Chapter two: settling in
Harry dropped Draco's trunk in the middle of his room. Draco entered behind him and looked around. The room was absolutely tiny in comparison to- well to any room in Malfoy Manor, even the house elves' quarters.
"This is your room? It's so small?" Draco said, disdain dripping from every word.
"It's a right sight better then the cupboard under the stairs," Harry muttered. Draco was confused but before he could ask Harry interrupted him.
"You can have the bed. I don't sleep much." He said off handedly and sat down at his desk. Draco looked at the bed. It was small but seemed to be ok. He then turned his gaze to Harry. He sure looked like he didn't sleep. His eyes were surrounded by dark bags causing his green eyes to appear even brighter in contrast.
He watched as Harry drew out a quill and a piece of parchment.
"What are you doing?" Draco asked, not because he was interested but because he was bored and didn't want Harry to forget he was there.
Have I really sunk so low that I need St. Potter to keep me entertained? And I have only been here for ten minutes.
But the fact of the matter was that Draco had gone through a change. He had been allowed to go home for the first month of the summer holidays. Spend his birthday with his mother. Dumbledore, however, had informed him that he would be relocated to somewhere 'safe' at the start of July.
After Lucius' capture and imprisonment Draco had, had a change of heart. He decided, now being able to make his own decisions beyond his sexual partners and what he had for breakfast that he did not want to follow He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He didn't want to be another sheep who called himself a Death Eater.
It wasn't that he didn't agree with You-Know-Who's ideals or was put off by his methods. The thing was that he just didn't understand. He didn't get why someone as powerful as Lucius Malfoy would be reduced to a toady for some psychopath who would kill you the second you toe out of line.
Being one of You-Know-Who's followers offered you only a menial amount of protection. Draco had come to decide that he would rather die on his own accord rather than have someone else decide when his time would come.
It was all about choice and control and now, for the first time, Draco had both and he was not about to let them go.
Anyway, Dumbledore figured that Draco's life would be in danger if he remained at the manor. He thought that the Death Eaters would come looking for him and might either try and get him to join or kill him.
Faced with those options Draco eagerly agreed to Dumbledore's plan of relocation, but that was before he knew he would be staying with Harry bloody Potter.
"I am sending a letter to Ron and Hermione. They knew Dumbledore was coming and I am just letting them know what happened." Harry's voice broke in through Draco's memories. It sounded hollow and it stirred an odd feeling in Draco's belly that he really didn't like.
He didn't know how to handle this side of Potter. He seemed so defeated. Draco was use to the Potter that always stuck his nose where it didn't belong, the one who was always playing hero, the Golden Boy. But this Potter was nothing like the one he knew and hated. No, this Potter reminded Draco a lot of himself.
Beaten into submission, hollow, empty, and numb, and this left Draco with a feeling of empathy and a connection that he knew he had to sever. He hated Potter, and these new feelings were quite frankly scaring the crap out of him.
"Ah, must report to you lover and your mudblood. Cant have them worrying now can you?" He sneered.
Harry didn't even flinch. His guard was fully up. It always was when he came back to Number Four Privet Drive. If he had been at school his walls would have been dissolved by just being near the people who truly care for him, and he might've risen to Malfoy's challenge but not here. Not in hell.
Harry continued his letters. Once he was finished he turned to a beautiful snowy owl in a cage.
"Hullo Hedwig. I have some letters for you. They're for Ron and Hermione, take them to the Burrow." He spoke to the bird with such warmth and care. Harry lifted her off her stand and carried her to the window. Hedwig nibbled Harry's finger affectionately and took off.
"That's a good girl," Harry said to the retreating figure his voice almost wistful.
Oh how I wish I could just fly out of here, he thought to himself.But he couldn't and he knew it. So no use in wasting time on wishes and dreams that would never happen.
Draco had been even more put off by Harry's attitude toward his owl then by his other wise odd behavior. Watching him interact with the animal made Draco's stomach twist in a strange way. He was having a sensory overload; all these odd feelings seemed to come out of nowhere and were assaulting him.
Harry turned back around and looked at Draco. It was the first time he had really looked at him since he had gotten there. Though Harry loathed admitting it, Draco Malfoy was a very handsome boy. Actually 'handsome' wasn't the right word. His features were too delicate, his hair, which he now wore loose and long to where it brushed his shoulders, was too silky and his skin too soft and perfect to be described as 'handsome'. The word seemed ugly compared to what Draco was. Draco was gorgeous.
Harry was not so ignorant as to ignore this fact because it was indeed a fact. And all the denying in the world wouldn't make it any less a fact. Though another fact was that no matter how beautiful he was on the outside, on the inside Draco was ugly and cruel and all that was evident in his cold, grey eyes.
Harry had not heard of Draco's apparent side-switching. But it didn't matter to him one way or the other. Whether or not Draco was on his side or Voldemort's his feelings for the boy would never change.
"Well, I think this is going to be a long summer, for both of us," Harry said striving to keep the dead tone out of his voice. It was hard for him to work at being his 'normal' self.
Draco snorted at that. 'Long summer'? If that wasn't just the understatement of the century.
"Well Potter, I don't know about you but I think I might rather fancy spending the summer with you." He drawled.
Harry's jaw dropped.
"Wh-what?" He stuttered in utter shock.
Draco smirked at him.
"Yes, quite. I think it will be one hell of a summer." At that Harry clamed his jaw shut and glared at Draco.
"Malfoy," He growled, causing Draco's heart to pound in the most uncomfortable way. "If you think, for one minute of doing anything to me; any hexing, cursing, or kidnapping of any kind, I will personally serve your head on a platter to Dumbledore." His eyes flashed menacingly
Draco's breath caught at the intensity in those green orbs. This is more like it he thought happily. This is what he wanted. He wanted Potter to get upset, offended, hot and bothered-no wait not that…where the hell did that come from!
"Well Potter I didn't think of any of those. I was thinking more along the lines of a slave." He grinned evilly. Yes a man slave- ugh! No not that way! Bad brain! Bad, bad!
Harry raised a jet black eyebrow.
He looked as if he was about to say something, much to the blonde boy's relief, anything to break the odd tension between them. It wasn't a hostile tension; this is what made it so odd. He couldn't even begin to describe what kind of a tension it was. All he knew was that it was stifling.
But whatever Harry was going to say died on his tongue as a roar went through the house.
"BOY! GET DOWN HERE, NOW!" his uncle Vernon shouted. Harry groaned.
"Hi ho hi ho," he mumbled. It was Draco's turn to raise an eyebrow. Harry saw this.
"Nevermind. Just make yourself comfortable and I will be back soon, I hope," and with that he left.
Draco didn't understand why he was upset that Harry was leaving or why he felt reassured when he promised to be back. So he decided not to think about it. Instead he lounged on Harry's bed and occupied himself with settling himself in with his surroundings.
(A/n: I know that in the first chapter and parts of this one there was a bit from Harry's pov but from here until much later it will all be Draco's pov. Sorry for the confusion. Also sorry for the short chapter, but the third should be up soon.)