CHAPTER 10 - Mates and Green Dragons
Routine became the order of the day. There were studies in the morning, escape time in the afternoon, homework at night. It was the time between lunch and dinner that afforded the kids opportunity to just chill and have fun and plot trouble.
The twins served out their detention but it was not pleasant. Honcho set some very high standards and the boys ended up washing the same dishes and floor over and over and over again before Honcho would accept their work. For the first few days they didn't return to the common room until four or five in the afternoon.
When they finally stopped treating the whole thing as a joke and started being serious about their tasks was when Honcho started excusing earlier. They both felt like if they saw one more dish they would go crazy. Muggles used paper plates and they decided that was what they would do when they set up housekeeping.
They did have a greater respect for the work that the Elves went through providing meals, three times a day for the crowds that were in residence during the school year.
Yes, they were very happy to see the week end but not nearly as happy as the House Elves were to get them out of their kitchen. The Elves knew they were participating in a teaching experience but it really messed up their routine and the twins could never do the job as well as an Elf. The twins took sooooooo long that it was always a rush to get dinner ready.
Harry and Draco were meeting a couple times a week with Remus and things were progressing well. The boys managed to talk about normal everyday things during the breaks instead of glaring at each other.
Remus felt as though a breakthrough was right around the corner and said so to Albus, Minerva and Severus one night while having drinks with them. Minerva like to invite people in at least once a week and just socialize. When you lived and worked in the same place, day in and day out, conversation tended to get a bit tedious.
"I really feel that the boys are beginning to understand that what happened to them is wrong and not acceptable to most adults. We have been dealing with some anger management exercises and how to vent constructively", said Remus.
"I can assure Harry he will not be sent back to his Uncles' house but we will have a problem with Draco as I cannot make the same promises to him."
Severus commented, "You know and I know that Lucius is likely responsible for these 'hit and run' attacks that we are experiencing. If we could just catch him in the act then we could give Draco some assurance, but until then, his life is going to continue to be one filled with abuse.
"You're right Severus" said Albus, but we just don't have enough information and the idiots we are catching know nothing more than what they were told to do through written communications."
Severus casually asked, "When is the next meeting with the boys Remus, I was thinking of taking Draco somewhere and I don't want to interfere with your plans".
"Tomorrow at four, right before dinner, as a matter of fact" replied Remus.
Severus just nodded his head. He had not been sleeping much lately and it was always the same thing running around in his head...Harry and the Guardianship. It was time to let him know before he found out through another source. His father was not working very hard at finding a substitute guardian so it looked like he was stuck.
But it was more than just the guardianship, he thought to himself, it was his feelings toward Harry. Why did he carry on in such a negative way, especially in front of the other students? Harry was definitely not James, so why did he allow his anger to hold on to such a lie?
Yes, James had bullied him, embarrassed him, but the real truth of the matter was that he didn't want to have to admit he was wrong. He would need a lot more information before he could bring himself to admit that the apple had not fallen very far from the tree.
It was not right but he planned on attending their next session under Harry's invisibility cloak, which he confiscated when they moved him to the castle. He would have to remember to cast all the spells; sound, smell and the like as Remus had very sensitive ears and nose. But he had to know what was going through Harry's mind. He didn't exactly know why it was so important to him, but it was.
The next day Harry was just taking a stroll around the castle before their session, trying to calm down and breath. He turned a corner and heard sobbing, not loud, but subtle, like a child who was scared.
He finally found the source of the crying, behind a statue in an alcove. There sat, all curled up, a little girl of about six. Harry had heard, through the rumor mill, a small girl, who had been abused, had been brought to the castle but he had never met her.
"Hello, what's your name?" asked Harry as he squatted down next to her.
"Cassy" she responded as she shrunk back from him trying to make the alcove bigger than it was.
Harry noticed that she was frightened of him so he just sat on the floor, with his back against the wall and his legs stretched out in front of him. "Are you lost Cassy?" Harry asked, without looking at her.
"No, my dagon is lost, I can't find my dagon" she replied.
"Dagon, dagon?" mused Harry. "Do you mean your Dragon? Do you have a Dragon?"
"Yes, he is purple and my daddy gave him to me before the bad man killed him, I want my dagon and she began crying again."
"Well, why don't we see if we can't find that naughty dragon, he has to be hiding some where. Maybe he is playing hide-and-seek with you, and waiting for you to find him."
"Do you think so?" she asked.
"Do you love your dragon?" asked Harry.
"Yes" she said.
"Does he love you?" Harry asked trying to keep the conversation positive and hopeful.
"Oh yes, he helps me a lot when things get bad."
Harry took a chance and put out his hand to her and said, "Let's go find this,whats your dragons name?".
It took a minute as she seemed to take stock of him. "Ok, his name is Harry she murmured as she reached out and grabbed his hand.
As they were searching Harry asked her, "Why did you name your dragon Harry, was that your dad's name?"
"No" she responded, "It's the name I saw on the wall in the cupboard where I had to live. I figured that since he was not there anymore he must have scaped, so maybe he would send someone back to help me scape too."
Harry froze, and bending down he looked the girl straight in the eye and asked, "Who were you staying with Cassy, who were the bad people that locked you up?
She wasn't sure if she was in trouble or not or if this boy would send her back if she told him, but his eyes were kind and he was helping her look for dagon. "Duu...Dusley, and a woman I can't remember but her name sounded like a flower. There was a real bad fat boy there too, and he not nice at all."
Harry was shocked! Shocked at what he heard and shocked he had not been told about this. The look on his face must have scared Cassy because she started backing away saying, "plese do't send me back, pease don't".
Harry pulled himself together and pulled her into his arms assuring her that she would never go back there if he had anything to say about it and he would say plenty.
"Who found you Cassy and who is taking care of you now" he asked her.
"Alice and this other guy found me. I don't know his name but he was kind of guu...gumpy looking, he scared me. Alice says she has, oh I don't know the word, guardshp or something. But I am supposed to be with Pomfee right now and I bet I am in big trouble. I hope she doesn't beat me."
"Madame Pomfrey would never hit a child Cassy, you don't need to worry about that. Now she will put bad tasting stuff in your mouth if you cuss, I know that because she did it to me. She is really nice and would never hurt you like that."
Cassy just smiled and said "Good".
About that time Harry saw a piece of purple tail sticking out from behind one of the big decorative vases down the hall. Holding her hand he led her to the vase and pointed at the purple tail.
"Yes, Yes, that's my dagon, that's Harry. Oh Harry, why did you run away? I missed you." She stood there hugging that little purple dragon as Harry tried to quickly wipe away the tears that were coming to his eyes.
Then Harry heard the chattering of Peeves overhead saying "bad dragon, bad girl for losing dragon, keep a tight hold or Peeves will hide him again."
Harry turned to Peeves and said..."Peeves if you so much as look at this dragon again I will call the Bloody Baron and you can spend some more time in that cage, do you hear me?" With that Peeves, yelled "No Baron, No Baron, Peeves just playing" and with that he was gone.
"Cassy, lets have a seat for a moment, I want to share something with you."
Cassy looked at him then sat on the floor and crossed her legs, in a way only a kid of six can do, then she looked up at him expectantly.
"My name is Harry, like I told you before, and I used to live in that same cupboard you lived in. I am really sorry that you were treated like that, nobody deserves that. The same 'grumpy' guy that saved you pulled me out also. Anyway, I just want you to know that I am here for you and if I can ever help you out, you just let me know...OK?"
Cassy jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I knew I would get to meet you, my dagon told me to wait and be patient and you would send angels to get me, and you did."
Harry didn't know what to say, "Cassy did someone talk to you in that cupboard?"
"Yes," She replied. "Everytime I touched your name and asked you to help me, my dagon would say nice things to me."
"Cassy, that wasn't me talking to you it was probably your mom or dad. Sometimes when I was in the cupboard and feeling really scared or in pain, my Mom would talk to me and let me know things would get better. Sometimes you think help was never going to come, but it did ...right?"
"Right, Harry! I love Momma and Daddy and they loved me too!" Then she grabbed his arm saying "Let's go or we will both be in a lot of trouble".
"OK" said Harry, "lets see if we can't go find Madame Pomfrey and get you out of trouble." They were not far from the infirmary and Harry was sure he could smooth things over.
Harry found that he was late to his session. He came flying into the room saying "sorry" breathlessly.
Severus, who was hiding under the cloak in the corner thought to himself; yes, just as I thought arrogant, no thought of others, never pays attention, spoiled.
Remus didn't look very happy but said, "What held you up Harry" wanting to give the boy an opportunity to explain his tardiness.
"I would have been here on time but I found Cassy, huddled in a corner, crying. It would seem she lost her Dragon and was pretty upset. It took us a bit to find it then she is so little I couldn't just leave her there so I took her back to Madame Pomfrey."
'Hummm, likely story, quick lie to cover up his poor planning more than likely' thought Severus. He would check it out and if it was a lie then Potter would be a very sorry young boy. Then he kicked himself as he knew he couldn't say a thing about it since he wasn't supposed to be here to begin with. No matter, he would find a way.
"Is she Ok" asked Remus.
"Yes, she seems to be happy now that she has her, as she calls him 'dagon', and is back with Madam Pomfrey. Then Harry's face kinda drooped.
"What's wrong?" asked Remus.
Harry thought for a moment then replied, "Do you know that she named her dragon Harry. She saw my name scratched on the wall in the cupboard where she was locked up and thought that since I escaped that I would send someone for her too."
"Why didn't someone let me know about her? How did the Dursley's get hold of her?
"Things have been so busy Harry that we just haven't had time but I am sure that Alice will fill you in if you ask her" replied Remus.
Harry just shook his head and asked, "Doesn't it ever end?"
The boys discussed their experiences and their lives for a long while then Remus said,"In closing I want you each to answer a question for me. Harry, what is there about Draco's life that you wish could be part of your life. Draco, what is there about Harry's life that you wish could be part of your life.
Both boys were in shock...that was definitely NOT something they wanted to talk about. Those thoughts were private thoughts, ones you shared with NO ONE. If you did they would just come back and use it against you in front of others.
They both sat there for most of half an hour, saying nothing, just looking at their shoes. Remus was not about to give them a break and they both finally realized that.
Draco, hummed and hawed around a few times then he said, "Harry, I wish I had your freedom. Freedom from never wondering when the next beating was coming or what direction it was coming from. I get a break in the summer sometimes with my Godfather, but then it starts up all over again. Sometimes I get soooooo tired...soooo sick, I think I just want to die. I wish I could stay with Severus all the time, I wish he were my Dad."
Harry was looking at him, even though Draco was not looking at Harry. Tears formed in Harry's eyes and then he looked back down at his shoes as the tears started running down his cheeks. Then he reached over and put his hand on Draco's shoulder and said, "We have to find a way mate, we have to find a way!"
It was quiet again for a few minutes then Harry said, "Draco, I don't know about how much I would like receiving your spankings but I would give anything in the world to be you when you're held and told that you are loved. No one has ever told me that they love me like that, ever!"
Draco looked at Harry in shock. "Do you know what you just called me?
Harry gave him a questioning look, as he couldn't remember calling him anything.
"You called me Mate, do you really mean that? The first time we met you wouldn't even shake my hand and we have been at each other ever since. I really don't want your pity!"
Finally understanding, Harry responded, "I don't want your pity either, I just want us to be friends. This fighting over small stuff is really stupid and just like you, I am tired of all the garbage. I can't even remember anymore what we are fighting about. I think it's because of your Father and his reputation and the Death Eaters, but you are not your Father and I guess we forget that. I know Snape does when he deals with me."
Draco looked at Harry for a while then said, "I would like to work on a friendship also, but you know it's going to cost us a lot of headaches on both sides."
"Then" added Draco, "There's the fact that, someday your going to be the Head of a Great and Noble Family and you have no clue how to act" Draco laughed. "You really need classes Mate or they will eat you alive".
Harry laughed and said "You're probably right but I don't know about this Great and Noble Family thing."
"You're really dense sometimes Mate, the Potters have been one of the Great and Noble families for a long time they even hold a position in the Wizengamot."
"Well, before we start running the country let's go get something to eat, what do you say?" asked Harry.
Remus knew that the breakthrough had been made and that they could start meeting less frequently as these two boys were going to attempt to become friends. They had shared things that very few would ever understand and each knew that the other would always understand.
Severus, under his cloak, was in shock. Many times when he was young he had the same wishes and hopes. How close he had come in his early days having them answered through Lily, and how he had dropped the ball and destroyed his own dream. The boys were young, yet they were able to look past all the crap and try to love life anyway. Why couldn't he?
Everyone took a break and Remus told them they would be meeting only once a week from then on. He encouraged them to continue to talk to each other over the summer and to be there for each other.
Harry turned and asked Draco, "How would you like to move into the dorm with the rest of us. It's crazy sometimes but its fun and you're never lonely. You can try it out and if it doesn't work you can always move back in with your Godfather...how about it?"
"I think I would like to give it a try but how about Ron? Asked Draco.
"Well Ron had a serious talk with his dad about that very thing a while back, a rather painful one if I'm correct, so I don't think there will be a problem."
"Let me talk to my Godfather and make sure he is Ok with it then I'll let you know".
"Great" said Harry as they both walked out the door, heading for the great hall.
Remus followed close behind, very happy with how things were going.
Severus was still sitting in the room under the cloak, trying to absorb all that had been said, he figured it would take at least four fingers of whiskey.