I Am Draco Malfoy-Potter
Chapter One: Hello Goodbye
The feeling Draco got was that of awakening from a bad dream.
With a sudden gasp that seemed to take place of a scream, Draco bolted up from his bed and looked around wildly, eyes dilated and harsh breaths rocking his chest. His hands that were clenched around his comforter came up to hold his head as a rocking ache rounded his whole brain as if it were a wave.
From back to front he felt the ache again before it settled down.
The look on Draco's face resembled a scared, caged animal ready to attack anyone who came too close, but it only lasted for a few minutes before his mind caught up to his body.
"Draco?"
The soft feminine voice of his mother startled him and he had to keep himself from crying as he looked at her beautiful face popping in from the bedroom door.
"Draco are you alright? I heard you screaming." Narcissa walked swiftly into the room and sat beside her son on the bed, petting his sweat soaked hair. It must have been another nightmare to her, but to Draco it was the best dream he could have.
His mother had died before Scorpius had been born almost 15 years ago. She had disobeyed Voldemort when he had ordered her to kill her own son when Draco had been captured, and he had been there to watch Voldemort raise his wand and cast the killing curse on his lovely mother. Lucius had suffered the same fate after attempting to curse the Dark Lord for attacking his wife. Harry had shown up just as Lucius' body fell, and Draco had been saved, but never the same.
Harry had suggested the children as a way for not only Draco to cope, but as a hope for a better future. Draco had created a potion allowing surrogate mothers to carry a baby of two male DNA and their children had been born one after another.
He had not seen his mother since her and his father's funerals and Draco now knew why.
His sobs were hard and long and the tears wouldn't stop. This felt just as bad seeing them again as it did watching them die.
Without warning, he threw himself at his mother, crying into her shoulder as she rubbed his back and soothed his hair.
"Now now child, it was only a bad dream. I'm right here Dragon, no one's going to get you, I'm not going to let them." Her words that were meant to be soothing just made the tears stream down faster, the desperation in his hug scared Narcissa as she tried to calm her young child. Nightmares were a usual thing for the young Malfoy, but never had one such dream earned her this reaction.
"I-I'm so sorry. I couldn't do anything, I couldn't help you. I'm so sorry Mother, I'm so sorry." Draco repeated that over and over again and Narcissa just hugged him closer and tighter and whispered reassurances into his ear.
Draco felt so small in his mother's arms, so tired and worn down with the years he's lived. Almost 33 years of pain and now he was back to being 13, trying to save himself and the people who mattered to him. It had been so long since he had been hugged like this that Draco cried out for everyone who ever loved him enough to do it. His mother, his father, Harry, his Uncle Sev, Hermione, he cried for all of them right there in the safety and comfort of his innocent years.
Before he had noticed, the crying had stopped and he was once again in the darkness he had arrived in.
Narcissa gently laid her child back down onto the bed when she became aware of his lack of consciousness. Wary and suddenly saddened by the sight of her whimpering child, she left the room as she had come, quickly and silently.
Lucius looked up from his papers as his wife let herself into his study.
"Hello my love, what brings you here?" He smiled shortly until he saw the look on her face. Ashen and fallen. His wife rarely carried such an expression. He stopped his work at once and ushered her to the love seat by the window, sitting with her and grasping her hands. "What's wrong?"
"Draco had a nightmare." Was all she said as she continued to look at her husband.
Lucius waited for her to continue but was met with silence. Before long he was the one breaking it. "And what happened?" He prompted gently.
"He was crying Lucius, bawling into my arms like a child who has lost everything, like a child who has seen hell and survived. He was sobbing the words 'I'm sorry' repeatedly and cried himself back to sleep." Her voice was empty but her face carried the weight of a worried mother.
Lucius had known about his son's nightmares had even witnessed his son the in throws of one, but he too had never seen one that would call for that reaction. Lucius wasn't even sure how he would handle Narcissa at the moment, but he sighed and hugged her to his side, sensing the need for comfort.
"He is safe and sound, asleep in his bed. The only thing that can get him are the nightmares Cissy. Do not despair." He said soothingly as they both stared out the large window of the study into the back gardens where the white peacocks roamed.
"He is safe."
What neither Malfoy was aware of, was the deep sense of heartbreak the youngest Malfoy was suffering from. Deep in his heart he had realized how much he had needed that comfort, and the guilt of not giving the same to his own kids once Harry died was now eating at him in the nightmares he was now thrown in. Nightmares of Harry's death, and his children's faces.
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That first night had been the worst.
As the days went on it got easier to believe that he was no longer 33 years old suffering from the loss of his spouse with four children to care for. Instead he was 13 years old, the age of his secondoldest son.
The concept had caused panic and hysteria in the young Malfoy. The spell had worked and he was where he was supposed to be, but Draco couldn't help but slip back into the person he had been in the future. This didn't go unnoticed by Narcissa and Lucius who had been held back by the simple answer "I'm just tired.".
Depression bit at Draco's skin and he forced it down as best he could, counting down the days until Hogwarts was once again open to the wizarding students. The day he went to Hogwarts would be the day he would see his Harry again, after a year without him.
Draco spent a lot more of that time than he really wanted to admit, just thinking of what his first words to Harry would be. Thinking of how he was going to act around the man he loved with all his heart, knowing that the other didn't love him just yet. Knowing that the other didn't carry the same memories of their happiness, of their children that he has. It cut Draco down piece by piece as he searched his mind for the memories of the past two years.
He had wanted to begin this journey from the very beginning so that it would be easier to make his Harry fall in love with him, but this is where he was stuck. Their third year of Hogwarts, when Harry had already listed Draco as an enemy. Now at least, he could make things go more his way.
Harry would have left his muggle family's home by now, going to the Leaky Cauldron by Night Bus.
Draco wished he could go and meet his love, but to appear before his time might change too many things. So he stayed put, waiting for the day his parents would take him to King's Cross.
It didn't take very much longer, but in Draco's mind it had been years. Arriving there had taken no time at all and getting his luggage ontothe train and himself a silent, empty compartment took even less. It was finding his Harry in the sea of students that seemed almost impossible.
When he had spotted the unruly black hair, he had to hold his breath. Jamie had inherited his Papa's hair, and facing away from the train as Harry was, the boy looked exactly like his son. Draco was just about to let a tear slip with the door to his compartment opened.
"Hullo Dray." The salty-sweet voice of Pansy Parkinson almost made Draco growl, but he refrained, reminding himself that Pansy wasn't the one to inform the Dark Lord of his traitorous relationship with Harry and organize his capture. At least, not yet she wasn't.
"Hello Parkinson." He tried to make his voice sound bored and uninterested, but he was far from successful. Instead the open hostility had Pansy step back into Blaise Zabini. Draco couldn't even stomach seeing that one. Quickly he got up and pushed past the two as he stormed out of the compartment.
They didn't try to follow him, which was odd to him, but he was too mad to really question why. The leather backpack that he had taken with him from the future was held over his shoulder. He had decided to use it for his books and belongs too as the bag was small enough on the outside to be easily carried.
He was so busy running over the images of Blaise standing over his father's body to notice that there was someone in front of him until he had smashed into the person, sending the boy on his butt.
"What the- dammit Malfoy!"
Ron Weasley's bright red hair made Draco groan under his breath. Just what he needed.
He stuck a hand out as an offer of assistance to stand, but the red head batted his hand away and took Harry's who had been standing behind him.
When Draco looked up to meet those bright green eyes that glared at him, he was reminded of the way Scorpius had looked right before Draco had slapped him. Draco swallowed thickly. His heart was thundering in his throat and he had to clear it before he spoke up again.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." He paused when he noticed who he was really talking to. Thirteen year old Ron Weasley.
This was not the Ron that had sympathized with him after the death of his parents, this was not the Ron he had bonded with over a game of Wizarding Chess. This was not the Ron that pat his back and let him cry into his wife's shoulder after Harry had died. This Ron knew nothing, this Ron was nothing. But if Draco was going to try, now was as good a time as any.
The Golden trio's eyes widen in unison as they heard Draco Malfoy apologize after running into Ron Weasley of all people. It had already taken Hermione and Harry aback when the blond had extended his hand to Ron, but this... It wasn't like Malfoy at all.
"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Malfoy!" Ron yelled, his face turning a steady shade of red.
Draco scowled back, both in confusion and repulsion of the color.
"I am Malfoy." He answered simply, not bothering to put any snarling into it. If he was being completely honest, this whole shocking his mortal enemies thing was getting pretty fun. Even as he tried to avoid looking at Harry at all costs.
"No, you're not. You offered to help him up? You apologized? The Malfoy we know would never do such a thing." Harry had spoke this time, and hearing that voice had Draco wanting to cry all over again. It wasn't the voice from his memories, no that voice was much deeper with a lot more love in it, but it did resemble someone's voice. Leonis' voice. Draco couldn't help himself as his eyes went to Harry almost longingly.
Harry's own eyes widened when he saw the look on Malfoy's face. Such a deep sadness took his expression that Harry felt it in his own chest, and he had to gasp at the rush of emotions he wasn't sure why he was feeling.
"I am Malfoy." He glanced at Ron. "A little older," then at Hermione. "Wiser," and lastly at Harry. "And human."
The pit of his stomach sank when their faces just seemed to harden at his words. They didn't believe him. Well, it's not like he was expecting it. Actually, Draco wasn't really sure what he was expecting, but he was disappointed with the results.
With a defeated sigh, he pushed pass Ron and stopped in front of Harry. Looking down atthe boy, he marveled on how short his Harry had been. At the age of 33 Harry had been only a hair shorter than Draco, but now 20 years in the past, Harry was a whole head shorter. As he looked down, he was sure his eyes had softened and became tender. Hermione's gasp and Harry's inability to say anything had spoken for themselves, but he couldn't really help it. This had been the man he loved, and it still was.
With a final sigh Draco allowed for a small smile. "Be careful." He breathed quietly, not sure if he wanted Harry to hear him. The Gryffindor had anyways but Draco couldn't find it in himself to care.
He side-stepped Harry, and smiled kindly at Hermione sending a small bow of greeting her way. Hermione was the only woman other than his mother that he would truly admit to loving after all.
On his way out, he could hear the silence that overtook the Golden Trio. And he let tears flow quietly from his eyes as he was forced to imagine the look on Harry's face the day he had died. The bloody Gryffindor had smiled for him and said three final words before he allowed himself to be taken. And Draco repeated those words now. "I love you."
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"He's up to something."
Harry rolled his eyes as Ron glared out the window, muttering that same phrase for the seventh time. Even though Ron kept saying it, and some part of Harry believed it, the look on Malfoy's face had not been fake or rehearsed. Malfoy had looked vulnerable. He didn't think that Malfoy was one to just go around smiling at people, especially not Harry and his friends. Something had to be up. But even as Harry thought that, he couldn't find it in himself to believe that it was something bad.
"Don't jump to conclusions Ron, maybe he just had a change of heart this summer." Hermione rationalized, even though she herself had been completely baffled by the exchange.
"Change of heart my ass, maybe you're the one jumping to conclusions." Ron stated. "Whatever it is, I don't trust him. He's up to something."
Harry and Hermione sighed as Ron repeated that line again, but they didn't bother to argue this time, instead searching around for an empty compartment.
The closest compartment to empty they had found was one near the back with a hooded figure seeming to be sleeping. The trio decided to keep quiet as they used the compartment anyways.
"Who d'you recon he is?" Ron whispered eying the figure warily.
"Professor R. J. Lupin." Hermione answered simply. Ron gaped at her.
"You know everything." He breathes incredulously before turning to Harry. "How is it she knows everything?"
Harry shrugged while Hermione looked at him as if he were stupid. "It's on his case, Ronald." Hermione pointed at the battered case at the man's feet.
The rain was pounding the windows of the train as it drove in an almost unbelievable slow pace towards Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione stared at Harry's face as it was eliminated by the lightning.
"Let me get this straight." Ron started. "Sirius Black escaped Azkaban to come after you?" He sounded as if he didn't believe the words he spoke himself, but Harry just sighed.
"Yes." Harry replied.
"But they'll catch Black, won't they?" Hermione asked more than a little worried. "I mean... Eventually?"
Ron started at her for a moment before agreeing. "Sure. Of course, no one's ever broken out of Azkaban before and he's a raving, murderous, lunatic-" Ron's rant was stopped by the compartment rattling. The lights flickered themselves on and off as the whole train lurched and began to slow. Hermione slid down the seat and pressed poor Ron against the window. Hermione frowned and looked at her watch.
"Why're we stopping? We can't be there yet."
Harry shrugged before standing to open the compartment door. All along the train aisle heads poked out wondering the same thing as Harry. 'Whatwas going on?'
Suddenly someone came walking down the aisle, well running actually, down the aisle as the lights began to flicker again and die out one by one. Harry caught a glimpse of the person as he began to come close enough. Malfoy?
"What are you-" Harry was cut off and Malfoy pushed him back into the compartment and shut the door tightly behind them.
"What's going on?!" Ron all but yelled as Malfoy sat himself beside Harry keeping quiet and watching the door. Harry was pressed a little closer against the figure in the hooded clothes.
"Dunno...maybe we've broken down?" Harry said awkwardly as Malfoy stayed silent and serious. His face almost resembled that of the Malfoy he'd seen last year. Cautious and on edge.
"Ouch! Ron, that was my foot!" Hermione yelled in the silence.
"Sorry, I was aiming for Malfoy!" Ron yelled back.
"Well you missed!" Hermione argued back.
"Quiet!" Malfoy barked. "There's something moving out there. I think people are coming aboard." Malfoy stayed stalk still as the Golden Trio froze in place.
The whole train seemed to sway violently all of a sudden, on its own. The whole compartment seemed to vibrate. "Bloody hell! What's happening?"
The figure across from Ron suddenly stood straighter, a bearded, tired face with light brown hair that covered his eyes. Alert and with a wand in hand, the man hissed at the children. "Don't. Move."
At the door of the compartment athin black hand, the hand of death, gripped the edge of the compartment. Harry's eyes widened as did Hermione's and Ron's but Draco only growled low, his wand in hand as the hand pulled the compartment door's fully open.
A chill ran in the air, freezing everything nearly solid. Harry marveled at the fact that he could see his breath before his eyes landed on the figure. Hooded and floating on thin air with a cold aura. Harry bit back a shudder. For some reason having Malfoy between him and this thing made him feel a little better, warmer.
But it didn't save him. A woman screamed high and loud. The thing came close as everyone seemed to freeze but him. The hood hid no face, just an endless darkness, and Harry's head boomed with a sudden strong pain. the woman's scream echoed in the compartment and Harry felt himself begin to fade back into the darkness of the figure's face.
"Expecto Patronum!" Draco's voice rose above the screaming and Harry's mind clicked into awareness. A white light as strong as lightning bolts blinded everyone in the compartment and the shriek of the hooded thing was deafening. It receded as quickly as it had come, but as Malfoy turned around to catch Harry, everything went dark.
"Harry!"
A/N: Special thanks to Ossa Angelum for Beta reading this chapter for me.