Usual Disclaimer: Not Mine. Wish it were. This world and its wonderful inhabitants belong to J.K. Rowling. Only the plot belongs to me.
R&R - enjoy!
Chapter 7 - Blue Cheese and White Carrots?
"Welcome" Harry said as he waved Tonks off and opened the front door "to Grimmauld Place, headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix." Harry's breath caught in his throat as he stepped into the grand hallway. He hadn't been back since he had returned last summer, after his fifth year when he had been sorting out Sirius' funeral. He had only gone in quickly to get a few things and to dismiss Kreacher. It had taken him the best part of an hour to build up the courage to go in. He had stood outside and stared at the door, Dumbledore waiting patiently behind him.
This time however he went straight in, thinking that he would be okay once he was inside, and he was right. Although...
"SCUM! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! FILTH AND SCUM!"
"Damn I forgot about that." Harry said dropping his things.
"What in Gods name is that?" Draco shouted over the screaming that came from the end of the hall as the curtains covering a huge portrait flew open.
"Sirius' mother!" Harry shouted as he jogged to the end of the hall. "Come and help me!" He shouted as he struggled in vain to close the heavy curtains.
"YOU AGAIN?! GET OUT GET..." She trailed off as Draco moved forwards to help Harry. She frowned in his direction.
"Who are you?" She demanded. "You look familiar."
"Draco Malfoy." Draco bowed, his high-class training proving useful.
"A Malfoy?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"At last someone that seems worthy of this house. Your father is a great man." She folded her arms across her chest and scowled as if was killing her to say these words. Draco did not respond. He did not want to think about his father. "And with good dress sense too." She said comparing the boys briefly before her curtains flew shut again. Harry stood, stunned. He had never heard Mrs Black talk in a voice that measured less than ten decibels before.
"You must be the first person she has spoken to in a near civil manner since Sirius' dad died."
"What can I say? Being a Malfoy comes in useful sometimes." Draco smirked.
"I can see that. Anyway, bedrooms are upstairs, take your pick." Harry said motioning towards the stairs.
"Separate rooms?" Draco asked.
"Yeah, this place is bigger than it looks from the outside." Harry noticed that Draco didn't look as happy about this as Harry had expected him to be. "Problem?"
"No, I'll take my stuff up."
"Right behind you." They both retrieved their luggage and hauled it up the stairs. Once on the landing, Draco waited to see which room Harry chose before choosing the one next to it.
After unpacking his things Harry went to see Draco. As he stood in the doorway to Draco's room, he watched Draco check his reflection in the full-length mirror. He had changed again.
"Nice clothes." Harry said startling Draco.
"Do you always creep up on people?" He scowled.
"Do you always change three times a day?"
"Do you always dodge questions to be annoying?"
"Do you?"
"God you are so annoying!"
"It took you this long to realise?" Harry grinned and Draco scowled. "Lunch?"
"Please."
"See you downstairs."
"Be down in a minute." Draco turned back to the mirror. Harry shook his head, smiling and went downstairs to the kitchen. Most of their conversations were like this. Brief and teasing. The teasing wasn't nasty though, it was just their way of communicating. The way they felt comfortable.
When Draco made his way to the kitchen five minutes later, the sight of Harry's ass greeted him as he was bending into the fridge to find something for lunch.
"What a pretty picture." Draco said with a little less sarcasm than intended.
"Ouch! Shit!" Harry hit his head when he tried to emerge from the fridge too quickly. "Now who's doing the creeping?" He rubbed his head, making his already messy hair even worse. "And since when have you been so interested in my ass?" He raised his eyebrows teasingly.
"I... I'm... I'm not... It was sarcasm." Draco spluttered in weak defence. Harry frowned. He had expected Draco to come back with a smart-ass comment, not to stutter and blush. 'Weird' he thought and went back to the fridge.
"We have no food apart from some blue cheese..."
"Ooh, Blue cheese!" Draco licked his lips.
"...But it's not meant to be blue..." Draco's face fell promptly into a scowl. "And some white carrots."
"White carrots?" Draco asked sceptically, going over to look for himself. "Oh, you mean parsnips."
"Same difference."
"So uncultured."
"Shut up. Takeout or shopping?"
"Well we'll have to go shopping at some point."
"Good point but I have no idea how to get to the shops from here, we'll have to floo to Diagon Alley."
Harry closed the fridge and as he did so the doorbell went, causing Mrs Black to start screaming again.
"You calm her down and I'll get the door." Harry raised his voice so that Draco could hear him.
Draco successfully managed to calm Mrs Black down and Harry, after checking the peephole, let Dumbledore in.
They returned to the kitchen and sat at the table to discuss the arrangements for the rest of the summer.
Dumbledore informed them that a member of the Order would visit each night to check that both were alive and well. Ron and Hermione would be coming to stay in two weeks time and then Molly and Arthur would be coming to stay for the last week of the holidays to make sure that everyone was organised for the return to Hogwarts. He warned them not to venture too far into muggle London, as they would be very vulnerable. They were, when out, to stick together at all times and not separate. He also advised not to visit Diagon Alley too often where they would be easily recognised and it would seem strange that they were appearing together. He gave them their Hogwarts letters and recommended that they wait to go to Diagon Alley with Ron ad Hermione, safety in numbers after all. He apologised for the lack of foods in the kitchen and offered to fill it for them. Harry refused the offer, as he'd prefer to go shopping the muggle way instead, although he might take him up o the offer when Ron and Hermione arrived. Dumbledore gave Harry a pouch containing some muggle money that he had taken the liberty of removing from Harry's Gringotts account, presuming that he would need it. After giving them directions to the nearest muggle shops he asked if the would be all right. After gaining a positive response, he reminded Harry that he would be watching if he was needed, and left.
By now it was dinner time and both boys were famished. Soon after Dumbledore's departure, they found themselves walking into muggle London.
"Let's eat out tonight and get the shopping tomorrow, I'm starving!" Draco pleaded.
"Okay." Harry agreed and they chose a nearby Italian restaurant. They paused in the doorway though as they realised that the restaurant was full of young couples.
"Maybe we should go somewhere else?" Harry murmured as he looked around.
"Too late." Draco muttered as the waiter arrived to seat them. "Never mind."
"Table for two?" The waiter asked.
"Yes please." Harry said as politely as he could whilst trying not to laugh at Draco's raised eyebrows.
