chapter 3 HP

Chapter 3: Dursley's, sweet Dursley's!

Disclaimer: don't own it.

A/N: Hey! I'm sooo sorry about the long wait for this update – don't really have any excuse bar laziness and we've got my uncle staying with us for a holiday, he's blind so it's being interesting trying to learn to put everything back into the exact spot it came from. You don't quite realise how difficult it is until you have to deal with that stuff. He can't even eat steak or anything that needs cutting up! It's taken some getting used too. Oh well we love him anyway.

Anyway on with the story.

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So far it had been an average day for Harry Potter. He'd woken at 7, made breakfast for himself and his relatives the Dursleys and then proceeded to complete his chores while his cousin went over to a friend's house. Actually his bully, fat slob of a cousin Dudley was probably in the park picking on some of the neighbourhood kids. His favourite sport use to be Harry hunting however that game stopped when Harry turned eleven. You see Harry Potter was a wizard, and when he'd turned eleven he had been given his acceptance letter by Hagrid, the groundskeeper at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hagrid as a gift to Dudley had cursed him with a curly pig's tail. Ever since all Harry had to do was show his wand off and it normally got his cousin to leave him alone.

Currently Harry was in the garden weeding, wondering whether he should go to see the Weasleys this summer. Normally he'd go the second he was allowed, but Ron and Hermione his two best friends had recently become a couple, which meant try as they might Harry still felt like the third wheel sometimes. He wished he had someone to love like that, it wouldn't matter if it was a guy or girl, as long as they loved him, Harry would be happy. Of course whoever he dated would be put in immediate danger from Voldemort, Harry's arch nemesis, so it couldn't really happen but it was nice to dream anyway.

"Oh Merlin. We're surrounded by bloody muggles! Kinky you idiot! You didn't mention bloody Potter lived with muggles! Oh no! I'll probably get covered in muggle germs!"

Harry snorted to himself at that, he must be going delusional, maybe been in the sun too long. He could've sworn he'd heard Malfoy, but that was impossible...

"Well where is the bleeding scarface. He'd better be here..."

Okay maybe not so impossible. Harry turned around to observe where the voice was coming from. It was a platinum blonde boy slightly smaller then Harry himself, holding what looked like a smaller version of the blonde in his arms, a small carry bag at his feet completed the picture. Yep definitely Malfoy. It didn't look like the blonde had noticed him yet; he should probably go and ask what he was doing here. Actually now that he was paying attention, Malfoy looked bruised up, like he'd lost a fight with a Hippogriff …again… and kinda nervous. But what would Malfoy have to be nervous about?

"Malfoy!"

Hearing Harry's voice Draco jumped. He'd thought he'd been alone, but there stood Harry Potter Gryffindor golden boy and seeker in all his oversized clothes glory. Draco resented the fact that it'd seemed golden boy'd had a growth spurt, he was now a couple inches taller then Draco himself, and quite cute he had to admit. Now if only he could somehow get Potter to help him...

"Potter."

"What are you doing here Malfoy?"

"I can assure you Scarhead that I have no wish whatsoever to be in such a disgusting environment. But then again I suppose even a dump like this is better then the Weasels place."

"Take that back Ferret!"

Oh no! Now potter was mad. There'd be no way Potter'd help him now! He just had to go and open his mouth! Though if Potter hadn't surprised him, he wouldn't have reacted that way. There see it was all Potter's fault.

Feeling quite smug now he'd worked out that everything was indeed not his fault; Draco was sadly brought back down to Earth, along with Harry who was storming over to by the looks of things hit him, by a whimper from the precious bundle in his arms. It seemed the noise had woken Lucius up, though why the house elf's racket hadn't Draco had no idea.

It seemed Potter had heard the whimper as well, since he was now looking shocked at the little boy in Draco's arms. A little boy who was cautiously peering back.

"Hello. Who are you?" asked a shy Lucius. All he remembered was going to sleep in his bed at home. He didn't understand where he was or who these big people were. Father didn't like him being around other people, he said he might pick up habits unworthy of a Malfoy, though these didn't seem that bad though. The one holding him kinda looked like him and the funny black haired one looked friendly.

"H…Harry Potter. Who's this?" He demanded Malfoy.

"This...this is my father Potter" Draco sighed.

"But he's, he's..."

"A baby I know. I..."

"I'm four. I'm not a baby." interrupted an annoyed Lucius. He was use to been ignored, his parents did it all the time, but he was not a baby.

"Of course little one." answered an astonished Harry, after all it wasn't everyday your school rival turned up at your relatives house with a four year old version of his father. "How...?"

"How else Potter. The Dark Lord" replied Draco sarcastically, however seeing Potter's expression grow stormy again, he hurried to add. "Th...the spell, it was meant for me. He's working on a way to de-age you so you don't exist. I was the test subject". Draco was finding the small blonde head in front of him especially interesting right now; he didn't think he could bare seeing the expression of pity that was sure to be on Potter's face.

"Malfoy..." said Harry as he tried to get the blonde to look at him, however Draco was doing a good job avoiding his gaze. So he turned his attention to the small boy in Malfoy's arms. This was Lucius Malfoy, this scared little boy, gazing around in both wonder and fear at the strange world he now found himself. It made Harry realise that yes while the adult Lucius Malfoy was a complete bastard, but this was a child, a scared little boy, who kinda reminded him of himself in a way. It looked like he didn't have a choice; he'd have to help the two blondes. But just what did they want anyway?

"What are you doing here Malfoy? I mean Draco" he corrected himself, when both the blondes turned to look at him, Lucius seeing the conversation wasn't about him turned back to his scrutiny of the area.

"I…I need help Potter." admitted Draco.

"Ok. What kind of help."

"Just somewhere to stay for a while. I'll pay you."

"I don't need your money Malfoy. But why me?"

"You're a Gryffindor Potter. What else." answered Draco hauntingly. But seeing Potter's face, he continued, as much as he hated it. "Nobody else will take me in Potter, my one piece of leverage is currently four years old and getting heavy..."

"well you can put me down you know.'

"...I just. It's not safe for me to stay anywhere else."

"Dumbledore?"

"Has no reason to help the son of a deatheater..."

"Malfoy I don't have a reason to help you"

"...I'm no use to him; I can't spy since You-Know-Who's out for my blood by now. My family and friends if you can call them would all be too happy to turn me over to Him and I… I trust you not to take advantage of us. I don't know what to do Potter, I have to care for my own father as if he's my child! I just…your the only one I could think of."

Draco's rant seemed to have hit its mark, Harry's face softening slightly as he looked at the desperate Blonde.

"Come on. Let's get you both inside and cleaned up."

"You mean it Potter. You'll let us stay?"

Nodding, Harry reached over to remove Draco of his burden, claiming that since the blonde looked about ready to fall on his feet, it was probably safer if he held Lucius, before leading them inside. The tiny slip of a smile he got in return, and the responding jolt in his stomach, kinda made all the long days ahead of them seem worth it.

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