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: R
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 8 - Diagon Alley
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It took Draco another half an hour to get down. When he arrived, Tiger and Mr. Malfoy were already discussing the details of Tiger's past. He sat down in an armchair, and listened to what they said.
"Okay, so I've been raised by my uncle, Jack Dalson, because my parents died after I was born," Tiger summarized.
"Your mother, Jane, died while giving birth to you, and your father, Paul, died in a storm while he was sailing."
"Right. After Uncle Jack had his heart attack and died, you took me in because you were best friends with Jane and Paul. What else?" Tiger asked.
"You lived in California, where you went to a Muggle school."
"No wizarding school?" Tiger interrupted, confused.
"No, because actually you should have attended Hogwarts, and the wizarding school in America wouldn't take you in. Jack decided to teach you himself while you attended the Muggle school. You had many friends in America. They were all Muggles. You hadn't had much contact with other wizards and witches; except Jack, of course. No one knew you two were wizards."
Tiger had absorbed the information, quite curious, but there was one question he wanted an answer for (except the one if the potion had changed his personality, which nagged at him every time he looked at Draco.)
"What about Quidditch - flying? When I lived amongst Muggles, did I have the opportunity to fly, and play Quidditch? I know this will be one of the questions I'll be asked the most. Will I even get the chance to play Quidditch again? By the way, which house will I be in? Will I have to use the Sorting Hat again? What if he recognizes me? What-"
"Tiger, you're babbling." Draco's voice cut him off. Tiger looked at him for a moment, then smiled.
"I think I've heard that sentence before, haven't I?"
"Don't get used to it, Ryan. I just wanted to say your name, once in my life." Draco smirked, remembering the only time he had called the other boy Harry.
"Who gave me that name, anyway: Tiger Emerald Ryan?"
"Don't complain: it's a lot better than Harry Potter," Draco replied, in mock earnest.
"You're one to talk, Dragon." Tiger smirked when he saw not one, but two Malfoys' heads turn away with a tint of red to their cheeks. "Oh, by the way; did the potion you gave me have affects other than the change in my appearance?"
"Why do you ask? Do you feel any different?" Lucius asked seriously.
"Well there are some changes..."
"Such as?"
"I've done things which I'd always thought about, but would have never actually done." Upon hearing that, Draco's head snapped up, and he looked tentatively at Harry. 'Had he really thought about doing that before? To me?'
"I think you answered your own question, Tiger," Lucius replied, after he had thought nearly the same thing as Draco.
"You mean I'm less inhibited now?"
"Let's just say the boundary between thinking about, and actually doing things, has been moved in a more daring direction."
Tiger thought about that for a minute, then he smiled at Lucius. "I think I like it."
"Tell Draco; it was his doing."
"I think he likes it, too." Tiger smirked at Draco. Once again Draco blushed, but this time he held his head high, and looked directly at the smirking Tiger.
"I think I've done a very good job."
Now it was Tiger's turn to blush.
There was a short silence, then Draco spoke again, this time addressing his father. "Is there anything else he must know right now, or can we go to Diagon Alley now?"
"I think that was all. Everything else can be made up by you, Tiger."
"Wait, what about Quidditch? You never answered that question."
"You are really obsessed with the game, aren't you?" Draco asked teasingly. The
"It's just," Tiger replied in a slightly naive tone, his innocent eyes searching Draco's, "I like the feeling of my broom between my hands. I always feel so light-headed when I have a tight grip on it." He smiled when Draco's eyes widened in realization. "So what about Quidditch, then?"
Lucius just shook his head at them, smiling about the obvious allusions Tiger made. Then he realized that the black haired teen was looking at him, obviously waiting for an answer about his precious Quidditch.
"You had a large garden where you could fly without the Muggles noticing. The rest is up to you - if you play Quidditch, I mean."
"Okay. And what about Hog-"
"Stop," Draco demanded. "One more question, and I will either die out of embarrassment, or kill you because of it."
"Why?" Tiger asked in mock confusion. "What have I done to you that would lead to such a reaction? Haven't I not always talked to you nicely?"
This last question would have led to an attack from Draco, if Lucius hadn't interfered at the last moment.
"I think we should really go to Diagon Alley, now." So they all walked up to the fireplace, and floo'd to Diagon Alley.
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They arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, from which they made their way to Diagon Alley, and their first stop: Gringotts.
"I have a few things to deal with before I go down to the vaults to retrieve the money," Lucius told the two boys. "Why don't you two go and stay in the waiting room until I'm done, so you don't have to wait here in the lounge?"
"Alright, Father. See you later."
So the three went their separate ways; Lucius to one of the goblins, and the two boys to the waiting room. Upon entering the room, the two found it already occupied. In one corner, on a small couch, sat two teenagers; a girl with bushy brown hair, and a red-headed boy. The girl seemed to be crying, because she had her head bent down in her hands, and the boy had a comforting arm around her shoulders and was speaking softly to her.
As Tiger recognised the two as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his two best friends, his first reaction was to run to them and take them both in a comforting embrace, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Draco looked sympathetically at him, but shook his head.
"You can't," he whispered. "They don't know you."
"You're right," Tiger replied, giving Draco a defeated smile. "But please promise me that you won't tease them. Not now. They must have just received my letter, that's why they are here."
"What other reason would Weasley have to go to Gringotts, anyway?"
"Please, Draco, do it for me. Please. I don't want to lose them as friends. Maybe I could become friends with them again. Promise me to be nice. Please?"
Draco scowled at the thought of being civil to Weasley, let alone becoming friends with him, but when he saw Harry's pleading eyes, he couldn't not give in. "Just this once. Don't think I will go all lovey-dovey with them. That will never happen."
"Who knows? Maybe one day…" Tiger grinned wildly at a disgusted looking Draco.
"Don't you dare even think of such a disgusting thing, Tiger Emerald Ryan."
At this outburst, Ron and Hermione's heads snapped up, and they looked at the two intruders. Tiger froze at the sight of both their faces. Hermione looked as if she hadn't slept in days and was constantly crying, just like Ron did, except that now he was glaring daggers at Draco.
"Malfoy!" He spat the name in a way that made Tiger flinch. He had never been on the receiving end of this glare (and it wasn't even him to whom it was directed). He saw Draco's frown, and just before he would retort with the same malice, Tiger gave him a soft nudge against the shoulder and their eyes met. He pleaded with Draco once again, and the blonde nodded, defeated.
Draco turned back to Ron and Hermione, and said in a calm voice. "Weasley, Granger."
There was an uncomfortable silence, before Tiger nudged Draco once again.
"What?" He hissed angrily.
Tiger just starred at him for a few seconds, and as if Draco had understand what he wanted to say, he growled and turned back to the other two, who had watched this scene, slightly confused. "I just wanted to say… Well, I'm sorry, about Potter."
Ron looked as if he would faint any minute now, but Hermione gave Draco a small smile. "Thank you," she said.
Draco just nodded, and went to sit as far away from those two as possible, but a hand on his arm held him back. He turned back to Tiger, and glared at him. "What?"
Tiger was a bit taken aback by his harsh tone, but answered nonetheless. "Don't you want to introduce me? Obviously you know each other."
"Don't go too far, Tiger, I warn you," Draco hissed at the raven-haired boy. Then he turned back to Hermione and Ron, and introduced them. "Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley," he said, pointing at the two sitting on the couch, "Tiger Ryan," now indicating Tiger. Then he walked to an armchair without looking back to see whether the other boy would follow him.
Which he didn't do. Instead, Tiger went to Hermione and knelt in front of her. "Are you all right? You look really down."
Hermione gave him a small smile before answering. "We've lost our best friend, and now we have received his farewell letter."
"You were friends of Harry Potter?" He felt really sick, taking advantage of his supposed death as a reason to speak with them, but Tiger wanted them to become his friends.
"Yeah; the best."
"Well, I don't know much about him because I lived in America until a few weeks ago. Would you tell me about him? Draco told me a bit, but-"
"Whatever the Ferret told you, is rubbish," spat Ron, annoyed.
"Watch it, Weasel," Draco spat back from across the room.
Tiger wanted to interfere, wanted Draco to stop, but he thought better of it and stayed quiet.
Luckily Hermione spoke up before the situation escalated. "Stop it, both of you." She looked from Ron to Draco, and back to Ron. "Don't you dare start a fight now, Ronald Weasley, or I will fight with you."
Ron literally sank back in his seat and looked at his hands, which were obviously very interesting.
"Wow. Please remind me never to get on the receiving end of your glares," Tiger said playfully. "You're scarier than my old Po… Poetry Professor." Tiger let out a small sigh of relief for his fast reaction. One more letter, and he would have been in need of a good explanation about which Professor was so scary.
"Poetry?" Hermione's question brought him back. "I thought you were a wizard. I mean, you are in Muggle clothes and all, but I wouldn't have thought you really were one."
"I am a wizard," Tiger confirmed to her. "I just like Muggle clothes better than robes - and especially these Muggle clothes." He cast a quick look in Draco's direction just in time to see Draco turning his head back in the other direction. He smiled knowingly before he turned back to Hermione. "I attended a Muggle High School in America, and was taught the wizard stuff at home by my Uncle Jack."
"You mean you had to do double the amount of work?" Hermione asked eagerly.
Tiger smiled at that. 'Typical Hermione. Once you talk about schoolwork, everything around her is forgotten; even the death of her best friend.' But that didn't bother Tiger at all: quite the opposite. She looked so enthusiastic that it brought an even bigger smile to his face.
"It wasn't that bad. I have a good memory, so I didn't have to work too hard." (Which was actually true; when he had started rereading his schoolbooks, he found it very easy to remember everything - even every little detail about every single goblin war there was in his history of magic books.)
"When you went to a Muggle school, did you have any magical friends at all?"
"Not really. We were once in England for a business trip of Uncle Jack's, two years ago now. I couldn't meet up with the people he met most of the time, but I wasn't allowed to go out on my own, so I still haven't seen a lot of the wizarding world. Except the Quidditch World Cup, of course."
There came a snort from Draco's direction but Tiger ignored it, because his last statement obviously had hit its target where Tiger wanted it to.
"You were at the Quidditch World Cup?" Ron asked excitedly. "Do you play Quidditch? What's your favourite team?"
Tiger smiled to himself, proud that he had got Ron's attention at last. Just talk about Quidditch, and he is all yours.
So they talked for a while longer about Quidditch and living in America, and Quidditch in America, until the door opened, and a whole bunch of people entered the room.
Tiger's heartbeat rose as he saw all the people enter. There were Molly and Arthur Weasley who both looked, on the one hand, just as down as Ron and Hermione were when he entered the room, but on the other hand positively shocked (probably because of the news of them being his heirs). The same expression was on Remus Lupin's face, who was the other heir, and had also received a great amount of the Black fortune – just like the Weasleys – and Harry had bequeathed him Grimmauld Place. Then there was Albus Dumbledore, who was in a conversation with Lucius Malfoy.
Tiger had risen at the sight of them, and was once again just about to walk over to them when he heard Draco say,
"Are you coming, Tiger? We want to go."
Tiger winced at the hard tone Draco had used. Obviously the blonde was a bit taken aback about Tiger's previous behaviour.
"See you at Hogwarts," he said, smiling at Hermione at Ron, and then went behind Draco, who was already at the door.
"Wait a minute, Draco." Lucius stopped him just as his son was about to leave the room.
When Tiger came to a stop beside Lucius, the elder Malfoy turned him to the adults, to introduce him. "Tiger Ryan, meet Molly and Arthur Weasley, the parents of Ron," Lucius said, pointing them out.
"Nice to meet you." Tiger shook both their hands.
"And this is Remus Lupin; he will be your Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts."
Tiger smiled at Remus politely, then cast a quick glance at Dumbledore, who smiled back with his twinkling eyes. It had been Tiger's wish that Remus would teach at Hogwarts again so that the werewolf wouldn't be alone with his grief.
Lucius caught the eye-contact between Tiger and Dumbledore, and continued. "You already know Professor Dumbledore."
"I have received your OWL results just this morning, and I was positively surprised. Obviously your uncle was a good teacher."
"He was the best." Tiger smiled when he understood what Dumbledore was talking about. "So, what about my OWL's? How good was I?"
Half the occupants of the room gasped at his forward question. The other half looked unimpressed. Draco just shook his head, knowing that it was his fault that this boy was so bold, and that he had better had to learn to live with it. Lucius was smirking at him, and Dumbledore was practically beaming. Only Remus Lupin hadn't reacted at all. To be honest, he hadn't reacted to anything since he had seen Tiger properly. He just kept starring at the teen. But nobody had noticed it, so far.
"Actually." Dumbledore began, getting the attention of most of the occupants. "You did quite well in all your subjects; all passed with Outstanding, except Divination, which you failed."
"That may be because I hadn't learned it," Tiger replied. He had decided that he didn't want to take Divination anymore, so why not say he never had. "I just don't see the point in staring at tea leaves or doing tarot readings, so I didn't take that subject."
Dumbledore smiled knowingly. He had felt that Tiger might want to give up this subject, after the prophecy. Trelawney's predictions could become a bit unnerving.
"What did you take instead?" Hermione asked interestedly. She and Ron were now standing beside Ron's parents.
"I went to school with Muggles, so you can say I had Muggle Studies. And I had Care Of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. Next year my Uncle Jack wanted to teach me magical healing (he had found a book about it in the Malfoy's Library, which was very interesting, and he hoped he would get the chance to learn about it) but-" He trailed off, hoping that the questioning would stop now. He wanted to leave. Draco looked very pissed, and there was something in Remus' looking at him which made him quite uncomfortable.
"I think it is time for us to leave, now." Lucius laid a hand on Tiger's shoulder, and led him to the door, where he laid his other hand on Draco's shoulder. Then as they were walking out, Dumbledore stopped them.
"Lucius?" All three men turn around. "You will attend the funeral, won't you?"
"Of course we will. Is that all?"
"Just one more thing: It may be tough times, but we shouldn't forget that there are still positive moments. Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Ryan," Dumbledore looked from Draco to Tiger, "happy birthday to both of you."
"Thanks," Draco said, then he turned and left the room.
"Yeah, thanks," Tiger replied, a little bewildered. He caught a last glimpse of Remus, whose expression had changed from thoughtful to confused, then he practically fled the room.
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"Why haven't you told me that it's your birthday?"
They had silently wandered to Madam Malkin's, where both Tiger and Draco were now standing on footstools while Madam Malkin and a second witch were fitting them up, when Tiger broke the silence.
"Why should I?" Draco asked dryly. He was still pissed about Tiger's behaviour at Gringotts, and he wasn't going to let that go so easily.
"I'd have congratulated you. I mean, it is your great day, and all we've done so far was getting me 'presentable', going to Gringotts because I needed money, and now we're here for my new robes. I'm feeling really guilty that I hadn't even known about your birthday."
"Oh yeah, that's great." Draco turned to Tiger, forcing Madam Malkin to wander with him. "You're feeling guilty for something you hadn't even done. What about the things you have done, today?" Draco snapped angrily.
"What do you mean?" Tiger asked confused.
"Let's see: First," he counted with his fingers, "you made me condole with Weasley and Granger on Potter's death; Second: you made me talk to them nicely; Third: you scolded me when I wanted to retort to Weasley, who insulted me first; And fourth: when you had their attention, you forgot about me. You spoke with them for nearly an hour, and didn't even look at me once."
By now Madam Malkin had given up trying to pin his robe to the right length, because Draco didn't stand still for a second.
"Oh, I forgot one. Fifth: you've known for over an hour, now, that today is my birthday, and you haven't congratulated me yet. That's why I didn't tell you; you don't care about me." With that, Draco jumped off his stool, threw off the robes Madam Malkin was pinning up, and ran out of the shop. Tiger just stared after him until the door closed, then he looked to Lucius, who had been sitting in a corner all the time.
"I've screwed it up, haven't I?" he asked with a sigh.
Lucius just smiled, and walked over to him. "Yes, you have. But don't worry, he'll be all right." Lucius reached in his pocket and took out a small purse, which he gave to Tiger. "The robes are paid for, and will be delivered directly to the Manor when they are ready. When you're done here, you can walk around on your own if you like. Meet us at the Leaky Cauldron at four o'clock."
"What about Draco?"
"I'll go speak to him."
Tiger just nodded, and Lucius left the shop in search of his son.
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When Tiger was done at Madam Malkin's, he had still an hour to pass, so he wandered through Diagon Alley, and would occasionally go into one of the shops. He had also stopped at Fred and George's 'WEASLEYS' WIZARD WHEEZES' (which they had opened a few weeks after they left Hogwarts), but it was too crowded for him to look around properly. After that he visited Magical Menagerie to look for a new owl. When he saw all the owls, he realized there would never be one like Hedwig. He missed his snowy owl so much, but he knew she was fine with Hermione, and he would see her again soon. 'I'm just happy that I loaned her to 'Mione after she and Ron started dating. I don't know what I would have done if I had to leave her behind when the Malfoys took me in.' As he thought about the Malfoys, Harry heard a familiar voice speaking in rage.
"How could you do that? You're such a heartless monster. Get it out of there right now." It was definitely Draco.
Tiger had been on the receiving end of Draco's insults long enough that he would recognize his voice out of hundreds. Curious, Tiger looked around a corner to see what was going on. He found Draco standing in front of a big terrarium, in which a huge cobra was creeping towards a tiny fluffball which Tiger assumed to be its next meal. Draco had his wand in his hand, and pointed it at the man. "Get it out right now, or I swear you will be the snake's next meal."
"Leave it, boy. Do you really thing I would risk my live for an ordinary cat? Obviously you don't know that this is a poisonous snake. If you would excuse me now, I've work to do." With that, the man turned around and left, but Draco wouldn't give up. He walked after him, and pushed him rudely against the wall.
"You will get it out of there right now, or-"
"Draco." Lucius had laid a hand on his son's shoulder to calm him down, and to get his attention. "It's too late," he said softly.
When Draco saw that the snake was curled up in a corner again, and the cat was gone, he glared at the shop assistant with such hatred that the pour man whished he had chosen to battle the snake instead. After a long while, Draco turned around and left the shop without a word. Lucius then gave the salesman one of his own glares, which were even more frightening than Draco's, and then followed his son out of the shop. On his way to the door he passed Tiger, with a nod, who was on his way to the counter.
The shop assistant had slumped on a stool behind the counter, and had his head in his hands when Tiger arrived. Slowly he stood up, and forced a smile on his face. "What can I do for you?" he asked politely, propping his hands lazily on the counter.
"First," Tiger said slowly, propping himself up on the counter, and leaning in towards the man a few inches, "I want to warn you to never cross his way again, or you'll really be sorry." He leaned in even closer before he spoke again. "Secondly, if I ever see or hear about you feeding kittens to snakes again, I will come back, and then you'll wish Draco was here instead." With every inch Tiger came nearer, the shop assistant backed away more. "And if you think I won't keep my word…" He paused for effect, then he laughed slightly, and shock his head. "Well, don't even think about it."
By now the man's back was against the wall, and he was slowly sinking to the floor, shivering like mad. Smirking, Tiger turned around and made his way to the door. After a few steps, he heard a relieved sigh from behind the counter.
"Oh, I nearly forgot." He turned back again to see the man slumping back to the floor, missing the stool by mere inches. With the sweetest smile he could master, Tiger walked around the counter and helped the deadly frightened man to sit on his stool. Then he reached in his pocket and took out a Galleon, which he put in one of the man's shaking hands. "For the trouble we caused you." After that, Tiger left the shop in search of the Malfoys.
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A/N – That's it for now. What do you think?