SEARCHING FOR A TRUE IDENTITY
CHAPTER TWO
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INFO: www. live journal. com /users /draycious
OTHER: read the story : one way or another
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He walked out of the house together with Vernon and jumped into the open sport car. Of course Vernon loved to show off his new car to everyone he possible could. Harry found it quite humorous that a grown man could act like a boy when it came to cars. He also found it ironic that the sport car was actually not bought by Vernon's own money, but he had rather put it up on his firm, but people didn't know that of course.
Harry was allowed to sit in the front seat, something he wouldn't have been allowed to do before this summer. The ride to London was a quiet and peaceful affair. Vernon dropped him off just outside Big Ben and Harry wandered off alone. He found his way quite easily in the town. One would think London was a though town to find it's way in, but it truly wasn't. If one happened to get lost all you needed to do was to walk down to the nearest underground and the rest was a piece of cake, or, you could hail a cab.
Harry chose to use a cab to get to the Leaky Cauldron because he was too lazy to walk. He drew no attention upon himself when he walked across the pub and slipped into the back yard and through the wall to Diagon Alley which had been his purpose of this trip. As soon as he stepped into Diagon Alley he got an uneasy feeling that he couldn't shake off. He didn't know what to make of it so he shrugged it off the best he could, but even then it still lingered back in his mind. He went to a quidditch store and hoped that would get his mind set on other tings but nothing in the store caught his interest. He wasn't all that interested in the sport anymore, but he still liked to fly.
Since the quid ditch store was boring him he went to a new cloth store that was looking very cool. A new hobby of his was clothes, because he liked to experience with styles and he was pretty good at it too, he dared say. He looked around inside and he liked what he saw. The store was very big, bigger than you might think when you looked at the store from the outside. He suspected that it had something to do with magic. He wasn't sure where he should begin, there was so much interesting to look at! He took a few steps towards the left side before he
suddenly dived in between some clothes stands. Hermione and Ron were standing not far away from him. He prayed that Hermione and Ron hadn't noticed him. First of all he really didn't want to speak to them, and second he didn't want them to know he had left the Dursley's. Whenever Ron and Hermione found out something about him it always got back to Dumbledore, and if Dumbledore found out that he had ventured to stores and other places than the Dursley's this summer he was fucked. Dumbledore would surely put back the restraints on him and his freedom would disappear just like that. He obviously didn't want that to happen anytime soon, so he stayed down and hoped that they wouldn't notice him. He almost though he was safe when he felt someone knock him on his shoulder.
"Excuse me, are you alright?" Hermiones voice asked. Not daring to look up he snorted out loud. How stupid could one get? If he wanted to hide he should have turned his back on them and looked at some cloths but nooo, he just had to screw up! Hiding between the cloths was just too obvious and odd.
"I'm fine! I was just tying my shoe," he said icily without looking up.
"Oh… Sorry for bothering you!" Hermione said and she and Ron hurried away. Harry realised they hadn't recognised his voice. He was glad to know that. He had always thought his voice had sounded too nice. Maybe it had changed just like his appearance.
Since it was pretty much straightforward to shop his ass off now when they were gone he went about doing just that.
In a manor quite far away from there a young man was brooding in his room.
Draco Malfoy had a problem. He didn't know how he was supposed to act any longer. Since his father was in jail he didn't need to act like he loved the Dark Lord any longer, or did he? It was confusing as hell. Frankly he didn't care shit about the Dark Lord or Dumbledore or any politics at all. It was all greek to him.
He was his own bloody person with his own ideals, thoughts and ideas. He had his own visions about the world and how things should be done and dealt with, but he was very rarely able to show anyone what he truly stood for. Actually, only his mother had seen some quick flashes of who which he really was. He usually acted on his father's instructions, he didn't dare do anything else, not yet. His position in the family was to delicate for that. He couldn't risk being disowned. He would loose everything, and mostly his money. Also, his father was cold enough and very much capable of killing him if he made a wrong movement. He had to constantly keep an eye on his father, or he knew he would end up dead.
Now he didn't have an excuse for acting like his father wanted him to. His father was disgraced, and locked up in Azkaban and he wouldn't get out anytime soon, Draco knew that. So what the hell was he supposed to do now? There was still a lot of danger out there. He had to play his cards right, or associated to Lucius would kill him or do him harm. Yet he was an adult now, surely he shouldn't let others order him around?
"Draco, have you written your father yet?" Narcissa asked him when he walked proud and powerful across the living room.
"Not yet mother but I will," he said. His mother had not been brought down because of his father's imprisonment. She was a Black and a Malfoy and the family pride forbid her to sulk or break down.
Draco had been trained since the day he was born to always have style. He had a natural mind for fashion and his money helped him to keep well updated with only the best things. He liked a pure style with black pants, black shirt, a leather belt and gel combed hair. He absolutely detested to wear robes, especially the school robes. He also liked the more sexy and naughty style with tight leather pants and silk shirts as slimmed as possible. He also loved the rock style! As a Malfoy he had clothes for every style but he seldom used some of them. He had been instructed to wear a certain kind of clothes, and he had stuck to it.
He combined styles between rock and sexy. Of course his father didn't approve of his rock and sexy style but he was allowed to wear it when no one of Lucius's partners in business saw him. That basically meant that he was only allowed to wear the clothes in his home, never in public. Right now he didn't care about those rules, he did whatever he wanted.
"Mother. How would you feel if I don't write father this time?" he asked carefully as he came to a stop right beside her. Narcissa looked up from a book she was reading. She was seated in a luxury coach that Draco had never preferred, but Narcissa adored it.
"Why wouldn't you write him?" she asked sharply instead of answering.
Draco crossed his arms. "I wrote him last week. I have nothing new to tell him," he said. It was the truth. He had nothing at all to say to his father. Every time they spoke it felt forceful and he hated that whole falseness and charade he had to put on every time. Narcissa nodded.
"Very well then. I'll tell him that you'll write him next week." She probably didn't understand the real reasons why he didn't want to write Lucius, but Draco didn't mind if Narcissa kept her illusions. It means less trouble for him if she continued fooling herself, because he knew that she knew there was something wrong between father and son. They wasn't a real family and had never been.
"Yes mother," he said and left the room. He had nothing else to say to her.
Harry was done with his shopping so he took the buss home. He didn't know where Vernon was and he didn't want to bother the man. He certainly didn't want to push his luck and provoke anyone. He was quite happy with how the things were right now, thank you.
With several shopping bags to carry it was hard to find a good seat so he ended up taking three whole seats in the back of the bus. The buss driver had looked a bit irritated but after a firm glare from Harry the driver had "humph"-ed and concentrated on other things. Afterwards Harry couldn't claim the buss ride had been pleasant, but at least he got home.
When Harry walked down Privet Drive with all the bags he thought he saw Remus in the corner of his eye but he wasn't sure. He watched discreetly but he didn't see him again. He knew that he was still being watched but tried to ignore it as much as possible.
"I'm home!" he announced brightly as he stepped inside the door.
Three 'hi' echoed behind him as he walked up the stairs. He wanted to go straight to his room. It seemed like Dudley had finally gotten out of bed. Once inside his room he unpacked all his new clothes and folded them neatly and put them into his wardrobe. All he had to do now was to await the school start. It was only a few days away…
It's an outrage, a scandal! Absolutely unacceptable! Minerva had yelled and ranted in the headmasters office while Dumbledore had looked amused to no end. She was talking about Harry's and the Slytherins rebellion in school.
It was two weeks in on the school term. From day one Harry had refused to put on any school robes. This was quickly adopted by most Slytherins who wore whatever they pleased. The Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors however was less daring and stuck to their uniforms while they looked at those who didn't wore them with dirty looks. Therefore it was only Harry and the Slytherins who rebelled against the school rules. This constantly brought on arguments and conflicts which Harry was in the centre of, since every other house hated Slytherin and didn't want people to think that he was a Slytherin supporter.
In the beginning he had to constantly defend his beliefs, and explain his right to wear whatever he pleased but he soon ceased with that. Whenever anyone pointed it out for Harry that he shouldn't do like the Slyhterins he just laughed and reminded them that he had been the first one doing it, and he couldn't help that the others had went along.
Harry had also noticed other things in school that concerned him. There were two professors in DADA this year. Remus Lupin and Orion Reen. Harry absolutely detested the later of the two. For some reason beyond his comprehension Severus Snape seemed to hate Orion too. No one else seemed to have a problem with Professor Reen. Quite the opposite. He was a good professor but a bit childish, Harry would give him that, and Remus had to keep him from doing foolish stuff all the time. Harry had no real reason to dislike Professor Reen, he just did.
The man kept trying to make conversations with him and insisted that they should get to know each other. Apparently he was a member in the order and he and Remus went way back, and they both had to keep a distance from Snape because they couldn't stand each other and less agree on anything. It was funny. The new Professor never asked him once about Sirius's death like everybody else did. He just mentioned it briefly.
As if that wasn't enough for him to handle things had become more and more tense between himself and Draco Malfoy. Yesterday they had a fist fight and they both ended up with a black eye and detention.
Together.
For a week. Life was laughing at him, he was sure. At least he didn't have to serve it with Flich, he had been told as much but he still didn't know who he would serve it with. He imagined Snape would be willing to handle it, but he hoped not.
Later on Harry was waiting impatiently in the library. He needed help with something and he had asked the only one he knew could help him to meet him there.
"I was wondering if you'd ever show up!" Harry said when Earnie MacMillan showed his face after 30 minutes of waiting.
"I'm sorry;" the boy panted as he hurried over. " I was held up and couldn't leave."
While Harry wasn't happy about it he decided there was no use to argue over it.
"It doesn't matter," he decided. "I asked you to be here because I need you to help me find a book. I know you're the best in class in Herbology, and I need a book on that subject. The best one there is. I'm sure you can bring me the right one," he said.
Earnie was obviously very flattered over his request. Harry thought he looked very pompous as he accepted to help him.
"I'll help you! There is a good back called Through the Herbes."
"Okay, thanks. Let's find it," Harry said and they set to work. He had a plan, and this was step one in it. Harry had managed to get an O in potions in his OWL:s. But he knew that he would fail in potions if he didn't know everything about the herbs he used in the potions. So he had decided to study more Herbology during the hours where he used to have Division which he had dropped. He was so tired of Trellawny. His plan was to study and pass the potions class, so he could have options later on in life when he would decide what he wanted to study. He wasn't above using his classmates to achieve his goal.
Draco was pissed off. Potter had given him an black eye! It looked terrible on him! He began to think about Potter while he absently looked himself in the mirror. When he first saw Potter in muggle clothes he couldn't believe his eyes, not to mention the hair style Potter had had! Later on he had noticed that potter wasn't all that met the eye. Potter had many qualities and he had different kind of personalities. He could make a good Slytherin sometimes but on the other hand he could be so Gryffindor in between so you could throw up. He was seriously beginning to wonder if Potter had a serious personality split. It sure as hell looked like it.
Or maybe Potter was just a good actor like himself. He was however now landed in detention with Snape, together with Potter. God how he hated Potter! Yet something else made itself reminded in the back of his head, and he remembered the old times, before everything bad had happened…
Harry wanted nothing more than to strangle the arrogant piece of shit that called himself Draco Malfoy. Only a few minutes of their first detention together had passed and Malfoy was already whining about a scratched nail or something to Snape. Harry threw down his wash cloth in the cauldron he had been scrubbing with force. He was beyond irritated. He was royally pissed off! He turned around.
"Shut up Malfoy! You're acting so queer that I have no doubt in my mind you are one! You don't have to flaunt it around so shut the hell up while I'm in the room, arlight? You can sulk, whine and moan to Snape later! Unless you wish for me to kick your balls in so you'll never be able to find them again?!" he hissed.
He would have laughed at Malfoy's dumbfounded expression if he hadn't been so angry. After a few seconds it sunk in on Draco what he had only just said.
"Queer? GAY?" he exploded. Draco ran over and took a swing at him but Harry ducked and hit the other boy with an unexpected left hook. Draco stumbled backwards and fell over a cauldron.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Severus bellowed when he finally found his voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor!" he continued. He looked murderous, but Harry didn't' care. The man couldn't touch him. Draco was holding his jaw.
"You broke it!" he accused.
"Hardly!" Snape said with a snort. Harry could tell that he too was quite fed up with Draco's prissy manors. "Go to Madam Promfrey and she'll fix it!" Draco left and Harry was all alone with Snape. He didn't like the perspective of that...
"When will you stop acting irresponsible Potter? You're just like your arrogant father!" Snape exploded.
Harry crossed his arms and leaned back against the school bench lazily. "Yada, yada. I've heard it all before. Do us all a favour and cut the crap. It doesn't matter what I do, you'll always say I'm just like my father. I don't care what you think of me Professor. I don't want your respect nor your attention!" he spat.
"Stop talking to me like you're a respect less five year old! Somebody have to teach you to take responsibility since you seem unable to get the thumb out of your ass and do it on your own!" Snape wasn't know for cursing or using fowl language, at least not when students were around so Harry was slightly surprised but didn't show it.
"And you are telling me that you've taken that task upon yourself? How bloody sweet of you!"
Snape glared at him.
"Don't fight Malfoy. You can't go and get yourself killed, too much is at stake for that, and for Merlins sake, talk to Reen! I've heard that you've been avoiding him and downright ignoring him. I can't stand the fucking man myself but he is a member of the order, and you need to listen to him." Suddenly their conversation had matured and taken a turn. Harry didn't know what to think of this, why did Snape of all people give him advice? And why did the man care whether he spoke to Reen or not?
"What about Reen? He irritates me. I happen not to like him," he announced. A strange look came upon Snape's face and Harry was unable to read it.
"You're making an mistake," Snape said unexpectedly.
"Why? You're allowed to dislike him!" Harry argued.
"It doesn't matter what I think, or do! Talk to him!" Snape ordered.
"I make my own decisions and I don't need you or anyone else to put their noses where they doesn't belong!" he said stubbornly.
"You'll regret it. Now, get out!" Snape spat. Harry left the dungeon with a final flare at the man. Sooner or later he would figure the man out, and he would learn Snape's secrets. Let's see how macho Snape truly is then, he thought.