A/N: My sister says one of my greatest moments in HP/DM writing was my description of Draco pushing hair out of his eyes in A Piece of Parchment. She said it was 'beautiful'. I wonder if she'll find one of those moments in this story. Let me know what moments you like the best - spazzing or complimenting those moments in a review is usually the best way to tell me. Hint hint. lol.
Chapter 5- The Secret Treasure Room
Harry tossed his head back and hit the wall. With a groan, he repeated the motion four more times. He sighed in annoyance and looked at the bright, blazing fire sitting in the fireplace. It seemed to mock him with its warmth. Harry had been stupid so it was laughing.
'No,' Harry corrected himself. The fire wasn't laughing. He should try to think positively. The fire was being warm and welcoming, trying to make him feel better. That's why Draco had lit it, after all.
After Harry had stopped his short onslaught of tears, he'd convinced Draco he was fine. The Malfoy heir didn't seem convinced, but he let it go. Harry supposed he didn't seem like he was lying anymore, or Draco probably would've scolded him. That's when Draco had ordered Harry to stay, actually pointing to the ground as if Harry were a dog that needed to see the motion to understand the word. The blonde had left then. Harry would've followed him... if he'd known exactly where Draco had gone.
Harry sighed again, but this time in surrender. He couldn't keep blaming himself for Draco leaving... besides, he had to come home sooner or later, right? Come to think of it, Harry had never been inside Draco's house for more than five minutes before now. He'd been to the main house, but not this one - not for any period of time longer than how long it took Draco to grab something... and he was fast about it.
Was there something in the house, something about the house, that Draco didn't want Harry to know? Harry looked around him. Nothing seemed to be out of place. As one would expect from a Malfoy, the house was virtually spotless. It was pristine. Did Draco have a house elf?
"Mr. Potter?"
It was like Harry had summoned them with a thought. There, standing just inside the room from the hallway, was a house elf. She was taller than Dobby or Winky, but not by much - maybe an inch or so. Her ears curved out, sort of like wavy hair would do. Her nose was long, like most house elves, and her cheeks seemed stained rosy like a constant blush. She didn't wear a dirty pillowcase, but an overlarge gray t-shirt. Harry suspected that must have been Draco's from his school days, and it was actually supposed to represent silver and not gray.
"Yes?" Harry asked. She recognized him... but he hadn't been looking at her. How had she seen his scar? Or had she seen him in the newspaper and just guessed?
The house elf seemed a bit startled that he'd replied. She instantly bowed as low as she could while still standing. She wasn't nearly as jumpy as Dobby, nor nearly half as loud as Winky. So far, Harry liked her.
"My name is Polly. I work for Master Draco. It's an honor to finally be in your presence, sir," she said, her voice smooth and soft while still being high pitched.
"Pleasure to meet you, Polly," Harry replied. Here, he noticed a few things. One, Polly didn't start wailing about the kindness Harry showed her by calling it a 'pleasure' to meet her. She didn't start banging her head on the wall. All she did was giggle as the permanent blush on her face grew darker. Another thing Harry noticed was how she said 'Master Draco' instead of 'Master Malfoy' as would be more appropriate.
"Oh, you look even better in person, Mr. Potter! Your pictures do not do you justice," the little elf complimented. Harry smiled.
"Well, the ministry does have a tendency to take the shot from the wrong angle," Harry joked. Angle didn't really matter as much as the spell cast on the picture. That's why Harry sometimes appeared bigoted in the Daily Prophet whenever it suited the ministry's needs back during his years at Hogwarts.
Polly shook her head.
"No sir," she nearly squealed in delight. "The pictures from the Creevey boy!"
Harry felt both guilt and confusion over this response. Colin Creevey was the only picture maniac he knew with pictures of him... but Colin Creevey was also dead. Had Dennis taken up his brother's post as cameraman? And either way, how would Polly know about those pictures? Had she worked at Hogwarts?
"Colin. Yeah... He was a good kid. Did you used to work at Hogwarts, then?" Harry asked. He was glad to have someone to talk to while Draco was away, but the subject seemed to have turned sour. Now Harry was thinking about all those who died at the Battle of Hogwarts... dead people...
Polly shook her head, bringing Harry out of his stupor of thought. She beckoned Harry with her hand to follow her as she turned and began to walk slowly down the hall.
"No. Polly has never had the honor of being inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but Master Draco has an extensive collection of pictures and clippings from his days at school. It makes Polly wish she could work in the castle... oh, but to leave the master alone would be too much to bear. Even though he gives Polly clothes at Christmas, Polly stays," the house elf admitted, a near dreamy tone to her voice.
Wow... Harry had never imagined Draco would be so nice an owner that any house elf would stay after being released from their binding contract to a wizard. Then Harry became filled with an excitement. Draco had a collection of clippings from school? Were they all going to be hideously anti-Harry clippings or would something nice find a spot among the pictures? If he had any Creevey pictures, then there was at least one good picture.
Polly raised her hand up to a door that stood right across from the room Harry knew as Draco's bedroom. The door under Polly's hand unlocked and swung open. The light was off inside, and Harry was instantly on guard - a defense after so many years. The elf turned on the lights with a snap of her fingers and then happily beckoned him forward. It was like a magical camera had exploded. Pictures were on every wall. Harry stepped inside slowly. It was like being flung back in time nearly 14 years.
Draco appeared to have pictures from every year of school and even some new clippings of Harry or him in their new jobs at the ministry.
"Where did he get all these?" Harry wondered aloud. "How?"
There were several pictures Harry recognized as Colin Creevey handiwork. A few were similar, but not as focused. These must be Dennis's. Then there were headlines from the prophet - including the one with Lockhart where Harry was posing like an idiot and trying to show off.... even though in real life, Harry had been shocked beyond speech and unwilling to be in the picture to begin with. Harry had his own wall dedicated to him in this menagerie of school photos. Most of them moved... some of them didn't.
"What is all of this, Polly?" Harry asked. As he scanned the pictures he found the image of himself was almost never paying attention to the photographer, so they must have all been candid shots - something Harry expected from Colin but not from enough people to get this many shots.
"Master Draco's secret treasure," Polly explained. "He told Polly only special people were allowed to know about it. That includes the master, Polly, and you Mr. Potter. Master Draco didn't say you were one of them, but you must be. You have a wall of your own, and you share one with the master."
Harry looked back at the elf, who was pointing at the wall adjoined to the 'Harry' wall's right. They were pictures of Draco and several other Slytherins - most of which Harry recognized but not by name. A few were in Azkaban now thanks to Harry and Draco... and the other aurors.
At first, Harry didn't understand how these pictures of Draco and his friends included Harry at all. Then he noticed it. There was lots of action going on in the background of every picture. Also in the background of every picture... was Harry. Harry with Ron and Hermione, Harry hurrying around in circles in the picture but heading to class in real life... Harry looked at Polly and wondered if the elf knew exactly what she'd pointed out.
Harry was in every picture on two of three and a half walls. Did Draco notice that? Did he know Harry was in the background of all those shots? He must know... that had to be why they were all on the same wall. And why did Draco have so many pictures of Harry on the wall? Was it even possible that Draco had liked Harry since they first met, and while Harry had still been developing his crush on Draco, Cedric, and Oliver?... While Harry had been struggling to prove he was a normal teenager with normal attractions to girls and that being 'the boy who lived' was only a part of who he was, had Draco been secretly crushing on him as well?
The other one and half walls in the room were cluttered with images of the Malfoy family, more Slytherin shots, pictures of the school or Quidditch practices of all four teams, and pictures of main events in their history at school. One in particular Harry lingered on was from the Yule Ball. Someone had snapped a shot of Draco in his dress robes. The Draco in the picture kept switching from being proud and spinning to show himself off to being bashful and trying to block his face.
Harry's fingers ran over that one. The Draco in the picture complained noiselessly about having his picture interrupted by fingers, but then he switched to trying to touch Harry's finger back.... and failing epically. Harry found it to be an amazing photo... not only because Draco looked gorgeous, but because he'd never seen Draco from the Yule Ball before. He wished he'd seen him then... Then he could have watched Draco smile and laugh like this picture in real life.
Something dropped to the ground with a low thud out in the livingroom. Harry's gaze snapped to the door. He rushed from the room and down the hall. Behind him, he heard the lock on the door click. Good Polly. My, she was devious on the inside. She knew Draco didn't want Harry to see all that and yet she'd shown him anyway.
Harry glanced around the corner of the hall to see what had fallen down in the livingroom. Draco stood there... well... sort of squatted there. He was trying to pick up a bag he'd dropped, but the other bag in his arms was making it difficult. Harry chuckled and grabbed the bag off the floor.
"Welcome home," he greeted, smiling warmly. Draco's mouth hung open, and he nearly fell over. Harry caught his hand and helped lift him to his feet. Harry laughed again.
"Stop laughing, Potter, or I'll take it all back," the blonde threatened. Harry raised a curious eyebrow and looked in the bag.
It was food - all of Harry's favorites to be exact. Harry didn't know how Draco remembered what his favorites were, but after seeing that room, he had a good idea how Draco learned them to begin with.
"Master Draco!" Polly exclaimed, rushing up to greet him. "How was your day? I have your tea prepared in the kitchen whenever you're ready."
"Morning, Polly. Thank you. I'll be there in a minute... Oh. Have you met Harry Potter?" Draco asked, motioning to Harry with his free hand. Polly nodded quickly.
"Yes. Mr. Potter is very kind... Did Master want Polly to get his groceries?" the house elf asked. Draco looked down at the food in his arms and then at the food in Harry's. He seemed to consider an idea and then nodded.
"Yes. Take the bags into the kitchen and make us some treacle fudge," Draco ordered, finally sounding like he was 'Master' after all. "And when you're done, prepare a room for Harry... And if anyone should come looking for me, tell no one Harry is visiting."
Polly nodded, bowing low. She seemed loyal enough, but a bit free spirited. She'd disobeyed Draco once already... but Harry hoped the order had been direct enough that she wouldn't be able to bend the rules on this one.
Then the bags in their arms lifted into the air and began to happily follow Polly into the kitchen and out of site. Harry chuckled gently. He felt Draco watching him, so he turned his smile from where Polly had vanished and aimed it at Draco. As had happened before, Draco stumbled back half a step, only this time he wasn't half squatting and in danger of falling.
"She's sweet," Harry complimented. "Though, I never imagined you to have such a cute house elf." Draco grunted.
"You mean, you never expected me to be a good owner... don't you?" he accused, catching Harry's little while lie. Harry shrugged innocently. Draco rolled his eyes and walked briskly to the kitchen.
As he entered, Polly appeared and took the coat right off his back. He had forgotten to take it off this time around. Good thing Polly remembered. She vanished instantly after the act was completed. Then the smell of freshly brewed tea met their senses. Harry guessed Earl Gray... but when he saw the tea, the bag beside it said 'Mandragora Root'. Harry's eyes widened. Draco picked up one of two cups and raised it to his lips. Harry watched with a shocked expression. The blonde seemed to notice him at the last minute. The cup stopped at Draco's lips.
"It's not just mandrake," he explained exasperated-ly. "It's also got some cinnamon and ... herbs in it. Mandrake alone would taste too bitter and sour.... It's supposed to help fight off illness and prolong life, plus it tastes good. I hate tea normally."
Harry's expression softened into a small smile. He stepped up to the tea and reached out for his own glass. As he stared at it, he noticed the murky tea, as all tea was murky water, did appear to be flavored with only cinnamon.
"And here I was worried you drank it out of spite for the way the mandrake saplings treated you in second year," he teased as he sniffed it. With a deep breath, he took a sip.... Hm... pleasantly cinnamon.
"As if, P... I mean, I'm not that callous!" Draco scoffed and then turned away from Harry to finish his tea. "Drink your tea. After the fudge, I'm going to bed."
Harry smiled. Yes... Draco had worked from late at night till this early hour. No doubt, he had to go back into work in a matter of four or five more hours. He'd probably be sleeping already if not for Harry's presence.
"You can go to bed now, if you want. I don't mind eating alone," Harry said.
"You think I got the food just for you?" Draco accused snappily. "As if, Potter. You're not that important."
"But I thought you only ate treacle fudge on special occasions," Harry countered. It was one of Harry's favorites, but Draco had expressed the desire to eat it on as few occasions as possible. Draco pressed his lips together so tightly they became a line.
"It is a special occasion," he grunted, setting down his cup and walking away. Harry quickly finished his tea, burning his tongue as he did so. A special occasion? What had he forgotten?
It wasn't Draco's birthday, or his own birthday. It wasn't Christmas, Valentine's Day, or any other holiday he knew of. It wasn't anyone's wedding or dating anniversary... especially no one Draco would congratulate. Could it be the birthday of someone in Draco's family? Perhaps a death day?... It wasn't Tom Riddle's death day... or Dumbledore's.
Harry followed Draco into the sitting room. The blonde was sitting on the couch, looking as regal and proper as he'd tried to be all throughout school. In front of him, Polly was setting down the tray of fudge for the two wizards to enjoy. Two glasses sat beside the tray, one on either side, and were filled with milk. Polly nodded to Harry and flashed him a smile before taking her leave.
"Draco... What is today's occasion?" he asked. It was bugging him. He was sure he'd feel stupid when he was told and maybe even a bit guilty.
Said blonde moved his arm out over the seat on his left in a motion that told Harry to sit down. Harry sat gingerly, not sure what was so special... or so important that Draco would become upset that Harry didn't remember it. Yes, Draco was either upset with him or thinking hard... otherwise, he wouldn't be so stiff and cold.
"Today," the Malfoy heir began, reaching forward and plucking a piece of fudge off the tray. He waited until Harry did the same. Then he cracked a small, teasing smile. In fact, it was close to the teasing sneers Harry had gotten throughout school.
"Today," he said again, "is the sixth anniversary of my working at the ministry of magic: auror division. The sixth anniversary of being on the side of Harry Potter: the boy who just wouldn't die."
Harry broke into a grin. Yes... he remembered that day. That was the day Draco had accepted him as an equal... as a friend.
A/N: 1, I just finished writing this entire story. As long as reviews come in nicely and remind me of the story's existence on here, updates should happen in a timely manner. It maxes out at 9 chapters... oh the horror. I havent written a harry potter story that short before.
and 2, omg. One of you was pychic, weren't you? You know who you are. lol
anyway....
Preview: Chapter 6 - The Undeniable Truth
"Stop it! God dammit, Potter! I know you were crying! I know you're upset! Stop acting like the poster boy of the emotionally indifferent!" the youngest Malfoy exclaimed.
"Why do you care so much, Draco?" Harry asked.
"But that doesn't mean things can't change," Harry declared in his whisper. In a whisper, it would be harder for Draco to hear the way this truth hurt him.
"Things have already changed, because you came back in time. But those things have already happened in your time...," Draco pointed out. "Harry I don't think you can save your important person. It just goes against everything... doesn't it?" Draco asked
"No, you don't understand. This one's different. This one wasn't supposed to die!"
"You loved them, didn't you?" Draco asked.
"Yeah..." Harry nodded slowly. "More than... I've ever loved anyone."