Author Note:
V1 R3
Hello everyone. The chapter is now completed and posted in all locations available. If you gave it love here and want to support it even further, seek out the other platforms it can be found on. If you have been here since the WIP was happening, I hope you have a little better insight to how a chapter I make gets put together. I usually make the memories before layering on Lyra's story. I do hope you enjoy the story and continue coming back as the story enters into the second major arc.
Harry Potter and the franchise are owned by their respective claim holders. I do this story as a hobby and not as a substitute for the books or as a means of profit.
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Ch6 - In the Darkness
Lyra made her way down the stairs as the light began to flood the house. She had slept so wonderfully. Now that she was awake, though, she was wondering if everything hadn't just been part of a long dream. Did she really have magical grandparents? Was Hogwarts real?
Before she could make it to the bottom her little brothers pushed past her, running as fast as they could. As they jumped into the air from the final third step they stopped in mid-air, slowly being placed on the ground. Yes it was real.
"No fair, Kreacher!" Severus shouted out. "I was going to make it farther." He stomped his foot as he yelled up to the top of the stairs.
"Go to the kitchen you two." Lyra commanded the nuisances before Sirius could start up, too. They both let out sounds of disappointment as they moped away. She looked up the stairs to see the wrinkled form of Kreacher. "Good morning, Kreacher!" The Elf gave off a distant grunt before disappearing in a pop.
Lyra made her own way to the kitchen, starting to feel very hungry. Walking past the living room she paused when she noticed people lying about on the furniture. She decided to see who accidentally fell asleep out there. She was a little shocked to see her parents among some of the people strewn about.
They were all wearing some sort of sports pads from what she could tell. What surprised her was seeing her mother in pants. She was always wearing dresses or skirts. Everyone, though, was absolutely covered in dirt.
Her father and Uncle Ron were practically falling off the smaller chairs they had claimed. Her mother was in a sitting position with Aunt Ginny curled up next to her, head resting in her mother's lap. It was such a surreal Thing to witness. Her mother let off a light noise, rubbing her hand along her abdomen in her sleep.
"She's been doing that all morning." Mrs. Weasley's voice came from right behind her. "It must have been ages since your mother last flew." She looked back to see the elderly witch smiling down at her.
"They flew?" Lyra asked. That made her want to grab her little magical broom. Aunt Mione always made sure to get her the best gifts and that one was her favorite so far.
"On their brooms, dear. Your mother and father were dying to get back in the air. Once the wards were good to go, they all started playing throughout the night," she said. "Let's get some breakfast in you, dear."
Lyra followed the older witch into the kitchen to see Grandma Malfoy sitting at the table with what she assumed was tea. She had a serene look despite her brothers practically hanging on her clothing like little opossum. Lyra couldn't help but beam at the sight. She had a wonderful grandma.
"Goodness, me. Good morning, Narcissa," Mrs. Weasley said, "I hadn't realized you had arrived."
"It's quite alright." Her grandmother responded. She took a sip from her cup. "Good morning."
"Take a seat with your grandmother, dear, I'll make sure you'll be eating in no time." Mrs. Weasley said to her. She gently guided Lyra to the table with a hand on her back. "There you go, dearie. Please be patient."
"Thank you, Molly," her grandmother said. She gave a small nod and smile.
"Oh, not a problem at all. It's been a long time since I've whipped up a proper breakfast." The older witch said, pulling a scarf over her red-white hair and summoning an apron from a cupboard. "It seems Harry must be the one that organized the kitchen." She noted with a small smile.
"Without a doubt. I'd be surprised if she knew how to start the range." Her grandmother sighed from next to her. Lyra couldn't help but giggle. Her mother must have learned to use the kitchen from her dad, then.
"She makes wonderful desserts, though." Lyra tried to defend her mother. It was one of the things she wanted her mother to teach her, the recipes. Her favorite times were trying to help her mother make different confectioneries.
"Does she now?" The elegant witch asked with a curious smirk. "I am quite surprised. My daughter never showed much aptitude for the kitchen before."
"Yeah. Most of the pies and fritters last night were her recipes." Her father yawned as he strode into the room with her uncle and new aunt not far behind. Lyra lit up as he came into the room with almost everyone.
"Oh? Those were hers? Did she learn it to keep you happy?" The red headed witch laughed out.
"God, I wish. Some of them are like eating a little slice of heaven. The first time she fed Lyra a piece of apple pie from the stores she spent a month trying out various ways to cook it. She kinda just kept going from there. And now," he gestured at the window, "orchard. The land was pretty cheap. And changing all of the trees wasn't too difficult either. You know, Magic."
"The recipes must have been annoying to find," Aunt Ginny quipped. "There was quite a selection of treats last night."
"Not at all. We just did a quick search and found hundreds." Her father said. It made Lyra smile at her own memory with her mother. As far back as she could remember her mother would bring her into the room with various recipes on the screen, asking her which one she wanted to try.
"How did you manage that? Sounds like Hermione, that." Uncle Ron laughed, clapping her father on the shoulder. Her father smirked and pulled out his phone.
"Internet." He said, facing the object towards the others. The redheads' eyes widened.
"Is that how Hermione always knows everything?" The witch sibling whispered.
"Merlin, I don't know, Ginny. She always just tells me she is looking something up when she goes into her study." Her uncle sounded absolutely clueless. It did sound like it was probably the internet, though.
"Harry, you shouldn't push Draco so hard next time you fly. She was looking very uncomfortable sprawled out like an animal with the rest of you. You might want to see if she needs an ointment for her abdomen. She kept rubbing it while you were all sleeping." Mrs. Weasley called over her shoulder to her father. He responded by spraying his own tea over her Uncle Ron.
"Harry!" He let out a long whine. "Why is it always me? Spit into Gin's face next time!"
"Sorry Ron, wrong pipe, y'know." Her father coughed out. Her grandmother eyed her father for a moment. Uncle Ron just let out a frustrated groan as he dried himself off, the liquids vanishing with the wave of a wand.
"Harry, dear, why don't you and your friends tell Lyra about your first end of term together. If I am correct I have to have a quick…discussion… with Molly." Her grandmother had an almost predatory look as she stared at her dad. He raised an eyebrow in return.
"I suppose that might be a good idea." He said slowly. He eyed the elder witch in return as she joined Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen. Lyra giggled. When it came to her father watching her grandma was much like watching her mother. He would always give them a suspicious look in response. She smirked at the thought of one day also being able to do what they did. The magic of charm, she supposed.
"What about the tournament, Dad? Didn't you still have to finish the tournament?" Lyra asked before her father could start the story. They were almost finished with the story and she hated waiting for an ending.
"Yeah, I finished it. I don't really talk about what happened during the final task, though." Her father said with an apologetic grin. "Sorry, Lyra."
"C'mon, Dad. You at least won, didn't you?" He gave her a thoughtful look before he smiled at her with a nod. He seemed to be willing to at least tell her a little bit.
"Yeah, I won. I won't go into too much detail about what was going on because you will probably have to learn about it all in school. One of the champions didn't make it, though. I still have the occasional nightmare about it.' He said, taking a seat near her as the adults joined the table.
"I'm sorry, Dad. You don't have to tell me about it." Lyra said, feeling a little dejected but understanding how hurtful memories can be. Her mother and father always reminded her of that. She hadn't expected there to be a bad memory in the middle of such an amazing story.
*It's alright, Lyra. Those memories will be with me forever, but I did end up winning. I was torn up about not being able to save the other Hogwarts champion. I blamed myself for a long time about that. Your mother snuck into the hospital wing looking for me. I had been pretty banged up by the time I returned from the maze with the cup.*
Harry had so many emotions swirling through his head as Dumbledore sent Bill and Madam Pomfrey on their respective tasks. His skin felt heavy. The man that had been guiding him, mentoring him when he needed it most, had helped Harry lead Cedric to his death. Even with the forgiveness of his parents he could not shake the guilt. If he had just listened to Malfoy, and tried to win, Cedric would still be alive. It was all he could do to not break down. Harry forced himself to focus on the events happening now that Fudge had left the wizarding world defenseless against Voldemort.
The headmaster turned back to the room as the door closed. He went to begin speaking once more, but paused when there was a clatter of metal near a bed next to the doors. Everyone in the room seemed to be on edge as they looked about. Dumbledore's face looked genuinely surprised for a moment before turning to the sound.
"It is quite alright, everyone. I assure you we are not in any immediate danger." The headmaster's voice returned to the nurturing tone he was so familiar with. "If you wouldn't mind returning Harry's cloak, Miss Malfoy." There was a collective gasp from the adults, and he could hear Sirius give off a low growl next to him, but Harry felt a level of comfort to have her show up.
There was a long moment of silence as Dumbledore continued staring right at the bed. Ron started laughing after his own initial shock had worn off, eliciting a light scoff from the far bed. Malfoy's annoyed visage suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
*She was almost kicked out, but she wasn't about to let anyone stop her. I'm pretty sure she would have found another way in even if I was asleep by the time she got in. There were so many people there that she still had to wait quite a bit before we could talk*
"I'm afraid I must ask you to return to your dorm under these dire circumstances, as well." Dumbledore spoke once more now that the Slytherin had revealed herself.
"That's not fair!" She said desperately as she looked up at the towering figure of the headmaster. "I'm his friend, too!"
Harry couldn't describe how much those words affected him that night. Even with Lucius having been at the graveyard, Draco was here. Relief of a fear he hadn't realized was there washed over him. It filled that pit in his soul he had since initially returning from the ambush laid out for him. The emotions were still there, but he could feel them more muted for now.
"Indeed you are." The Headmaster seemed to confirm, a small smile growing on his lips. "And Harry will need all of his friends right now."
Dumbledore turned once more to the room, guiding Malfoy toward his bed, and giving Harry a wink with a bit of his twinkle returning. Draco took a seat with Ron and Hermione, tossing the bundle of Harry's cloak to him. She was looking about, wide eyed.
"You actually went for Harry's invisibility cloak? You're bonkers, Malfoy." Ron said in a low voice. Hermione shushed him, pinching his shoulder. "Ouch! I think you took my skin off."
He watched the black form of Sirius slowly approach her warily, causing Harry to smirk briefly for the first time that night as she recoiled from an animal being so close. The fleeting feeling vanished under the weight of the recent events all too quickly.
"Now that we have settled this small surprise, let us continue." Dumbledore began once more preparing; starting off by revealing Sirius Black as an animagus, much to his potion Master's dismay. After forcing the two to come to an agreement he then sent Snape and his godfather off on specific tasks. The revelation hadn't gone down without a hitch. Malfoy had practically screamed bloody murder and fallen out of her seat when he sprang up next to her and Ron had to calm his mother down.
The Headmaster advised him to drink the rest of his potion before leaving the room himself. Silence claimed the room once more when the doors closed at his departure. Harry focused on his friends being present to stave off the depression that was hovering over him. Malfoy stood from her chair and walked up to his bed.
*When most of my visitors left she finally came up to my bed. She had been worried when I was taken to the hospital wing. No one knew what was going on. One champion gets taken to the Hospital, another dead. A night of celebration became a night of despair. Your mother did everything she could to comfort me. It helped more than she will ever realize. Mrs. Weasley was so mad with her though. Draco had been a little too… blunt.*
"What happened in the maze, Potter?" She asked in a tone that brokered no argument.
"Draco!" Hermione chided while Mrs. Weasley took a much harder line.
"Now you listen here! You might be sweet on each other, but you best mind your manners. Harry's had enough to deal with tonight!" She said pointedly in a tone bordering on dangerous. She was jabbing her wand in Malfoy's direction, the blonde spinning and backing into the bed at the outburst.
"It's alright, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, cutting off the witch, mid-rant. "Malfoy's been helping me with the tournament all year. He needs to know what happened." His own voice was uncertain as he spoke up.
"Are you sure, Harry? Dumbledore insisted you drink your potion and get some rest. You can always talk in the morning if you really need to." He knew she meant well, but he needed to talk with the blonde before the end of the night.
Harry looked to his other friends who both just shrugged back at him. "No, I'm not, but I have to do it." He said. Harry knew that going through the events again was going to be difficult.
He looked back at the Slytherin that had become his fourth shadow over the year. "It was him." The words came out like sandpaper as his mouth began to dry.
"Him?" She asked, puzzled.
"Voldemort. It… The cup was a trap. He didn't even give Cedric a chance." He choked out as a wave of guilt washed over him when the name passed his lips. Harry clenched his jaw as he thought about what he had to tell her. "He called his death eaters, Draco." Malfoy's face grew instantly pale.
"You don't mean?" Her voice was tiny, barely reaching his ears. Harry swallowed a lump as he nodded. She slumped into the railing of the bed as her legs almost gave out completely. "What am I going to do?" She whispered out before regaining some of her composure. "How did you even manage to get back, Potter?"
"They helped me." He said. The images of the shades that had appeared flashed in his memories. "His victims. My parents and others were there. Cedric, too. He asked me to bring him back to his parents." He paused as he felt himself break. He looked right into Draco's eyes as the guilt built even more.
"I should have listened to you." He managed to get out. "I should have listened to you and just gone for the cup."
"How would that have changed anything? You would have still been sent to him."
"He would still be alive if I had!" Harry shouted out before finally losing his energy and will to keep talking. The wing was completely silent as he became consumed by his guilt. He couldn't even hold his head up anymore as he felt hot tears stream from his eyes.
*I had hit rock bottom. I didn't know how I was going to go on. Your mother, though, she did something I would never have expected. She held onto me as I broke down, she made sure I felt the comfort I desperately needed at the time. When I had finally calmed down enough Mrs. Weasley made me drink a sleep potion to get some rest.*
He froze for a moment as he felt a pair of lithe arms wrap around him before allowing himself to lean into the girl he had lent his comfort to at the beginning of their school year. There were minutes of silence as he let himself release his emotions into her embrace.
"Scarhead, you idiot." He heard her say softly. "What if you had just let him take the cup? You were there to bring him back. That was the least likely scenario next to you going alone. One of the other champions was going to get the cup. You are a fourth-year! He is lucky that you are so insufferably noble."
An abrupt bang of a window forced everyone to jump in surprise, Draco herself jumping back from Harry and landing hard in a chair. Everyone looked to Hermione who had her hand cupped onto the window. She blushed when she noticed the attention she was receiving.
"I'm sorry." She said as she carefully pulled her hand from the glass. She made her way back towards her bag, glancing at them. "Go on."
"Harry, please take this. You are exhausted. Miss Malfoy will be there in the morning." Mrs. Weasley got his attention, taking the opportunity to shove the potion bottle into his hand. She was right, he was absolutely drained. Harry drank the potion without fuss.
"Ron and Hermione, too," he reminded the motherly witch through a heavy yawn. He could already feel his emotions being forced into a neutral mood as the world began to fade.
"Of course, Harry." He heard faintly as he drifted into much needed darkness.
*I had tried to be alone after the tournament. We would be going home in a matter of days after all. My friends would let me. They always made sure one of them was nearby trying to talk to me. I ended up having to send Aunt Pansy and Draco off with the prize gold to try and get some peace. But then your mother had intercepted me when she realized the ploy, jumping into the carriage I had just opened the door to. She made sure I didn't ride home alone. I'm grateful now, but at the time I was just exhausted. We talked about what we planned to do once we got home. Your mother was worried about going home herself, especially since she refused to stop being my friend.*
The feeling in the air was tense but oddly relaxed at the same time. Even with the warning of Voldemort's return, the general mood of the students was a muted excitement for the vacation. Weeks away from the school that he considered his home.
Harry stared out of the carriage he was riding feeling much different than he ever had. Did he tell them that the carriages are not horseless? No one seemed to be able to really see them, those skeletal horses with wings. He thought he must be going mad and that his ordeal may have literally given him hallucinations.
Maybe he really needed the time away from the school this time. Stay away from magic and try to do things that summer that were mundane. He was pulled from his thoughts by a voice that had become more familiar to him than many others.
"Stop being so silent, Potter." Malfoy complained loudly. She had her head propped up in her hands as she half reclined on her side of the carriage. "I can't stand it. You rarely ever shut up."
"I was going to ride by myself, Malfoy," Harry sighed out. "You could have rode with Pansy."
"I'm on Potter watch, so get used to it." She countered a superior tone.
"I'm not going to off myself, Draco." Harry said. He was getting annoyed with how his friends were treating him. They made him promise to at least let one of them ride with him. "I just wanted to ride in silence anyway."
"Don't you think everyone is scared right now, Scarhead?" Harry shot her a confused look at the sudden prompt. "A lot of us are on edge. You think I haven't thought about what you told me. I'll be going home to a house that he will be going into, as a guest."
Harry really hadn't considered that. Her father had been one of his lieutenants and they supposedly lived in a manor. But surely he couldn't just set up shop in such a widely known family's house.
"Wouldn't it be too obvious that he's there?" Harry asked. Draco gave him a befuddled look for a moment. She rolled her eyes with a sigh.
"My family has been landed since well before many of the wizarding lines decided to come along. The lands are quite large and we've owned them for a millennium. If it weren't for the statute we'd still be in service to the royal family. There are many places to not be found at the manor."
*I still remember accidentally calling her a princess for the first time. I almost got hexed for that. Your mother is pretty slick, though. She had already hatched a plan to escape her house for the holidays. She wasn't about to sit around as eye candy for people she considered very undesirable. So she did what she always does. She played me like a fool.*
"So you really are a princess." Harry couldn't help but say in reflex. The glare she lobbied at him was rather intense. It made him swallow involuntarily.
"Choose your next words very carefully, Scarhead." He could see her hand move for her wand.
"I mean, uh… I meant to ask what you will do? Won't your parents be there too?" Harry coughed into his hand, fumbling for an out.
"And what do you think the dark lord will do when he finds out that we are friends?" That really did make things a little more complicated now that she brought it up. "I don't know what I will do. We don't really have all that long for me to think about it either. I'll figure something out."
Draco fell silent as she drifted into thought. The silence began to get to Harry now that all he could think about was a way to help her. She would probably just say something about smashing his head into walls being a hobby. Even his mental Draco mocked him at the ready.
"If I wasn't stuck at my relative's house I'd like to find a way to help out." He admitted. "Look, let's try to talk about something else." Draco gave him an odd look as if she were hatching a plan. She finally gave him that lopsided smile, lifting the mood in the air considerably.
"Where do you go between school years, anyway, Potter? It's like you disappear from the magical world all together each year. Afraid someone might learn just how hedonistic you really are?" The tone in her voice took on more familiar notes.
Harry smirked and began to explain the small chunk of suburbia that he called home, the places he was familiar with, as limited as they were, and some things muggles would do for entertainment. It felt cathartic complaining about his relatives to her. As the carriages made their way to Hogsmeade the two fell back into a more comfortable conversation about various things. Like they had become accustomed to throughout the year.
*Saying goodbye for the first time as friends. That was hard. It never happened again, though. Your mother made sure of that. We had become inseparable after that first year. Your Aunt Pansy also showed that she really could identify her future husband easily. What's that? You still tell him it was the fear that got him?*
The unmistakable lurch of the train slowing started as their journey came to a close. In minutes students would be pouring from the train and going their separate ways. Each one returning to their homes for the holidays as they relaxed before their next school year would begin.
For Harry it meant returning to the house that was his island in the ocean, disconnecting him from everyone he knew and cared for. He was more worried for the other person sharing the compartment with him. She looked serene enough but a glance at her rapidly tapping foot was a dead give away.
Up until a few moments ago they had been having a light conversation about the classes coming up in the next year. Harry only being vaguely aware of the different classes each of the years took. They'd be starting to progress into more advanced subjects slowly.
Harry stood up once the train came to a halt and he could hear the other students begin to depart.
"Malfoy."
"Hm?"
"It's time." He reached his arm down to her. She let out a sigh and grabbed onto his forearm. Harry pulled her up from her seat. He smirked when he noticed something he had suspected.
"You're getting shorter." He gave off a light chuckle. She gave him a light glare in response.
"You're lucky I have more important things on my mind than digging out my wand and leaving you here petrified. I've gotten taller, too." She reached for her own luggage that Harry had left atop his own. She could almost reach the handle without climbing on the bench. "I hope you trip on the way home." She said as she turned around with her arms crossed.
"I thought you'd gotten taller, too." Harry quipped.
"Just get my things down for me, Scarhead." She glowered at him. "Why didn't you just put it next to yours."
"Seemed like a fun joke." Harry said with a grin. The blonde scoffed, rolling her eyes before moving to the side for him. He pulled down their respective trunks and made sure they had everything.
The pair exited their compartment to find the Weasley clan, Hermione and Pansy gathered around. Hermione was the first to speak up.
"Draco, are you sure you'll be alright?" She asked. Clearly the witch had been thinking about it as well. The two really did work on similar wavelengths.
"Granger, my household has been home to many dangerous people over the years and we are all still here." Malfoy said in a bored tone. Hermione let out a squeak when the slightly taller girl gave her a hug. "I'll see you next year, when I'll be able to score better O.W.L.s than you." Ginny wormed her way into the hug. "Alright, Weaselette, I get it. I'll see you next year, too."
"Did you make sure it got to them?" Harry asked Pansy, nodding his head back towards the Weasley twins.
"Yes, Potter, I gave it to them." She looked over his shoulder with an expectant expression. "Well? Tell him."
"Tell him what?" He heard a twin from behind him.
"Were you supposed to give something to someone?" The other asked, innocently.
"Fred Weasley!" Pansy shouted out, sparing no anger from her voice and pointing her wand right next to Harry's head with a murderous look. He followed along the wand to see it pointing right at one of the twins.
"Aye, we got it, 'ol chap." The redhead said, but all the joy was gone as he swallowed hard. His hands were raised in literal surrender. "We do thank you for your patronage, Potter." He gave Harry a withered smile.
"Maybe we best tread lightly around that one." He heard George whisper to his twin, who was facing down a wand.
*Being home that first week was absolutely boring. I was never allowed to do much without my relatives accusing me of plotting something. I was so close to blowing up when they suddenly told me I'd have to begin sleeping in the cupboard because some Lady from the aristocracy wanted to use their house for their summer holiday to visit the 'quaint area she'd heard so much about.' It came out of nowhere. I didn't care who it was, I was just getting so angry when the wildest thing happened.*
"You will be on your best behavior, boy." Uncle Vernon spat out as he explained what was happening. "We have been chosen to host a very important person during their summer holidays. No magic and no magic talk. Understand?"
"Who could possibly chosen here for a summer holiday"
"I don't know, boy, someone from the aristocracy just said they wanted to holiday in the area and decided we would be best suited to host them. You'll be using your old bed for the duration."
"What? That's not fair!" He tried to appeal.
"It's not what's fair, boy. It's what must be done. You'll use your old bed, you'll keep your magic hidden and you'll make yourself scarce, is that clear?" Uncle Vernon had gone red in the face.
"Why can't you let Dudley travel for the holiday like he wants, then?" Harry asked.
"Because he needs to make connections. I have half a mind to send you away!" His uncle's face had become the classic purple by now.
Before the argument could escalate any farther there was a knock at the door. His uncle shoved him up the stairs as a panicked look spread across his face. "Get your stuff hidden, boy! Dudley! Petunia!"
Harry made his way to the top of the stairs. He was in a foul mood. He could hear his relatives all rush to the door, so he stopped at the top of the stairs to see if he could tell what was going on. Turning and sitting on the top stair he watched the door open and his aunt and uncle take up the doorway.
He couldn't quite make out what they were saying but this had trouble for him written all over it. Every time some important person came something bad was bound to happen. Maybe he could just listen to the news in his old cupboard, though. At least they wouldn't bother him if he were hidden away.
"Of course, of course!" He heard his uncle shout out in his worst groveling tone yet. "I'll have the boy take your things inside! Come in and relax! We have everything prepared for you." Petunia and Vernon backed out of the door and separated. Uncle Vernon's face turned slightly pale as he responded to their guest. "No, no. This is Dudley, our son. He is very pleased to make your acquaintance!"
Dudley's face started to flush as his mouth opened and closed like a fish. Harry could laugh at the face for years to come, he was sure. He almost had, but when this mysterious member of the aristocracy strode through the doorway all he could do was stare in horror.
*Draco came through that front door with my relatives practically groveling at her feet. Yeah, she really is a Lady. That would be something you should ask your grandfather. Anyway, she didn't even need to use her magic to pull this one off. She had gotten me to open up about my home for a reason, after all. Unfortunately she decided to play a very dirty trick on me, making sure I'd have to grovel at her feet just like my relatives. And she took full advantage of it. Even forced me to sleep in her closet. Oh yes, she really did. She can be a wicked witch when she wants to be.*
She looked like she'd fit in at a televised royal event, but there was no mistaking it. Draco Malfoy had just entered his house wearing a pastel blazer over a dress with a parasol in hand. His mouth hung open much like Dudleys, but for different reasons.
"So that is the manservant, then?" She said, looking right at him with that lopsided grin. Uncle Vernon froze up for a second before responding, shooting him an angry glare.
"Yes, yes. He is very good at doing things out of view. He was JUST about to prepare your room. I'll make sure you never see him while you are here unless it is necessary." Harry felt an interesting mix of emotions, but mostly anger at what he heard.
"Nonsense, I'll be usurping his services for my duration. You'll be well compensated, of course." Harry gave her a slightly confused look. Was she being serious? He was going to have to work for her? It almost felt like a betrayal.
"Right you are! Sorry to have assumed. I'll have the boy make sure to be at your beck and call. He sleeps right here when we have guests." Vernon gestured to the cupboard under the stairs. Well, he was talking to "a member of the aristocracy." He wasn't too surprised to be treated like a thing.
"That won't do. He will make the proper arrangements to be at my side, even during the night. I simply cannot be asked to sleep without at least one servant present." Harry felt all the moisture leave his mouth. His uncle looked torn before shooting him another angry look.
"The boy, of course, would be more than happy to be of service to you at all times. He'll make sure everything is prepared. When he is finished preparing your room, he'll draw a bath for you and you can take some time to relax after your journey. Let us sit for some tea."
"What is his name?"
"Excuse me, m'Lady?"
"My manservant. Surely 'the boy' can't be his real name."
"My apologies." Vernon said after another wave of expressions crossed his face. "His name is Harry, just call his name and he will be at your side."
"Such a plebian name... It'll do, he is just a manservant after all," She tutted. "Harry," she said, looking at him with a mischievous grin, "make all the necessary preparations. And do please hurry, I would like you to be at service as soon as you are able."
Harry watched, stunned, as his Aunt Petunia and Duddley guided Malfoy further into the house. His uncle gave him one last warning before joining them.
"Get her things into the room as fast as you can. Then move the bed from the cupboard into your closet. You will not make things worse this time!"
*I thought she was just taking advantage of the situation so she could lord it over me when we got back to school. She kept making me do the most embarrassing things as her 'manservant.' I… May have made things worse for myself than they needed to be.*
Harry had just finished setting up his old bed when he heard his door open. The blonde he had thought he wouldn't see until next term quickly entered.
"I swear, there was never a more insufferable pair of muggles. And that offspring," Malfoy said as she shut the door.
He spun as soon as he heard the voice. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?" He finally got to ask now that they were alone. How had she even managed to set this whole thing up?
"Isn't it obvious? I'll be spending my holiday here, at a safe location." She said as she plopped onto the bed in a way incongruous with her earlier act. "And I even have a manservant. I couldn't have found a better location for the duration if I tried." She crossed her legs and leaned back, giving him a smug look.
"I'm not your manservant, Malfoy." Harry said in annoyance. Who did she think she was?
"Not in here," he'd never seen her with a more sinister look. "But out there? All I have to do is walk out that door and just like magic…" She let the threat trail off as she snapped her fingers.
"I liked you better when you wore pants still." He said. He immediately regretted it, though.
"Low blow, Scarhead." She let a somewhat sadistic look cross her face. "You know what? I think I will take that bath…"
"I probably deserved that one…" Harry mumbled as he stood up. He was just grabbing the doorknob when she added a more ominous warning.
"Oh, I have much better revenge in mind than just that, Potter. I am a princess after all," she said as she lightly pouted. This was going to be the most stressful summer since he was able to start cooking.
*One of the first things she made me do was guard the door to the restroom as she took a bath. I was so furious, but she kept on teasing me to no end. She even made me take care of her more… feminine laundry. She was loving every second of it while I was ready to melt from the embarrassment. She practically used my relatives like puppets to keep me in check.*
It was absolute hell. He really hoped that she didn't have him do this every time. He was extremely uncomfortable standing outside the door to the bathroom, cracked slightly, with Draco getting into a bath on the other side. That was bad enough, but he was certain she was choosing her vocal musing carefully. She had to be talking so obtusely and loudly on purpose.
"Oh my, I'll have to ask my mother for an allowance for clothing. These bras are becoming much too tight. Harry, would you please accompany me as I purchase new clothing and lingerie? Of course you would. I would hate to purchase something that didn't fit just right."
Harry swallowed hard trying to think of anything else than her overly detailed word choice and the imagery that came along with it.
"What do you think you're doing, boy!?" Harry jumped at his uncle's voice. He looked to the side to see him, head peering at Harry from around the corner.
"Is that you, Dursley? Is Harry still there? He has been oftly quiet." Harry felt his shoulders sag as she started playing his Uncle Vernon like a fiddle. It was sure to spell more trouble in the future.
"Yes, of course he is!" He called out cheerfully despite the purple rage and spittle.
"Do let me know if he isn't fulfilling his duties to me, I require him to stand at the door for my protection whenever I need to use this facility." And that meant yes, he would have to do this every time.
"Of course, Lady Malfoy! You'll see, the boy will be at your beck and call, twenty. Four. Seven" He ground out each number with a pointed look at him. Harry tried his best to look scared even though he found the interaction absolutely hilarious. "You heard her, boy!" He whispered harshly to him before disappearing back into the main rooms.
Maybe it wouldn't be all that bad Harry thought to himself. At least Uncle Vernon would be off his case for the most part. "You really know how to put on a show, Malfoy." He said toward the door. "You can close the door now."
"Oh, no no no, Harry," She cooed. He felt an icy sensation when she said that. "How would I be able to do something like this?"
Suddenly a bare porcelain arm, all the way to the shoulder, appeared through the crack to his side, with a very private garment pinched between the fingers.
"What are you doing?" Harry coughed out in a panic as he looked back and forth. Trying to avoid looking at what was staring him in the face.
"It really won't fit anymore, could you hold on to this and dispose of it once I am finished with my bath?" She bobbed her hand up and down, causing the cups of fabric to bounce and sway in front of his face.
"Malfoy…" Harry pleaded.
"I would hate to tell my hosts how disappointed I am." Harry swallowed hard, feeling his face glow hot like it never had before, before quickly snatching the garment from her hands. "Awfully eager, Potter. It is being disposed of, but please be a gentleman and remember not to soil a lady's garment."
"Sod off, Malfoy." He said into the room. He could hear her snickering on the other side of the cracked door. Why did he befriend her again?
"A shame my other garments still fit fine." She refused to relent.
"Draco!"
*Over the week she just kept teasing me. Pushing the boundary every day until it all finally came to a head. She had a reason for doing it all. I was just being way too stubborn for my own good. I remember sitting at my desk thinking about how much your mother had been putting me though. I was pretty upset by then. But your mother still had one more gambit she held up her sleeve, and I was definitely not ready for it.*
Harry was beyond annoyed at his friend. It wasn't the bags. He'd gotten used to her purchasing habits. He didn't even mind her dragging him all over town. It was the relentless teasing that was getting to him. He almost preferred it when Draco was his enemy at this point.
The past week had him judging various outfits and standing outside girls' bathrooms in embarrassingly public places. Each thing she chose to do seemed to be a sort of escalation. He was certain he had more than fulfilled his revenge debt days ago. He would never call her princess again.
He looked over at the blonde as she sat on his bed. At least, it was supposed to be. Now that the blonde had abruptly entered his mundane world he felt like he was basically at square one realized she was staring at him. He wondered how long she had been doing that.
*She started to pry into my childhood. The poor little boy with no parents, taken in by his relatives. The poor little boy who should show his gratitude through hard labor. The poor little boy that lived in the cupboard under the stairs. She already told you about that? No harm, I suppose.*
"Potter, I have a question." She stated once he noticed her. She leaned forward. "Why is it they said you slept under the stairs when I arrived?"
Harry's head snapped back at the unusually personal question. He flushed a little in embarrassment. Did he tell her the truth? He looked about the room he was in.
"This used to be Dudley's second bedroom until I started getting my Hogwarts letters." It avoided the full truth but explained enough. He hoped she understood enough to not keep prying. What would everyone say once they knew he wasn't some amazing wizard but just a boy out of his depth.
*She got me to show her the cupboard under the stairs. I was hesitant at first, she had been messing with me all week by that point. She just wouldn't relent, so I figured that I may as well get it over with.*
"I see…" She said before settling into silence. She never stopped staring at him, though. It was a little unnerving. "Show me." The words were like a cup of water being dumped over him.
"Excuse me?" Harry asked at the sudden request. Show her what? His little cubby that was practically his world for his entire childhood? He'd rather not. Even if it was just her, it was still one more person.
"Show me under the stairs." She said again, this time more explicitly. She began kicking her legs in boredom.
"You don't want to see that." Harry deflected. What was her game? First all of the teasing and now this. Was she seeing how far she could push him?
"Sure I do." She said with her lopsided grin. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"Fine, but really, you'll probably be bored or disappointed. It's nothing special, just storage." He stood up and slowly ade his way to the door, hoping she'd start laughing at him or something. But as he went through the door he heard her get up and start to follow.
Harry led her down the stairs. His relatives seemed to all be out. She probably planned for this timing. She was quite meticulous if she wanted to be. When he reached the cupboard he turned around to see her already nodding at the door with an expectant look. He sighed and opened up the door.
"See, just storage." He said as he revealed a small, mostly empty cubby under the stairs. She hummed and tossed something into the center of the small room. Suddenly his bed was there again. "Malfoy! Do you want to get us in trouble?" He cried out in alarm.
"Relax, Scarhead. The ministry doesn't track this sort of thing, especially in a muggle free zone. They just say they do to scare you. They only track wands." She explained. Malfoy took a few steps around him before shoving him into the cupboard.
*She actually shoved me into the thing. For just a moment I thought she was playing the worst kind of joke on me so she could laugh about it later, but she dispelled that thought pretty quickly. She actually climbed into the cupboard with me. Yeah, no joke. I don't know how we both fit in there. She closed the door, though and it became something else altogether.*
"What the hell, Malfoy!?" Harry questioned as he roughly landed on the mattress. He felt his legs get roughly pushed aside as the Slytherin climbed in after him. She shut the door behind her, leaving them in complete darkness. Then in complete silence. She didn't answer him. All he could hear was the steady rhythm of her breathing and the.
Then he felt it; movement. He could feel the spot she had climbed onto spread out in the darkness. The sound of fabrics brushing against each other filled the air. She was lying down now. He didn't know if she was on her side, stomach or back. His adrenaline was beginning to spike at the unknown.
The next sound that filled the air was what sounded like wood being rubbed. It was coming in circular motions. They stopped and a more solid sound started up. The dull thuds of an object being dragged across an indented surface. She finally said something.
"Talleys." It was a simple statement, but he knew she had a vague idea of what they meant. "Some of them are wide… fingernails." Some of those dark memories began bubbling up.
"Yeah." He confirmed into the darkness, his voice a little shaky.
"This one is different. On the door. Lots of small flat lines, deep." The last sentence was almost a whisper.
"...Yeah." His voice cracked when she noted those ones. How many times had he done it? For how long? He couldn't remember if he stopped trying at 6 or 7.
"How many people know?" No one knows. At least, no one knew.
"You." Not even Ron and Hermione had seen this.
*She began to explore the inside in the darkness, feeling my fears as a child. The desperation for someone to love me. To even be seen. She broke down all of my barriers. The first person to ever do it. Of course, she did it to get something in return that she had been trying to get from me since she had shown up. To acknowledge who she wanted to be, not who she was. She was upset that I still talked about her as if she hadn't changed when she had.*
Silence again. Just her breathing again. "Why do you always talk to others as if I'm still a boy?" The unexpected question came out of the darkness like a dart to the chest. He didn't even know how to answer that. First it was his painful past, now this.
"I don't really know. Maybe because I don't want to forget who you are. I don't want to treat you as if things have always been this way, that you didn't lose something." Harry talked into the darkness. There was no reply for a long time. It could have been a half hour as far as he could tell.
"I was never happy before." Her voice finally broke the silence. "When you first met me, I was obsessed with success and appearances. But nothing really made me happy as I chased my pureblood status around like I was the cock of the town. Well, maybe flying did, but you were so good that it became something I had to excel at. Not something I wanted to excel at"
"It wasn't until I lost practically everything I considered me that I had to think about who I really was. I didn't even know who I was supposed to be anymore. I went from being prepared to inherit the manor to being prepared to be married off." Seconds passed with only the muffled sounds of themselves in the cramped space to fill the air. The spots where his legs brushed up against her became uncomfortably warm the longer they stayed there. Then she spoke again.
"After two years, time forced the choice for me. I'm a girl." He felt her shift. He wasn't sure how she was oriented at all. "I'm happy now, Harry. I'm happier as a girl than I ever was as a boy. As a boy I never would have become your friend. I would still be worried sick about how I was going to impress my peers. I would probably even be trying to look strong in front of the Dark Lord." She let out a long and shaky sigh before she began chuckling lightly.
"I tried everything to get you to finally admit it." She finally said, whispering the next part. "When you finally admit it I… I can move."
"Is that what all that has been about? Christ, Malfoy, all I could think about was the fact that you are a girl this last week. I was afraid you were going to start making me apply sunscreen."
There was nothing but silence for a few moments, not even her breath. Then he heard soft snickers followed by full blown laughter. She finally calmed down after a bit.
"That would have been a good idea. Maybe I should have waited one more day." She chuckled again as Harry shook his head in the darkness. He took a deep breath before exhaling heavily.
* I don't know if she had just come out and said it if things would have been different, but I put my foot in my mouth and even though I thought the teasing would stop I was dead wrong. It amused your mother to no end. I don't think she realized that I had started falling for her. But that was one line I was unwilling to cross, taking advantage of a friend. I just lived the next year and a half in perpetual torture as your mother showed me over and over again what being with her could be like as some sort of cruel joke. Some of the best times of my life.*
"You can really be over the top, you know." Harry finally said. "Sometimes it's hard to gauge how far you are willing to go." Her laughter danced through the dark.
"You probably don't want to test that, Scarhead," she said. "Someone like you would never be able to push my limits."
"Couldn't be that far," Harry quipped, "I've taken on dragons and basilisks." There was a brief moment of silence before he felt her shift into an upright position. Was she sitting? Half laying? The darkness was his only answer for too long.
Harry was pushed into a tackle out of nowhere, the mattress barely softening the impact sufficiently. She was straddling him now. All he could hear now was a heavy heartbeat in his ears. "Malfoy?" Two points of pressure appeared next to his head, leaving an odd coolness on the nape of his neck where the mattress was no longer touching him. Still no answer. "Draco? What are you doing?"
Agonizingly slowly she lowered her weight onto him. She was surprisingly light, but that just made everything he was experiencing all that much worse. His body was telling him to reach out and embrace the contact. Take it for his own. It was almost frightening how intoxicating the sensation was.
He felt new impressions form, her forearms pressing into the bed along his biceps as she wormed her way up his body, paralyzing him for good. When she finally stopped the torturous motion he felt a warm, wet breath in his right ear. In and out, the wind rushed past his ear. Each breath accompanied by at least eight of his own heartbeat, thundering in rhythm.
"Don't test me, Scarhead." A shiver shot down his back like a lightning bolt as the words came out of the darkness, the muted loudness of the whisper in his ear. He felt his legs kicking out, almost forcing him to thrust his hips forward. He couldn't control it.
And just as suddenly as he found himself shoved into the cubby before all this started, a blinding light flooded the room. He squinted as the light pierced his eyes. The warmth and comfort that had overwhelmed him was replaced with a breezy cool. He could barely make out her smug grin under a blaze of red as his eyes began to adjust to the light.
Then darkness again. He felt so lightheaded at the rollercoaster he had just been subjected to since he'd come down those stairs. Without her, the secure and safe atmosphere was replaced by a cold and dark one. A juxtaposition that was not completely lost on him. He heard her from the other side of the door.
"Best return your bed, Potter. I want to go shopping."
"No wonder. It was always going to be Draco, wasn't it?" Aunt Ginny pointed out. "No one else stood a chance. She was the only one that managed to force her way into your barriers."
"More like she kicked in the door and made it her home." Her father chuckled.
"I'm not going to lie, mate," Uncle Ron said, "Those best times of your life tended to be some of the more uncomfortable ones of mine. You remember some of the things she did."
Her father gave a wistful smile, giving off a light exhale. "Yeah, I remember."
"Remember what?" Her mother finally made her way into the kitchen, joining the table with a seat between her and her father. She walked a little sluggish and her motions were much less refined and deliberate. It wasn't a bad thing, but she had never seen her mother move so naturally. She was still light on her feet and graceful, but there was less rigidity. Lyra smiled, she wondered if her mother even noticed she was doing it.
"Just remembering fifth year and how often you left Harry all flustered." Her Aunt said with a hint of a person that found out a juicy rumor. Her mother blushed briefly before glancing at Lyra.
"An interesting topic. Care to explain how you got there?" She cleared her throat. Her father chuckled when she asked.
"I was just telling Lyra how 'Lady Malfoy' came to my house one summer and made me into her manservant." A lighter blush appeared on her mothers face, but less quick to fade. The rest of the table began laughing.
"It was adorable. Harry didn't stand a chance, did he?" Mrs. Weasley said as she began moving the food to the table with her wand. It was mesmerizing watching each platter lift on its own and arc its way onto the tabletop in perfect order. She wasn't even looking at her work as she talked.
"No one would have stood a chance if Draco had put her sights on them." Her Grandmother stated "She just happened to have Harry in her sights when she wasn't even looking." She smirked at her daughter.
"I figured it out eventually." Her mother said indignantly. It sounded like her mother had things she couldn't figure out as well. It was a rare thing to see the human side of her mother like this.
Lyra started giggling and before long everyone at the table was laughing. The breakfast was delicious, each bite uniquely perfect. Mrs. Weasley glowed when she mentioned it. Stories of pranks and general going ons were shared. She barely understood much of what they were saying. As breakfast was coming to a close Her grandmother said something that caused a reaction around the table.
"Really, Draco, You practically ate half of Harry's plate as well." Her grandmother observed, teacup being raised, eyes closed. Her mother dropped her fork onto her dad's plate with a clatter, a sausage still skewered on the end. She quickly pulled her had away and cleared her throat.
"I've always stolen food from his plate" She said with an annoyed glare in her grandmother's direction.
"Of course you have, this'll be what, the third time you've done it?" Grandma Malfoy finally opened her eyes, casting a smirk at her mother. Her mother's eyes widened.
"Harry!" Her Aunt Ginny squealed out. She jumped up from the table, knocking her chair over. Her father looked over from his frozen state, still pouring very hot tea into an overflowing cup in front of her. Her Uncle Ron just started cheering.
"Justice!" He shouted, pointing his fork, eggs bacon and sausage half eaten at the end, at his sister..
"I'd love to join you for tea later, mother." Her own mother said calmly. She let out a small sigh before turning to Lyra and her brothers. "Would you like to go for your first broom rides?" Whatever was going on with the adults was immediately forgotten as everyone got excited at the prospect of either fond memories or the chance to fly on a broom.
Author Note: This chapter ended up evolving in unexpected but oddly satisfying ways. When I was asking myself how Draco might make her way into the Dursley household I remembered how much they grovel to curry favor. As such, I planted a small easter egg to my favorite Vernon line from the movies. I am looking forward to their fifth year. Umbridge seems the perfect foil for the next arc.