3

Author's Note - Christ, I feel like a jerk. To be honest, I actually haven't given this story much thought at all. I've been having quite a lot of feed back from my other one, The Lupin Childe, and have been focusing my efforts (as small as they may be) there. I'm really sorry to anyone who was interested in this and I promise, as long as someone likes it I'll keep writing. I really hate it when authors abandon their stories and I'd hate to be a hypocrite. I really do like this story, it's one of my babies… /smile/

Let's just… let's just start, shall we?

Chapter Three

"Do you even have enough money to pay for all this?" Draco asked incredulously. Harry grinned.

"Depends on whether or not dad put my allowance into my account." Draco cast a disbelieving eye over the vast pile of… stuff, that had accumulated over the last two hours or so of their 'shopping spree'.

"How can any allowance possibly pay for all this?"

"Oh come on Draco, lighten up. You live in the Grand neighborhood now so your family has to be absolutely swimming in pros. This shouldn't even put a dent in your wallet."

Draco crossed his arms. "Your right. It won't put a dent in my wallet because I'm not the one buying half the store!"

Harry rolled his eyes and nudged the blonde playfully. "That's true, ay. But figuratively speaking."

"My parents still wouldn't allow me to spend this much. Ever."

"Well lucky for me my parents stopped checking my credit card bills when I was twelve. Dad now just signs his signature and sends them on their merry way."

"You're insane." Draco deadpanned but the emerald eyed boy just smiled brightly.

"That has to be one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me."

Draco was saved the excruciating torture of having to respond by Harry's cell phone ringing, catching them both off guard. Harry quickly dug his hand into his pocket and pulled the little mobile out. "Oops. That's Hailie." he sent Draco a glance. "Pray for me." he added before actually answering.

"'Lo Hails."

"Where the hell are you?" the redheaded girls voice asked sharply from the other end. Loud enough for Draco who was standing near Harry and some other shoppers standing not so near him to hear. Harry himself pulled the phone away from his ear with a wince but an overall amusing look. "In Hogsmead." he said calmly.

"Did you already go over Pansy's?" Harry rolled his eyes at Draco.

"Of course I did. You're the one who didn't want to get up this morning and damnit Hails, I wanted my present before I went shopping with Draco."

"Well you still could have- you're shopping with Draco?"

"Yes." He could practically hear the smile in her voice.

"So, how's it going?" Harry sighed.

"I'm not talking about this with you."

"Oh my god, are you on a date?"

"No! We're shopping!" Harry blushed slightly at Draco's questioning look, obviously he couldn't hear Hailie's questions but he could hear Harry's responses very well.

"You know, if you're just 'shopping', you wouldn't be getting so defensive."

"I'm hanging up now."

"But I don't blame you. You want him and his fine ass for yourself-"

"Goodbye Hailie." Harry snapped and closed his phone shoving it in his pocket. Draco opened his mouth before closing it again as he watched a red faced Harry agitatedly fish out his credit card.

"I would ask but I have the oddest feeling I don't want to know."

"That's for damn sure."

()

The shopping trip ended another two hours later after Harry managed to convince Draco to buy at least four bags worth of things. His pocket money for the next two weeks was seriously depleted but Harry brushed it off assuring him that all the stuff that he bought (that Harry of course picked out) would be completely worth it. Most everything was new cloths and accessories for school an though Draco had refused point blinked to get his ears pierced he was sure this wasn't the end of that particular argument as Harry had slipped a pair of small silver hoops into his bag in the last store. He wasn't even sure they were paid for.

Harry looked down at his watch. "It's just about two o'clock, I bet your starving. Do you want to come to my house for lunch? You could meet my parents and the girls."

"Sure," Draco shrugged. I wasn't like he had anything else to do today besides hangout with Harry and that's what he planned on doing. Said boy grinned and ushered him and his bags into the car.

"Great, now I won't be the only one Hailie has to take her anger out on after leaving her behind this morning."

Draco frowned as he buckled up. "She wouldn't still be mad about that would she?"

Harry snorted. "Of course she would. That girls can hold a grudge if nothing else; even over something so simple." With a grimace the blond looked out the window to watch the world pass by. This place really was beautiful.

"That's nice to know. I guess…"

Harry smiled out of the corner of his eye and there was silence all the way back home. When he pulled into the driveway the first thing he noticed was that his dad's car was back. "Great!" he exclaimed, grabbing his gift from Pansy out of the glove compartment and jumping out. "My dad's back from his business trip, you really will get to meet him. Come on!"

Draco followed at a slower pace then his new hyper active friend who was bouncing on the balls of his feet waiting at the door. "Come on, come on!" he chanted and opened the front door in a flourish. He stepped in well before Draco with an exclamation of "DAD!" and proceeded to tackle someone in the entry way.

Draco peaked cautiously in the door before allowing himself in, closing it behind him and examining curiously his friend who was now clinging tightly to an older man who was in turn laughing. "Hello to you too Harry. Don't you think you're getting a bit to old for this?"

"Not a chance!" Harry laughed before untangling himself from the mans arms and turning him forcibly around. "Dad, this is my new friend Draco Malfoy, Draco, this is my father, James Potter."

Draco smiled at the man before him. He looked a lot like Harry- well, Harry looked like him- with dark messy hair and slightly angular face. He they had the same crooked grin and were looking at him expectantly.

Draco held out of his hand. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"None of that," James brushed off, shaking his hand enthusiastically. "Just James will do just fine and if you really must Mr. James will work too."

"Most of my friends call him 'old man'." Harry said with a sad little shake of his head and James slapped him on his shoulder.

"I'm not old!" he protested.

"What are you, like thirty-six? To a teenager like myself and Draco, dad, that's old."

"Boy, I'm thirty-six years young and getting younger everyday. You better not forget it."

"He's right you know," a amused voice came from further inside the house and all three males turned around towards it. Draco blinked as he took in the stunning sight of who was obviously Mrs. Potter. With long, gentle waves of auburn hair and the same endearing eyes as Harry, she was quite beautiful and Draco couldn't help but stare for a moment. Was this family full of only good looking people?

"Hi mum," Harry greeted and gave her a hug as she drew closer. They were about the same height, not very tall but hardly short either.

"Hello sweetie."

"What did you mean by 'he's right'?"

Mrs. Potter smirked ever so slightly and Draco could see where Hailie got her evil vibe from. "Well, he certainly act's like he's younger everyday. Every morning I wake up dreading whether or not I'm going to have the usually four children that day or the sudden five."

"Hey!" James exclaimed and then proceeded to pout when his wife and son only laughed at them. Draco smiled, they seemed like a very happy family. Mrs. Potter apparently caught his look and turned her full attention to him.

"You must be our new neighbor, Draco Malfoy; Harry told us about you when he got home last night. I'm Lily Potter."

"It's a pleasure Mrs. Potter," Draco said taking her hand and to the surprise of those around him bending over it and kissing it lightly. Mrs. Potter let out a giggle and Harry and James gave him amused looks.

"The pleasure is all mine, let me assure you Draco. And none of that Mrs. Potter stuff. If my husband who is several months older then me gets to be thirty-six years young then certainly I'm entitled to that delusion too. Just call me Lily."

Draco grinned and released her hand. "Lily it is then."

Lily smiled and wrapped her arm around her husbands waist and James returned the gesture. "Well, Draco, I just finished making lunch, would you like to join us?"

"Yes, thank you" Draco smiled and received two Potter grins and a gentle smile.

"Then come right with me and James to the kitchen. Harry, dear, can you get the girls?"

"Of course mom." Harry smiled and bounded away in the direction of the stairs.

Draco watched him go for only a second before Lily took his arm and lead him to the kitchen chatting all the while with James walking just behind them. "I'm so glad someone finally bought the house you just moved into, we needed new neighbors, it's been empty for so long."

"Really? How long?" Draco asked curiously. Lily gave him an almost sad little smile.

"A family used to live there, but they moved some… what's it been? About four years ago? And then the Ruther's moved in and they were nice enough I suppose, just not rather forthcoming and they soon left for… South Dakota, in the States, I do believe. Heaven only knows why…"

She seemed to consider the strangeness of that choice for a moment before shaking her head. "Either way, they didn't really like us much." They entered the kitchen. "Now I don't think we're bad neighbors but apparently we're a bit too rowdy for the people around here…"

Draco had sort of stopped listening as a delicious smell reached his nose. James noticed his inattention and clapped him on the back. "That would be the product of my dear wife's baking," he said nodding to a counter where indeed sat a absolutely delectable looking cake.

"Cheers." James said with a grin and headed towards it but was stopped by a firm grip on his arm.

"Oh no you don't," Lily scolded. "That's for after dinner and if you even think about touching it I'll cut off your fingers. Now, Draco however, can have some to take home." she said smiling at the boy and Draco snickered at the two's antics.

The door of the kitchen opened behind them and in walked the Potter children, Harry in the lead looking particularly sheepish. Hailie followed with a vicious look and then two other much smaller girls. One was Harmony, who he'd met earlier but hadn't been officially introduced to. The other was younger and tinier. She looked much like Hailie with her scarlet hair falling down her back in a messy braid and a rounded, childish face. She had Harry and Lily's green eyes however and was smiling brightly. She had on a pretty blue jumper dress and white stockings and was the epitome of innocence when she looked up at him.

"Hi! I'm Hikari, that means 'light'!" she said immediately and Draco blinked. Harry snorted.

"Sorry," he apologized. "She's just figured that out and is a bit stuck on it. Give it a few weeks and it'll stop."

As if not hearing her brother, Hikari continued to smile cheerfully. "I'm nine." she continued. "And I go to Hallow Wood Elementary, I'll be in the forth grade in September because I got skipped." Draco paused.

"…Congratulations?"

Hikari blushed and smiled as smugly as her nine-year-old face would allow. "I like your hair. It's pretty."

"Okay then, Kari." Harry interrupted. "Let's not freak out our guest too much."

Kari frowned, Draco's cheeks tinted slightly pink and Harmony giggled. Even Hailie let out a hint of a smile and Lily and James were out right laughing.

"Yes," Lily choked out. "Let's eat. Kari, dear, you sit next to me." Hikari went without complaint but she shot Draco a smile over her shoulder which caused James to go into another round of laughter. Draco, trying not to feel too embarrassed, sat down next to Harry.

The Potter's kitchen table was large, rectangular and with enough room for eight people. James sat at the head of the table and Lily took his right side with Hikari firmly next to her and Harmony on her sisters other side. Hailie sat on James left and Harry took the seat next to her leaving Draco to sit on his other side. "Draco, why don't you help yourself first," James offered and feeling a bit uneasy Draco took the first helping, he felt a lot more comfortable when the others joined him in filling their plates almost immediately.

Talk started around the table quickly, Hailie talking to her father, Lily to Kari and Harmony and Harry to Draco. "I really am sorry about Kari," the boy smiled. "But she seems taken with you." Draco rolled his eyes.

"It's not a big deal, she seems sweet."

"She is," Harry said and shot a fond smile to the little girl across the table. "So is Neenie believe it or not. She can be a bit like Hailie though,"

"I hadn't noticed," Draco muttered a bit sarcastically remembering how the younger door had answered the door for him earlier. Harry smiled a bit confusedly having caught the tone but not knowing the reason behind it.

"It usually passes once they get to know someone and I can tell Neenie likes you, she's not glaring."

"That only makes me feel slightly better." Harry grinned a bit at him and then the two fell silent as they ate.

()

Whilst talking to her two younger daughters Lily kept a careful eye on the Malfoy boy as he and Harry conversed. Harry was smiling more often then usual which was a hard feat to accomplish in and of itself but the fact that all those smiles were aimed at Draco had her a bit nervous. Draco seemed like the perfect young gentlemen and she could tell her son like him and to be honest he seemed the type that would grow on her too, but he had been that way also before he had hurt her baby so much.

She glanced at James and saw that he was keeping a close eye on the boys too but he seemed much more relaxed. He must have noticed something about Draco that she didn't if he seemed so comfortable with the boy after only a short time. Her gaze fell back on her son as Harry laughed at something Draco said and she smiled a bit to herself at the genuine happiness in the laugh before turning back to her daughters.

She'd let this continue for now, but if anything happened to her only son then there would be hell to pay. She'd make sure of it.

()

"Dinner was wonderful Mrs. Pot- err, Lily. But really, it's just me my mother and father, we don't need all this cake."

"Nonescense," Lily Potter waved off his half hearted protest as she shoved the dessert in his hands. "Call it a welcome gift."

"But-"

"Trust me Draco, you won't win this argument." James Potter chuckled and by his side Harry gave the same crooked grin.

"How true. Come one, I'll walk you to the door." Draco sighed in exasperation before smiling at Harry's parents, thinking Lily for the cake and following the teen to the door. Harry stepped out of the house before him and held open the door.

"Thanks," Draco muttered and carefully made his way down the few steps so he'd not spill his cargo.

"Don't mention it," Harry shrugged and smiled. "Have fun tonight?"

Draco raised his eyes heavenward with a smile. "Yeah… your family's… interesting."

Harry snorted. "That's an understatement if I ever heard one." They were quite for a minute before Harry spoke up again. "Did you want to hang out again tomorrow? There's plenty of more places I could show you."

Draco frowned a bit and looked across the road at his own house. "I can't. My mother demands that I actually start unpacking stuff tomorrow. I've really only got a handful of my clothes out of the boxes because I've been hanging with you," he said and turned back to Harry in time to see his ever present smile drop. Draco had to stop himself fro wincing, Harry was such a care free person, his face wasn't meant to frown up like that.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you so busy when you had other stuff to do. That was rude of me."

Draco shook his head with a smile to try to get Harry to do the same. "Don't apologize. Trust me, I'd much rather be hanging out with you then doing manual labor." They smaller boy quirked a smile at this.

"I'm sure." He took a few steps back so into the house and shot Draco a charming little smile. "Well come by whenever you make bail. I'm sure I'll be here."

"Will do," Draco smiled back and turned towards home.

Whew. Well that's chapter three for you. It's been two years but hey, who's counting… /cough/ err…

Love you? hitori