AN: This chapter consists almost solely of Harry/Draco interaction. Enjoy!
NelliGirl, I am so glad you liked it. =)
RRW, Horcruxes will be discussed in due time. And no, (preventing any questions) Harry is not a Horcrux. Not anymore.
Immortal Sailor Cosmos, I am still unsure if "eh" is a good or a bad thing. But as I understand the developments surprise you? And surprise is at least good. Not boring. So thank you.
miss quirky bookworm, don't feel sorry for him. He inflicted this on himself. ;)
disgruntledfairy, it wasn't so much the erasing of memories and name, as the erasing of the established magical identity, a bit like clinical death.
Chapter 15
Remus was watching with amusement his godson who seemed to turn the whole house upside down in a matter of minutes. Ryan just came out of the brief shower in a bathrobe, his hair still wet and began, well, dressing, one might say, which was accompanied by some entirely unnecessary motions, like opening and closing the fridge, seeking something in the pile of books on the floor in the library, and just plain running around the house like a fried chicken.
Oh. And he just used a drying charm on his hair. The result was spectacular and reminded Remus of the good old times when Ryan was still Harry and proudly carried around his messy mop of black hair. Only this time his hair was a bit longer, right down to his shoulders (it was cut after being burnt in the library) and resembled an irritated hedgehog.
Just as Ryan was passing him for god-knows which time in already half-dressed state and muttering frantically something along the lines "I-am-late-I-am-late-I-am…!", he caught him by the elbow to stop the useless movement and asked.
"Where are you late to?"
The mage was staring at him with wide-open uncomprehending eyes, the true picture of confusion.
"Breathe!"
Ryan breathed in. Breathed out and seemed to calm down a notch.
"Now, what's the hurry for?"
"Well, you see, the other day I agreed to meet with one guy, and now… Now is the fucking time for that meeting and I AM LATE!"
Ooh, so there was some anger there mixed with panic. At whom, Remus wondered.
"When exactly?"
"When exactly what?"
"Is your meeting."
"Seven P.M. And it's already 18:48:56!!!"
"So you will be a bit late," stated the man reasonably wondering how on Earth Flhoyer managed to cite the time, seconds included, on top of his head. "It's nothing awful, besides, it is customary for the invited party to be late for the date."
"Date! Don't be ridiculous, we are both guys!"
Remus couldn't help but gape at the clueless godson with some pity.
"You do know that two men can have sex together? And that most of the wizarding population is bisexual?" He asked hoping that this case was not totally lost. "Gays, homosexual, queer, anything ring a bell?"
Ryan flushed.
"Of course, I know that! What has that got to do with me? Besides it's not a date, just a… I don't know, a mutually beneficial meeting to judge the other party and contemplate an alliance or friendship. Business meeting, in a sense."
Having successfully distracted the mage from his full-blown panic attack, Remus decided to press the issue.
"So this guy, by the way who is it?.."
"Draco Malfoy."
Remus kept silent for a couple of seconds.
"So Draco Malfoy invited you to…"
"Dinner."
"...Dinner with the intention to…"
"To get to know me better."
"…to get to know you better. Sounds like a date to me." Remus was greatly enjoying the interrogation. "By the way, how in hell did you end up having a date with Draco Malfoy, in the first place? I thought nobody knew about your new identity?"
"It isn't a DATE! And no, of, course, I didn't tell him anything, just ran across him a couple of times in Hogwarts. He seemed to be interested in me from the beginning, I just can't figure out why. I guess he is curious about a Lord popping out of nowhere. So you see, it is just a way for him to satisfy his desire for information!"
The werewolf issued a long suffering sigh, thinking that wasn't the only desire that the Malfoy heir would like to satisfy with his godson. After all, he wasn't blind, the cub turned out to be quite an attractive specimen, and Malfoys were always quite promiscuous up until the time they married. Ryan had yet to understand the effect his appearance had on other people. His naivety could get him into trouble.
"Whatever you say, cub. Just let me help to get you ready. Your hysteria is not helping anyone."
For a person not having a date, Ryan was acting in an eerily similar manner to his father before his first date with Lily. Though for different reasons. James was fretting the whole day about not being handsome enough, dressed enough, good enough, etc., and Ryan, as Remus suspected, probably just forgot about time, lost in researching one of his projects.
The light from the chandelier reflected beautifully from the wine glasses, still empty, standing on the untouched table. Draco Malfoy didn't know what to think. He couldn't believe that anybody, anybody, would upstand him on a date. So he was waiting. Bored and hungry and thirsty, he dared not move from his seat or order anything in fear to curse his luck.
Finally, after about half an hour of interior-gazing, the front door let through the figure of his favorite candidate, who was immediately escorted to his table.
Lord Flhoyer looked at him with deep regret and guilt.
"Mister Malfoy, I deeply apologize for my lateness, something came up and I couldn't have come earlier."
Draco decided to be gracious, even though he sensed with his gut that the man was lying. He didn't doubt that he was in some way busy, but he was also sure that Ryan dared to forget about their arrangement. Oh, he was furious, but still grateful that the guy showed up after all. If he didn't… Now that would be embarrassing."
"It is no matter. I am glad you managed to escape your duties in the end. And, please, do call me Draco."
"Then you must call me Ryan."
The young veela shook the extended hand and suppressed a gasp when a wave of small electric pleasurable shocks ran through his body at the contact. Now that wasn't there in the guidebook of his father's about Malfoys and their mates. The urge to moan and yank the alluring body to his side was overwhelming, but he only smiled tightly and gestured for them to sit down.
Ryan thoughtfully examined the menu, quite unsure of what to order and Draco decided to offer his own advice. His companion only smiled, when he began a long-winded explanation of pros and cons of different dishes in the Italian cuisine.
"Perhaps, you can order for me, I am inclined to trust your judgment."
"Very well."
The Malfoy heir nodded and placed an order to the helpful waiter who seemed to have materialized out of nowhere.
The restaurant they were in was not the most expensive one in the wizarding Britain, but Draco liked it nonetheless. It was certainly on a higher scale than the rest of them and the atmosphere was more relaxed and less posh. Not a place one would be ashamed to be invited. Besides, Draco was sure that Ryan wasn't yet up to playing politics, and if they went, for instance, to Crystal Wines, where crème-a-la-crème gathered on a day-to-day basis, it would be inevitable.
"How do you like the wizarding Britain so far?" asked Draco genuinely curious.
"Well, I must admit that it is quite different from one's ideal society."
"Is it the polite way of saying that you are disappointed?" the young veela mused.
Ryan across him raked his hand through the now shorter hair. And wasn't that a pity! While Draco willingly admitted that too long hair can be quite troublesome during sex (been there, done that), but with the hair, say, to mid-back his partner would look quite good and at the same time the mane wouldn't get in the way. But it was too early to share his observation with the man. Not quite appropriate.
"If I had high expectations, I would be disappointed, but I knew my family secluded themselves from the wizarding world for a reason."
"Oh? So are you from Britain then? I must admit that I assumed you came from abroad."
"Yes, I was born here, but our family while magical had mostly interacted with the muggle world. In contrast to wizards, muggles are much more innovative and imaginative. It is interesting to watch their progress. We only came to the wizarding world to search for spouses."
"Are you bride-hunting too then?"
"No-no, nothing like that!" Ryan laughed, and Draco was disappointed. That would be so much easier to woo the guy, if it was true. "If I did, I would come here anonymous assuming a Muggleborn identity, not as a Lord. You see, last year our clan was struck down by a disease, I was the eldest to survive. And as I never agreed with the family's isolationist policy, I decided to introduce and integrate the family to the wizarding world."
"What was the reason for the isolation then?"
Draco was glad that Ryan was so forthcoming with the information, and he was finally getting somewhere. At least now, he understood why his snooping around didn't bring any results.
Just at that moment a bottle of vintage wine was delivered and their glasses filled in. The intriguing conservation was temporarily halted.
"To your reunion with the wizarding world!" Draco raised his glass in a toast.
The young Lord smiled and silently raised his glass in answer and carefully sipped the wine.
Their conservation switched to less personal topics such as sports, both muggle and wizarding. Ryan seemed to appreciate his knowledge of the muggle culture. Draco was quite proud of himself too. It took a lot of effort and some high-degree sneakiness to go behind his father's back and acquaint himself with the "enemy". He hated to admit it, but he did agree with his date. The wizarding world was quite stagnant in comparison to Muggles.
It was not long before their dinner arrived.
Fhoyer couldn't believe he was enjoying his time with Malfoy so much. He was so different from what he remembered. Had he just matured, or was Harry Potter's judgment so clouded? Was this the real Draco Malfoy and was his other persona that portrayed Lucius just a facade?
"You never finished telling me the reason for the isolation," reminded Draco, effectively turning the tide of their dialogue.
"Ah, in short, it was the prejudice and narrow-mindedness of the populace. But, in my opinion, our isolation was quite selfish and didn't help the situation. How can we expect any improvement if we do not help and participate? That seems a bit hypocritical to me."
"Are you saying that you plan for some kind of revolution?" Draco's mouth twitched. Ryan was good, but not that good.
"No, I just want to introduce some ideas and only hope that they would be accepted and implemented by others. For example, I am currently writing a short book about the disadvantages of the wand usage, and believe me, when I say, they are detrimental to one's magical core."
Well, Draco wasn't expecting that.
"What do you mean… How else would we perform magic? Only few are capable of wandless magic."
"Ah, and that is where you are wrong!" Ryan's bright eyes were sparkling with excitement. It seemed he was really into the topic. "There is no such thing as wandless magic, but there is wand magic. Wand is just a tool, a conduit for magic, but it is standardized and not well-suited for every person. Any other object can be developed and serve as a conduit, but it requires more creativity and effort than just waving a stick around and citing Latin."
Draco was affronted. After all he was just finishing his education in the prestigious school on "waving a stick around and citing Latin". Ryan's suggestions were quite insulting.
The mage smiled sadly at him.
"And I see from your reaction, that it would be hard to convince anyone of the truth. But one cannot help but to try. I'll give you an example. My Auntie could level a hill and raise a garden with her crotchet. She could knit fire and it took the form she wanted and burned an everlasting flame. If she wished she could rule a country with her power, but used it just for domestic purposes." Of course Ryan didn't have any such aunt, but he read a grimoire of the witch. "An unsuited to the person magical conduit such as a wand, cripples magical core and even if one had the ability to manipulate raw magic, it usually disappears with time because it is not developed properly."
Ryan looked at the frowning wizard and decided to change the topic.
"I probably should just let you read the book when it's out."
"What you say is intriguing but hard to believe. Aren't you using a wand yourself?"
"No, though I don't advertise the fact. At least for now. I know people are afraid of those that differ."
"Can you tell me what you use then, if it' not a secret?"
Ryan looked at him appreciatively.
"I suppose I can. I am one of the few, though there are more than people are inclined to believe, who is capable of raw magic manipulation."
"So in amateur terms, you are wandless?" Draco grinned cheekily. It was getting more and more exciting by the minute.
"I guess," Ryan smiled tentatively, judging his reaction cautiously.
The young veela was suddenly struck by an idea.
"You know, I heard that Ollivander's wand shop was recently decimated. Quite a tragedy, but I guess you would approve."
"Decimated? How interesting," the guy's eyes radiated innocence and vague interest. "Yes, I believe I heard something about the occurrence. So it is not something that happens here in the wizarding world on regular basis then, is it?.. With the Dark Lords running around and creating havoc?"
Oh yes, this one was devious, the chances of them sharing a dormitory were growing. And maybe, Ryan was that good after all.
"No, it isn't. Though I believe we've become recently short of one Dark Lord."
"Really?" the wand-hater was now sincerely surprised. What Draco didn't know is that the surprise was at the speed with which this information had spread.
"Yes, haven't you seen today's Daily Prophet?"
"No, I haven't. How did that happen?"
"Nobody really knows, but it is said that the Dark Marks of the prisoners in Azkaban had painfully disappeared. The Ministry believes this means You-Know-Who is dead."
"How curious…"
"Excuse me? Lord Flhoyer?"
The waiter suddenly interrupted their political talk.
"Yes?"
"An owl has just delivered this letter for you."
The man extended an envelope which Ryan graciously accepted and examined.
"It is from Hogwarts. The results of my entrance exams, I believe," he shared with his companion.
"Will you open it?"
"If you don't mind…"
"Go ahead."
Ryan studied the letter for a few minutes then sighed dejectedly.
"Care to share?" implored Draco.
"It seems I am quite deficient in the Potions."
And he was. Quite disappointing. But to be truthful, the Potions branch has developed much from the time when the Knowledge Chambers were built. There were no potions category per se, but Alchemy flourished and he wasn't very good at that too, but proficient enough. The magicals of the time were more concerned with the explosive properties of ingredients, so he knew how to successfully brew mixtures that rivaled atomic and h-bombs, but other properties, like healing, eluded him. Of course, he could recite a number of recipes he managed to learn since his coming back, but the basic understanding was missing.
"How deficient?"
"I haven't progressed beyond OWL level, and quite low OWL level at that. It is regrettable, I would have liked to continue the studies in this subject."
"May I see?"
Ryan handed him the results. Draco's eyebrows raised. Well, potions or no potions, the elusive Lord was certainly not dumb: Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and DADA beyond NEWT level and approaching Mastery, Care of Magical Creatures and Astronomy on NEWT level, Transfiguration, Charms and Herbology up to seventh year level. Potions were though an acceptable OWL.
Draco saw the opportunity for what it was and grasped it with two hands.
"I could tutor you in Potions, if you wish. I am quite good at them, in fact I am planning to master in the field after Hogwarts."
Ryan's face became hopeful but it was tempered with some doubt.
"I would welcome your help, but wouldn't it interfere with your own studies?"
"No, I am among the top students, so I have no need whatsoever to catch up, and no, don't even mention it," warned Draco seeing the man posed for another question, "no charge. Besides, it's always good for future Master to try a hand at teaching, it usually deepens one's understanding on the subject even more."
Ryan smiled broadly, his smile lighting his face with joy.
"Thank you. You are my savior."
Draco resisted the urge to proudly puff his chest.
"When are you free to meet then?"
"My schedule is quite flexible, when are you?" Ryan redirected the question.
"Weekends are the best time. What do you say about Sunday after lunch? I'll send you the portkey to the Malfoy Manor. Unless you wish to meet somewhere else?"
"No, that is fine," agreed Ryan, still reeling at the turn of events. When he came here, he certainly wasn't expecting to be invited to Malfoy Manor in two days. He didn't know what he was expecting. "I think I must leave now. It's getting late."
"If you must. I was a pleasure meeting you."
"Likewise."
Ryan moved the hand to his pouch to pay for his part of dinner.
"Don't," Malfoy's voice stopped his movement. "The dinner is on me. After all, it was my invitation."
"Are you sure? This place looks expensive."
While Ryan knew that to Malfoy this sum was of no importance he still felt uncomfortable.
Draco, on his part, was insulted at the insinuation.
"I can afford it, and more," he scoffed arrogantly.
Ah, here was the Draco Malfoy he knew and loved. Flhoyer was relieved, he already began suspecting he was meeting with a Draco from some alternate reality. So he just grinned.
"Then I have to invite you some other time, too."
"It's a date," agreed Draco.
Ryan started and turned to him with wide frightened eyes.
"Is it?"
Draco understood he was treading a dangerous ground. Now how not to spook this naïve creature…
He decided to choose the friendly-teasing mode.
"Only if you want it to be," he said jokingly, smiling broadly. "Now, you were saying?"
Ryan relaxed and smiled too.
"I was leaving actually. Thank you for the wonderful dinner. I'll have to remember this place."
"You're welcome, see you on Sunday."
"See you soon."
Ryan quickly departed, but Draco wasn't leaving yet. It was not that late of an hour, only about half past nine, so he ordered another bottle of wine and decided to celebrate the first successful date with his future husband by himself. And it was a date, whatever the other thought. But no pressure, he still had some time, limited as it was. Draco just had to lull Ryan into the false sense of security and then attack. He couldn't wait…