Disclaimer: I do not own any characters created by J.K. Rowling.
WARNING: Some dark scenes in this chapter, childhood trauma and other sensitive topics. Scenes that some readers may find upsetting.
P.S. Also, it's quite a lengthy update x
Chapter Thirty-One
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Sunday dawned a milder day, with a few fluffy clouds coasting through the azure sky, casting dappled shadows across the Chateau grounds below it. It was a perfect day to drag the old brooms out of the groundskeeper shed and take them for a fly in the gardens. It was to be a boy-only affair, two-on-two, which meant that young Teddy was going to be nestled between Andromeda and Narcissa as they watched from the second floor terrace. They had a perfect view of the long garden, had ample shade from the sun, and were able to manually get as many sweet biscuits and tea as they liked. It was hard to believe their Easter weekend was almost at an end. The next day everyone would be off back to England, leaving Narcissa alone in the Chateau with her miserable Auror.
Still, she tried not to dwell on such matters. Monday was going to come sooner rather than later and worrying wasn't going to do her any favours. Still, it left a sour taste in her mouth which no amount of lemonade or tea could dispel.
On the lawn below, Sirius and Remus were acting as team captains, with Harry and Draco acting as the Seekers.
They'd already had a practice match, just to help Harry get accustomed to flying around on a more grown-up broom as opposed to the one he'd flown around the garden on, back at Grimmauld Place. He had been a little shaky at first, but as soon as he was presented with a challenge and something else to focus his attention on, all those fears evaporated in the midday sun.
Harry couldn't remember the last time he had ever felt so free. He was flying -FLYING! On an actual broom! No matter what Uncle Vernon said, witches and wizards rode brooms and used wands and brewed potions in cauldrons -all the things his relatives had claimed to be lies and poppycock! Being able to fly was mind-blowing enough, but to actually do it -WOW! He was about fifty feet from the ground, he was learning to move his weight around on the narrow handle, swerving this way and that, dipping to avoid the others. Having the warm air rushing against his skin and through his hair had his heart beating rapidly with adrenaline and excitement! He wanted to cry, he felt so happy.
Then there came Quidditch itself; it was a little strange playing with only four players, but they managed to have fun all the same. As they swerved around the lawn, dregs of memories from his first year at Hogwarts crept into his mind. He remembered Oliver Wood and how embarrassed he'd felt as being naturally talented at a sport he hadn't even known existed. To nearly fall off his broom in his first match, to riding his broom like a surfboard!
He caught the snitch!
Just as he broke through the memory, like resurfacing from water, his fingers closed around a small, metal ball, the gold wings flitting wildly.
"I caught it!" he cried out, barely able to bring his broom to a halt. He held the ball aloft and grimed, wide-eyed. "I caught it, I caught it! Did you see that Dad? I caught the snitch!"
"Congrats kid!" Sirius grinned, zooming alongside him and ruffling his hair.
"Well done, Harry!" Remus called from closer to the ground. He wasn't the most confident flyer in the world.
Draco appeared on Harry's other side and nudged the kid with his leg. "Typical that you would win again, Potter," he tutted good-naturedly. "You up for another go? Let's see if it was beginners' luck or not."
"You're just jealous!" Harry grinned, sticking his tongue out at Draco.
The blonde rolled his eyes, letting the barb wash over him.
They rearranged themselves back into their starting positions and Harry reluctantly handed the snitch over to Remus, while Sirius clutched the practice-quaffle. The sister's and Teddy cheered loudly from the terrace as the boys rose high on their brooms and began another game.
They played well into the afternoon, Remus continuously stopping them in between games to make sure the protection charms on their skin were holding up against the sun. It wasn't terribly hot, but you could never be too careful this high up in the mountains. Sirius still had his moments, fretting over Harry whenever there was a moment to; he's ruffle the boy's hair or give him an awkward side-ways hug whilst hovering ten feet in the air. All the while, Harry would laugh and hug his godfather back with just as much gusto.
From Draco's understanding, Harry had been practically touch-starved when he first came to Hogwarts. It would make sense with all the other rumours, and confirmed tales of horror from Harry himself, but at the same time when he looked at Harry now -it was hard to believe. The kid welcomed every touch, hug, hair ruffling and tom-foolery. Whenever Draco let his mind go over all that he'd heard about Harry's relatives -it felt like he had venom coursing through his veins. It would be so easy to track down where they'd settled during the war. He could make them pay for all they did to Harry!
"Draco!"
The blonde was jerked out of musings, just in time to see something bright and shining rush past his face. "Fuck!" he cursed, twisting his broom and racing off towards the snitch.
Harry was hot on his heels already.
With the wind rushing by his ears, Draco could only focus on the blurred visage of Harry coming up beside him. His eyes flitted back and forth between Harry and the snitch. He was so close! He reached out his hand and felt the metal against his fingertips. "Yes!" He grinned, gripping the ball tighter. "Got it!"
The levity lasted all for a second until Harry knocked against his broom too hard, unbalanced and tipped sideways.
"Damnit Harry!" he snapped, releasing the snitch and lunging for Harry's flailing arms. He grabbed onto the falling boy, barely managing to control his broom at the sudden momentum. He felt his fingers digging into Harry's flesh, but he couldn't readjust lest the kid fell. "Hold on, I got you!"
"Yeah because I was gonna let go!" Harry yelled back, panicked.
Draco paused for a moment, reading the fear in Harry's eyes. "I'm going to pull you up, okay?"
"Can you manage?"
"I'm going to dip the broom and swing you up. Grab onto me as soon as you can, got it?"
Harry bit his lip but gave a brave nod.
Praying that it would work, Draco dipped the broom quickly, hauling Harry as high as he could and tried to swing the kid around. He felt something kick his hip and to his relief he felt two wiry arms wrap around his waist, clutching tightly.
"Thank fuck," he breathed, as Harry buried his head against the blonde's back.
Taking a moment to collect his thoughts -thoughts that did NOT involved Fiendfyre, Crabbe's dying screams and begging that Potter and his friends would come back -Draco placed a hand over Harry's, stroking the boys hand as he slowly guided the broom from their lofty height towards the ground. His feet had barely touched the ground before Sirius was practically jumping off his broom and hurrying towards them.
"Merlin's balls are you alright?!" he shouted, gripping Draco's shoulder, before hauling Harry into his arms and squeezing him tight. "I'm so sorry, love, I didn't see what was going on until Draco pulled you up? Are you okay? Did you hurt anything? Here, let me look at you."
He set Harry down, whipped his wand out and cast a few diagnostic spells over the kid who, other than looking a little pale and swaying from the adrenaline rush, was perfectly fine. When the spells rewards Sirius with nothing to signify broken or sprained bones, or any other injuries, he let out a sigh of relief, the tension unwinding from his muscles. Raking a hand through his curls, he hugged Harry close, smoothing his hand over the boy's hair. He pressed a kiss to Harry's head mumbling, "I'm so sorry, love, can you forgive me?"
Harry looked up at his godfather and nodded. "It was just an accident. I'm okay, Draco caught me."
Sirius levelled his gaze at Draco. "Thank you, Draco," he said, his wide grey eyes the most open and honest Draco had ever seen. He let out a small squawk of indignation as Sirius tugged him into a bear-hug.
"Tch, Sirius let the boy go, he's about to go redder than a Weasley," Remus tutted as he landed with a little more grace. Holding the broom aloft, he looked between the three of them, frowning. "Is everyone okay?"
They all nodded.
"Good. I think that might be enough excitement for one day. Who fancies something to eat?"
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Draco flopped down onto the canopied bed in the bedchamber he and Harry were using. He ran his hands down his face, the events of earlier replaying in his mind. The echo of pain still resonated throughout his arm, but that was easily taken care of. Remus was the best at healing spells, he could ask him before they had dinner. They were doing something a little fancier in order to celebrate Teddy's first birthday. Not that the child would really remember, but it was also to help commemorate his cousin, Tonks, among family. It was also their last night in France and so his mother had every intention of making it as lavish an affair as her parole auror would allow.
The hiss of the shower interrupted his thoughts. Damn, Potter had gotten there first. Draco rolled his eyes at his luck, cursed to lie about in sweaty clothes for another half an hour. Gross.
He couldn't believe they were going back to dreary old England tomorrow. It honestly didn't help that as soon as he left this bubble of complacency, he would have to go back to studying like a madman for his exams. He knew he was going to get his answers picked over by half the Wizengamot purely because of who he was. He could guarantee that even Weasley would get better grades that he would.
He let out a dejected sigh. It would be so easy just to flunk the test on purpose, but he was a Malfoy and had too much pride to just throw it all away. He refused to show the rest of the world how beaten down he truly was. He had to make sure his work was impeccable. Hell, they'd probably find an issue with his choice of quill or colour of ink used to answer the questions.
He rolled his eyes. Best not to think about all that until he absolutely had to.
The hiss of the shower turned off. Draco rocked himself into a sitting position and took a moment to get his bearings, before grabbing his towel and a fresh pair of underwear. Standing outside the door, he chuckled as Harry jumped a foot in the air.
"Bloody hell Draco you scared me!" he gasped out, his glasses fogging up with the steam ebbing out of the doorway.
Draco flicked Harry on the forehead, making the kid scowl up at him. "Try not to break anything when I'm in the shower, okay?"
Harry rolled his eyes and nudged Draco as he passed by into the bathroom. "I'm not that useless, Draco. God!"
The blonde teenager muttered 'sure you're not' before the bathroom door closed, the lock clicking into place.
Harry was left standing in the bedroom with his grubby clothes bundled against his stomach. His hair was still damp, but it would dry fairly quickly, especially if Draco insisted on taking such long showers. Pulling on a clean pair of boxer shorts and a t-shirt from their shared wardrobe, Harry took his time admiring the finer details of the room.
It was far more beautiful than anything his Aunt Petunia owned. She would be positively green with envy when she realised that one of Harry's best friends was one of the richest Wizarding families in Britain.
He padded around the room and crouched down by a bookcase and started examining the titles. 'Such weird books,' he thought as he traced the gold lettering. 'It's not exactly HORRIBLE HISTORIES, but I bet it's creepy.'
He went about opening some drawers and flicking through them, just idly examining any of the odds and ends he found within. He'd already been warned that some perfectly innocent objects could contain curses, but Sirius, Remus and Narcissa had assured them that all dark artefacts had long since been seized by the Ministry.
Going over to the chest of drawers he dug around for a pair of jeans to wear. Unfolding a pair, he flinched when something slapped against the hardwood floor. Frowning, he set the jeans aside and picked the book up, flicking through a few pages. Realisation dawned on him as he immediately recognised Draco's handwriting.
'He has lovely handwriting,' Harry thought, smiling slightly.
Flicking to the next page he saw the word 'Patronus' underlined in the top corner. Was this is notebooks for the things Remus was teaching him? He remembered how distressed Draco had gotten about not being able to do the spell. His eyes skimmed over the words, trying to see if there was a clue in there as to where Draco was going wrong, or maybe there was a way to help him. He found his answer on the next page, circled vehemently with black ink;
'NO HAPPY MEMORIES.'
Harry frowned down at the words. Draco didn't have any happy memories? But then … what about all the time he'd spent with Harry? Weren't those happy memories? Had he faked all of those laughs? Did he really hate being at home at Grimmauld Place that much that it was making his magic act weird?
Harry put the book back in the drawer where he'd found it, before pulling his jeans on. He couldn't shake the frown off his face and debated on staying in the room. He didn't get a chance to think of anything better as the bathroom door opened and Draco stepped out in a cloud of steam, dressed only in boxers and was drying his hair with a towel.
Harry couldn't help but stare up at the man.
"You okay, Harry? You look confused," Draco asked, padding over to the wardrobe, the towel slung around his neck.
"I uh … was wondering what we were going to do until dinner, that's all," he mumbled.
"I was going to do a bit of studying and spend some time with mother. You can come, if you like, or spend some time with Sirius."
Harry shifted awkwardly. "Uh … yeah that sounds like a good idea. I'll do that."
As he was leaving, Harry turned at the door to look at Draco as the blonde rummage around for something to wear. As his arms moved Harry saw the strange scarring on Draco's left arm. It looked like the type of scar you'd get in an accident. The thoughts burned through his mind as he closed the door with a soft 'click' before going on a quest to seek out his godfather.
~0~
"This looks like a good spot," Sirius announced, stopping in a clearing amidst the sprawling woodland that made up a large portion of the estate grounds.
Setting a blanket on the grass, Harry sprawled out on his back, hands tucked under his head as he stared up at the sky. It was far too early for the stars to be out, but he liked to watch the birds flit about, chirping to one another, as well as drink in the sheer blueness of the sky itself. Not like in England.
Sirius stretched out on his back and sighed happily, a soft breeze ruffling his hair. "So," he said after a few moments. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
Harry glanced up at his godfather, frowning at the man's serene expression, his eyes closed to the beauty around them. "It's about um … Draco. And me, too, I suppose."
"Oh?" An eye cracked open. "What about you and Draco?"
Harry pressed his lips together, his mind whirring with anxiety. How did he phrase this properly. Reaching above his head, he felt over the edge of the blanket for some grass and started plucking blades out of the earth. "Well … I found one of his notebooks and -I didn't mean to snoop! -but it said something inside that's … bothered me a bit."
Sirius frowned, turning to look at Harry, alarm bells ringing in his head. "What did it say?"
"Well … it was about that spell Remus is teaching him, the one you need happy memories for and in the book, Draco scribbled that he didn't have any happy memories. It … it made me wonder that … Well, before this accident, I didn't have any happy memories either. Not with the Dursley's. I'm scared that if I don't have any, I won't be able to do any magic at all!" He could feel tears welling up in his eyes.
"Oh, Harry, that's something completely -"
"Oh God! Is that why you won't teach me any spells? Because you know I won't be able to do it?"
"Harry!" Sirius snapped sitting upright and dragging the boy to sit up too. His hand kept their firm grip on the boy's shoulder. "Listen to me; this very specific spell needs to have a really strong happy memory, because it needs to fight off dark creatures that suck all the happiness away. If you have a really strong happy memory, the spell acts as a shield."
Harry waited, his heart thumping hard.
"Draco probably does have happy memories, a lot from childhood I'd wager, but he may not think they're strong enough to make the spell work."
Harry shifted so that he could cuddle against Sirius' chest. "But what about all this time with us …?"
Sirius hugged him close, "Draco has had a lot of bad, harmful and terrified memories since the war last year. He's come a long way, but you don't get over something like that. The fact that he even wants to attempt a patronus charm is huge progress for him."
"But Dad, if he can't do it, it'll make him even more miserable."
Sirius gave a sad smile, "I know, pup, but this is difficult magic. Even a lot of grown-up wizards can't do it."
"Can you?" Harry frowned.
Sirius chuckled, "I can."
Withdrawing his wand, he closed his eyes and focused on his myriad of happy memories, the one's he used to fear would be snatched away from him forever, as well as the new ones he'd made since the end of the war. Raising his wand, he cast the spell.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A silver shot of light burst forth from his wand and started galloping around the glen. There was a bark and a silvery-blue dog materialised, wagging it's tail with his pointed ears perked up at them. Its tongue lulled out of its mouth, before it barked and bounded off into the trees.
Harry stared after it wide-eyed. "Oh wow! That was amazing!" Spinning back to face Sirius he beamed, "Can Remus do it too?"
"He can. His is a wolf, but he doesn't like it. He always chooses to cast the charm so that it looks like a ball of light, not a substantial shape."
"But wolves are cool why wouldn't he -oh," Harry chewed on his lip. "Is it because he's a werewolf? He doesn't like to be reminded of it?"
"Yes, that would be my guess, although he rarely says it in so many words."
"I wonder what Draco's patronus will turn out to be," Harry murmured. "Hey Sirius? Before … was I able to do the charm?"
"From what Remy tells me, you were really good at it."
"What was my patronus?"
"It was a stag, just like your dad's."
"Wow that's so cool!" Harry beamed. "I hope Draco can find a happy memory. He's so good at so many things I think it would be a real shame if he keeps over-thinking these things."
"What makes you say that, pup?" Sirius asked with a grin.
"Happy is happy. You shouldn't have to think about it, it just is," Harry shrugged with a grin. "Like right now, I'm happy I get to spend time with my dad on a holiday in France. See, didn't even need to think about it!"
"Ah, your youthfulness really is the best kind of magic," Sirius grinned, tackling Harry sideways and tickling him. "You're going to miss this when you grow up!" he laughed as Harry squealed with laughter, kicking and batting at Sirius to stop to no avail.
"D-a-a-a-d come on! I can't breathe!"
"Ah, alright, I'll let you live," Sirius sniggered with an eyeroll. "Ah, it's starting to get dark. Cissy and Remy might have dinner ready by now. Come on, let's head back."
Hauling Harry up to his feet, he shrunk the blanket and tucked it into his pocket before crouching down. "Come on, pup, hop on."
"Dad, I'm eleven years old! I don't need a piggy-back ride!"
"Ah come on, Harry, let your old man have this," Sirius grinned. "When you hit your next growth spurt, I won't be able to carry you at all."
Harry rolled his eyes but was secretly delighted as he hopped up onto his godfather's back, wrapped his arms tightly around his neck and pressed his face against Sirius' dark curls. "Okay, I'm ready!"
.
~0~
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After dinner, which had been lovingly prepared the muggle way by Narcissa and Remus who had almost gloated when Narcissa said that she could taste the difference when something was homemade, Harry asked if anyone fancied playing some monopoly. It had taken a good twenty minutes for the rules to be yelled out, queried, argued over which all led to Draco just snatching the instruction booklet away and tossing it to one side.
"Let's just play, it'll be easier to understand that way. Mother you can team up with my or Aunt Andromeda if you like," he said, shuffling the cards and handing out the small metal figurines.
"Oh no," Remus groaned. "That's going to be the end of us all!"
"What makes you say that?"
"Your mother is good with money, and Andromeda is lethal at muggle games. We may as well hand over our money now," Remus dropped his head into his free hand, his other arm holding Teddy in his lap.
Sirius chuckled, "Oh Remy, don't moan. You can be on my team if you like. I can handle them!"
"You?" Remus gawked. "You're useless with money! It comes out of your pocket like sawdust!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh please, you're exaggerating."
"Am I though?" Remus challenged. He tried to keep a straight face, he really did, but when Sirius shot him that smile, he felt his insides melt. Rolling his eyes, he scoffed and accepted his cards from Draco. "Whatever, I guess we'll have three teams then, if you want to pair up with Harry, Draco."
"Oh uh … yes, that's fine." Harry shifted up on the bench as Draco swapped seat and settled next to him. "Are we ready then?"
Everyone nodded.
.
For the next two and a half hours, as the game went on, Sirius was as good as his word with gaining as much money as possible, with Draco a close second. However, as the game progressed, Andromeda and Narcissa were slowly exacting revenge, having built houses and two hotels along the Mayfair side of the board. Gradually, they were gaining on them. Despite Narcissa's frowns and uncertainty, as soon as the two sisters started winning money, it was as though everything clicked into place. It was almost frightening to watch how competitive she got. Perhaps it was a family trait, as Sirius was just as competitive and, once or twice, Draco seemed to forget that he was partnered with Harry.
In the end, Narcissa and Andromeda won by a narrow margin, as Remus and Sirius had started to gain on them.
The sheer delight and excitement from Narcissa was enough to quash any arguments that may have arisen.
"I told you you'd like it," Andromeda grinned triumphantly as Draco packed the board game away. "Not everything muggle is daft of useless. But the one's that are can be so much fun sometimes."
Narcissa smiled as she took a sip of wine, "Yes, fine, you were right and I was -"
"Wrong?"
"Pleasantly surprised."
"Of course, you were, you won," Draco chuckled.
"Beginner's luck," Sirius scoffed, swirling his own wine in his glass.
Remus rolled his eyes, "You are the sorest loser that ever lost!"
Sirius snorted, "No more drinking for you moony-kins. You can barely throw logic in my face, let alone make digs at me."
Remus opened his mouth to retort but a loud yawn came out instead. "Merlin, am I really tired? All I did was cook today …"
"Oh, love," Sirius breathed, giving his lover's shoulder a squeeze. Remus looked so put-out, as he absently rubbed at his cheek. Sirius leaned in and lowered his voice even more, "Why don't you take Teddy to bed and try to relax, eh? We have to be up early, anyway."
Remus nodded absently. His expression melted into something more serene when Sirius leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to his cheek. Narcissa and Andromeda were polite enough to go about their unrelated conversation, as Remus graciously took Teddy from his mother-in-law's arms, pecked her and Narcissa on the cheek, and bade everyone else 'goodnight'.
"I think it might be time for you to get some rest too, pup," Sirius said in a no-nonsense sort of voice. He was getting surprisingly good at it, the older Harry got.
"I'm not as young as Teddy!" Harry objected.
"I know, pup, but we also need to be up early tomorrow. We have a lot of travelling to do and I don't want you to be tired."
Harry slumped in his chair, pouting. Eventually, he resigned himself to his fate. "Fine," he slid off the bench and went over to hug both Andromeda and Narcissa around the neck before giving them each a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for having me."
"You're most welcome, dear," Narcissa smiled, giving Harry's hand a stroke.
Once Harry had gone inside to bed, the remaining adults rearranged themselves, clustering closer around the table. Sirius poured each of them another small measure of wine. "I think we should raise a glass to our hostess. Thank you, Cissy, for being so gracious to let us stay here and letting Remus boss you around in your own kitchen!"
Narcissa laughed lightly. "It was definitely an experience, but I really enjoyed myself. I like him, Sirius, you have a good one there."
Draco felt his heart still, his eyes darting to Andromeda. She caught his expression and realisation dawned in her eyes. "Oh, don't look like that Draco, love," she smiled, a sad gleam in her eyes. "Those two were practically married before Dora was even born. In fact, if it hadn't been for Sirius' run-in at the Ministry, I doubt she'd have stood a chance."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Now, now, Andi, we all know that it was James and I who were married and joined at the hip!"
"Ah, yes, but I always thought that you two were something like soulmates."
"Really?" Draco gaped. "What about your daughter?"
"There's no law saying that you only have one soulmate, Draco," she smiled. "It was true for me, sure enough. I sacrificed everything I was for my Ted, he was my rock, my everything. After all he did to acquaint me with muggle things and all the magic of our world, I showed him -no one could replace him, not at all. It isn't even a question.
"Whereas in Remus' case, that poor man falls in love hard and fast and it never quite goes away. Besides, have you compared Sirius and Dora together on paper?"
"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" Sirius gasped.
Andromeda gave him a look over her wine glass, "All I'm saying, dear, is that our Remus has a type."
Draco snickered into his wine glass. "It's a shame I never got to meet Tonks. I think she would have been great fun."
"Not when she teamed up with Sirius, she wouldn't have been," Andromeda said fondly. "Menaces, the both of you."
Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "You're too kind, Andi, far too kind." Downing the last of his wine, Sirius stood up and tugged his waistcoat a little straight. "Right, I'm going to turn in for the night. I'll see you two lovely ladies in the morning." He kissed the backs of their hands before shooting a smile at Draco and retreating into the house.
Draco watched him go, shaking his head fondly.
Draco watched him go, shaking his head fondly. Drinking the last few rosy drops from his glass, he smiled lovingly at his mother. "I think I might go and read in bed for a while." He stood up and embraced his mother, kissing her on the cheek. "I love you," he murmured against her cheek.
"I love you too," she breathed back, her eyes shining as he stepped back and slowly gravitated through the chateau to his room.
Potter was already asleep when he got to their shared chamber. Draco stripped down for bed in the dark and climbed in between the sheets. He settled back into the pillows, the warmth from the wine making him feel more relaxed than he remembered being over the last few weeks. Potter was curled up in his own bed across the room, his glasses reflecting the soft light peeking in through the curtains.
Shifting onto his side, Draco surveyed Harry's feature's through the gloom. He remembered the pale, frail looking boy that everyone had claimed to be the saviour of the wizarding world. When he'd first clapped eyes on the boy, Draco hadn't been able to combine the weedy little boy to the hero he'd secretly worships throughout childhood. However, as the years had progressed, Harry had filled out, his magic growing with him. Flashes of memories from the battle -Potter scarred and dirty, his face swollen but oh, Draco would know those eyes anywhere -to Potter walking into the forest to meet his fate -to Potter standing there in the great hall as the last of the Death Eaters were rounded up and Draco and his family had simply cowered in a corner, trying to remain invisible.
That had been the last time Draco had seen him, in the great hall after the battle.
Heaving a sigh, Draco calmly thought about what it would be like when Harry was eighteen again. Would he be taller? Rowdier, or perhaps more sensible? It was all very hard to determine. What Draco couldn't think about was how Harry would react to living under the same roof as Draco Malfoy. While he may have written the letter for Draco's trial, that didn't mean they had been on good terms before Harry had de-aged himself.
As if his thoughts had summoned it, Harry's entire body convulsed, his face contorting in pain. He let out a cry that echoed in the chamber.
Draco was out of his bed and at Harry's side in an instant. Harry started thrashing, sweat slicking his skin within moments. The bed shook just as the doors opened; Sirius and Remus hurried in with Narcissa lurking in the doorway. Andromeda must have gone to soothe Teddy, so he didn't wake up from the screams.
"What's going on?" Sirius snapped, hurrying to their bedside.
"I don't know, he just suddenly started shaking and groaning!" Draco said as he grabbed one of Harry's flailing arms and pinned it to his side. "I think -I think it might be the potion. He's aging again!"
"But … he just aged less than two weeks ago!"
"It must be the enhancer I -look we can't do this now!" Draco snapped. "He needs a sedative!"
"I have one in my trunk, give me a minute!" Remus hurried out of the room, his bare feet echoing down the hallway. He returned not long later with a small tincture bottle with blue liquid inside and a rubber stopper. "Here, this is the one you adapted from Severus' notes."
"Perfect," Draco gushed, freeing both hands to unfasten the stopper. "Sirius pin him down and hold his mouth open."
Remus came to the bedside to help and, despite Harry's violent thrashing, they managed to pries his mouth open. Draco counted three drops onto his tongue and within moments Harry's body slowly calmed down until he flopped exhausted into his pillows, a frown creasing his brow.
Sirius and Remus sat back with looks of concern on their face.
Narcissa edged towards the foot of the bed, looking ghostly in her pale nightgown and robe. "Is he alright now?"
Draco nodded. "He will be. He's aged again. By the time we leave for England, he'll officially be twelve years old."
"How did this happen?" Remus frowned.
"It must be a side-effect from the enhancer I used in his potion," Draco sighed. "I thought it was only going to work the one time but there must have been some lingering traces in his system."
"We'll have to take him to Healer Rodrik tomorrow," Sirius said, sharing a look with Remus. "Just to make sure there's no lingering damage or anything."
Remus nodded his agreement.
Sirius sighed and leaned over the bed, his eyes wide with concern and sadness as he gently stroked Harry's black hair away from his eyes. Unable to suppress the wave of emotion, he bent over the boy and pressed a kiss to his forehead. As he was leaning back one of Harry's hands shot out and grabbed Sirius' arm. Everyone jumped, Narcissa gasping.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Harry cried out, tears instantly leaking out of his distressed eyes. His pupils were blown wide -a side effect from the nightshade. "DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU'LL END UP LIKE HIM!"
Sirius didn't fight Harry's grip on his arm. He grabbed Harry's shoulders and stared straight into his eyes. "Like who, Harry, like who?"
"Professor Quirrell!" he let out a gut-wrenching sob. "I killed him! I killed him -Ah!"
Another convulsion jerked his body hard against Draco, who had to brace himself against the headboard. Harry's head kept thrashing and banging against his thigh. It hurt, but he could endure. He focused on Harry, trying to keep his head steady as his eyes flew open, wild green eyes darting about.
"DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU'LL END UP LIKE HIM! YOU'LL BURN! I DON'T WANT YOU TO BURN!"
"No one is burning, Harry!" Sirius insisted firmly. "Look at me, son, no one is burning."
"I'M SUCH A BAD PERSON! I KILLED A MAN! I D-D-DIDN'T M-MEAN TOO!"
Another sob broke Draco's heart.
Harry's face was flushed red, his face wet with tears and sweaty steaming up his skin as all the emotion came to the surface.
It takes the other adults a while to realise that the sobs aren't just coming from Harry. Sirius is struggling to maintain his composure, the façade slipping as his eyes shine with tears and his throat grows suddenly thick, his words sounding claggy as he tried to speak. Whenever he tries to touch Harry, the young boy lashes out, throwing his arms in wide arcs, nearly whacking Draco on the chin, and forcing Sirius to take a step back.
Finally, Sirius grabbed both of the flailing wrists and held on tight.
"N-o-o-o-o!" Harry wept, arching to free himself. Sirius refused to let go. "Let go before you burn! Pl-e-e-e-ase!"
"I'm not letting go, Harry," Sirius said firmly. There was a determined edge to his voice as he sat on the edge of the bed and focused his full attention on his godson. "Look at me, Harry."
"Y-you'll burn … please …"
Tears rushed out of Harry's eyes as he stared up at Sirius. He shook and sobbed as Sirius moved his hands up Harry's arms and squeezed his shoulders.
"Listen to me Harry," Sirius lowered his voice, keeping Harry's attention focused on him. "I will never let go of you again. You are going to know just how damned loved you are, if it kills me."
Harry's lips trembled but he didn't argue. Another tear slipped out.
"You, Harry Potter, are my baby boy. I'm not letting anything happen to you as long as I can help it. I promise."
"B-but … you'll burn …"
"Will I?" Sirius challenged, taking Harry's hands in his own, pressed a kiss to each palm and then cupped his face in his godson's hands. "I love you, son. Nothing will stop me from loving you. Look at me, Harry." Harry trembled as his eyes refocused on Sirius. The man smiled so softly, so tenderly that it made him want to break apart at the seams. "You cannot burn me, Harry. I'm safe. You're safe. You'll always be safe."
"Safe …" he breathed.
"I promise. You're safe now, love."
Everyone watched with bated breath as Sirius continued to lower his voice as he soothingly stroked Harry's face, his hands, his shoulders, anywhere he would reach that soon helped the young boy to relax. Finally, with one last twitch, Harry collapsed exhausted onto the bed, his head awkwardly resting on Draco's thigh. He was sound asleep, breathing deeply.
With Sirius' help, Draco managed to wriggle free and shift over to sit on the edge of his own bed.
Narcissa let out a small choked sob and quickly brushed a tear away. "I think we should all head back to bed. It's a busy morning." The others nodded in agreement. Turning her watery eyes to her son she said, "You'll look after him, won't you, Draco? He's been through so much already."
"Of course, Mother, I'll take care of Harry."
She brushed his hair aside and kissed his forehead gently. "Try to sleep, dragon."
"Goodnight mother."
Remus and Narcissa hovered by the chamber door as Sirius lingered at Harry's bedside. "I feel going to my own room when he could wake up again," Sirius sighed, rubbing his temples. "I feel sick to my stomach. I need to have a word with Minerva tomorrow evening to find out what the hell went on during your first year."
"Believe me, I'd like to know too," Draco said, frowning as he remembered the sudden loss of their Defence Professor. No explanation had been given, other than he needed to take some time off for health issues. Death was, indeed, a very concerning health issue. Almost no one got over that.
Except for Potter.
"Sirius go with Remus and get some sleep," Draco hesitantly touched his cousin's shoulder. "I'll look after Harry, I promise."
"I just feel so helpless …"
"I know. So do I. But ... it's all we can do right now."
With another sigh, Sirius stood up. He clapped Draco on the shoulder, gave a firm, almost desperate squeeze and then let go. Drifting towards the door he said, "Goodnight Draco. Let us know if anything changes."
The door closed behind them.
Draco slumped back down on the end of his bed, chewing on a thumbnail as he replayed what had just happened in his head. He had so many questions for Hermione and Ron when they got back. A sudden wave of exhaustion fell upon him, alerting him with how raw his eyes felt, the adrenaline giving way to tiredness. He started fluffing his pillow and was about to crawl back under the cold covers when he glanced over at Harry.
He debated on the matter for all of two seconds before snatching his pillows up and muttering, "This is ridiculous."
Crossing the room in the dark, he went around the other side of Harry's bed, set his pillow down and gingerly eased himself under the blankets. Once he'd arranged himself into a comfortable position, he gently reached over curled an arm protectively around Harry's middle. The boy registered the additional warmth within minutes and with a relieved moan, he rolled over and buried his face against Draco's chest.
Surprising, and secretly warmed by the action, Draco let himself cradle Harry close, his head resting against the nest of unruly black hair and relaxing into the mattress. He would cherish this quiet, peaceful moment as Harry clung to him and the comfort he provided, burning into his memory just as exhaustion finally sent him over the edge and into sleep.
A/N: Please leave some lovely reviews! I hope you liked the update!
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