Harry looked up a little startled when he heard a throat clearing behind him. He was elbow deep in the soil as he was replanting some new plants and flower that he and Narcissa had chosen together to add to the garden. They had separated out a little section for him, a section for Narcissa and a part that they would look after together.

He found it relaxing and soothing to be out here, and he was glad for the fresh air. He was not used to spending too much time inside, particularly during the summer. He also wanted to make the most of it before his new tutor arrived and he was pulled back into having to sit inside for lessons for hours. Although this time Narcissa and Lucius had made it clear that anything he was not happy about with the lessons he was to bring up straight away, that getting to tutor a Malfoy heir was an honour, and one that a lot of people were vying for.

He had almost been tempted to ask what had happened to Grundings, almost, but then fear of knowing exactly what had happened to the man stayed his tongue. He wasn't sure he was ready to hear what his… family did for revenge.

So while he knew Samael was his… parents favoured choice to tutor him, he had also been made more than aware that if he didn't like Samael then he didn't have to accept him as his tutor.

And the reason he was out here was to try and de-stress slightly before Samael showed up for the meeting that had been set up between them for Harry to talk to him. Not only after what had happened with his last tutor, but also this was the first time he was meeting anyone connected to the Malfoys other life. He wasn't stupid, for Lucius and Narcissa to have chosen Samael meant he was definitely one of Voldemort's followers, or his parents were.

He had clearly lost track of time however while trying to calm his nerves, because there was no doubt that the man standing in front of him, looking slightly amused was Samael Flint.

"Ah, Mr Flint right? Sorry I must have completely lost track, I was…erm," Harry stammered, feeling his face going bright red. Not only at the fact that his potential new tutor had found him literally elbow deep in soil, but also because his brain chose that moment to declare that Samael was nothing like his brother and actually quite good looking.

Harry had been picturing an older version of Marcus, but as unfair as it was to think, Samael had obvious gotten all the good looking genes. Tall and proud, he wasn't quite as muscled as Marcus, but it was close, just as tall. He had the same black hair and black eyes, however his skin was a pale white and unblemished. Sharp features were quite different to Marcus' troll like ones, they may look a little harsh, but Harry thought there was maybe a warmth there that softened that harshness slightly.

"Please, not Mr Flint, that is my father. Samael, and it is quite alright, I am early. What are you planting?" Harry blinked as Samael sat down next to him on the disturbed grass and soil, looking in interest at the plant in Harry's hand and half into the ground.

"It's a Chinese lantern plant," Harry said absently, completely thrown.

"It's unusual looking, like a pumpkin," Samael hummed. His features were quite set, no real expression there, but his black eyes were shining in interest.

"Yes, when the planet starts fading it form an exoskeleton around the berry that looks like a cage. The berry is edible, it's quite tasty," Harry rambled while wondering what on the earth was going on. This was not what he was expecting from the Flint heir.

"Interesting, and that one, it looks newly planted," Samael pointed at a small sapling.

"Cherry blossom tree, they are my favourite. I have a few older trees being delivered in the next few days, but I wanted to plant a couple myself from saplings," Harry nodded.

"You like herbology?" Samael turned to look at him, his dark eyes locking Harry into place.

"I like herbology, but I prefer just gardening," Harry shrugged, managing to yank his gaze away to finish planting to the Chinese lantern plant.

"There is a difference?"

"Herbology you are thinking about why you have chosen a planet, what it can do, what you will use it for. This is just put something in the ground and help it grow," Harry explained as best he could.

"Interesting," Samael hummed.

"You're making me feel like a bug pinned down," Harry said after a few moments during which he could feel Samael's eyes burning into him.

"It's not often that you get to meet the Malfoy's supposedly dead child," Samael said matter of factly. Harry turned wide eyed at his bluntness before he grinned.

"But you meet other supposedly dead children a lot?" He asked.

"Touché," Samael snorted.

"You're very blunt," Harry sat back and looked at the older man.

"Does it bother you? It does a lot of people," Samael asked.

"Not really, I would rather you be honest with me," Harry shrugged.

"Not many people think like that," Samael tilted his head to look at Harry curiously. "Most prefer me to flatter them and lie,"

"I would really rather you didn't," Harry scrunched his nose.

"I would like to be your tutor, at first because it would look good for my family and increase our standing, but now I find you are quite interesting and would like to spend more time with you,"

"Samael!" Someone hissed and man walked over looking panicked and furious.

"Yes Father?" Samael raised his eyebrow as Lucius and Narcissa hurried behind Lord Flint.

"How many times do I have to tell you you can't just tell people things like that, I told you that this was important!" Lord Flint scolded starting to look more and more angry.

"I like how Samael is, and that he is honest. I would have to be seriously thick to think that you put your heir forward to tutor me out of the goodness of your heart," Harry rolled his eyes.

"Harry!" Narcissa coughed.

"What? I like that he has no filter," Harry shrugged.

"Thank you," Samael nodded.

"Dear Merlin," Lord Flint sat down on a nearby bench.

"Do you actually want to tutor me?" Harry asked Samael seriously.

"At first I thought it was going to be a lot more of a pain for me than it actually will be. It will be putting me out a little, but you are interesting, and it will be interesting to see how things are going to develop around you. As long as you make an effort to learn it won't be too much of a bother for me," Samael shrugged.

Harry smiled as the three 'adults' stared at Samael wide eyed and stunned. "I will work hard I promise," He nodded.

"Good, because I have seen your marks and some of them are awful, you will only have one job option besides cleaner if you don't want to use your name to force your way into a position. Though don't seem to be stupid going by some of your other marks," Samael nodded.

"Samael!"

"We will get on fine," Harry grinned.

Harry rolled his eyes as he looked up from the book he was devouring to see Draco standing in front of him looking furious. Honestly everything that Harry seemed to do right now apparently made Draco furious. He found him in the hall, furious, he found him in the dinning room, furious, he found him in the garden, furious, he found him in the kitchens, furious. The only time he had not seen him furious was when he caught him on the Quidditch pitch, then he had thought that he was going to give himself a heart attack with how angry he had gotten. After that Harry had just chosen a different spot on the grounds to fly on.

This time he had caught Harry in the library looking out books that Samael had requested he read before their first lesson tomorrow, and apparently that was a reason to be furious as well. He had intended to be in and out of the library and retreat to his room. But the book was quite interesting and he had become lost in it.

It was getting more and more difficult to remember that this was difficult for Draco as well, not not give into his desire to beat the blonde over the head with the book in his hands. He reckoned it was only the fact that he really was enjoying the book and did not want to damage it that stilled his hand.

"Can I help you?" As soon as he said it he closed his eyes knowing it was the wrong thing to say. Sue enough when he opened his eyes Draco's face was bright red and he was looking furious.

"You can help me by getting lost!" Draco spat.

"I tell you what why don't just just stop holding back and tell me altogether that you wish I had never been found, or why don't we just that step further again and you can tell them that you wish I had really been dead after all, because that is really what you want isn't it!" Harry said calmly. He hoped that putting it in such terms would shock Draco into realising what he was saying.

"I... that..."

"That is what you are saying with all this shit Draco, with this behaviour, you think this is easy? You think this is the life I wanted? Draco wake up and grow up. You aren't and child, this situation isn't easy on anyone, and I have been trying to understand it from your side of things, but I am rapidly losing my temper," Harry breathed out before turning and walking out of the library, feeling Draco's eyes burning into the back of his neck.

"Well done my lad," Killian whispered following him through the portraits down the hall.

"I think I am going to have a heart attack, I was sure he would try and curse me," Harry grimaced.

"From what I have heard he would not have been likely to hurt you, you seem to be the better dueler," Killian frowned.

"I am, that's the problem, any of our... interactions in the past have not ended very well for him. Merlin knows how it would go down if I managed to blast him into a corner," Harry sighed.

"Your mother managed to blast Bellatrix through a wall once when they were younger, so a leg she does not have to stand on. Is everything ok?" Lucius asked in concern, raising an eyebrow when Harry squeaked and jumped.

"You are like a shadow sometimes!" Harry grumbled pressing his hand over his heart.

"My apologies, I have found moving quietly has come in handy for creeping around the Ministry and hearing things I should not," Lucius smirked, not looking sorry at all.

"At least you admit it," Harry snorted.

"So Draco?" Lucius raised his eyebrow, silently calling Harry out on trying to avoid the subject.

"It's fine, we had a little chat," Harry shrugged starting to walk again.

"Do not shrug," Lucius gently tapped Harry on the shoulder. "And is there a particular reason why this, chat, would have left you worried he would curse you?"

"Not really,"

"Draco was kicking off again, so Harry informed him that with his behavious he was essentially saying that he wished Harry were really dead," Killian informed Lucius.

"Killian!" Harry hissed betrayed glaring at the portrait who just smiled back and raised his hands.

"As much as I dislike you saying that, and the idea of it, perhaps such frankness is what Draco needs. Though it makes me more reluctant to allow you and Samael to spend time together, you are utterly too frank as it stands," Lucius snickered, taking the heat from his words away.

"I may have also told him he needs to grow up," Harry went to shrug and then smiled sheepishly at Lucius.

"Also true," Lucius sighed. "Is there a reason we are heading to my study?" He asked casually.

"Yes I have a plan," Harry nodded.

"Oh? This does sound interesting," Harry blinked at the man standing in Lucius' study, unconsciously stepping closer to Lucius, his father. He did not miss the way Lucius puffed up slightly.

"Ah, yes. Thank you so much for respecting my request on, staying the hell away!" Lucius growled.

"But you were... you are..." Harry stammered staring wide eyed at the man.

"Yes, well I helped bring the Dark Lord back, do you really think he would just allow me to be kissed?" Barty Crouch jr smiled as he took a seat at Lucius' desk. "As soon as you escaped he sent the right people to be in place for when Fudge panicked and tried to have me kissed straight away,"

"So you have been out there this whole time?" Harry grimaced.

"Actually no, I have been being healed," Barty motioned to himself. He did indeed look a lot better than he had when Harry had seen him transform from Moody's knarled form a year ago now.

"Wonderful,"

"Besides sending you to the Dark Lord to be used in the ritual, we actually got on quite well that year did we not?" Barty smirked at him.

"You mean besides when you tried to kill me after I returned to Hogwarts?" Harry raised his eyebrow.

"I wasn't trying to kill you, merely... kidnap you," Barty waved a hand.

"Wow, so much incredibly better!" Harry gasped.

"So what is this plan? You had your sneaky voice on, which means that this is going to be something underhand no doubt," Barty raised an eyebrow.

"It is creepy that you are able to differentiate my tones Pedo," Harry snorted moving to Lucius' desk and placing his books down.

"Pedo... what is that?" Lucius frowned confused.

"What... oh yes I forget the wizarding world doesn't have them. I am not explaining, look it up," Harry shrugged. "Now do you want to hear my plan?"

"Do you want me to remove him?" Lucius motioned to Barty, who placed a look of mock offence on his features when Harry looked up to eye him.

"Are you friends?" Harry asked Lucius.

"Close as a Malfoy gets, though his choice was between me and Snape, and really I think it just came down to the fact he didn't want to risk getting grease on him that he chose me," Barty grinned with a lot of teeth as Harry let out a snort of amusement.

"He can stay then. It was really Samael that gave me this idea, it was in one of the books that he suggested I read up on a little before tomorrow. I don't know whether he intended me to find this or if it is just coincidence, but with you Slytherins I don't believe in coincidence," Harry grumbled.

"Now now little Harry, you and I both know that you were supposed to be a Slytherin," Barty tutted.

"What?!" Lucius choked.

"Thank you," Harry said crisply to the smirking Barty who looked like he was having the time of his life, before turning to Lucius. "Yes the hat wanted me in Slytherin,"

"So why aren't you?" Lucius asked confused.

"Because I asked it not to put me there. All I had heard about it to that point was the fact that Slytherins were evil, the people who I thought were my parents had been murdered by the most Slytherin of Slytherins, and I had met Draco and realised that I did not want to send the next seven years of my life sharing a dorm with him," Harry met Lucius' eyes and dared him to have a go at him about it. He had been dreading this coming up, mainly for the part Draco had played in his decision.

"Dum dum dum," Barty intoned making Harry roll his eyes, though it successfully broke the uncertain tension between Harry and Lucius, were Harry could see the blonde man was fighting down numerous responses to the revelation.

"I see you are as mature as ever," Harry rolled his eyes.

"I see you are as doom and gloom as ever, honestly you take life far to seriously," Barty jibbed back.

"And you do not take it seriously enough! Honestly how you manged to convince everyone for as long as you did I don't know pedo," Harry shook his head.

"I dont know what that means!" Barty growled.

"Google it," Harry smirked.

"I don't know what that is!" Barty huffed.

"What a shame," Harry grinned.

"Will you two stop taunting each other please," Lucius pressed a finger to his eyes.

"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly.

"Now, what is this plan?" Lucius asked.

"Right yes. Samael had me read this book, in it there are situations in regards to heirs that have been stolen by other families. I was reading this section, and basically, even though I am not technically a Potter, their adoption means that I have all the rights to the Potter titles, money and names. If we make the right moves now with the Goblins before Dumbledore can over rule us, we would hold everything that the Potters did, that would seriously weaken their side, we already know that they have been skimming from the Potter accounts," Harry placed the book he had been reading down onto the desk, opened at the right page.

Lucius and Barty exchanged a look before leaning forwards to read the section Harry indicated to.

"He would likely have already put measures in place just in case," Lucius frowned.

"No he wouldn't, he is always so sure of his plans that he would not think to put measures into place for the event that Harry may have found out what happened. He is so sure over his control of the chessboard," Barty sobered up, speaking seriously for the first time as he picked u that book and read it over again.

"That's why he hasn't realised that I am missing yet, the thought of me running away or escaping, that would never have crossed his mind," Harry nodded.

"I can have a word with... someone with a lot of control, and organise for those of us within Gringotts and the Ministry to grease the wheels on putting the paperwork through, if you talk Harry through filling out the right things," Barty stood.

"Yes, that was far more subtle, I have no idea who you are talking about," Harry said sarcastically.

"Come on admit it, you missed me!" Barty ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, no," Harry snorted stepping back.

"See you soon," Barty waved cheerfully as he stepped into the fire, his tongue flicking out in his tick.

"I did not realise you two had became close during his time at Hogwarts," Lucius said softly.

"I don't think I would have survived that year without his support through it, ironic really and more difficult to swallow considering he was the one in the end that caused it all," Harry turned away from Lucius hoping to hide the expression on his face.

"Harry?"

"I came to think of him as my friend, he was there and supported me, believed me when not very many other people did. Until after the first task here was only Hermione and Neville that believed that I did not put my name into the Goblet, although now with hindsight it is more likely Hermione did think it was me but managed to keep her temper unlike Ron, but the point was at the time it was only those three. I spent a lot of time hiding in Moody/Crouch's office from the others and spending time with him,"

"I'm sorry," Lucius sighed.

"Knowing that only two people were actually my friends, yeah that sucks," Harry shrugged, trying hard not to show how much it hurt him.

"Two?"

"Neville and Luna,"

"Longbottom and Lovegood?!" Harry spun around at the disdain in Lucius voice. Open and vicious disdain.

"Yes," He said tightly.

"I am afraid that is not acceptable, you can no longer be friends with people such as that. Malfoys do not associate with people like that," Lucius met Harry's glare with one of his own.

"'People such as that' and what type of people are they? So who am I supposed to be friends with? Crabbe and Goyle who are so thick they can't string more than two words together in a row? Pansy Parkinson who is allergic to her underwear and has slept with more guys that there are in Hogwarts. No? How about Knott then who is so cowardly that he follows along like a little shadow? No, ok, how about my loving brother who clearly adores spending time with me and who I have a warm and friendly relationship with? No, well as far as I can see the only ones on the list of people who would be acceptable would be my brother's intend, which, yes that would go down well,"

Lucius stared wide eyed at Harry as he snatched the book from his desk, turning and storming towards the door. Just as he reached it however he spun around to glare at the stunned looking man.

"For your information Neville has the highest scores in Herbology that have been seen in Hogwarts for a century! And Luna is a seer," He informed the shocked man before storming out of the room, fuming angrily.

"...speak to him," Harry frowned to himself as he heard Narcissa's voice.

"He should not have spoken to me the way that he did," Lucius snapped.

"Lucius on the same day that he had yet another argument with his brother, found out a man he thought was dead is alive and who it sounds like he has had a complicated relationship with, and then you decide to tell him who he can be friends with out of the two remaining people that have not betrayed him. You owe him an apology," Narcissa hissed.

"You realise that the fact we suddenly know that we are related does not give you the right to suddenly boss me around, and try and make decisions about my life," Harry carried on with his gardening, not turning to look at the two of them as they came up behind him.

"I am your father,"

"I hate to break this to you but I have never had a father/son relations that I can remember, that is a right you earn, not something that you automatically get given," Harry scrubbed his sweaty face tiredly against his arm, trying to avoid smearing soil all over himself. "But aside from that, you being my father does not allow you to dictate who I can and can't be friends with. I mean Merlin only knows if they will even want to be friends with me when they find out about all of this,"

"Harry?" Narcissa frowned at him concerned as she knelt down next to him.

"I'm tired! I'm tired of Fate laughing at me, I'm tired of my life being one big joke! I am tired of fighting with Draco and being glared at! I am fed up of taking one step forward and three steps back with you two!"

"Lucius forgets that you are not Draco. Draco welcomes and wants our input into his life, he wants the political life, which means allowing his father the help guide him through the right circles. He needs to get into his head that you are not Draco, and that he needs to find a different way to interact with you," Narcissa glared at Lucius.

"I just want what is best for you," Lucius grit out, though he was looking more sorry.

"If you want what is best for our relationship then you need to stop telling me what I can and cant do, you need to stop trying to control my life. If you haven't noticed that is what everyone else has been doing this whole time," He stood and grabbed his gardening tools. "Do you think that our relationship will survive if you try and control me?"

He turned and walked away to a different part of his garden taking a deep breath. Honestly it felt like they were just stuck going in circles here. At least he would have Samael's lessons to distract himself with over the next few weeks.