Ch. 3

A few days later bad news came from England. Uncle Henry, the kindly relation that had been renting a home to Tori for when the boys were in school, had been murdered by Voldemort. Henry's daughter, Claire, had found the body with the Dark Mark still hovering over the kitchen. The official report in the Muggle newspaperwas heart failure and only the Mars family and the proper wizarding authority in England knew the truth.

"Not that it does much good," Claire told Tori when she phoned. "These English wizards want to ignore the Dark Mark and put it down as heart failure too. Only that meddlesome Dumbledore is willing to listen."

"Fudge still refuses to believe that Voldemort is alive?" Tori inquired. "Even with evidence thatobvious?"

"Unfortunately. And I heard a rumor that Dumbledore is recruiting for some secret army to fight Voldemort." Claire said. "Some kind of band of rebels that were loyal to him in the first war and are loyal to him now."

Tori pressed her lips together and did a quick look to make sure no one was around. "Let me guess - The Order of the Phoenix?"

"Got it in one. You heard of it?"

"I'll send Hayden to England. He was involved during the last war. I had to work through the Ministry, but he fed me information that I'd need." Tori said. "Dumbledore might insist I join this time because of Daniel. And if he doesn't, I'll insist that I'm involved."

"And if he tells you that it's not your place or business?"

Tori gave a sour laugh. "He'll have no say in the matter. If he wants to use my son as a secret weapon, he'll have to do so with my blessings. I know that old coot too well to just let Daniel walk into all of this blind."

It was decided that since they were holding May's memorial service later in the week, that they'd just have Henry's at the same time. The Ling Family Chinese Restaurant was supplying the food, along with a cake with May's name on it. Mei Ling had offered to supply the catering for free since May had been such a good friend, but Tori wouldn't hear of it. If Mei Ling was going to use her supplies and money, the Tori would see that she was compensated.

"Sloane, I want you to go and tell Mei Ling that we're having a joint memorial service. Let her know about Zio Henry. Even though his funeral will be in Italy, the family in America will have a proper moment of silence for him." Tori told Sloane the next morning. Sloane, dressed in black, nodded.

"Come on, Draco. I'm sure we can have lunch at the restaurant too." Sloane said. Before Draco could protest, Sloane dragged him out.

He had given Draco a crash course on how to ride a bike earlier in the week. Draco found that he rather enjoyed the bike and allowed Tori to supply him with Muggle clothes so that he could go into the town. Where Sloane wore all black in respect for his dead relatives, Draco wore a white short-sleeve shirt and pale blue jeans. Tori had commented that he looked like an angel, which made Sloane and Harry burst out laughing. Secretly, though, Draco wanted to keep the clothes. He liked how he looked in them.

"Welcome to theLing Family Chinese Restaurant," Mei called out and then saw Sloane. "Come on in, are you staying for lunch?"

"Yes we are, Mei Ling. We also need to talk to about the memorial tomorrow." Sloane said, taking his seat.

"Oh? Is anything wrong?" Mei Ling asked.

Sloane nodded. "Yea. Um, on the cake, we need you to add Uncle Henry's name as well. He passed away just recently from heart failure."

Mei Ling's eyes widened. "I am sorry to hear about your Uncle Henry. I know your mother liked him a lot. He lived in England, right?"

"Yea. He died two days ago. They're shipping his body back to Italy so that he can be buried in the main family plot." Sloane said.

Mei Ling nodded. "I'll add his name. Your poor mother, loosing two relatives in such a short time. I understand that he was the one that gave her a place to stay when she lived in England, before she stayed with your father."

"Did mom ever tell you about my dad?" Sloane asked, curious to know what had been said. He saw Draco lean closer to Mei Ling to hear her answer.

"Oh, yes. She always said that he had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. She said that it was the way he was so intense about everything that made her fall in love with him."

Draco and Sloane had lunch prepared by Mei. Sloane promised to show Draco around the town. Draco found that he actually liked it. Had anyone told him last year that he would be dressed in Muggle clothing and interacting with Muggles - and like it - he would have thought that they were nuts! Everyone he met was nice. Even a few of Harry's old friends were nice when they ran into him and Sloane. It was interesting to hear about Sloane's life in Muggle schools, full of events he had never heard of.

That night, Hayden left for England. He accepted a position from Dumbledore to join his secret army. He promised Tori that while he was over there, he'd look for a home for her. Hayden was also instructed to keep an eye on Dumbledore and inform Tori the moment that the old man came up with any plan that involved Harry.

With Hayden gone, Tori merely moved Sloane and Draco over to Hayden's house since there wasn't enough room at her place to bring Harry, Ron and Hermione over. Meals were rather tense with Ron clinging to his hatred of Draco and the Mars family. Amazingly enough, Draco was starting to relax around Harry and Hermione and wasn't as cruel as he was in school.

The time they spent in Florida was like a dream, like living in another world. The adventures that Draco and Sloane had were enough to last them throughout the year in retelling, though they allagreed thatDraco's finest adventure came near the end ofhis stay.He wanted to mail a letter to his father, telling him of almost everything that he had been doing in Florida (though he was keeping his interactions with Muggles and enjoyment of their culture out of his letter). Ron Weasely wanted to send a letter to his parents as well.

"We'll take my car," Tori announced. "The nearest village with long distance owls is in Miami."

Tori's car was a lovely red sports convertible that she promptly put the top down on. Sloane and Harry grinned when they saw Tori ushering their friends to the car. Draco had thought it strange that the two boys were humming the Funeral March as Tori got behind the wheel. When the boys had buckled themselves in, Tori started the car. Sloane and Harry waved as the car roared out of the driveway.

Draco soon learned thewhy behind the brothers' grins and cryptic well-wishes as Tori shot out of Blackbird Point. She navigated the highway as a pro, weaving between cars with little enough room to slide a sheet of parchment. Draco and Ron held on to the seats in front of them for dear life as she slipped her car between a huge truck and an elderly couple in a rust-colored car. Another large truck came up beside them, a little too close for comfort. By the time they reached the wizarding shopping center, Draco felt like he'd never be able to leave the solid earth again.

"How was your trip?" Harry asked when they arrived home.

"The weaving . . . the cars . . . whoosh goes the wind . . . " Draco muttered, shaking like a leaf.

"Head to the light, Draco! The light!" Sloane cried. Tori walked by and gave him a playful slap on his arm.

"My driving is not that bad!" she scolded, ignoring the petrified looks of her passengers. Draco and Ron never again got into a car that Tori was driving.

Their last week in Florida, Tori announced that she had a great surprise for them. A traveling fair had been set up one town over. When Daniel and Sloane were little, they would go to the fair every year. They were normally in England by the time the fair set up after the boys started Hogwarts.

"Just remember, this is a Muggle fair, so we'll have to blend in," Tori said. "I can trust you all to not use magic?"

Draco and Hermione agreed verbally while Ron merely nodded. They would be leaving in the evening to spend a few hours there and leave for England the next day. Draco found that he was saddened by the thought of returning home. He would have to go back to acting cold and cruel and hating Harry Potter again. It was like he had spent these weeks in a different world, as a different person.

He was still musing over the changes he'd have to go through once he returned to England that he wasn't watching were he was going. He turned a corner in the house and ran right into Ron. Ron had been searching for Harry and Hermione, dressed for the fair and eager to go. Draco took in Ron's outfit with a critical eye and shook his head.

"Please tell me that you are not planning on going out like that, Weasley," Draco scoffed.

"There is nothing wrong with my clothes, Malfoy," Ron hissed.

Sure, Draco thought, nothing wrong if he were a blind man. Ron had on one of those hideous sweaters that his mom knitted for him every year that clashed horribly with his red hair. The pants were not only too tight, but were a truly scary pattern of green and blue strips that made him look like a clown. The ratty sneakers didn't even rate a mention in Draco's mind.

Draco shrugged and walked on. The last thing he wanted was for Tori or Sloane to come around the corner and see him fighting with Weasley. He had promised to be on his best behavior and act civilly to the Weasel and the Mudblood, and he wasn't about to break his word. The bond of a word was important to the Mars Family, and he knew they would respect him more if he kept his word. Besides, his civility ended the second they touched British soil.

He had taken only a few steps when he heard Granger's voice saying, "Ron Weasley, you are not going out in public looking like that." Draco had to smile as the domineering girl took control and got Weasley to change out of that eyesore of an outfit. Weasley stomped by him, going to change his clothes. He growled when he saw Draco's smirk, but neither boy said anything.

Once everyone was changed and looked decent, Tori took them out to the fair. They had a great time with the rides. Draco didn't even mind when he had to sit next to Harry or Hermione on some of the rides. He was beginning to see why Sloane had given those two his loyalty long before joining Slytherian. Maybe, he could cut back on his cruelty this year? He'd still have to give the Weasel a hard time, but maybe only torment Potter and Granger every third day. Unless something came up that he would have to torment them over, of course.

However, as he drifted off to sleep that night, knowing that he would be heading home the next day, he came to a final descision. His summer was outside of his normal life. Just as Harry changed into Daniel Mars, the more relaxed and very much less-annoying brother of Sloane Mars, then so would Draco change once on the soil of Blackbird Point. He would be the cold Slytherian prince he was expected to be while in Hogwarts, but whenever he saw Harry acting as Daniel, then he would act as the kinder Malfoy he had become here. After all, it was only fair. He hated Harry Potter, and he was sure Harry Potter hated Draco Malfoy.

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Happy Memorial Weekend!