Time Has a Way of Changing Things
Summery: Harry Potter is overly depressed after Dumbledore's death, but soon finds things are not what they seem. And there are those around him he'd never think to become such strong allies.
Disclaimer: Not mine. No matter how much I want it.
A/N: This is after HBP.
Harry Potter was sitting in the kitchen at Grimmauld place staring at the wall above the sink. He had a cup between his hands. Eventually he would take a drink from it before spelling it warm with a grimace. When he would next take a drink for the cup another heating spell would be needed. As the hours ticked by Harry keep drinking worse and worse lukewarm coffee.
McGonagll walked into Grimmauld Place with an air of purpose, something many had been without since the attack that had lead to the headmasters death.
She walked through the house to Harry's room.
"Harry?" she called. Receiving no answer she opened the door to find the room was in fact empty. She walked briskly down the hall to the bathroom where the door was wide open. Obviously he wasn't there either. She stopped for a moments before walking to the kitchen.
Harry looked over when the door opened.
"There you are."
"Hi." Harry took a drink from his coffee and choked. McGonagll had ruined his drinking cycle and his swallow was still steaming hot and burnt on its way down. Harry scowled at the cup and set it aside.
"What are you doing Harry?" she asked kindly. Harry shrugged. "What have you been doing during the day?" he focused on his professor.
"Why are you here?" he asked confused. He found his coffee and pulled the cup towards him taking a drink. He choked on the brew and glanced at the cup in wonder. "That's disgusting."
"How long have you been down here Harry?" McGonagll asked. Harry thought for a few minutes and then shrugged.
"I don't know. A while." McGonagll sighed.
"Well I have something I need your help with." Harry started at her blankly. "I'm afraid you'll have to get up. You're going to have to let in your guest when he arrives."
"Someone's coming here?" Harry asked confused.
"Yes. He's going to stay with you for the rest of the holiday."
"Why?"
"Because he needs somewhere safe to stay and there is no where else for him to go."
"Oh." Harry nodded and took another sip of his coffee. McGonagll spelled the cup out of his hands.
"Come. You're going to be waiting for him to arrive." Harry followed McGonagll through the house and sat on the couch in the room where she stopped. "I have to go, but he should be arriving soon. Be sure to listen for him." Harry nodded.
McGonagll sighed as Harry became dazed once again. "You must not keep him waiting outside." Harry nodded again, Minerva only hoped he'd listened to her.
Harry didn't know how long it had been since Professor McGonagll had left. He was thinking, as he tended to do, but couldn't quite grasp what was floating around in his mind. He let the thoughts drift away when he heard pounding on the door.
Harry stood and walked to the front of the house curiously. Why would someone be here? He wasn't expecting anyone.
He opened his door to find Draco Malfoy was standing on his doorstep.
"Merlin Potter I have been standing out here for who knows how long. I was under the impression you were going to be told of my arrival and waiting for me." Harry was looking at Draco curiously as he stood in the entranceway to his home blocking Draco from entering.
"Malfoy?"
"You're powers of observation are as acute as ever. Now move out of the way, I've been standing out here longer then my liking as it is."
"Why are you here?" Harry asked Draco as he followed the boy through the hallway. Draco poked his head into the room Harry had been sitting in waiting for him.
"Wonderful." Draco stated and walked in. He sat down and proceeded to unload his pockets of several trunks he had brought along with him. Harry was watching Draco as he resized his trunks and opened the lid to one of them. It didn't take Harry long to go back to the couch he had been sitting at previously. He was staring at Draco in the never-ending way he'd been staring at everything lately.
Harry hadn't realized Draco was talking to him until the blonde moved and smacked him on the back of the head. Harry looked up at him dazed and rather annoyed.
"What was that for?"
"You weren't paying attention to me. You asked me a question and didn't listen for the answer. Bad manners Potter. Who would I be if I didn't work to better your social skills?" Harry shook his head as if trying to clear it as Draco continued.
"You, I case you have forgotten, asked why I was here. I assumed you were going to be informed, which I see was a mistake on my part. I am here because there is nowhere safe for me at the moment. After my mistake at the attack on Hogwarts the Dark Lord no longer found me useful and was on his way to dispose of me when…"
"That's right." Harry whispered. His wand out and in Draco's face. "You were there. You're the reason he died. You let all of the Death Eaters in. You were the reason Snape killed Dumbledore in the first place." Draco looked at Harry as if he'd grown two heads.
"What are you on about?" Draco asked in wonder. "Snape didn't kill anyone. That was—it's not important who killed the Headmaster. But I can tell you without a doubt it wasn't Snape."
"Liar." Harry cried. "I was there I saw it."
"There is no way you were Potter. I was in the tower and never once saw you. And if you did see it as you so claim you would know that it was not Snape that killed Dumbledore. Now put your wand down. I'll explain it to you if you'd like." Draco suggested. Harry looked skeptical but sat again. His wand was still out, however it no longer was pointed in Draco's direction. "You're acting rather odd Potter. I must say."
"How do you know it wasn't Snape that killed Dumbledore?"
"I'm actually surprised you haven't heard. It's been all over the papers." Harry shrugged.
"I don't read the paper."
"Well that would definitely be what's kept you in the dark." Draco informed him. With a moment's hesitation he continued. "The Auror's found the wizard who killed the headmaster rather easily. He was captured with several other Death Eaters and admitted to using the curse on Dumbledore after being given some truth serum of another."
"Who was it?" Harry asked.
Harry was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. He'd had the oddest dream the night before and his mind seemed to be stuck on it. Draco Malfoy had come to Grimmauld place and seemed rather intent on staying. Harry, in the dream, had shown Draco to one of the rooms down the hall from Harry's own after Draco had thrown Harry some rather interesting information.
Draco tried to convince Harry that Snape didn't kill Dumbledore. That was one of the reasons Harry was certain Draco was a dream. Not to mention the fact Draco had no way of getting to Grimmauld place.
And why would he want to in the first place? Harry had never shown any signs of forgiving the git for letting the Death Eaters into the school.
Harry had listened while Draco told Harry how Avery had barged into the Astronomy tower and killing Dumbledore. "The man also had the nerve to grab me and drag me from the room." Draco added with disdain.
Harry asked about Draco's mum. Draco stopped his speech in shock.
"I didn't think you were actually listening Potter." Harry simply stared at him waiting for Draco to continue.
"She's safe, staying somewhere in France. I didn't know till the Dark Lord said it in my hearing that he couldn't find her. I was angry at first for her not telling me. Then I realized she couldn't. I was being watched and the owl would have been followed. When I know she was safe I went to McGonagll to get her to help me. And she then shipped me off to you." Harry nodded.
"Okay." Draco watched Harry expecting something more. When nothing came dream Draco had demanded Harry take him to his room. Harry complied easily. He even went as far as to show Draco where he slept himself.
Harry wondered why he dreamt of the blonde. There was no great want in Harry to see the snob again. And to say the dream was odd was an understatement.
Harry was trying to think up why he the dream in the first place when the door to his room was thrown open.
"Will you let in that blasted owl?!" Harry was shocked to find Draco standing in his room.
"Malfoy?"
"Who the bloody hell else were you expecting?" Harry sat up and stared at Draco. Draco, upon realizing Harry wasn't going to do it himself, went over and opened the window. An exhausted owl flew in.
"Damn bird had been tapping the window for over an hour." Draco informed him. "That means get off your lazy arse and open it for the damn thing." Draco untied the parchment and threw it to Harry. "Get up. I'm hungry." Draco stormed out of the room snapping the door closed behind him.
Harry was staring at the door. He stood and the letter Draco had thrown to him fell to the floor. Harry reached down and picked it up. The writing gave away that it was from Ron.
Harry looked over at the window. The owl hadn't been Pig, had it? Harry opened the letter to what had to been desperate pleas for a response from both him and Hermione. Harry read the letter curiously as the words implored Harry to read the letter and let them know he was okay, or at least not dead.
Harry smiled. He'd gotten a letter from his friends, how wonderful. Harry wrote them a reply and sent it off with Hedwig.
He told them of the dream he was currently in concerning Draco Malfoy. While he did realize the letter had to be from dream versions of his friends he felt more then confident they would be supremely interested and responsive. Harry was interested in what his dream friends thought.
He was staring out the window at the spot he saw Hedwig disappear from when his door banged open once again to show Draco. Upon seeing Draco for the second time Harry realized the first Draco looked completely wrong.
The second Draco fit much better into the image Harry remembered. The first Draco had obviously just woken up and had been wearing pajamas, while they were much better then Harry's own, they were pajamas all the same. This Draco seemed to be dressed to face the day. He'd obviously taken a shower and no long wore pajamas. His hair was also slicked back as Harry knew it should be. The loose hair hanging hazardously around Draco's face that the first Draco had did not fit. Even if Harry thought it looked good. Draco stopped mid rant when he realized Harry wasn't paying attention to him.
"Potter!" Draco shouted as he smacked him on the back of the head, "listen to me."
"You talk a lot more then normal in dreams." Harry stated. That caused Draco to falter for a moment.
"How would you know?" Draco asked curiously.
"Well you never talked as much as you have been since this dream started yesterday." Harry informed him.
"Dream?"
"Yeah. It started yesterday. You've been here for all of it." Draco smirked
"This isn't a dream." Draco said.
"Yes it is. Why else would you be here making up different things that happened when Dumbledore died?"
"Merlin Potter you are difficult. Fine we're dreaming. Now get up and shower. I'm hungry."
"Then why don't you go and cook something?" Harry asked. "There is plenty in the kitchen."
"I do not cook when there is someone else around who can cook for me."
"Not even in a dream?" Draco sighed.
"Fine. I will cook this morning. But you will cook after that."
"Okay." Harry agreed.
"Shower. I will be in the kitchen." Harry nodded and Draco left.
Harry walked into the kitchen to find all sorts of food on the table. Harry looked at it for several minutes but didn't recognize a single thing. He sat down and pulled one of the plates to him. He grabbed one of whatever was on the plate and was about to eat it when it was snatched out of his hand.
"Don't even think about it Potter." Draco moved back to the stove. "You don't get to eat till I'm ready to. You have to wait till everything's done same as I." Harry started at Draco startled.
"Oh."
"Your vocabulary has dwindled Potter. I would be worried if I were you. It wasn't all to grand when you were at your best." Harry wasn't paying attention. Draco was annoyed. He didn't particularly like being ignored and Potter seemed to do it quite often. He was moving to smack Potter as he was staring to think as his normal way of getting the boy's attention when an owl started tapping on the window. Draco looked over and scowled.
"Wasn't that the same one that came earlier?" he asked. Harry didn't move so Draco let the thing in. It circled over Harry's head making a racket till Harry finally noticed it.
"Hi Pig." Harry smiled slightly. He grabbed the letter from the bird and it flew off. Harry read it and chuckled lightly.
"What's funny?" Draco asked. He brought a last plate piled with food over to the table and sat.
"Ron and Hermione are trying to convince me this isn't a dream."
"And that's funny?" Draco was placing some food on his plate so Harry realized it must be safe now for them to eat. He grabbed something and moved it to his mouth and Draco grabbed it.
"Put it on your plate as well as everything else you want. You aren't going to be reaching across the table the entire time." Harry looked at Draco and then back to the food spread across the table. He grabbed some of everything. Not knowing what anything was, and finally was able to eat without the blonde stopping him.
"Why is it funny that your friends think this isn't a dream?" Draco asked again.
"Because it is a dream."
"Is there anyway to make you believe it isn't?"
"If someone could tell me something that was true, that I myself could never know, then I would believe them. After all it's my dream. Everything in it is something I know."
"I could tell you hundreds of things you wouldn't know."
"Yes, but you're Malfoy. I wouldn't believe you."
"Why?"
"You lie all the time." Harry stated simply. "And if this wasn't a dream I wouldn't have let you stay with me. At least not for free."
"I see you'd use me and my need to find a safe place against me. How positively Slytherin of you."
"Well the sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. I must have had some of the traits it looks for."
"That hat wanted to put you in Slytherin. I never know that." Draco said astounded. Harry started at Draco for a moment.
"Well, we know it's not your dream then."
"Or you could be lying." Draco added.
"I'm not though." Harry said simply. Draco shook his head and a chuckled lightly.
"What's funny?" Harry asked.
"You."
A/N: New story. What you think? First person who can tell where I got the title gets a cookie.
And if anyone else wants brownie points(notice the differnt dessert) I have a few things I need clarified and I'm too lazy to look through the book and find it myself. In book 6 did Ron and Hermione ever get together? And when the Death Eaters attacked the school did the year end then? Or was the school year finished off? Please let me know. I'll love you to death.
Also. Do not have a beta for this one. If anyone wants the job I'll love you forever. Let me know. Thanks!