong to me. I only do this for fun.
------------------------CHAPTER 7: Dealings in the Neighborhood-----------------------
The boys slid quietly into a dark room. It took a few moments for Draco's eyes to adjust to the poor lighting swimming in from the hallway. He quietly shut the door behind him and the room was bathed in complete darkness.
He heard footsteps moving away from him and assumed it was Harry trying to find a light. A loud grumble resembling a freight train startled him. That was definitely not Harry. His muscles were instantly tense and he reached for the doorknob to shed light on the ferocious beast making such a roar. Before his trembling hand found the brass knob, a dim light flicked on across the room.
His eyes quickly adjusted to the light, allowing him to see that he was standing in some type of living room. A scratched dresser with a few missing draws was in one corner. It seemed as if something had chewed one leg off because it was unsteadily tilted to one side.
A tall, withered bookcase stood in another corner looking as if it would collapse if he breathed too hard. Only a few lonely books lined its dusty shelves.
A large, sticky looking coffee table covered in stains was placed in front of a worn, brown sofa. The sofa was positioned in front of what he assumed was a window. Draped to hide the window was a frayed, yellow blanket.
The beast impersonating the freight train was unconsciously sprawled on the sofa. It was an enormous, fat man with greasy, graying hair and a brown mustache. Every time the man loudly snored, it seemed the mustache would blow right off his face. Littered around the man on the sofa was four cases worth of empty beer cans.
The sight of the large man, even in his comatose state, unnerved and intimidated Draco. He glanced around the room for Harry, wishing to hold his nose to avoid the overwhelming stench of alcohol and filth.
Harry was leaving the poor excuse for a kitchen. The counters were stained and crumbling. The sink was filled with some kind of brown sludge and the cupboards were missing several doors. There was no refrigerator or dishwasher in sight. Draco could not imagine living without a dishwasher…or a kitchen staff. The stove was encrusted with a green goo that Draco couldn't recognize.
Harry gestured for Draco to follow him down a hallway that he hadn't noticed. The wallpaper was stained and pealing. He almost hyperventilated at the sight of another large, greasy rat.
He followed Harry into a tiny room that was missing a door. The room was smaller than the size of his closet and bare except for a mattress on the floor with a dirty sheet to cover it, a cracked lamp settled next to the mattress, and a stack of clothes nestled in a corner. There wasn't even a window!
He watched Harry silently switch on the lamp and force a smile for Draco. There were so many questions zooming through his head, but the first he blurted was, "Who was that man?" Surly the man couldn't be related to the tiny boy standing in front of him.
Harry bit his lip. "My uncle. He should be out for another hour or so," he shrugged nonchalantly and bent down to unload the bag he took from Draco. The raven haired boy set the plush teddy on the "bed" and stuck the tea bags Tom had given him under the dirty mattress, which confused Draco. Why not store a food item in the kitchen?
Holding the vase and bouquet, Harry told him, "I'm just going to fill this up with some water. I'll be right back."
As Harry left the room, Draco noticed how tense the boy's posture was. He knew it was because Harry was worried that Draco would look down on him, but at the moment, Draco felt so surreal in his surroundings that he was trying not to think about anything.
Draco glanced around the shabby room again and noticed the edge of a black book peaking out from under the pile of clothes. Quickly stooping down, he picked up the book and found it was a small, worn photo album. Flipping to the first page, he saw a smiling couple cuddling on a leather loveseat. The raven haired, brown eyed man looked remarkably like Harry. His arm was wrapped around a petite, red-headed woman with the same amazing emerald eyes Draco saw when he gazed at Harry. There was no mistaking the resemblance. These were Harry's parents.
Remembering what Harry said about his parents' deaths, Draco felt as if he were intruding on the boy's private memories. But the album was rather thick and he was curious about whether all the pictures were of the late Potters. On an impulse, he randomly flipped to one of the middle pictures and stared at Tom kissing a dozing Harry on the cheek. The emerald eyed boy looked nearly two years younger and almost angelic in his peaceful position.
Draco felt a sad pang in his heart. Tom had so many memories and moments with Harry, it seemed nearly impossible for the boy to learn to love him just as much.
"What are you doing?" Harry quietly asked from the doorway.
Draco jumped with a guilty expression firmly in place on his face. "Oh…er…I'm sorry…" he lamely stuttered, speechless.
Harry gave a defeated sigh. As he set the freshly watered bouquet on the floor near the lamp, he said, "It's okay. It's just a silly photo album. No big deal," but his tone proved it was much more than a photo album, and for that Draco was ashamed.
"No…it is a big deal. I shouldn't have gone through your privacy. Especially while you weren't even in the room. I'm sorry," Draco smiled sheepishly.
Harry brightly returned his smile. "It's alright, really. Maybe I'll go through it with you sometime and explain the pictures. You know…like a narrator."
"I'd like that," Draco grinned.
Harry's stomach growled loudly and the boy blushed when Draco laughed. A loud, grumbling snore from the living room reminded them to be quiet.
"Would you like to go out for lunch?" Draco asked. "I mean after you've changed your clothes and all."
The desperate, pained look that swam through those emerald eyes told Draco all he needed to know. The boy was probably worried about running into Tom so soon after the nasty breakup.
"Or… we could go to my place and find something to eat there," he gave the boy an encouraging smile.
Harry shyly smiled. "Okay," he sorted through the pile of clothes and pulled out a long-sleeved, blue T-shirt and faded jeans. Turning back to Draco, he blushed a deep red.
Draco simply smiled and winked before turning around so the boy could change in peace.
After a moment, Harry said, "Let me just brush my teeth real quick and we'll go, okay?"
"Sure," Draco nodded. As Harry left the room, Draco realized he still held the photo album in his pale hands. Sternly telling himself to wait until Harry was ready to look at the other pictures with him, he placed the book back into its hiding place under the stack of clothes.
He heard a door in the apartment open, but it sounded a little farther away than the bathroom. Feeling his heart begin to race, Draco backed farther into the room. Heavy footsteps sauntered down the hallway but, he could still hear Harry's uncle heaving thunderous snores from the living room, so it wasn't Mr. Dursley approaching.
An overweight boy with blonde hair nearly passed the doorway. He backtracked and squinted at Draco with his beady, red rimmed blue eyes. Draco knew that look. The boy was stoned out of his mind.
"Who the fuck are you, man?" The boy harshly asked, squeezing into the doorway.
"I'm…I'm a friend of Harry's," Draco answered, unsure how this violent looking boy would react to a homosexual in the house….well…another one at least.
"The freak has friends?" The overweight boy continued questioning with a laugh.
"Well…yeah," Draco lamely replied, hoping Harry would return soon and explain who this large goon was. Possibly his cousin? But, no…Someone their age…that large? The boy was wider than he was tall!
"Dudley, keep it down before you wake up your father," he heard Harry say from behind the large boy.
Dudley…so he was Harry's cousin. Draco watched as Dudley stepped into the room so he could turn and look at Harry.
"I didn't think Tom allowed you to have friends," Dudley rudely gestured towards Draco.
Harry bit his lip. "He does…" the boy lied, but because he truly believed it or to keep his pride in tact, Draco couldn't tell. "But it doesn't matter because we broke up," Harry strode passed his cousin and neatly folded the pajamas on top of his other clothes.
Dudley loudly snorted, strongly reminding Draco of a pig. "You're delusional," the large boy said.
Harry glared at him and angrily whispered, "Shut up, Dudley. And be quiet. Your father will wake up and we'll all be sorry."
The threat sobered Dudley's mood and Draco was left more confused than ever. Did Mr. Dursley really hurt these boys? It didn't seem plausible. His own father had never gone past petty insults, but for someone to intentionally cause a relative pain…he just couldn't comprehend it.
Dudley shrugged a shoulder, causing his waves of fat to jiggle. "I have half a blunt left. Do you and Blondie want to smoke the rest with me?" he said so casually, Draco wondered if he heard correctly.
Harry glanced at Draco as if seriously considering the offer, but the shocked look in Draco's ice blue eyes must have warned him. "We'll pass this time, Dud."
Dudley seemed to lose respect for them for refusing his drugs. Draco felt as if he were in the Twilight Zone. Shouldn't they be praised for refusing drugs?
"Suit yourselves," Dudley left the room and continued down the hall.
"That's Dudley, my cousin," Harry broke into his thoughts. "Should we go, then?" he smiled hesitantly.
Draco could only nod, completely speechless. He wanted to leave this neighborhood with its casual drug dealings, monster snores, and oddly stained walls. He didn't know how to deal with this kind of environment and needed to get away from the confusing harshness of these realities.
Walking through the living room, Draco quickly glanced at Harry's uncle again. He was curious and slightly alarmed as to how Harry was so skinny and quiet when he was raised by such an enormous and loud man. Dudley didn't seem malnourished at all, so why was Harry tiny?
Outside, the bright sunlight glared down on them and the day was quickly heating. He saw three tough looking young boys checking out his car. The wicked gleam in their eyes made Draco's muscles tense in protectiveness over his car…and Harry.
It was then he noticed one of the boys was about to maliciously scratch his car with a pen.
"Hey!" he shouted before they could make a mark on his father's expensive convertible. "What do you think you're doing?"
The boy with the pen stiffened his shoulders in arrogance and boldly faced him. "This your car?"
Before Draco could respond, Harry stepped forward and gently placed a slim hand on his arm. "It's okay, Kevin. Draco's with me. We were just leaving."
Draco's mind was spinning in confusion. Was it a big offense to park a nice car in this neighborhood?
"Rich boys aren't welcome here. You might break a nail," Kevin insolently smirked.
"I said," Harry gritted his teeth and took a threatening step forward, "he's with me. Back the fuck off, Kevin, or Dudley won't do business with you anymore."
Draco was taken aback by this side of Harry. What happened to the vulnerable boy lying in the hospital bed? He wasn't sure what to think about this Harry.
Kevin looked as if he was still prepared to key Draco's car, but after a moment, he backed off. "Fine. If we see this car here again, we'll do more than scratch it. Got that, Blondie?"
"No you won't," Harry simply quirked an ebony eyebrow in warning.
The boys glared at Harry before angrily strolling down the street.
"What business does Dudley do with them?" Draco asked as they got into the car.
"He…he deals drugs to them," Harry replied emotionlessly as they drove away from the crumbling apartment.
Draco was astounded that kids so young even knew what drugs were. It was like some sort of hidden world that he was slowly being introduced to by Harry Potter.
The drive to his house was filled with tense conversation. The noticeable change in scenery as they left the poverty stricken part of town amazed Draco. As they drew nearer to his house, the streets were cleaner and evenly spaced houses lined the roads, the buildings were sturdy and more modern, and the atmosphere seemed more welcoming. Draco's nerves were sparking because he feared Harry might think Draco was shoving his wealthy lifestyle in his angelic face.
As they parked in his driveway, Draco was doubting whether this was such a good idea. He watched the raven haired boy as they stepped out of the shiny car. The boy seemed to have withdrawn into himself with amazement at the grand house before him.
"Wow, Draco," Harry whispered as if he was afraid he would disturb the building's magnificence. "Your home is beautiful."
Draco didn't know what to say. He was suddenly ashamed of his luxuries and thoughtlessness for those less fortunate than he was. He modestly responded, "It's my father's, really. He's a directorf or the cinema," he shrugged, trying to convey his feelings of detachment towards his father and his money.
Harry smiled at him, a light flush on his cheeks. "Are your parents home?" he asked nervously.
"No. My father should be working and my mum lives in England with my stepdad," Draco gently took Harry's hand as they walked through the door.
"Oh, they're divorced? That must be awful," Harry had a sympathetic look on his face.
"It isn't so bad. My mother's happier where she is…my father isn't exactly a loyal husband," Draco smiled thoughtfully.
He watched as Harry looked around the spotlessly white hallway in amusement. Pulling his eyes away from the emerald eyed boy for a moment, Draco caught the flashing red light on the answering machine. Letting go of Harry's hand, he pressed the playback button.
Immediately Hermione's voice buzzed from the speaker. "Hello, this is Hermione Granger calling for Draco. The gang and I were hoping to hang out with you and Harry sometime soon. Call me back when you get the chance," she left her number and the date before hanging up.
Draco turned back to Harry who was peaking into the luxurious dining room. Draco smiled at the boy's childlike curiosity.
"Should I invite them over for lunch?" he asked as Harry jumped and shyly smiled at him with a guilty blush.
"Sure. I think we'd have fun."
"Okay. The kitchen is right through there. You can ask one of the cooks to prepare anything for lunch while I call Hermione."
"Cooks?" Harry asked, stunned.
"Yes," Draco chuckled nervously.
"Okay," Harry distractedly replied and sauntered into the kitchen.
Draco shook his head in amusement and dialed Hermione's number. She sounded excited at the prospect of having lunch at Draco's house and told him she and Ron would be over in a few minutes.
"Harry?" Draco called when he arrived in the kitchen.
The boy was laughing at something one of the cooks was saying. Draco let the melodious sound wash over him before the boy noticed him.
"Draco!" Harry was still giggling. "I didn't know you hated chocolate. Mr. Dobby was kindly telling me about your temper tantrum over dessert the other night," the boy tried to bite his lip to stop his giggles when Draco glared at his boyfriend and the cook.
"It's not funny," Draco said childishly crossing his arms over his chest. Harry kept giggling. "Are you quite finished?"
Harry nodded and wiped his eyes.
"Good. What did you choose for lunch?"
"Grilled cheese sandwiches…and for dessert…chocolate!" Harry cheekily smiled and burst into giggles.
"Not funny," Draco paled slightly at the joke.
Harry calmed and asked, "Is Hermione coming?"
"Yes, and she's bringing Ron with her."
"Cool…um…would you mind If I had a smoke outside real quick?" Harry bit his lip and worriedly wrung his hands.
"Alright," Draco sighed. "I'll keep you company…just don't blow smoke near me, okay?"
Harry nodded in understanding.
After Harry had lit a cigarette on the small back deck, they sparked up a conversation about their favorite soccer teams. During a playful debate over the cutest soccer players, Ron and Hermione joined them on the Deck.
"Harry…You smoke?" Hermione asked, cocking her head to the side in question.
Harry guiltily nodded and hesitantly took another puff before getting rid of the butt.
"Oh…well…okay," Hermione continued brightly. "Draco, your cooks are really nice."
Ron, holding Hermione's hand, agreed and said, "They finished lunch and it smells really good."
Draco and Harry laughed at Ron's bottomless appetite before Draco took Harry's hand and led them into the dining room. They continued their conversation about the cuteness of soccer players with Hermione's added comments and Ron's playful gags.
Draco watched as Harry slowly ate one sandwich while the rest had several a piece, even Hermione had two. An itch of curiosity ate at him. Harry was tiny…did this lack of appetite show the reason? The obvious answer was that Harry might have an eating disorder, but Draco felt it went deeper than that. He put the information in the back of his mind to ask Harry about it when they grew closer. If they grew closer.
"Blaise was telling us about a party he's having at his house this Friday," Ron's excited tone pulled Draco from his thoughts.
"Yes, his parents will be out of town and he came up with the bright idea to invite rebel teens over to wreck their home," Hermione rolled her big brown eyes. "I'm only going to make sure Ron here doesn't get into too much trouble."
"You guys are welcome to come as well," Ron told them after glaring at his girlfriend.
Draco looked at Harry with a questioning glint in his eyes. Harry smiled and shrugged. It had been a while since he had been to a good party, and with company like Harry, it was the perfect mix for a fun night.
----------------------End CHAPTER 7: Dealings in the Neighborhood----------------------
---AN:--- I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I just could not find the time to sit down and type it up. I also realized I forgot to say that I do NOT promote drugs or alcohol or underage sex or anything like that…It is only in my story because things like that happen everywhere in our societies today. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter!
----THANKS TO:----
BlackStar (I'm glad you gave the story a chance and liked it!), soul kidSilver Angel 7, Nat, antares520, ISC, Robin the bird, MSII, Lady-Draconian-Sapphire, AshleeBrooke (lol, you're review was funny), lilcrazedgurl91, xxbabysparklesxx, Elektra107, VladLycan (Sirius and Remus…we'll have to see where they pop up…;-) potterluvva, Kayla (well…something did happen to the car, but it wasn't quite stolen…I hope you liked it anyway!), SeriousSiriusFan ( I know what you mean! It's rare finding a good H/D AU fic that actually gets updated L , Yana5, EriksSylvia, chocolatedemon, & fudgebaby
Sorry if I forgot anyone!
------SPECIAL NOTES:-------
Potter-Pikachu--- Thanks for your review! ;-) Yeah, I based Seamus off of my sister's boyfriend…The elevator scene where he sings "Brand New Key" actually happened. My sister was mad at her boyfriend and he sang it to her to try and cheer her up. It was hilarious. Lol, Anyway, hope you liked this chappie! ;-)
Sapphire Manzanereas--- Thanks for your review! I actually have visited the RedMoonRising website and loved the stories. I haven't been able to find the website since even when I type in the address and everything. Perhaps you could send it to me? Please? ;-)
Trinity C. Malfoy---- Thanks for your very kind review! Wow, you're Portuguese? That is so cool! I like the angst in the abused Harry stories as well…they're addicting. I hope you liked this chapter! ;-)
vivahd---- Thanks for your review! I do try to write fast, but I never seem to get my chapters out as fast as I would like. Sorry about that. I'm glad my story is causing you to join the AU crowed! There needs to be more of us! I might have some chapters or little clips in Harry's POV. I hadn't really considered it, but now that I have…it sounds like a good idea. So you might see that in future chapters! ;-)
marthsgirls---- Hey, Thanks for your review! Lol, you're one of the funniest reviewers I have. I always look forward to hearing your feedback! I know what you mean about checking your e-mail and seeing that a story has been updated. I always get so excited, you'd think someone was dangling chocolate in my face. Lol. I'm glad you all think I update quick because I feel like it takes me a lifetime. I wish I could get a chapter out every three days. ;-) My two favorite Harry/Draco sites are: http/maxine. (mainly because of her fic "Starts With A Spin") and http/www.fmb.invizible.us/index.php?catFanart/Individual (This has all sorts of sites dedicated to specific ships). http/ is also kind of good, it's kind of like a watered down version of Thanks for your review! I know what you mean when you run out of words. When I review, I always feel like I'm leaving the same review over and over because I never know quite to say. But don't feel bad, your reviews are always appreciated! ;-)