Chapter Three:
"Hello Mr Potter."
"Hello."
"I am Healer Folly. I'm going to be asking you a few questions and I'd like it if you could do your best to answer them."
Harry looked at the woman before him. Her hair was brown and wavy, but the lines on her face betrayed her age. Her smile was practised yet somehow genuine and her voice had a gentle quality to it that made Harry feel as though she thought he was about to break. He knew she was just doing her job, but he'd rather she didn't.
"How is your homelife, Mr Potter?"
"It could be better," he said shortly.
Healer Folly leant back in her chair. "In what ways?"
"It'd be nice not to live in a house with people who hate me."
"Why do you think they hate you?"
He stared at her. "It could be the fact they kept me in a cupboard most of my life. Or it might be that they seem to really enjoy hitting me. Or perhaps it is that, and I think this is their personal favourite, they take pleasure in calling me a freak and telling me that my parents were worthless shits who ruined their lives by dying and landing them with me."
"Do you believe what they tell you Mr Potter?"
Harry flinched. "Not so much anymore."
"Not anymore?"
"Yes. Not anymore."
Healer Folly sighed. "You do not want to talk about it."
"No."
"Very well." She adjusted her sitting position and linked her fingers together on her knee. "Describe to me your friendship with Ariel Malfoy."
He frowned.
"Are you protective of her?"
"I'm protective of all my friends."
"You never find her childlikeness annoying?"
Harry fought the urge to snap at the healer. "No."
Healer Folly nodded. "Do you perhaps see her like a little sister?"
"I…" He paused. Did he? He had only known Ariel for a month and a half, but they had spent nearly everyday together. In a way she was like a little sister he supposed. She held his hand when she was scared, or they were crossing the road; he tied her shoelaces when they came undone because she always never managed to get it right herself; she tried to get him to join her in her games and when he couldn't she pouted until he distracted her with a story from Hogwarts… "I guess."
"Do you wish she was biologically?"
"No. I wouldn't wish my life on anyone." The words came out of his mouth before he could catch up with them. His eyes widened at what he had said.
Healer Folly gave him a melancholic smile. "I think we're done now, Mr Potter. I trust you remember the way to your room?"
He nodded, moving to leave.
"And Mr Potter?"
Harry turned back around.
"Good luck."
"Thanks," he mumbled, then left.
His and Ariel's room wasn't far from the room they had individually seen Healer Folly: just down the corridor and to the left. The walk was relatively empty with just a few healers walking through it, their brisk strides quickly taking them away. Their room – Appleby Space – had a long window allowing healers to look inside without actually entering the room and the door two clipboards proclaiming who Harry and Ariel were and their medical information.
When Harry entered it was to see Ariel sitting cross-legged on her bed with her thumb in her mouth and a book open before her. Her violet eyes looked up as he walked over to his bed. There was a pause before she picked up the book and moved over to his bed and held the book out.
"Will you read me a story?" she asked.
Harry glanced down at the book cover: The Tales of Beedle the Bard. He flipped the book open to a contents page that showed him a list of the possible stories. "Which one?"
Shuffling up the bed to sit beside him rather than opposite, Ariel pointed at the title 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump'. Harry flicked to the story, which was one of the ones near the end of the book and settled back against his cushions, the corner of his mouth twitching as Ariel copied him.
"A long time ago, in a far-off land, there lived a foolish king who decided that he alone should have the power of magic," Harry began. "He therefore commanded the head of his army to form a Brigade of Witch-Hunters and issued them with a pack of ferocious black hounds. At the same time, the King caused proclamations to be read in every village and town across the land: Wanted by the King, an Instructor in Magic.
"No true witch or wizard dared volunteer for the post, for they were all in hiding from the Brigade of Witch-Hunters. However, a cunning charlatan with no magical power saw a chance of enriching himself, and arrived at the palace, claiming to be a wizard of enormous skill. The charlatan performed a few simple tricks, which convinced the foolish King of his magical powers, and was immediately appointed Grand Sorcerer in Chief, the King's Private Magic Master."
Ariel giggled.
"The charlatan bade the King give him a large sack of gold, so that he might purchase wands and other magical necessities. He also requested several large rubies, to be used in the casting of curative charms, and a silver chalice or two, for-"
The door opened. Both Harry and Ariel turned their attention away from the book to see three blondes enter – two adults, one teenager. It took Harry no time to identify them. Healer Greengrass followed them in, smiling.
"Ariel, meet your parents," he said, "Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy, and your twin, Draco."
Harry glanced at Ariel, who was trying to shrink into his side, her eyes wide and fearful. He then looked to the Malfoys who were staring at Ariel as though she might be taken away from them again at any point. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
"You remember I told you about Hogwarts?" he said quietly.
Ariel nodded.
"Well Ma-Draco is in Slytherin," Harry said, before looking pointedly at his school rival. "Aren't you Draco?"
The Malfoy Heir blinked. "Yes, I am." He gave a shaky smile. "Best House in the school."
"Harry said Gryffindor was the best house," Ariel said around her thumb, her words slightly distorted.
Harry coughed, hiding his laugh, having been the only one who understood what she said. "Yes, well, every house thinks they're the best."
"Oh."
A sudden beeping interrupted the awkward small talk. Healer Greengrass apologised, tapping his watch with his wand.
"Ariel, it's time for your final scan," he said, walking over to the bed and holding a hand out to her. "We have to go to another room to do it."
Ariel turned to Harry.
"I'll be here when you get back," he sighed. "You'll be okay."
The girl nodded, before taking Healer Greengrass's hand and allowing him to lead her out of the room.
Lucius coughed, breaking the silence. His serious gaze was levelling Harry's. "Mr Potter, on behalf of my family, I thank you for finding my daughter and seeing that she was returned to us. You have our gratitude."
This time Harry couldn't keep the shock from his face.
"And as such," Lucius continued, "we would like to offer our home to you whilst your," his expression twitched, "relatives are under investigation."
Harry's shock gave way to suspicion.
"Whilst it is to your benefit because it means you will not be passed off to a stranger," Narcissa said, before Harry could say anything, "it is also for Ariel's. Healer Folly informed us of your close friendship with my daughter and that she believes separating you both at present would have detrimental effects to Ariel."
He looked to Draco. "And you're fine with this?"
The Slytherin sneered slightly. "Of course. You found my sister, in return you get our hospitality. I don't have to like you to put up with you."
Harry rolled his eyes. At least some things stayed the same.
"I…" Draco looked as if he was sucking on a particularly sour lemon. "I am grateful. I also offer my apologies for my past insults and comments on your homelife."
He twitched. "Don't pity me, Malfoy."
There was a long stretch of silence where no-one said anything. Harry sat tense, his eyes narrowed.
"Well, Mr Potter?" Lucius said, his patience gone, showing in his smooth, cold tone.
His eyes glanced at the bed next to his, then at the Malfoys and then at the foot of his own bed. He would not pretend he wasn't suspicious or that he liked them, but they were, regrettably, right. Who knew to whom he would be passed off to whilst the Dursleys were interrogated? He had heard stories about what happened to kids in the care system in the muggle world – who was to say the wizarding world would be any different? And then there was Ariel. His friend. Who needed him.
Harry sighed and met Lucius's gaze. "I accept your offer."
