Oooooookay this chapter ended up not being a drabble in the slightest, I actually ended up having to cut myself off or I'd never get any sleep.
Thanks again to my partner in crime Lady Lily Anne, whenever I lose my motivation, she kicks me in the ass to get back to it.
Please, whether you hate it or love it, review.
Dobby popped away as the Dursley family seemed to have finally gathered their collective courage and entered their home with a sense of apprehension hovering about them.
As much as they wished it, they could not ignore the little witch who had invaded their perfectly normal lives standing protectively at the foot of the staircase before the front door, her head tilted with a contemplative look crossing her aristocratic features.
Smirking, she opened then closed her fan quickly before gently tapping it on her left ear, "Hmm.. what to do what to do... I hope you ...people, realize how lucky you lot are that Harry is a better person then any of us. I mean, in the long term that won't help you in the slightest, I am after all just as vindictive as he can be I am simply more willing to act on it. For now though, enjoy the calm before the storm."
Petunia still looked like she had seen a ghost but Vernon had managed to get over his shock at this little girl threatening him in his own home. So, face purpling, and fists clenching he growled out, "Listen here you litt-"
"Silence fat man, I did not solicit nor do I desire your opinion. As an aside, before you attempt to threaten me further do ask dear Petunia what an annoyed witch can do to those that threaten her and those she cares about, hmm?" Dancia had to resist laughing, this pure-blood princess act was hilarious, she was sure Draco's Harry would appreciate the show.
Petunia let out a whimper, Dudley looked confused, and Vernon could only sputter at the girl, eventually though Petunia managed to let out a quivering reply.
"You're one of them, a freak like my sister... Li-like her freakish friends!"
Dany could only smile in turn as her fan rested against her right cheek, knowing full well the horrid woman wouldn't understand the gesture in the slightest. She didn't wish to admit it, primarily because this entire song and dance was incredibly childish, but she was rather enjoying toying with these muggles.
That is to say, the decades spent as the partner of a half insane, adrenaline junkie wizard with a martyr complex meant spending a lot of time with the bushy-haired woman that was his best friend. Side effects included an appalling sense of guilt from all the lectures beaten into his head, if only out of self-preservation, for muggle baiting and intimidation.
Ah well, they deserve it, and as it stands Hermione wasn't here right now so Dany felt fairly safe to indulge a bit.
She only had to wait a few minutes for Harry to finish taking his shower. Dancia knew this was due to long term indoctrination courtesy of his relatives that he was to 'not waste water' on himself, which was yet further proof that the Dursleys deserved what they were going to get.
As Harry rushed down the stairs Dany ended her admittedly creepy stare down with the adults of the house to quickly spin on her tip toe to meet her friends gaze as he stopped at the bottom step.
She had to suppress her inner Draco from breaking out laughing upon seeing the state of his hair, some things never changed and it would appear 'The Potter Hair' was one of said things.
"Oh Harry," she giggled out as she placed her hand upon his head and ran her fingers through his hair, "what are we ever going to do with this birds nest?"
He blushed slightly while shuffling his feet a bit, "I know, can't do anything with it, I've tried."
Dany just smiled and shook her head as she took his arm and pulled him to her side, "We're going to my manor home tonight, and tomorrow you shall meet your new family. Is there anything you want to grab before leaving? Anything you want to say to your relatives? After all, this is the last time you'll ever see them."
Harry froze as he shot a panicked glance towards Vernon, then he felt Dancia's fingers slip through his own giving his hand a tight squeeze. Taking in a deep breath he shook his head while averting his gaze from his relatives to the snow haired girl beside him.
"I own nothing, so I have nothing to pack, convenient that yeah?" He shot her a grin that would have appeared roguish if it were not so painfully strained, Dany responded by simply giving his hand another squeeze.
"Alright then, anything you want to say to the muggles?"
Harry closed his eyes, gulped down his apprehension, then set his shoulders straight as he turned to glare at the Dursleys.
"I forgive you."
The family openly gaped at him while Dancia raised a single brow, while Harry's brows furrowed as Petunia muttered "What?" in an incredulous tone.
Dany gritted her teeth at the muggles implied indignation yet remained silent as Harry continued on, "I forgive you for what you have done to me, and I hope to never see any of you again. Dany, can we go...h-home now?"
Consternation forgotten due to the hitch in Harry's voice the young witch nodded once as she called for her house elf, "Of course Harry. Dobby, take us home!"
A moment later, the two children vanished with a *POP!* and instantaneously appeared in a large suite of richly furnished rooms.
Harry blinked rapidly while shaking his head slowly, a moment later he glanced about his surroundings and openly gaped at what stood before him. Rather than the Dursleys tacky living room filled with proper faux upper middle class furniture, beige carpet, and white walls he found himself in a massive room that looked like it had come from a Victorian era movie.
The vaulted ceiling sported a crystal chandelier that had candles hovering above it, the walls were richly stained wood panels covered in intricate carvings, the floors highly polished hardwood with a thickly weaved emerald green carpet leading from where they had appeared to a set of heavily reinforced double doors.
Oh, and there were paintings of people dressed like nobs that were moving as they adjusted their seating to take in the new arrivals, despite the shock of it all, despite how his world had just been turned upside down, Harry could only grin.
"I love magic."
Dancia broke out into a fit of giggles as she shook her head and gently pulled Harry down the carpet towards the double doors while quickly replying, "And to think, this is only the antechamber to my personal rooms, wait till you see the ballroom."
Harry blushed at that, for a moment he had thought this was the ballroom, so trying to save face he nodded slowly, "It's just a bit of an overload you know? I mean this morning I was doing manual labor for people that would never appreciate it, and now I'm...I'm..."
"Nobility. I understand, look how about we get some proper food in you while I go talk to my family all right? My parents and auntie don't know what I've been arranging so I have to let them in on what is going on."
Harry cocked his head to the side as the double doors swung open on their own accord, which was rather brilliant thank you very much.
"I thought I was supposed to live with your aunt?"
Dany shuddered a moment before shaking her head, her snow white tresses fluttering about her in the process, "Oh no! You're to live with my Aunt Andromeda, the one we have to be wary around is Auntie Bellatrix. Look, don't worry about it, this series of chambers is under Dobby's protective bubble."
Stopping in a grand room sporting a four poster canopied bed, a massive writing desk, a multitude of dressers, an armoire, and a large table at the center Dany turned to Harry giving him an earnest look.
"Harry, I wasn't being completely honest with you, there are...factions that hate you for things that are not your fault and...sod it, look Harry my father? He was Voldemort's right hand and my Aunt Bellatrix was his left, they were his most loyal followers."
Harry tensed and took a step back, a look of horrified betrayal crossed his face and that made her heart clench a bit as she took a step back and crossed her arms, fully expecting this reaction.
"Do not think for a second I am a follower of that bloody son of a muggle Harry, my father is a moron and my auntie was under a Hades marriage contract, she had to do what her husband told her to do."
Rather than speaking Harry cocked his head to the side in utter confusion, Dany pinched her nose trying to remain calm, "Right...look, ok... In the magical world there is no gender divide like the muggle world suffered through, every little witch and every little wizard is equally armed yeah? Well, that doesn't mean there are not misogynistic chauvinistic pigs in the ranks and they want to control what they see as theirs. Basically... Hell's bells how to explain this... Auntie Bella was enslaved, there we go, she was a slave to her husbands whims.
"She is a blood purist don't get me wrong, but she isn't actually a fanatic, frankly she's more interested in research and all that, her husband forced her to be a sycophant for Voldemort before Lord Longbottom killed him and...oh dear I'm rambling..."
Harry just stared at her a few minutes as the small witch rubbed her temples trying to straighten out her thoughts, eventually he gathered the courage to speak, "So basically she may not be a nice person, but all the bad things she did were against her will, not really her decision?"
Dany deflated at that and shot him a thankful look nodding quickly, "Yes, there we go. Auntie Bella is... Umm... Special? Brilliant keep in mind but... Shall we say a bit of a handful? Think Morticia Addams meets Doctor Frankenstein, not exactly comforting but better than the alternative."
"And your dad?"
Dancia snorted, "Lucius is a bloody git, he constantly spouts how 'A Malfoy bows to no one' while accepting a slave brand and kissing the hem of the robes of an upjumped commoner... I am really buggering this whole thing up..."
Harry swallowed his fear as he took a step forward and placed a hand on Dancia's shoulder, "You're just trying to protect me, aren't you?"
It was all for him, if she could bring Harry into their world early, maybe...maybe it could all be avoided, this was for the future, their potential happy endings that didn't end in constant war and politicking.
Taking in a deep breath she nodded slowly, "Yes, I am. It is only for tonight that you must stay here, tomorrow you'll be at the Tonks home and live the life you deserved. This suite of rooms is under Dobby's protection, stay here, do not leave the bubble, and you'll be fine. I...have to go explain things to my family now...which should be rather fun..."
Sighing she tossed her fan and parasol on the bed while turning back to the doors, "Dobby!" Her house elf appeared before her and bowed lightly, "Feed Harry, anything he wants or you think he needs. Oh, and begin his potion regime, we need to undo what those filthy muggles did to him. I'm...going to go talk to my family."
Dobby froze and Harry grew immediately worried at how terrified the elf looked, "Is Little Missy Dancy sure of this?"
Rather than getting angry she took a knee and wrapped her arms around the elf, "Don't worry Dobs, I've got this, take care of Harry all right?"
Tensing the little elf let out a sob and returned the hug, "Dobby be doing what his Little Missy Dancy orders, he will take care of the Great Harry Potter Sir."
Releasing her servant...friend... Dany stood and smoothed out her dress, approaching the doors she turned back to wink at Harry, "Don't worry, everything will be alright."
Sitting in the parlour with her sister and husband Narcissa sipped her tea as she leafed through this weeks ledger and sighed, lovely, Lucius had given Fudge yet another 'donation' he had neglected to tell his wife about. She scowled lightly before shoving the annoyance down, she would work it out, she always did. Lady Malfoy simply hoped her daughter would not end up marrying someone as...impulsive... as Lucius, a moment later the large doors opened and said ray of sunshine entered the room.
Smiling she placed the ledger aside as Bellatrix glanced over her reading glasses and began giggling, "Oh if it isn't my favorite niece! We missed you at dinner, where have you been?"
The snow white haired girl stopped before her family before curtsying quickly followed with standing ramrod straight, hands behind her back. It was a bizarre state to see her normally demure daughter in, Narcissa stood and approached the tiny witch while gently taking one of her hands in her own.
"Dearest, what is wrong?"
Dancia could play stoic as much as she wanted, but when here mother showed her affection her walls melted, this made said mother love her daughter even more than she thought was possible.
"I...did something today that may not be found agreeable by all those in this room..."
This gained Lucius' interest as he placed his glass of whiskey aside, "And what pray tell was that my heiress?"
Narcissa closed her eyes and let out a sigh as she felt her daughters hand tense, Morgana damn you...
"I...kidnapped a boy..."
Before either parent could reply Bellatrix let out a giggle, "Oh excellent! Take him to the dungeons I can use him for experiments on the morrow!"
Dancia let out a sigh of her own as she shook her head, "He is currently in my chambers under a protective ward. Tomorrow I shall be taking him to Auntie Andromeda's for a permanent stay."
"There is a boy in your chambers?!" Lucius shouted in indignation.
"Well that isn't much fun now is it?" Stated Bellatrix.
"You've been in contact with my sister?" Narcissa asked.
Dancia replied to the only sane person in the room she respected as she looked up to her mother, "I've been in contact with the Tonks family ever since Lord Black instated them into the family. Mostly correspondence but I've met with them a few times."
"WHY!?" Lucius seethed out, Dancia turned to her father while tilting her head to the side slightly.
"Because they are family, and there would be no social faux pas since they are recognized members of the House of Black. 'Black in Blood, Always Pure' father, it would be an insult to ignore my relatives, or have you forgotten my matriarchal heritages tendencies for violent retribution? I am simply looking out for our self interests"
Narcissa had a very hard time suppressing her smirk at her daughters flippant remark, oh this girl certainly had Aunt Dorea's sharp tongue.
"Who is the boy?" Bellatrix asked, partially amused at Lucius acting a fool, and impressed with her niece being able to rile him so.
Dancia sighed and shook her head, "Let me tell you a tale Auntie..."
What followed was a horror story, even Lucius looked horrified at the thought of a wizard being treated like a house elf by muggles, when all the gory details were revealed Narcissa pulled her daughter into her lap and asked the little girl an all important question.
"Who is this child my little princess?"
She sighed while dropping her head to her mother's shoulder, "Harry Potter."
Pandemonium followed.
Harry sat at the center table and much to his own consternation couldn't help himself as he shoveled spoonful after spoonful of tomato soup into his mouth. He'd already finished the rich dark bread, after soaking it into the soup of course, and while his stomach felt close to bursting he could not stop eating. It was delicious, it was filling, it was his, and no one was stopping him from taking his fill.
Eventually though, he was full, and feeling sleepy beyond words. Taking Dany's warning about leaving her chambers to heart he turned to Dobby and gave him a tired smile.
"I do believe I'm ready for bed now... Do... Do you think Dany is alright?"
Dobby fidgeted about as he tugged on his ears, obviously distressed, "Little Missy Dancy be letting Dobby knows if she needs help Great Harry Potter Sir."
Sighing Harry nodded slowly, "Where am I to sleep?" Dobby helpfully guided him to a side room that was no less opulent then the others and was presented with a set of silk pajamas. Shrugging Harry disrobed and donned the new clothes, they felt amazing and he was a bit self conscious about that, but his exhaustion made him push those feelings aside for the time being.
Crawling into the bed Dobby pointed out Harry placed his glasses on the night stand and curled into the blankets, and quickly realized sleep alluded him. So much had happened in one day, so much information, so many changes, he had no idea what to think about it all.
He lay there for some time, the only illumination coming from his cracked door when he heard noises, straining his hearing he eventually caught voices.
"Is Little Missy Dancy alright!? Bad Master did not hurt her did he?"
There was a muffled sigh and a thump of a door as he finally heard Dancia's voice, "No Dobby I'm fine... For now anyway. My...father demands Harry have breakfast with the family tomorrow but they'll do nothing to obstruct taking him to my Aunt's to get him settled in. Speaking of which, where is Harry?"
Harry felt his heart warm a bit at the concern in her voice as Dobby replied, "He be sleeping Little Missy Dancy, he ate quite a bit."
"The starving usually do... Ok...Dobby prepare my bath I'm going to check up on him."
Harry immediately flopped back down and did his best to look as asleep as possible as the door creaked open and a familiar presence stopped beside his bed. After a time he felt small nimble fingers shuffle through his hair as a sigh breathed out next to him.
"All for you my friend... All for you... You know... I think it will all be worth it, in the end, and..."
She sighed again before of all things an incredibly quiet, ethereal sound filled the room, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Harry...happy birthday to you... I... I hope it was enough..."
With that he heard the shuffling of light feet and the sound of the door clicking shut.
In the darkness of his room, Harry Potter smiled, and wept.
A/N
Victorian Fan Language
Quickly Opening and Shutting-'You are cruel'
Tapping On Left Ear is-'I wish to be rid of you'
Resting On the Right Cheek-'Yes'