Part V
Draco stared moodily into the fire. He'd been sitting here for a full ten minutes after Dumbledore had returned him and assured the Malfoy heir that there was one visitor left, who would be arriving shortly. Draco heaved a sigh and looked at the Muggle book that someone (probably Pansy; she absolutely loved Muggle books) had left sitting on the table between the couch and the fireplace. Picking it up, he glanced at the title: A Christmas Carol. Vaguely, he wondered why she would be reading something about a Christmas song, but flipped through the pages nonetheless, having nothing better to do.
Instantly, he was entranced by the storyline, how it uncannily mirrored what had happened to him this Christmas night.
As he read Pansy's book, he found that the main character, Scrooge, hated the holidays as much as he himself did, He was startled at how his dead business partner, Marley, had told him of the coming visitations, just as the Sorting Hat in Dumbledore's office had. The first spirit had shown the past, how the Scrooge character had had such a happy, carefree childhood; Dobby had shown Draco something similar. As Dumbledore had taken him around the school to see what others were doing, the second spirit did the same. So caught up was Draco that he failed to notice an ethereal presence enter the common room as he read the part about how Christmas Future had appeared as a cloaked figure.
"What are you reading, dear boy?" The voice shocked Draco into dropping the book.
"N-N-Nothing!" he stuttered, trying to hide it from the weird teacher who had appeared behind him. "Who are you? I know you're a teacher, but I haven't seen you around the school."
"I am Professor Trelawney. I teach Divination up in the tower," Trelawney said.
"I assume that, if this all is a play-out of this book, you are the "Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come"?"
"That is correct." Trelawney adjusted her shawls as she spoke. "Do you mind if I have a seat?"
"Umm…go ahead?" Draco shrugged as the Divination teacher sat down on the couch and produced a gleaming crystal ball. She set it on the table and gestured Draco closer to her. Raising an eyebrow, he knelt beside the table and stared intently at the glass orb. Trelawney waved her hand, and they were inside the ball.
The scene was sort of comforting: a cozy room, a fireplace, the furniture arranged neatly. Draco nodded appreciatively at the artwork that adorned the walls; the painting depicting a wolf, dog, and stag above the fireplace lent itself to the identity of the person who lived here. The only thing Draco saw wrong with the room was that the red-and-gold wallpaper design did not fit with the silver and black furniture. There was a clock on the wall above the couch; it was a normal, Muggle clock, not the troublesome wizarding kind. Draco liked that for some reason. Another thing that the Malfoy heir was surprised that he enjoyed was the flat-panel television set that hung on the wall directly opposite the couch, the obviously Muggle record player/radio in the corner. Looking around, he saw a wide doorway with a set of silver curtains serving as the door. Glancing to Trelawny for permission to explore, he set off toward the curtains. Passing through them, he found himself in a study. There was a rather large desk with a computer sitting on it (at least, Draco was sure that's what the contraption was called), a tall bookcase filled with books and collectibles, and a large black piano that took up most of the room. There was another door on the far side, behind the piano. As Draco started towards it in his quest to explore the place, someone came out of the room beyond.
Shocked at the sight of a much older-looking Harry Potter walking towards the piano and sitting down to play, Draco's jaw dropped. He looked absolutely…gorgeous. There was no other word for it. The music coming from the large black instrument spoke of loss and longing, feelings obviously held by Potter. Without knowing why, Draco longed to help the man, to hold and comfort him.
"Professor? Why is he so sad?"
"Come, child," Trelawney said softly, grabbing Draco's arm and leading him to the piano. Draco looked at the title of the musical piece this green-eyed man was playing: "Broken Dreams", and back at the musician.
"I didn't know he could write music…or play…" Draco whispered.
"Did you ever take the time to find out? In your six years of being classmates, did you ever try to find out who Harry actually is?"
"No…I didn't." Stopping, a sudden question coming to mind, he looked up at the teacher. "This is quite a lovely house. Too lovely to live alone in. Does anyone live here with him?"
"Yes…" Trelawney replied slowly, as the future Harry took up a quill that lay alongside the sheet music and added the last few notes he had played, then tried a few more keys, adding them as well. There was a voice from the sitting room that both startled and frightened Draco.
"Harry! Why are you always playing with that thing? I don't know why you even bought it in the first place!" A tall redhead walked into the study through the curtains. "It was a waste of money, if you ask me."
"It was not a waste of money, Ron. It was a necessary investment," future-Harry replied, tapping another key and cocking his head to contemplate the sound. "Just because you think the money could have been spent on better things…"
"Like something we could both use?" future-Ron cut him off.
"It's not my fault you have no musical talent. I'm starting to wonder why I married you in the first place. Everything always has to be about you, doesn't it? I have a natural talent for…"
"Just about everything!" future-Ron interrupted. "Flying, piano, getting attention. The list could go on!"
"They're…married?" Draco asked, aghast. "That's just too weird."
"Tell me, Draco. What did you feel when Harry started playing?" Trelawney asked.
"Sad. I wanted to comfort him and take away his pain…and it seems right now as if Weasley's not doing too good a job."
"Why is it, do you think, that Harry puts all of his sadness into his music?" Trelawney asked, as if it was obvious. "Why do you think he is so sad?"
"Well, everyone knows about his parents, and his godfather…" Draco started, but stopped when Trelawney shook her head. She took out her wand, waved it once, and the beautiful house, the piano, and the arguing couple vanished. They were in the common room again.
"He is sad…because you turned him away." Trelawney stared right at Draco.
"How did I do that?"
"Remember your first year? You insulted the only friends he had made, and then offered to take their place, instead of trying to work out a compromise where you, Ron, and Hermione could all be his friends."
"I…You're right. How could I have been so selfish?" Draco hung his head.
"And so it went. Every time you got the chance, you insulted Ron for being poor, and Hermione for being Muggle-born. By doing that, you pushed Harry farther away."
"I just wanted to be his friend…That's all I ever wanted." The blonde boy dropped to his knees.
"Seek him out tomorrow. He will be waiting by the suit of armor in the Charms corridor." Trelawney stood and left the sobbing boy.
Sorry it took me forever...it will probably be a while before I update again...anyways, you know the drill.