*F*O*F*O*F*O*F*O*F*
PseudonymousEntity
Friend or Foe
"Your worst Enemy could be your best Friend, and your best Friend could be your worst Enemy." -Marley
Summary: Draco being bullied by his father really pisses Harry off. Goblet of Fire.
Characters: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy.
Warnings: Suggestions?
AN: Comments, Thoughts, Questions, Theories and Limericks are always welcomed, in whatever order of importance you choose to give.
ANx2: I'm alive, I swear.
Ever Yours, Pseu
"When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change
At such a moment there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened, or in saying that we are not yet ready
The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.
A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny."
-Paulo Coelho
Chapter 7
Harry stumbled from the floo.
In the seconds following as he tried to reorient himself two ginger splotches shot into the air. Wait, what? Shaking his head quickly to clear it, his vision focused enough for him to take another look around. There at a table stood the two eldest Weasley brothers. Apparently having risen from the table at his and Draco's arrival. Harry stood right where he was for a moment. He glanced around without seeing any other Weasleys. Beside him Draco stepped a bit closer and attempted to subtly keep from touching anything. He really needed to convince him that poor wasn't a contagious disease.
It smelled like cookies.
The room was just as cluttered and clean and homey as every other time he'd ever visited. There was a wooden table with a couple chairs on the far side of the room often covered with a chessboard for Ron or Percy- smaller square tables sprinkled about, a wooden chest and a low bookcase. A slight change in decoration, however, were the many plates of baked goods covering every available space. Mrs Weasley had been stress baking then.
Harry blinked, looking up at the two redheads. "They aren't back yet."
Charlie shook his head. He swallowed and let out a sigh, his shoulders sagging. Harry wondered if he'd been up all night. It looked like it. By him Bill slowly slid back into his seat, fingers running through his hair which was loose from its standard ponytail. "Had hoped you were them, to be honest. That they'd gone to the Diggory's or the Lovegood's and floo'd over."
"Mr Weasley hasn't sent an owl then?" That was Draco asking.
Charlie studied the blonde, perhaps only now noticing who Harry had brought with him. "No, my father hasn't sent anything since he departed for the cup."
Harry and Draco exchanged a glance. Would it be wrong to use the oppertunity that presented its self to their own advantage when the two redheads were clearly concerned for the rest of their family? One of whom was Harry's best mate? Then again...Harry was pretty certain they got out of the choas just fine and would return soon. He knew that Mr Weasley worked for the ministry after all, perhaps he had to give a statement of the things he saw? Screw it.
"So, he won't have told you what will be happening tomorrow?" Harry asked. He tried to subtly move so his collar loosened, it was warmer than normal in here. Perhaps from all the baking?
"And for the remainder of summer," Draco added with a purposely poorly hidden smile. It was there and gone in a flash, lasting only long enough for the two older wizards to zero in on it. Slytherins. Honestly. Apparently, the two of them being in good enough condition to try to weasel information gave the elder Weasley boys hope that their own siblings would have made it through in good health as well, even without an owl saying as much. No doubt just as Draco intended.
Charlie took his seat, the grin Harry associated him with spreading across his face. "Alright let's have it then."
Harry and Draco took the seats across from them at the roughly carved wooden table. Draco needed gentle encouragement to do so in the form of Harry grasping his wrist and pulling him down beside him. He ignored the annoyed huff that followed. "I'll be flooing back to Draco's tomorrow morning." Harry said. He shrugged a shoulder as if it were all decided. "I've been invited to this summer-"
"You got into the training camp?" Charlie burst. Damn did he look excited. "I've gone twice."
Harry nodded. "Yes. That's the idea anyway."
Bill put his chin in his hand, gradually appearing less stressed out. "Charlie will be there for the broom racing showcase, did you know? Any of your mates get in?"
"I'd forgotten Charlie was attending." Draco mused aloud. Charlie. Not Weasley. They'd met then? Harry looked between them. They weren't paying one another much attention other then as politeness required them to do from being a part of the same conversation. Charlie didn't correct him. So, was Draco letting Harry know that he knew Charlie...or was he reminding Charlie that they knew one another? Merlin help him, Slytherins were nothing but headaches! "And Harry will be seeing Viktor there, and myself of course."
"Viktor?" Bill asked, one eyebrow scrunching up.
Charlie's mouth fell open. "Viktor as in Krum. You know Viktor Krum? THE Viktor Krum?"
"I don't know if I'd say-"
Draco squeezed his wrist hard. "Yes, they took quite a liking to one another. I suspect it's a relief to them to be around another talented seeker their own age. I imagine it must get tiresome around the children at school who, really, do their best but simply can't catch up." Said Draco.
"Other than you of course," Harry added, amused.
The blonde puffed up a bit. "Of course."
"That's right," Said Charlie. "You're the youngest seeker in a century, yeah? You must be pretty good." The wide shouldered redhead leaned forward in his chair, surveying him as if he could tell just from his looks how good he might be. Then again, Krum had done something similar and commented on his 'build'. Harry knew that meant he was small and thin which suited a seeker, though Krum and Charlie both were much bigger than Harry. Still, they weren't huge. Wide shouldered, yes. Large hands, yes. They lacked the bulkiness wizards like Ron started gaining in their teens. And Crabbe and Goyle, but Harry was reluctant to group them together. Ah Hell he was still staring at Harry. Was he supposed to respond?
Harry flushed. "I suppose."
The sole Slytherin in the room rolled his silver eyes heavenward. "He only wins every game he plays unless there are soul sucking demons about. Nothing big really. Broke a Hogwarts record for fastest snitch catch as well. No big deal."
"Shut it." Harry groaned, burying his face in his hands.
"Well! We'll have to have a race then, yeah? You and me and your Viktor. Draco as well. It'll be fun."
Harry's head shot up. "You want to race me?" Harry had of course, as a Gryffindor, heard many tales of the great Charlie Weasley. Nearly every Weasley ever had been on the Gryffindor quidditch team and -according to general consensus- Charlie had been the best seeker the house had ever seen. Until Harry came along, that is.
"Oh yes," Charlie assured him, a wicked grin on his face. "I haven't had much time to fly recently, it'll be good to stretch my wings so to speak."
"Careful," Draco warned, a mocking lilt to his voice. "The wonder boy here has himself a Firebolt." The blonde had an arm outstretched, the other picking pretend lint from it as if he wasn't bragging about Harry and his talents and belongings and it wasn't at all an odd thing to be happening. He'd done that to Viktor the day before. Harry frowned to himself. Why would he do it though?
Bill sat up. "Where'd you score one of those? I didn't know they were available to the public yet? I knew they were going to be, everyone's seen them up at various shops. But, it's only ever been the display and there's never a price."
"He won't tell anyone." Draco groused.
Charlie smacked a large hand against the tabletop. "Well, we'll all be together then! For a week at least. I don't know if I'll stay for all of it but you will be there and Viktor is hanging around I think I just might. And Bill will be about, he's working on the wards and acting representative for the goblins while he's there."
"Why not a, you know, actual goblin?" Harry asked.
"It's easier," Explained Draco. The blonde turned in his seat to face Harry. "Generally, wizards are more responsive to other wizards even when that wizard is representing a non-wizard. So, sending a wizard along helps with networking and fostering alliances. Just as sending a witch or wizard in similar age range, with similar hobbies or background or of a similar alignment can make deals and negotiations easier within the wizarding world."
Harry blinked. "Okay then." Huzzah for spontaneous culture lessons.
Then Mrs Weasley ran passed them all in a swirl of skirts and red hair. "Hello boys, excuse me boys." They all stared at one another wide-eyed. How on earth did she not notice a Malfoy making himself at home in her house? They exchanged glances. Someone shouted and several voices began filtering in. As one they all scrambled to their feet.
"I should-" Draco began, stepping backward.
At the same time, Bill started, "We'll try-"
They both stopped. Charlie looked ar Harry and rolled his eyes. "We will try to get Harry permission to go. I'll be there for the first week so I can probably get you at least a week out of it. Make the most of it. In the mean time you," He nodded at Draco. "Should get going. We've heard enough from our brother to know he won't be pleased to see you here."
"That's a bit of an understatement." Muttered Harry, he shoved at Draco toward the floo.
Draco gave a dramatic sigh, resisting the push with the slightest of smiles. "I'm not the one attempting to get the other killed, Potter."
"You could have put on a hat or something." Harry pointed out.
"A hat? A hat?" Draco exclaimed. "Why not dye my hair while I'm at it!"
Bill rounded the table and motioned at Draco toward the floo. "Get out of here. You can argue about headgear later." Draco sniffed and approached the floo, tossed in the powder and whispered his address. He really didn't need to. No Weasley in his right mind would come to a death eater's home unannounced, let alone the home of Lucius Malfoy. He paused, thinking of Mrs Malfoy. He'd rather not chance accidentally coming upon her alone.
"Do you two always spontaneously bicker like that?" Charlie asked.
Draco shot them a look over his shoulder and stepped through the flames. "Not at all-"
"-sometimes we're much worse." Harry finished just as the blonde vanished and the rest of the Weasley clan began filling the room. Charlie and Bil exchanged amused, exasperated, smiles. Harry nearly felt sorry for them.
They really had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
Pseudonymous Entity
2017
"This is a new year, a new beginning. And things will change."
Notes:
I know, I know, I've been gone for ages. Real life has done its absolute best to keep us apart dear readers. However, I have fought against everything happening in my non-digital life and made time to post this chapter for you. I will probably come back and flesh it out more when I get the time, and you can expect updates for other stories soon as well. I hope some of you out there still have an interest in my scribblings. -pseu
Comments, Questions, Theories, Suggestions, Guesses and Limericks always welcomed.
-Pseu