Chapter Two
As the plane taxied toward their gate at London Heathrow Airport a few minutes later than scheduled, Harry grinned. Even with all of the crazy that awaited him, he was glad to be back in London. He'd always enjoyed coming into the city to escape the life he was forced to live on the Estate. He didn't want to go revisit anywhere in particular while they were here, but maybe Draco would like to spend an afternoon at the British Museum. He seemed the type to like that kind of thing and they would have the time. Or maybe Harry could take him to see a show at the Globe Theatre. It was June after-all, they'd probably be playing A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was his favorite play by Shakespeare. Maybe he'd like to see something on the West End instead? Hmm. Spamalot was playing for sure. Or maybe he'd prefer something scary like going on the Jack the Ripper Tour.
"Draco, have you been to London before?"
"Of course I have. I love it here, it's one of my favorite cities in the world. I haven't been back here since I was a teenager though. I wonder what's changed."
"We can spend some time finding out if you like. The less time we spend at the Estate the better for us all. I'd be completely fine just skipping straight to the wedding and avoiding anything to do with the Estate at all. Too bad that isn't possible... Is there anything in particular you'd like to do while we're here? We could go catch a show, check out a museum or just go to a park or something."
"I'd like to go see the traveling exhibit at the British Museum if you're up for it. I've explored the main galleries before, but I'd enjoy seeing what's new. It would be nice to go to Harrods or Selfridges too. We can play everything by ear though."
The two continued chatting as they disembarked and headed towards customs.
"I'd like to catch a show at the Globe or on The West End while we're here. There should be something good playing. We could try to catch a show at Regent's Park too." Harry glanced over at the man walking next to him. "Or we could do something scary like go on the Jack the Ripper tour or go to the Sherlock Holmes Museum. The mannequins there are a whole new level of terrifying."
Draco's eyes opened a bit wider at the mention of the Jack the Ripper Tour. "You'd want to go do something like that? Horror tours and Ghost tours are one of my guilty pleasures... We should definitely go do that one evening." Harry grinned. "I actually love doing touristy things here in London. The ghost tours are great for learning the history of a place but keep you from getting bored. I don't really believe in ghosts, but it's fun to pretend. I even spent a weekend in Salem last year. They had so many ghost tours I didn't know which one to pick so I ended up going on three of them. Have you been there?"
"Not yet, it's on my bucket list though. I've heard good things. One sec, let me get out my passport."
They both passed through customs with no problems and headed over to the baggage claim area.
"So you've been to London, where else have you traveled?" Harry asked as he walked over to get a cart for their luggage. Heathrow was big and they had a lot of bags between them.
"Hmm... Well, let's see. I've been to most of the countries in Western Europe and I've been to a few places in Asia too. I've been all over the States as well. For both work and pleasure."
Their bags finally arrived and they were quick to snatch them off the conveyor belt.
As Draco loaded his last bag onto the cart, Harry started. "Damn it. I forgot to call Aunt Petunia before customs."
He pulled out his cell and, taking it off airplane mode, flipped through the phone book to the entry with the phone number for the Estate. He grimaced as the ringing finally stopped and an unfamiliar voice answered the phone.
"Hello, you've reached the Dursley Estate. Whom may I ask is calling?"
"Hi, this is Harry Potter calling for Petunia Dursley."
"One moment please."
Harry grimaced again. He hated the 'on hold' music Uncle Vernon chose.
There was another click and Petunia's grating voice filled his ear.
"So you've arrived have you? What took you so long?"
"Hello Aunt Petunia. We just got our bags and we're heading over to the Taxi stand. I'm sorry for not calling earlier. We'll head over to the hotel I booked from here and see you all in the morning. We don't want to be a bother."
"You'll do no such thing. Everyone is expecting you to stay here at the Estate along with the rest of the guests. They'll be arriving over the next few days. How would it look if you were the only ones staying at a hotel? No. Cancel whatever reservation you might have made and come here directly. We're having dinner at 8:30 sharp. Don't be late."
"But..."
"8:30 sharp."
"Yes, Aunt Petunia. See you soon."
There was a sharp click as the call was abruptly ended from her side.
Harry put the phone back in his messenger bag and rubbed his temples to help stave off the headache that was threatening to appear. After a few moments Harry turned to look at Draco and offered him a weak smile.
"My Aunt Petunia insists we stay at the Estate. She says all of the other guests are going to be staying there as well. We'll have to take a Taxi and figure out how to get some free time in the city away from everyone else later. Come on. I'll cancel our hotel booking on-route, damn it. I really wanted to stay in London."
Harry moodily grabbed the luggage cart and started pushing it towards the exit and the nearest Taxi stand. Hopefully all of the Taxi's in London had already been hired out and they would have an excuse to turn around and go back to New York. Draco followed, taking in his client's mood and thinking about ways to remedy the situation. He decided that continuing the conversation where they'd left off would be a good idea.
"So, as I was saying, I've traveled a lot, but the Taxis in England are by far my favorite. I love the shape and the space in the back. I can actually stretch my legs out. That and it's always fun to drive down the wrong side of the road!"
"Oy! You American's are the ones who drive on the wrong side of the road, not us. We drive properly!"
They kept chatting about innocuous things as they moved further and further up the queue. Luckily it only took ten minutes or so for them to get to the head of the line and by then Draco had successfully helped Harry return to his previous state.
When it was finally their turn, Harry arranged for them to be driven out to the Dursley Estates. They were located just outside of London, so the drive, even with traffic should only take them thirty minutes or so.
The driver came around to help them with their bags and then held the door as they climbed in. Draco offered to let Harry go in first, but Harry blushed.
"What is it?"
"Uh sorry. It's just... I um… I always sit behind the driver…" Draco nodded his head and climbed in, scooting over to the left side of the bench. Harry, still blushing, slid in next to him and the driver closed the door behind them. He glanced over at Draco. "You can sit in front you know. You don't have to sit by me."
Draco was a bit puzzled by the rapid mood swings Harry seemed to be going through, but decided to just keep acting normally.
"My dear Harry, I would much rather sit here. You'll just have to get used to my presence for the next week or so. As I've said before, relax." Harry swallowed and nodded, looking away from Draco and out of the window before taking out his cell again to open his Hotel App. He took a minute to pull up the reservation and sent the cancellation request. After getting the confirmation email he put the cell back in the messenger bag and leaned forwards in his chair to speak to the driver, quickly glancing down to the ID card with the driver's name on it.
"Excuse me Colin, would it be okay if I took a little nap? We've still got a ways to go and I'm tired. Do you mind?" The driver gave Harry a strange look but nodded his head.
"Of course sir. I'll turn the radio down for you."
"Oh, no need to do that. Listen to it all you like, I can sleep through most things. Thank you." Harry leaned back and settled down. Draco and the driver shared a look in the mirror as Harry fell asleep. As soon as Draco was positive Harry was out cold he started chatting with the driver about random things but eventually the driver asked about his and Harry's relationship.
"We met on a flight between LA and New York a few months ago. We exchanged information on the flight and have been in touch ever since. We started dating about two months ago."
"So what's a Yank like you doing in London? Is it just because of him or…"
"Harry has been invited to his sister's wedding. I'm his date and apparently his protection too."
"He's rather anxious to please that one. Doesn't want to inconvenience anyone."
"Yes, I've realised. It's a shame really, he should have more confidence in himself. He's a great guy but one of the most unselfish people I've ever met. His family is quite affluent, so you'd expect him to have a different attitude."
"Hmm. I guess so, the family he comes from is quite prestigious. I'm pretty sure the Dursley Family is actually the richest in Surrey. They own Grunning's Drills and I know it doesn't sound that impressive but they are millionaires." Draco nodded his head and glanced over at Harry. He was about to speak when the driver continued. "I've never had the opportunity to meet 'em of course but the way the Dursley's act while on the tele makes 'em seem to be very full of themselves. Not a nice bunch apparently. We can just be grateful that that young man didn't turn out like them."
"Yes, I suppose we can." Draco looked over Harry as if trying to work something out before relaxing into his seat and looking out the window.
"Harry? Harry you have to wake up now. We need the code for the gates unless you want to walk all the way up to the manor house?" Harry woke up slowly and blinked up at Draco. Humming his agreement Harry pushed open the door, got out and walked over to the security box. He typed in a long code and as the gates opened he got back into the Taxi.
"That's a long code." Harry smiled warily and got back in the car.
"The date my parents died. Not hard to remember." Draco nodded.
"Now, I'm guessing your relatives will see the car coming up the drive?"
"Yes."
"Very well. Don't worry Harry, just relax." Draco reached out a hand and placed gentle fingers on Harry's neck. This successfully elicited a chuckle from Colin and Harry's cheeks tinted to an even darker shade of red than before. Draco smiled gently and Harry nodded, quickly looking away. Draco just kept smiling and glanced at the driver to see the man watching with a tiny affectionate smile. Draco moved his fingers down Harry's neck to his shoulder and he could feel the tension there. "You aren't relaxing Harry."
"Damn it." Harry whispered reaching up and taking Draco's hand in his, squeezing it gently. "It's kind of hard to relax knowing what's coming."
"Well, I'm here and I'm not leaving your side. There's nothing to worry about. You'll be fine. Just be the smart, charismatic man I know you are. We're almost there."
They pulled up to the end of the drive. It was a circle type driveway that was beautifully landscaped. "Thank you Colin." Draco said addressing the Taxi driver who smiled in return and calculated the fare. Harry released Draco's hand and reached into his back pocket having to lift his hips slightly to do so. After fumbling around he pulled out his wallet and gave the man one hundred pounds.
"Keep the change Colin, and thank you." Colin looked ready to protest but Draco shook his head since Harry was already out of the Taxi. Draco handed out the bags and then got out himself. Colin agreed and didn't say anything though he felt strange about taking the extra fifty pounds Harry had given him.
As Colin drove off, Harry looking longingly after him, the door to the huge white manor house opened and out came five figures.
Harry froze where he was. Draco took the moment of inaction to study the people that had appeared.
The first was a portly older man with a huge handlebar mustache. His hair was salt and pepper and seemed to be thinning out a bit at the top. He was dressed expensively, but his face was red from walking and his eyes were unpleasant as they took in the two men on the driveway.
Next to him stood a woman with an exceptionally long neck. It was amazing really. Her strawberry blonde, obviously dyed hair, was pulled back into a neat bun at the back of her head. The style was not as flattering as she must have assumed. She was dressed in an elegant blue suit with darker blue high heeled shoes. Her eyes were unpleasant as well, but they held ice and disdain instead of the fire held in her husband's eyes.
The first of the younger men was about the same height as Draco if he was any judge. That was their only similarity. While Draco was fit, this man was not. He was not big enough to call fat, but he was certainly out of shape. He had blue eyes and blond hair and wore a pair of smart black trousers and a cashmere vest over a white shirt.
Next to him was another young man. He looked like a taller, bulkier version of Harry. He had brown eyes and wore a pair of black trousers with a brown shirt that had the top few buttons undone showing a slightly hairy chest.
Finally there was a young lady with cascading red hair that fell to just above her elbows. Her red hair was a rich auburn shade that contrasted beautifully with the light green dress she wore. She had a deceptively bright smile on her face highlighted by the barest hint of makeup.
"Harry darling! Oh we've missed you!" Said the woman with auburn hair walking elegantly, if rather enthusiastically, up to Harry and wrapping her arms around his neck. They were roughly the same height, though Harry was taller. "You grew! Wow. You're taller than me now. Never thought that would happen. Can't call you a runt anymore."
"Hello Rose."
After a moment's hesitation he wrapped his arms around his sister and gave her a light hug in return before releasing her and allowing her to look him over whilst his brother came up to him.
"Yes Harry, we've missed you. It's been, what… seven years now? I thought you said you'd be home every Christmas?" The raven haired man said giving his brother a hug and a pat on the back.
"Sorry Tommy. Work gets hectic over Christmas time and I keep getting called in to do extra hours." Harry said lying blatantly. Tommy shook his head with a smile. "You should have at least visited us. We thought you'd forgotten about us."
"I could never do that. How could I forget you and Rose?" Harry said with a charming smile and a step back towards Draco.
"You could have at least called."
"Speaking of forgetting things. Harry darling, who's this handsome chap?" Harry turned to see Rose was staring unabashedly at his date. Harry caught Draco's eyes and offered him an apologetic smile.
"Oh I'm sorry." Draco could have rolled his eyes at the sincere apology.
"This is Draco Malfoy. Draco, this is my sister Rose and my brother Tommy. They," Harry gestured, since it was rude to point, "are my cousin Dudley, my Aunt Petunia and my Uncle Vernon."
"Well, you sure are handsome. What are you doing with my brother?" Rose asked sweetly, though her words were anything but nice. Draco saw Harry cringe out of the corner of his eye and wondered if this was one of the reasons Harry had been so nervous.
"We met on flight between Los Angeles and New York and hit it off quite well. He invited me here for your wedding and I was only too pleased to come with him." Draco said with as much politeness as he could gather. Since Harry had continued to edge closer to him as he spoke, Draco lifted his arm and wrapped it around Harry's waist, an action that didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the family.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Draco." Rose said taking a step backwards so she stood right next to Tommy who wasn't really paying much attention to the proceedings since a little boy had just run out the doors yelling for his daddy.
"Oh come on now Evan, I told you Daddy is busy." Dudley bent down and picked the little boy up and into his arms. The boy couldn't have been more than three and had brown hair and blue eyes. Harry frowned, not understanding the situation. As he stared Tommy stepped forward and threw his arm around his little brother's shoulders knocking Draco's hand away in the process.
"That, brother, is Dudley's son Evan. Dudley's girlfriend three years ago wound up pregnant and Evan is the result. He was supposed to be staying with Piers though weren't you Evan?" The little boy pouted adorably but stubbornly.
"Evan say hello to your Cousin Harry and his friend Draco."
"Hi! Daddy, Piers said to stay with him but I wanted to come outside with you."
"If you don't mind my asking, who's Piers?" Dudley turned his blue eyes to Harry and gave him an icy stare.
"You would know if you ever called us. Piers is my boyfriend of two years."
Harry froze where he was but didn't say anything because of the icy stares he was receiving. His mind went a bit blank. Dudley was gay too? And the family was ok with it? What hypocrites!
"Oh, well congratulations." Harry said turning away and shaking off Tommy's hand. "If you don't mind I think perhaps Draco and I should get our suitcases up to our rooms and unpack. What time is it here by the way?"
"It's just hit half seven. Dinner will be served promptly at half eight. It was most inconsiderate of you to arrive this late." Harry didn't turn to face his Aunt but he did apologise as he picked up his bags.
"I'm sorry Aunt Petunia but the plane was delayed. Our bags took a while to get unloaded and then there was a queue at the Taxi stand. I'm sorry for not calling until we were just getting the Taxi. I should have called you sooner."
"Yes you should have." Petunia sniffed and turned marching into the house. "Well come along you two, don't dawdle. You can share Harry's old room. It's plenty big enough for the both of you but I'm warning you, no funny business!"
Harry stared at Petunia in shock for a few moments before Draco's hand gripping his caught his attention. If she was going to force them to stay at the Estate, she could have at least assigned them a room in the main area of the house! Draco was with him for heaven's sake. What was she thinking sending them to his old room?
As they moved into the entryway their shoes clicked slightly on the light wooden floor. At the other end of the room was a grand staircase that went straight forwards before splitting off into two staircases going left and right. Harry grimaced at the thought of carrying his bags all the way to his room, but to his great relief, a pair of servants stepped forward to join them and assist with bags. Petunia lead them all up the staircase leading right and then proceeded to lead them along a long corridor at the end of which was another set of stairs and another corridor. About halfway down this corridor Petunia came to a door and pulled it open revealing another set of stairs, this time wooden and slightly older.
Harry thanked his Aunt and motioned for Draco and the servants to follow him up the slightly creaky stairs. At the top Draco found himself in a large attic space. The attic seemed to span the whole length of the house but had stacks of boxes in it. Christmas decorations and other miscellaneous things that had been put into storage up here. Not too far away was a doorway into a walled off area.
"That's the bathroom. There's a nice toilet, sink and both a bath and a shower in there. I had that room installed myself so that I didn't have to constantly go downstairs to use the bathroom." Harry explained as the servants backed quietly out of the room, not waiting for a thank you. In the centre of the attic space was a queen size bed, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe. There was also a rug and on a desk over against the attic wall just below a curtained window were piles of papers and books. Draco looked around wondering why Harry had a room like this.
"Um… I chose to live up here." Harry offered hoping Draco didn't see through the lie. Draco nodded and put his suitcases down. "Um… you can have the left side of the wardrobe and the top three drawers if you like."
"Thank you." And they started unpacking, occasionally going into the bathroom to put their shampoos and toiletries away. After finishing, Draco stood at the end of the bed. "Which side do you sleep on?"
"Excuse me?" Harry asked politely having not heard because his head was in the wardrobe sorting out his clothes.
"I said which side do you sleep on?"
"What? There should be another bed in here…" Harry looked around but couldn't see another bed or even a sofa. He went red again. "Oh I'm really sorry. There always used to be a sofa bed up here… I was going to use that and let you take the bed."
"Well there isn't one, and it's no bother really if we share." Harry felt his face flame even more and looked away. Draco noticed this and put it on his mental list along with 'low self-esteem', 'scared of family' and 'apologises at every given chance and mostly at the start of sentences'. "So again, which side do you sleep on?"
"I'll take the right side." Draco nodded and went over to sit on the left. Taking off his shoes and socks Draco walked over to the wardrobe next to Harry and pulled out a metal hanger.
"Now about my payment."
"Oh! That." Harry quickly went over to his hand luggage and pulled out two brown envelopes. "Um… did you want the money in dollars or pounds because you can have it in either?"
"You mean you drew out twice the required amount of money so you could pay me in either British or American money?"
"Um... yeah… I wasn't sure which you'd prefer considering we're in England now."
"I'll have the American Dollars." Harry opened one of the envelopes and checked it before giving it to Draco and putting the other one away.
"It should all be there. Check it though."
"I trust you."
"I've given you no reason to. Please, check the amount. If anything it will make me feel better." Draco sighed but opened the envelope drawing out the large wad of money. He counted it carefully and smiled at the end of it.
"That's one hundred dollars over Harry." Harry averted his eyes.
"You can keep it." Draco stared at him and placed the extra hundred down on the bed before putting the rest into his carry-on bag.
"Well, that's ten thousand for eleven days as your escort. If anything sexual is to happen we discuss money first before we do anything and I mean anything." Draco turned his serious gaze to Harry who looked mortified.
"I… I'd never… no…" Harry stuttered before shaking his head and looking away. "That's fine. It won't be necessary. I have no interest in sex." Harry left then and went straight into the bathroom closing the door and stripping off for a very very quick shower. They had to go down for dinner soon but he couldn't bear to be in the clothes he'd been traveling in for a second longer.
Draco shrugged, no sex was fine with him.
Harry came out of the bathroom with a puff of steam. He had a towel wrapped firmly around his waist whilst he used another one to dry his hair. He had apparently taken a new shirt into the bathroom earlier as it was on and buttoned already. He refused to look at Draco as he walked over to the drawers and pulled out a clean pair of silk boxers, this time in black. Pulling them on but still keeping the towel in place, Harry rummaged around in his side of the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of smart black trousers and slipped them on before letting his towel drop away. Harry then picked up his towels from the floor and took them back to the bathroom, folding them neatly. He came out of the room again but this time carrying his clothes from that day. He threw them into a basket next to the wardrobe.
"Mind if I take a quick shower too?" Harry looked over his shoulder at Draco who was standing there undoing his shirt. Harry felt his face flame as his eyes locked on silver ones.
"No, go right ahead just be careful because if you turn the heat up even a bit too much then boiling hot water comes out." Draco nodded and pulled his shirt off and Harry quickly looked away flushing even more brightly. Draco didn't notice and hung his shirt up in the wardrobe as Harry started going through a stack of CD's next to the old CD player on the desk. Draco slipped off his trousers, leaving him in just his white underwear, and hung the trousers neatly in the wardrobe before walking into the bathroom pulling off his underwear as he went. All the time Harry refused to look around until he heard the door click and lock.
Harry inserted the CD he wanted into the player and closed it, pressing play and switching to track three. The track started playing and Harry padded gently over to the wardrobe. Pulling a chair over from nearby he stood on it and fumbled around on top of the wardrobe before finding what he wanted and pulled down a dusty violin case. Smiling Harry put the chair back and grabbed his dirty pants out of the basket, using them to dust off the case.
Putting the now dust free violin case on the bed Harry opened it and pulled out a beautiful violin. It was a classic violin carved from wood so light that it was almost a pearlescent white. Harry smiled and reached his hand out to lift the beautiful thing from the case, tenderly brushing his fingers along the neck of the violin.
"I've really missed you. Let's see how badly out of tune you are." Harry plucked the stings one at a time and he winced though he didn't stop smiling. Turning the violin over, he fixed the black velvet shoulder pad to it and then raised the violin to his neck holding it in place with his chin. Reaching out he picked the top bow off the set of two. Both bows were absolutely gorgeous. The one he had just picked up was made of a beautiful rose wood with hair from a golden horse. The bow still in the case was varnished with a special mix that gave it an unearthly green sheen in the right light. It had been strung with hair from a beautiful gray mare.
"Fawkes." He whispered the name in recognition. Harry knew when he'd named his bows all those years ago that it was a silly thing to do but he did it anyway. After all, his instruments were his friends and greatest companions and therefore they deserved names. The green one was called Salazar whilst his red bow was affectionately named Fawkes. Harry had, of course, named his violin too. She was called Hedwig. He'd hated leaving them behind all those years ago, but he just didn't have the room in his, well, escape bag at the time. He'd be taking them back with him this time.
Harry drew his bow across his fingertips but no sticky white powder came off on his fingers. Sighing to himself he opened a pocket in the case and drew out some resin. He rubbed the soft amber stone across the horse hairs of the bow in preparation for his use and checked the strings again.
"Perfect." Harry drew the bow across the strings of the violin and began tuning the instrument. He then proceeded to play a few scales before resting his arm. All this was done in the four minutes it took for the CD to play track three and flick to track four. Harry smiled as a tin whistle's music filled the room. Harry raised his bow to the violin strings with a smile. He waited and counted silently in his head. One two three four, two two three four, three two three four and… Harry started playing, matching the violin on the CD note for note.
A joyous, upbeat and incredibly fiddly tune filled the air. Harry's fingers were flying over the strings rapidly as he kept up with the music. Lord of the Dance was Harry's favourite track. It never failed to cheer him up. He played fast and furiously getting every note, every sharp and every slur right. At the end of the song he slowly put his violin down feeling much better.
"You play very well. That was amazing." Harry spun around with a slight cry and found himself face to face with a, nearly naked and still very wet, Draco Malfoy. Harry felt his face flame up and he turned around again quickly.
"Put some clothes on." Harry mumbled out weakly. Draco chuckled slightly behind Harry.
"You've paid for me you might as well see what you're getting." Harry's head jerked up but he didn't look around.
"Do you have to put it that way?" He reached behind him and pulled over his violin case so he could put everything away. Once he was done he dared to turn around and saw Draco pulling on some trousers but still topless. Harry supposed that wasn't so bad but averted his gaze anyway. "Um… thank you."
Draco stopped what he was doing and looked at him. "Thank you for what?" He asked completely confused.
"For your comment about my playing. I didn't think you'd hear it though. I thought you'd be in the shower longer and… never mind." Draco stood up and put his hand around Harry's to get the raven haired man's attention. Harry looked up.
"You're welcome." Then Draco let go and went to the wardrobe to pull out a white dress shirt. When he was done he pulled on some clean socks and some shoes.
"How long do we have until we need to go down for dinner?" Draco asked as he turned around to see Harry doing up a metal bracelet. This particular bracelet was part of a fashion trend that was huge in America right now. Draco scowled to himself. Who had started it again? Oh! That fashion designer… what was his name? It seemed every man in Hollywood or seen in the magazines had one of those metal chain bracelets around their wrists nowadays.
"Not long at all. We should really head down now." Harry said, still concentrated on the clasp. Draco nodded and watched as Harry finally did up the bracelet. Harry went over to his messenger bag and pulled out two small boxes and six tickets.
"What are they?"
"Presents. I couldn't exactly come back empty handed now could I?" Draco watched in amazement as Harry showed him what the tickets were for. They were open movie premier tickets and invites to the after parties. The recipients would have to pay for their travel arrangements and hotels, but the tickets alone must have cost Harry a small fortune.
"And those?"
"Earrings I picked up for my Aunt and Sister. Are you ready? We don't want to be late…" Draco nodded and let Harry lead them out of the room. Draco slid one arm around Harry's shoulders and let his fingers brush over Harry's neck as they walked. Beside him Draco felt Harry stiffen.
"Relax Harry. Just relax, I'm not going to hurt you." Harry nodded.
"I know. I'm just really not used to it."
"To what?" Harry turned his gaze and met Draco's eyes with a sad smile.
"People touching me. My family were never the give hugs kind of people. Tonight was weird. I can't remember the last time Rose or Tommy hugged me. I'll relax, I promise."
"This won't work unless you help me make it believable." Harry nodded and his smile became brighter.
"I guess it's time to start practicing my acting skills." Draco smiled reassuringly and they continued walking.
"So, tell me something I should know about you."
"Um what… like anything?" Draco nodded and Harry continued. "Well we're nearly there but let's see... something basic... ok, I'm a vegetarian for starters, I do eat meat occasionally, but only in situations where it would be extremely impolite to refuse the offered meals. I travel a lot for work and there are situations that pop up while I'm in other countries, especially Asia, that call for a bit of flexibility." He looked over at Draco and then back in front of him.
"I went to Japan last year, and almost everything had some sort of fish or beef broth added to it. I didn't speak the language well enough at the time to ask or read the ingredients, so I just ate what was brought. I couldn't bring myself to actually eat the whole fish they brought out though! They had left the eyes, Draco! The eyes... I gave it to Hermione. I'm not allergic to anything thank goodness but I hate not knowing what I'm putting into my body. I've been studying up since my last trip, so I don't think I'll be in that same situation again. I'm going to tell Hermione to ask the hotels for vegetarian meals too... that will help, yes..." he trailed off, blushing.
"Very well." Draco nodded putting that on his mental list of 'Harry's Quirks'. "Who's Hermione?"
"She's my personal assistant. An absolute genius with scheduling and paperwork. She's amazing. What about you? Anything I should know?"
"Well I have no qualms about eating meat. I don't eat anchovies or olives and I can't really handle spicy food."
"Aw that's a shame. I make a really nice vegetarian curry."
"Well should you ever cook one I will try it." Harry hummed his appreciation. Humming with a smile, Draco noticed, was Harry's way of agreeing and showing he was happy about something. Draco let his fingers gently caress Harry's neck as they walked around a corner and then through a pair of double doors into a large formal dining room.
They were met by Harry's family who were stood around waiting and talking happily amongst themselves. Harry noted that there were two people he hadn't met before and one he hadn't seen in a long time.
Standing next to Dudley and Evan was a young man with brown hair and brown eyes. He reminded Harry of a bean stalk, skinny and tall. He didn't appear to have a beard though there were a few places that he'd missed when he'd shaved. He wore smart brown trousers and a cream shirt. He was introduced as Piers Polkiss.
Next to Tommy was a young lady with bright blue eyes and blond hair that fell loosely to her shoulders framing a lovely face. Tommy introduced her as Sarah Finnegan. She was his girlfriend of nine months. She wore a soft baby blue dress in light silk that clung to her figure showing her chest and her hips adequately. What Harry severely disliked about this fabric was that the material was thin and cold and the woman's nipples could be seen. He was glad that when he designed dresses with that material he put an extra piece of cloth behind the silk so that his client's nipples didn't show at all.
The man standing by Rose was the one that Harry recognised. A tall young man with a strong firm build and neatly styled hair. He was very handsome with his grey eyes and his smart black trousers and tie with a golden coloured shirt on.
"Cedric!" Harry said with a warm smile. Cedric's grey eyes looked up and met bright green. A large grin made its way across Cedric's face.
"Harry Potter. So the long lost Potter finally returns from his escapades out in the wilds of America." Cedric walked proudly across the room and pulled Harry into a manly hug with a grin. When the pair pulled away Cedric and Harry were still grinning at each other. Draco watched in silence though he had a small smile on his lips as he watched Harry. "You have NO idea how much I miss our competitions together. It's been dreadfully dull without you! What kept you away so long?"
"Well, you know. This and that. I've been busy Cedric. My boss keeps me on my toes." Harry said with an innocent smile that made Draco frown. Whenever Harry was lying blatantly he tended to smile innocently. The strangest thing was that Cedric, and seemingly the rest of his family, didn't notice his tell.
"Well, come on then introduce us to your dashing man." Before Harry could introduce them though Cedric held out his hand with a welcoming smile to Draco. "Cedric Diggory at your service."
"Draco Malfoy. It's nice to meet you Cedric."
"Oh ho ho! I say, he's polite for a Yank isn't he?"
"Yes well… Oh! I have some presents for you all." He turned to Sarah and Piers and apologized. "I'm sorry, but I didn't know you were going to be here so I only brought gifts for my family and family to be." He smiled sheepishly and then turned to the others. "I hope you enjoy them."
At their tight smiles, Harry blushed and then gestured his head towards the table. "Shouldn't we be sitting down to dinner?" Cedric jumped and went over to a chair quickly and pulled it out gesturing for Rose to come over.
"Yes, sorry. We got side tracked. You okay there dear?" Rose smiled brightly and nodded at Cedric, giving him a chaste kiss before facing forwards and allowing him to seat her. Everyone else took their seats around the table and waited for the servants to bring out the meal.
They ate amongst reasonably friendly chatter. Well, friendly to everyone except Harry, Draco noted. Cedric, Sarah and Evan seemed to be oblivious to the subtle barbs, but everyone else asked Harry questions about his life that were designed to have a small stab at the green eyed man. Harry answered each question with a smile that was sometimes innocent and sometimes just a smile.
There was one exception and it came from Cedric of all people. Draco hadn't really expected it. "Do you remember the time you tripped and then tried to run with a twisted ankle Harry? I can't believe you tried to run with it. It was swollen up and still you refused to sit out. Just goes to show you how high Harry's tolerance for pain is doesn't it? You nearly beat me too if I remember correctly. You didn't though, that was my one and only victory over you."
"You came damned close a couple of times though didn't you?"
"Yes I did but I can never beat Harry. He runs like there's something dreadful chasing him." Harry smiled innocently over at Cedric.
"Well you weren't far away were you? I couldn't hang around."
"Oh you!" Cedric laughed putting his palm flat against the table with a slight bang. "Do you still run Harry?"
"Yes, I love running. I go every chance I get."
"Your boss sounds like a workaholic."
"No not really, he just keeps everyone else busy."
"What's his name again? I keep forgetting."
"William Jameson." Harry said with an innocent smile. Cedric nodded in between taking a bite of his gorgeously cooked steak.
"Oh yes him. He's famous now, I suppose that's why he keeps you so busy. He's in high demand." Harry nodded with his innocent smile once again.
The mention of the name sparked a memory in Draco's mind. It was this Jameson fellow who'd started that bracelet trend… and Wait. Harry… Harry looked an awful lot like his memory of William Jameson. What was going on here?
"Why haven't you been promoted yet Harry? Haven't you been working for that man for five years, ever since he opened right?"
"Just after William setup yes."
"What's wrong with you then? You're still just a lowly designer aren't you? You aren't even working with the celebrities or any customers. You should work harder to get a promotion."
"Well I've never really thought about promotion. Besides you have William at the top and the designers that work with the customers then you have the designers that feed ideas upwards. I'm quite happy to stay tucked away rather than work with the customers."
"That's what I never liked about you Harry." Cedric interrupted before Vernon could speak again. "You always settle for what you have and never fight to be the best. Even with running if there was the slightest chance anyone else could have beaten you then you'd immediately back down and say they won when you were clearly the better in the race. Stand up for yourself Harry, come on."
"I'll try then but I really don't think William needs me as a custom clothes designer." Harry smiled innocently again and turned back to his food accidentally meeting Draco's eyes. Swirling silver trapped his own green and Harry felt himself blush slightly under the scrutinizing gaze. What he saw wasn't reassuring. The silver eyes told him that Draco knew he was lying. Harry gulped and gave Draco a Look before quickly turning his gaze back to his food and picking his way through his salad. When Harry was done eating the salad he put his cutlery on his plate and leaned back slightly. His family merely glanced at his plate before continuing to eat.
"Have some more Harry." Harry looked up startled at the voice and saw it was Draco who'd spoken. Draco wasn't looking at him because he was cutting his steak neatly but Harry knew it was the blonde who'd spoken.
"I'm sorry?"
"I said have some more."
"W…" Harry was about to ask why but silver eyes met his gaze and Harry found himself backing down slightly though not about to reach for any more food.
"Because you didn't eat on the plane. Now, please have some more. That salad wasn't very big." Harry frowned crossly but reached out to get some more salad. Vernon and Petunia watched, as did everyone else as Draco put down his cutlery and watched Harry take the food.
"Have some of this too Harry." Sarah offered passing over a plate with some new potatoes and spring onions. Harry sighed but nodded and took the bowl, piling a few of the vegetables onto his plate before handing it back to her. Harry then looked over at Draco with a cross look on his face. He gestured silently to his plate with his hand and Draco nodded going back to his own meal. Harry rolled his eyes and started eating.
"If you don't mind my asking, what was that about?" Tommy asked. Draco turned his calm silver eyes to him and Harry flicked his eyes over to meet his brother's curious gaze.
"When Draco and I first… got together he told me I couldn't keep skipping meals and have to eat at least three times a day."
"Harry didn't eat at all on the plane. He said he wasn't hungry and I assumed it was because of nerves or something. Now, however, he has no excuse and he's skinny enough as it is. One would think, by the way he starves himself sometimes, that he didn't eat well as a child." Draco noticed Harry wince but Vernon looked outraged.
"Are you suggesting, Mr. Malfoy, that I don't feed those under my care?" Draco gave the man a curious smile.
"Or course not. That would be ridiculous. Of course you feed them, after all your other children turned out fine did they not? I think Harry just tends to get a little side tracked and sometimes forgets to eat. I meant no insinuation sir." Draco said politely and Harry watched out of the corner of his eye as the angry red of his Uncle's face turned back to its normal shade. Draco's smile was disarming and Harry met his gaze across the table. Harry looked away quickly and went back to eating but he knew the eyes that Draco had met were dull and sad.
"So, tell me again Draco. Why is it that you're with my little brother? You really could do so much better." Draco kept his eyes on Harry but answered Rose's question.
"I find him simply fascinating. He's a very talented musician for a start, he's handsome and he's an amazing fashion designer. From what I gathered from Cedric Harry is also a talented runner. He has many good qualities, don't you think Miss Potter?"
"Please call me Rose. And I never really knew much about Harry's talents. He never showed them to us. He was always the underachiever at school, never quite meeting Dudley, Tommy or my grades at school and he never showed a particular interest in things until he up and left for America and the fashion world."
"Oh, well Harry has obviously been hiding in the closet so to speak." Harry jerked his eyes up and his shocked eyes met Draco's calm ones. Draco watched as fear flooded into Harry's expression and he frowned slightly adding things up quickly in his mind. Two and two added up to four and Draco's eyes widened slightly with realisation. He quickly put down his cutlery keeping his gaze locked on Harry's eyes searching for something and obviously finding it. Harry snapped his gaze away and looked over at his Uncle.
"May I be excused Uncle? I'm really tired from the flight still."
"Finish your meal first."
"Really Uncle, I've eaten enough."
"Very well, but we need you at eight tomorrow morning to help prepare for the outing to the country club. Fun and games tomorrow with guests."
"Very well. Eight o'clock. Good night everyone." Harry stood up and put his napkin beside his plate before leaving the room at a quick pace. He closed the doors behind him without so much as looking back. Draco watched him leave with a slight frown of confusion.
"I wonder what that was about." Cedric asked with his own frown. Vernon and Petunia exchanged a glance before looking over at Draco who put on his best confused face.
"I have absolutely no idea. Perhaps I'd better go and see if I can help him." Draco went to stand but Rose protested.
"Oh no, just let him be. When he's tired he always gets a little moody. We'd just love it if you joined us all for a drink after dinner." Draco frowned slightly but nodded his head in agreement and settled back down. Vernon and Petunia exchanged another glance but went back to their meals quietly.
After dinner everyone gathered in the blue room. The butler brought in a tray of delicate desserts and Vernon passed around three bottles of identical wines. Draco himself only had a glass to be polite and joined in casual conversation with everyone. Dudley had put Evan to bed and was currently sat on the sofa with his arm around Piers' shoulders hugging his boyfriend. Piers was obviously enjoying the attention and sipped casually on his wine. Cedric sat on a single chair and Rose perched on the arm of the chair with Cedric's hand in hers. Tommy sat next to the blonde, Sarah, who had interlocked their fingers. She'd refused any wine as she was going to be driving back to her flat when they were done for the evening.
"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Draco asked. "I need to know what to wear."
"We are going to the country club. We were hoping to get in some tennis matches and perhaps some swimming." Draco sighed heavily and looked away.
"Well Harry and I should be okay. Jet lag shouldn't hit us too hard, but forgive us if we're a little tired tomorrow. Hopefully sleeping tonight will cancel out the effect." Draco tipped his head back and drained the wine glass. He set it down on the table and stood up stretching. "I'd better turn in. Good night everyone and thank you for letting me join you." Draco went to leave the room but in the hallway he was caught up by Rose, Tommy and Petunia.
"Draco dear, I wondered whether we could have a quick word?"
"Certainly. But I am rather tired."
"Oh this won't take long dear." Petunia lead the group back into the dining room and closed the doors. Turning to face Draco Petunia, Tommy and Rose put on their best polite smiles.
"We were just wondering what Harry's told you about us."
"Oh… uh not a lot really."
"Come along dear, we just want to know. What has he said about us?"
"Mrs. Dursley, Harry has really told me nothing concerning you or his family. In fact I only found out he had family here after he got the invitation, he's just wrapped up in his work at home. Why, is there something he should have told me?" Draco put on his worried face wondering where this was going.
"Oh well no… I mean yes. Yes there are some things you should know. Harry has a bit of a bad reputation around here." Petunia sighed dramatically and Rose agreed, putting her two cents in.
"You see Harry figured out that he was gay at fifteen and tried to steal my boyfriend. He was really slutty before he left for America and we felt we'd better warn you about him. See we don't really get along because he stole the... love of my life from me. He's just a little slut. I have Cedric now, but I will never forget what Harry did." Rose sniffed dramatically and Draco tried to decide whether he should play the angry and upset partner or the confused one. He settled for confused. He seemed to be falling into that role a lot around this family.
"Well, Harry doesn't seem the type but it's your word against his. Excuse me, I'd better get to bed, I'm really tired. I appreciate you telling me though." The three people smiled and even Rose managed to dramatically wipe her eyes free of any tears. Draco smiled disarmingly at them then yawned and turned to leave the room.
As he made his way up to the attic Draco was fuming. He couldn't remember being this angry in years. He stormed up the stairs into the attic room ready to launch into a loud argument with Harry when he saw the other man curled up dead asleep on the bed. All his anger evaporated and Draco sighed. He supposed this was the very reason Harry had hired him. Draco stripped off and pulled on some pajama bottoms and climbed into bed bare chested. He fell asleep almost immediately.
Draco woke up to the annoying sound of an alarm clock going off. He groaned feeling very tired and rolled over. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Harry reaching for the alarm clock and slamming his hand down on the off button.
"Bloody hell I hate mornings. Need coffee." Harry muttered swinging his legs over the bed and climbing out of it. He walked straight over to the wardrobe and chest of drawers getting his clothes ready for the day.
"Your Uncle said we're going to be playing tennis and possibly going swimming today."
Harry spun around and saw Draco sitting half naked on the bed. Immediately Harry averted his gaze and nodded his head walking into the bathroom. When he emerged he'd gotten dressed in light weight jeans and a long sleeved white shirt. He'd obviously showered again since the bathroom door opened with steam billowing out of it. Draco noticed that Harry didn't look at him at all as he walked across the room to put his pajamas away.
Draco got up with a sigh and went to take his turn in the bathroom. He washed and showered once more and came out of the room in just a towel again. Harry still wasn't looking at him. He was going to take this as a challenge sometime soon, but for now he would let things lie. Draco rolled his eyes and went over to the chest of drawers finding himself a pair of jeans and a nice blue polo shirt. Getting dressed, Draco threw the towel into the bathroom before grabbing Harry by the hand and making him stand up and walk over towards the window with him.
"Now then Harry. We have some talking to do. Or at least I have some talking to do and when I talk you will listen." Harry looked up at him warily. Draco felt his anger melt away yet again. He turned his head away growled. "Damn it! I didn't realise I was getting myself into this. You just told me that you and your family don't get along! I didn't know I was escorting an abused child back to his tormentors! That isn't my job Harry! My job is to escort young men and women to social events and make them happy. Now, since I am an honourable man I will not leave you here and I'm going to make damn sure that you're well looked after. I'm going to do my job while I'm here but I can't just stand by and watch while you belittle yourself to make your relatives feel better!"
"You are a fantastic man Harry. I'm not stupid, I've seen the magazines and the papers and I know full bloody well that you ARE William Jameson and that you are a multi-billionaire. How the hell do they still think you're a lazy, unaccomplished person? You're everywhere! I'm not like your family, I don't believe your lies. I know that you are a strong man and I know that you have done things no-one even imagined you could do. Your horrible relatives need to know that the person they've belittled isn't some pathetic imitation of a man but is instead a man who's become the most sought after designer in America! I mean you were even voted in as most handsome bachelor of the year last year! They need to know that you are better than they are and that you did it on your own with no help. You have to stand up for yourself Harry!"
Harry stood there staring at Draco as the blonde man ranted. He didn't understand what brought this on. He was sure his family would have found some way to turn the escort against him. Harry frowned, unluckily for him though Draco noticed and seemed to read Harry's thoughts.
"Oh for the love of… HARRY!" Draco yelled loudly to get the young man's attention. Harry snapped his gaze up and met angry eyes. "They did try to turn me against you but I am far from gullible. The tales they were spinning about you didn't ring true at all. You could never be a slut or a whore. You don't even look at me and I know my body is the object of many people's fantasies. I'm the whore Harry, I'm paid to sleep with people all the time! That's how I make my living. You, you could never be like me and I know it even though we've only known each other for roughly a day. Now, if I'm going to stay here and put up with your fucking family then you are going to at least stand up for yourself, have you got that?"
"I can try..." Harry said softly. Draco stared at him searchingly. What he saw didn't reassure him of anything and he knew he'd have to take matters into his own hands. Draco smirked and glanced at the time. It was seven thirty, perfect.
"Now, let's see about ironing out a few more basic details in our background story. Come sit with me." Draco wrapped his hand lightly around Harry's wrist and dragged the young man back towards the bed. He felt Harry stiffen but still follow him. He sat Harry down and took the spot next to him. When Harry looked at him Draco smiled. "Right then, we met on a flight from LA to New York. That's all we have so far. Best not to get too complicated. We've been dating for, let's say two months, and I am a personal trainer at a gym. Since that's my other job anyway we aren't lying at all. Will that do for you?"
"Hmm." Harry hummed relaxing slightly on the bed with a smile. Draco returned it and reached out a hand gently carding it through Harry's hair. He was pleased to note that Harry didn't flinch or tense up this time, he merely watched the hand approach.
"Well, unless there's anything else we should get going."
"Um… about last night… what gave me away?"
"Everything." Draco groaned. "You have this look when you lie… I noticed it on the plane. And I saw you cringe. Like I said, I'm really good at reading people and situations. Now, we have a job to do. We are going to make your family envious of you and me. I am going to touch you a little more often and I'm going to be a lot more affectionate. We will go swimming and we will play tennis and we will do anything else we are goaded into that I, and you of course, can manage safely."
"Okay, if you say so." Harry said getting up from the bed and going over to the chest of drawers. Draco smirked and crossed his legs.
"Well this is a new experience for me."
"What is?"
"Getting paid to tell someone what to do outside of a gym." Harry turned and gave Draco a small smile and a shrug. Draco took it to mean Harry found that funny and that he didn't care too much. "Of course, I'm in home territory when it comes to teaching those that deserve it a lesson or two and making people envious of my… charges."
"Well, just as long as one of us knows what to do. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. When I'm William I know exactly what I have to do and how to do it. When I'm here, when I'm in front of these people I just... I don't know, flounder I guess." Harry lifted out another long sleeved top from the wardrobe. He was about to put it into the rucksack he was packing when Draco took it off of him and looked it over.
"What's this for?"
"For when we go swimming." Draco stared at him gob smacked and dropped the offending garment.
"You aren't wearing that."
"Yes I am!"
"No you aren't Harry. You have a wonderful body, one everyone else will be jealous of. You aren't built like me, your muscles are more sleek than showy, but you have a really nice body and you aren't hiding it away under that."
"I…I-IIt's not so much that I'm hiding my body… I'm kinda just hiding my…"
"Your what?"
"My wrists…"
"Your wrists?" Draco frowned trying to understand. He grabbed Harry's wrists and turned Harry's hands over so he could inspect them, expecting to find nothing wrong. Instead Draco found two very neat scars that were still quite visible at Harry's wrists. Draco recognised their significance and he turned his shocked stare to Harry who was watching carefully out of the corner of his eye.
Draco ran through everything he knew about Harry and Harry's life. By the end of his quick search Draco growled. "This changes nothing. No shirt for you when we swim and no long sleeved shirts when we play tennis either. In fact, you can even change that shirt right now and put on a better one, a looser one if you must but one with shorter sleeves."
"But… why?"
"Because your relatives aren't going to torture you anymore." Draco's angry tones left no room for argument and Harry couldn't find the energy to fight Draco on this despite how scared he was of revealing his wrists again. Draco rummaged around in Harry's side of the wardrobe but couldn't find anything so he took to going through Harry's drawers. Eventually he found a polo shirt that Harry had packed to wear under a jacket if the weather changed. He handed it over and motioned for Harry to put it on. He did, but quickly reached into the wardrobe and pulled out the light jacket. When Draco glared Harry blushed.
"I feel naked. I can take it off later when I get hot."
"You'd better, I've got to have something to ogle at haven't I?" Draco said with a smirk when Harry blushed further. Then Draco lost the smile as Harry played with the ends of the jacket sleeves pulling them over his hands to make sure his wrists were completely covered up.
"When?"
"I was thirteen the first time. I just couldn't take the hate anymore. Then I did it again at fifteen when they discovered I was gay. I just traced the old scars though. I cut a bit deeper but not all the way across. I'm past it. America helped me. It gave me something to live for and I helped people."
"You did?"
"Yes. I built my company then I made a safe orphanage where there is no bullying. If anyone is spotted bullying anyone else the bully is severely punished and given help to get over why they bullied in the first place. It's the Potter orphanage in New York. I've got two Harry's Orphanages in Los Angeles for homeless children and for those with no parents. Helping other people has helped me value my own life. I have no plans to do it again."
"Why do they hate you?"
"I sort of mentioned it on the plane, but it's because I survived the car crash and my parents didn't. That and I'm gay. Which is bloody ridiculous seeing that Dudley has come out now too and they're fine with him and Piers."
"I don't understand how a group of people can be so hateful and small-minded. It's horrible. You deserve so much more."
Harry smiled at Draco as they walked down the stairs into the main section of the house.
Thank you for reading! I hope you liked the second installment of this story :). I'd love to read any reviews you leave for me.
