Chapter 04
"Tell me again, Mme. Bones. Besides the revolution Draco here staged, what was done to get my situation sorted?" asked Harry looking the witch in the eyes.
"Well, dear," she started visibly uncomfortable, "I didn't really hear about any other efforts to bring the matter to justice."
"Nothing at all? What about the Weasleys? Dumbledore? Lupin?"
"Well…"
Mme. Bones took a deep breath and prepared herself to shatter the illusions of the young men in front of her, not a thing she was looking forward to do. Lucius came to her rescue.
"They were pressing for a harsher punishment, Harry." He offered quietly.
"…"
"Well, I mean not ALL of them" Mme. Bones added and Harry felt himself relaxing.
"Not all of them fell for it. Someone still believes me…"
"I remember Remus Lupin put up quite a fight. They had to drag him kicking and screaming out of the ministry quite a few times because no one would listen to his pleas of your innocence. The Lovegoods also made their support for you known through a series of articles in their newspaper, The Quibbler, but almost nobody believes what is written there anyway and Mr. Lupin is a werewolf so in the end it did very little in your behalf."
"Well, they tried anyway. That is what it counts." Said Harry with a sad smile. Draco wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulder to comfort him. Thinking of how Remus had fought for him made him remember Sirius. Was he still at large? Was he alive? Did he know about Harry's imprisonment? He had to let Sirius know he was free, but how?
"They were not the only ones, love" Draco added bringing Harry's attention back to the present, "Dean Thomas and Neville Longbotton got themselves in to quite a number of fights defending your name and Hagrid actually deducted house points from anyone who spoke ill of you in front of him. Just the sight of someone that size mad at you was enough to shut almost everyone's mouth."
"What about Ron and Hermione?" asked Harry worried about what his friends thought of him.
"Don't think about them, love. It doesn't matter" offered Draco placing a gentle kiss at Harry's forehead.
"That bad?"
"Well, love, they did most of the point losing for Gryffindor. The Weasleys were the ones ahead of the campaign to force the ministry in to sentencing you to receive the dementor's kiss. They were… quite vocal about it."
"They wanted me dead?" Harry's pain was visible in his eyes.
"They were mad with grief…" prompted Mme. Bones.
"No, Madame. Don't sugar coat the facts," spat Lucius, "Harry deserves to know the truth and we won't hide anything from him. They've known Harry since he was eleven. Half of that family owns their lives to him. Common sense alone, not to mention a good deal of well deserved gratitude, would demand a more controlled attitude from them and instead they were the first to yell bloody murder and demand revenge."
"Mr. Malfoy, I really don't think…"
"No! Nothing will be hidden from Harry. He has the right to know, it was his life they were demanding."
"Perhaps you are right, Mr. Malfoy, but let's not in our haste commit the same offence."
Harry sat half listening to the conversation, even sad with the news of how the Weasley family had acted, Harry couldn't help to feel a bit comforted with the Malfoy's attitude. Until now everybody had kept things from him.
Mme. Bones stayed a while longer and left convinced of Harry's well being. She agreed to keep the whole thing quiet until after the baby was born and Harry's seventeenth birthday to make sure nobody would try to take him anywhere under the excuse of him being a minor. After he became seventeen, when he would became a grown up in the wizarding world, no further explanation would be required to explain why he could do whatever he pleased and his safety as well of his family's wouldn't be compromised.
-----------
After the witch left Harry turned to Lucius.
"What about Sirius Black?"
"Black? He's still on the run I suppose. It's not like he would drop by for a visit." Said Lucius sitting by Narcissa on the couch.
"No, I suppose he wouldn't," mused Harry, "still, he is my godfather. It would be nice to know what he thinks of this whole mess."
"Oh! Dear, I am sure he doesn't believe you are guilty. He, more than anyone, knows how easy is to condemn an innocent person to Azkaban." Narcissa assured him.
"I guess, but it would be nice to be sure." Harry sighed and gave the Malfoys another sad smile, "it just occur to me that we are in the same situation now, neither one of us can walk freely in the open again without the fear of being caught or hexed for something we didn't do. We both have to hide now. I can't even go back to Hogwarts."
"And would you go back to Hogwarts if your name was cleared?" asked Draco brushing Harry's hair away from his face.
"I don't know. There would be no way I could explain the baby without putting all of you in danger and I am not exactly eager to face… them after they all turned against me so easily, but then again I need an education and for that I need schooling. I don't know what I'm suppose to do."
It was Narcissa who offered a solution.
"Well, dear, I think you are forgetting something. Your name IS clear. The ministry let you go, don't you remember? Now it's just a question of when you want to make it public."
"Oh! Yes, I guess I could go back to Hogwarts," Harry though for a moment, "but I don't think I want to go back and feel like I have to be civil, even less be friends, with the people that are ready to turn their back at me at the first sign of trouble or have to pretend to be nice to the headmaster. He turned on me too, expelled me from school and everything."
"Harry could be home schooled," offered Lucius, "It is a habit somewhat out of use but it was quite common in the old days. It was not considered appropriate for the aristocracy to send their children to school where they would have to interact with the children from the lower classes."
"Marvelous idea, darling," complimented Narcissa, "and it will be much safer for Harry. Don't worry, dear, we will hire the best private tutors we can find."
"That would be great, but I don't think the great Albus Dumbledore will like his star student to be away from his clutches. Once everyone knows I'm innocent he will be hell bent in dragging me back to school." Said Harry.
"Not if you are seventeen, dear." Clarified Narcissa, "At seventeen you are an adult and can decide to continue or not your education, as well as where you are going to study."
"He will still have one year to get to me, though."
"Not if we wait until you are of age to announce your innocence. It will be a difficult year having to be home bound and all that, but I think we can keep you entertained." Narcissa smiled at him.
"What about me?" asked Draco.
"I'm afraid you will have to go back to Hogwarts, son." Answered Lucius, he knew it would be hard on the young couple but there was simply too much at stake as they were playing a dangerous game placing themselves at a gray area between the Dark Lord and the forces of light. "You will go back otherwise it would call too much attention from both sides and they would want to know where you are and why. It's best to pretend we don't know anything and behave accordingly, also it will won't hurt if you continue to improve your contacts with your housemates, a solid network of contacts always helps later in life."
"I see. All right, I´ll go back and play nice with the others." Draco agreed.
"And Harry will be home schooled, it will be easier on him and the baby. Let´s not go looking for any problems if we can avoid them". Concluded Lucius.
"We will have to wait at least one year to let everybody know about us, then." Said Harry gently petting Draco's hand not happy with the idea of spending the whole school year away from Draco, but he could see it was their best option and he would still be with his family… his family, he felt better when he remembered that.
"One year… and everybody will know you're mine." Draco smile at Harry kissing him lightly. "Oh, and what about Black?"
"Can't you write someone? Lupin perhaps if you are sure he will keep it to himself? Ask for his discretion and tell him you are free and the ministry is not after you, then you ask him to tell Sirius, and only Sirius and that he can Owl you here. That should be enough." Lucius suggested.
"Yes, I'll do that. I'll write Remus and… someone else." Added Harry not sure if he could tell the Malfoys where Snape's true loyalty were.
"Why not owl Black himself?" asked Draco puzzled.
"I know Sirius, the minute he knows I'm here and not in Azkaban he will tear down the door in order to get to me. He will act first and think of the consequences when they bite him in the …" Harry look at Narcissa and blushed, "Sorry, Mrs. Malfoy."
"Call me Narcissa, dear, or Mother, if you prefer and you have nothing to be sorry about. I haven't seen my cousin after he ran away from that horrid place but I can tell you that he was not the most calm and collected person I knew by a long shot. Yes, writing Mr. Lupin would be best, or maybe I could do that and invite him over for tea." Said Narcissa with her eyes lighting up with an idea.
"What do you have in mind, dear?" smirked Lucius.
"Well, Mr. Lupin is a teacher and it's already established that he would not hurt Harry and since we are in need of a tutor…"
Lucius pondered for a moment and Harry held his breath. It would be wonderful to have Remus with him, and maybe he could bring Snuffles (Sirius's dog form) with him. His hopes might have shown on his face because Lucius smiled at him and answered Narcissa with the most beautiful words he had ever heard.
"That would be fine, dear, whatever you think its best."
----------
A few days later Harry was making his way to his favorite spot on the garden with a book on his hands when a house-elf popped in front of him.
"Master Harry sir. Mistress Narcissa tell Dotzy to get Master Harry to see teacher room to sick pet."
"Er… ok?" asked Harry not sure he understood Narcissa's message but following Dotzy anyway.
They went through a side door half hidden by the garden plants that led directly in to Harry's and Draco's wing where, for safety reasons, most of the rooms Harry would be using during the year were located. There was their bedroom with adjoining bathroom, the morning room – as Narcissa called – for meals, a library that would also be used as classroom for Harry, the teacher's apartment (a living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom), Harry's office and Draco's office both attached to the library.
Lucius had reasoned with them that it would be easier to place protective and notice-me-not spells if all of the rooms Harry could need would be in a single area of the house, that way they could even have friends and 'business associates' over and they wouldn't notice a thing.
Dotzy led Harry to the teacher's room and Harry finally guessed what could be going on. He rushed past the small elf and followed the sound of muffed voices in to one of the rooms. Remus and Narcissa were sitting by the window watching intensely as Snape fussed around a prone form which was lying in the bed.
Draco was quietly talking to his father near the wall when he saw Harry coming in. He barely had time to grab his husband before Harry launched himself towards the bed.
"Harry, wait!" whispered Draco, "You must wait until Snape is finished."
Remus jumped to his feet and pulled Harry in a bear hug.
"Oh, Harry. We were so worried about you."
"What happened? Why is he unconscious?" asked Harry.
"Sirius and I tried to go to Azkaban a few days ago to break you free but he got hurt and we had to abort our rescue mission." Answered Remus with tears in his eyes, "some rescuers we are, right?"
"Well, as much as it pains me to say, Black is out of danger and on his way to recovery" interrupted Snape putting an assortment of vials away and joining the group by the door.
Harry and Remus hugged each other in relief with tears in their eyes.
"Well, enough of that," ruled Narcissa, "we did everything we possible could for the time being and stayed here longer than I would think safe. I think it's time we leave for the summer vacations as it won't be wise to do anything else. We can continue with what we planed after Draco is secure behind Hogwarts' walls. Harry, Mr. Lupin has agreed to become your tutor and he and his 'pet dog' over there will be residing in the manor with us. Your lessons will begin in September after we have returned from our vacation, now it would be best if we took our time to pack and let Mr. Lupin settle in and my cousin to heal."
"You are right, dear," agreed Lucius, "we didn't come all this way to do something rash now. There is too much at stake here and I, for one, think our new son-in-law is in dire need of a vacation from all of his problems and worries."
"But what about Sirius? Will he be ok? I would like to talk to him a bit."
"You can't Harry, he will be out for another two or three days because of all the potions he took, but don't worry, Harry." Answered Draco, "Severus said he will be alright and fit to help Lupin in tutoring you when we came back from France."
Remus, Narcissa and Lucius also did their best to reassure Harry that everything would be alright and pointed out that Harry was also recovering from his stay in Azkaban. Remus and Sirius would be safer at the manor, where Snape could administer any potions that they might need and Harry needed the time away. A change of scenery would do him a world of good and prepare him for a year of home schooling. Accepting those arguments Harry knew that the discussion was over and he and Draco went to their room to pack for the summer.
The next day, Harry, Draco and Remus said their good-byes to Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy as they took the portkey to France. Dr. Redwood had laid down the law and no amount of threat or money made him give Harry permission to use a portkey, so they were taking the train – a muggle train – to go to France. Draco was skeptical and kept reminding them that no bridge would be long enough to cross from England to France without magic which had Harry laughing at him for a long time, only when he learned about the tunnel he got the joke.
Remus took them to the boarding platform and hugged them making Harry promise to write often and stood there until he couldn't see the train anymore then he returned to the manor to be by Sirius's side when he finally woke up.
That night, after a journey on the fastest train they had ever seen, through the longest tunnel which ran under the sea, according to both Remus and Harry much to Draco's astonishment, the Malfoys had their dinner in France.
-----------