Tiger & Dragon
By loverstouch
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to J.K Rowling. The story is based on Rowling's work, but the plot of 'Tiger & Dragon' comes from my own sick brain.
Summary: In the summer after his fifth year Harry is taken from the Dursleys to live with the Malfoys. The next day the Daily Prophet's headline read 'Boy Who Lived Died In Death Eater Attack' …
Rating: PG-13 for now
This is my first "Slash" fanfiction and the first fic I have published at all, so please go easy on me.
The story begins in the summer after Harry's fifth year, which means yes; it is post OoTP, but has nothing to do with HBP.
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I'd like to thank Draeconin for being the beta for my story. I'm really grateful for your help.
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Hope you enjoy it!
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Chapter 6 - Life after Death
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The next morning when Harry entered the dining room, Draco and his father were already sitting at the table, reading the newspaper and sipping their tea.
"Any sudden deaths this morning?" Harry asked cheerfully, when he sat down across from Draco.
"You aren't mourning very long, are you? Not even for your own death." Lucius smiled at him, but his smile froze when he saw Harry's expression fall.
"I think it might be because I had to mourn a lot in the past, and now that it is my own death there won't be any more because of me," Harry stated flatly, then he began to eat, ignoring the two Malfoys. The two blonds looked at each other for a moment in silent understanding, deciding not to answer to Harry's comment, and then also began to eat.
They ate their meal in total silence until Harry suddenly jumped up, knocking his chair to the ground in the process. The two Malfoys stared at him in confusion. Then he spoke.
"Why don't you say anything? Why don't you do anything? When will you explain to me what will happen to me? I've been waiting since yesterday morning for somebody to tell me about all this 'save The Boy Who Lived by making him die' crap, and every time I ask what will happen, you say to wait until later. I want to know what you have planned for me, and I won't wait any longer." With that said, Harry plumped back down into his chair (which Lucius had magically picked up), crossed his arms, and stared daggers at Lucius, who looked at him, flabbergasted.
A flash of panic shot through Harry when he realized what he'd just done. He laid his hands in his lap, and sank his head to inspect them curiously. "I… uh… I'm sorry; I had no right to speak to you in that tone. But I'm so curious about what will happen. But then you said that thing about mourning, and made me think about Sirius, and I got upset because it still hurts; but I don't want to think about it and then you never responded to my comment, and no one spoke, and I thought-"
"Harry, you're babbling." Draco's voice cut him off.
"What?" Harry looked up at Draco as if he had slapped him in the face.
"You're babbling." Draco said, smiling at him.
"No, not that: you called me 'Harry'," Harry said, a small smile forming on his lips. But it faltered again when Draco next spoke.
"Don't get used to it, Potter, I just wanted to say your name once in my life." Draco smirked at Harry's puzzled expression, and then turned to his father. "Should we start then, Father?"
"Of course, Draco; after all, we can't risk Mr. Potter here dying of curiosity, now can we?" Lucius smiled at Draco, and then both Malfoys smiled at Harry, who couldn't help but smile, himself.
"If I wasn't already dead, I think dying out of curiosity would be the most torturous death." All three men laughed at this comment, thenDraco excused himself from the room, and Lucius led Harry to the sitting room.
"I think it's time that you get to know what will happen to you, Mr. Potter. Please take a seat. Draco will be back any minute." Harry sat down on the couch expectantly, and waited for Draco to arrive.
He hadn't to wait long, though, because two minutes later, Draco entered the room and placed what seemed to be a potions vial on a nearby table, then he sat in an armchair and looked at his father.
"Well, I think we can begin, then," Lucius said, pulling his wand out of his pocket. Harry jumped slightly, and when he realized that the two Malfoys were looking at him quizzically, he turned a light shade of red, and mumbled something which neither of the blonds could understand.
"After what happened a few months ago at the ministry, we had some important discussions, Albus, Draco, and I. We know how hard it is for you to cope with the death of your godfather."
Harry wanted to shout at him that nobody knew how he felt. Every time anyone mentioned Sirius' death and offered their condolences with the words 'I know how hard it is for you', Harry felt anger boil inside him, and normally would verbally attack them; but he thought it wiser to stay quiet for now, and hear what Mr. Malfoy had to say.
"We debated about how to prevent you from more pain and loss, and let you have your time to grieve."
This time Harry wanted Mr. Malfoy to stop with whatever it was he was about to do, when it meant giving Harry 'time to grieve'. He couldn't grieve anymore. He couldn't think about what had happened anymore. He just wanted to go on. But then he thought - maybe if what they were going to do would change his life, he could just forget about everything. So he listened again to what Mr. Malfoy said.
"…and that's why we let you die." Harry wasn't sure what Mr. Malfoy had said while he had been trying to stay calm, but he figured it wasn't that important, because nothing he had just said was totally new to Harry. It was just the inevitability of the speech, which would have let Harry react like he wanted, if he hadn't controlled himself. He looked back up to Mr. Malfoy, and the man continued with his speech.
"You know that with your death you can't be seen by anyone anymore, or the charade is up."
Harry looked up at the elder Malfoy, and nodded in understanding.
"But you have to learn. You have to work hard to prepare yourself for your encounter with Voldemort which, unfortunately, will happen one day."
"The prophecy," Harry said, nodding again.
"Right. And because no one wants to force you to stay in here for god knows how long, and I can't teach you everything you have to know, it is necessary that you go back to Hogwarts where Dumbledore will work with you."
"Back to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, excitedly. He had given up hope of going back there anytime soon, after he had heard about his 'death'. He had thought he would be educated at Malfoy Castle by Mr. Malfoy, or far away in America or Japan, where nobody knew who he was. But how could he go back there without being recognized? "But how-"
"That's what this is all about," Draco said, cutting him off. "You understand that you can't go back like this." He looked Harry up and down, his gaze resting for a few seconds on Harry's thighs, and then his chest (Harry was wearing Draco's clothes today, so they were pretty tight, and eye-catching.) "Even with a new name and a haircut, there would never be any doubt of who you really are." Now his eyes wandered to Harry's forehead, and rested on his scar. Harry's hand followed Draco's gaze and touched his scar carefully.
"And therefore," Lucius said, indicating for Harry to get up and stand in front of him, "you need a new identity." With that said, he handed Harry the vial Draco had brought with him. It was indeed a potion; green, blue, and gleaming.
"What is this?" Harry asked uneasy.
"Just a little help: now drink."
A bit hesitantly, Harry took the vial and downed the potion. While he did this, Mr. Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry, spoke some strange incantations, and touched the end of his wand to Harry's forehead.
"Don't move," Draco commanded, as he saw Harry flinch, "you could get hurt."
Harry froze in fear of what might happen to him. He felt a strange tickle go through his body. When the elder Malfoy stopped, Harry collapsed on the floor, his breath becoming fast and unsteady. He felt as if someone had put the Cruciatus Curse on him, but the pain faded away too quickly, for that curse.
"Father, what happened? Did I make the potion wrong?" Draco tried to reach Harry, but his father held him back.
"Calm down, Draco. He is okay."
"But look! He's trembling, and his breathing is unsteady. He collapsed on the floor, for god's sake."
"Draco Malfoy, will you please be quiet, and hear me out." Draco stopped, and nodded. "This reaction is normal, because it is a very difficult spell. And don't forget that Mr. Potter has a strange curse on himself."
"The scar?" Draco asked knowingly.
"Yes. It is hard to break through his magic. He fought a lot. But I did it. Because of his resistance, I had to use his magic to terminate his scar and work my own magic on him."
"Did it work?"
"We will see. But for now, go get him one of your robes. He might need it."
While Draco left the room, Mr. Malfoy took a step toward Harry, and reached out his hand. "Stand up."
Harry took the offered hand and stood up. He looked Lucius Malfoy straight in the eye. "What-" He began, but stopped dead at the tone of his voice.
"Drink this." Mr. Malfoy gave him a glass of water, and Harry drank it thankfully.
"What-" Harry began again, but Mr. Malfoy held up his hand. His other hand followed, and with both he took off Harry's glasses.
Harry blinked a few times, and then looked at his surroundings. His sight was perfectly clear.
"What have you done?" He looked back at the blond, then down at himself. "Am I taller?" He asked, confused. Indeed, when he'd looked down at himself he saw that his shirt was several inches too short, as was his jeans, and both items of clothing were very, very tight. When he didn't get an answer, he asked again "What have you done?"
"I have destroyed the last proof that Harry Potter is still alive," Lucius said, with a smirk.
"What?"
"Come!"
Lucius led him to a corner in which a covered, full length mirror stood. He positioned Harry in front of it, but before he allowed him to look at himself, he said, "There is a lot of information about your new identity we will talk about later. We have created some important details about your last sixteen years that you will have to know by heart, but other than those facts, you can create your own past, and therefore your own character. For now, I just want to introduce you to your new self." Lucius went to the mirror, and grabbed the cloth with one hand. "Meet yourself, Tiger Emerald Ryan."
The curtain fell to the floor, and Harry gasped. He stared at himself open-mouthed, and his first thought was-
"God, I'm hot."
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A/N – That's it for now. What do you think?