A/N: Hopefully you'll all enjoy this one, I love it, and I'll be anxiously waiting to hear your thoughts!
Chapter 5
"Does anyone want to study for that potions quiz tonight?" Theo asked the Gryffindor table as he ate his breakfast.
"Can't." Harry answered as he pushed his food around on his plate. "It's the last quidditch practice before the game this Saturday."
"I'll study with you." Hermione said quickly.
"Me too." Blaise said after.
"Cool." Theo smiled. "Are you nervous, Harry?"
"A bit."
"He's terrified." Draco smiled. "You're gonna be great."
Harry let out a deep breath. "You think so?"
Just then the great hall was filled with owls. "I know so." Draco said as he spotted the huge package heading for their table.
"What's this?" Harry's eyes were wide as the stared at the long box before him.
"Open it and see." Theo said, without even bothering to look up.
Harry ripped it open and nearly fell over. "It's..."
"Harry!" Ron's shocked voice cut in. "Do you know what this is?!"
Harry's eyes snapped up at Draco then Theo, both of whom were smiling. "You knew."
"Sirius wrote to us, yes." Draco said to him. "A nimbus two thousand."
"Congratulations, Harry." Theo smiled at him. "Even though you can win without the fancy broom, you know."
"Thanks, guys." Harry breathed.
A few seats down Oliver Wood, the captain for Gryffindor was losing his mind. Fred and George stared at it in awe, while Ron kept inching his hand closer to try and touch it.
"Go on, try it out." Draco urged.
"Later. I might not come back down." Harry joked.
"Harry, you really should try and eat something. A bit of toast, maybe?" Blaise's concerned voice broke the silence at the table.
"Ron's, right. You're going to need your strength today." Draco agreed.
"I'm just not hungry." Harry mumbled.
"Good luck today, Potter."
Harry whipped around to see Professor Snape standing behind him, his classic sneer already on his face.
"Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll a little game of quidditch should be easy work for you."
Everyone stayed quiet while he walked away.
"He can't even give a compliment without it sounding like an insult." Theo muttered sarcastically.
"Forget him. He's just trying to make you nervous." Ron said with a glare in Snape's direction. "You're gonna be great. Even if the game is against Gryffindor."
"Yea, should you be sitting at our table right now, mate?" Dean joked.
"Gonna kick me out, then?" Harry grinned back.
"Nah. Draco will pout if I do."
"Shut up, Dean." Draco laughed out.
"He's not wrong." Theo said just before Draco shoved him with his shoulder.
Harry met his team mates down at the quidditch pitch just before the game started. As they waited, Adrian looked over at him.
"Scared, Harry?" The team captain and chaser asked.
"A little." His nervousness showing in his voice.
"Me too." Adrian admitted.
"Why's that?"
"This is my first game as captain, have to give a good impression, don't I?"
"Anyone's better than Flint." Terrance Higgs, the team's keeper, said from behind them.
Marcus Flint, the other chaser on the team, just growled at them all.
"Not much of a confidence booster, Higgs." Adrian winked at his friend. "Ready, everyone? Remember, we're playing fair." He emphasized his last words, shooting a glance at Flint, and then Miles Bletchley, one of the team's beaters.
The curtains opened and all at once they mounted their brooms and flew out onto the pitch, Harry being amazed by the crowd's cheers.
Theo and Blaise sat in the Gryffindor section with Draco and the rest of their friends. Draco was completely torn on who to cheer for. He wanted Harry to do well, but they were playing against Gryffindor. He decided he would just cheer for the people he knew instead. The players all flew out onto the pitch and circled around Madam Hooch, who stood in the center of the field.
"There he is!" Blaise shouted with a wide smile.
"He looks so small." Theo said to him.
"That's because he is small."
"Our Harry'll do just fine." Hagrid said from behind them.
Draco looked around in awe at the full stands of students. Sirius had taken them to a handful of professional quidditch games, but this just felt different. The excitement felt more alive. Maybe it was all of the House pride. He looked back at the players, just as the game began. Once the quafffle was released the madness started. Players were zooming around the field and Draco was giddy with adrenaline. Angelina Johnson scored the first goal of the game, and the Gryffindor stands cheered loudly. Draco yelled and clapped along with them, the energy infectious. He looked to find Harry and turned just in time to see Harry nearly get knocked of his broom by a bludger.
"He needs to pay attention!" Draco scolded. He watched as Harry casually looked around for the snitch, not really moving too much. The boos from the crowd pulled him out of his instead study of Harry.
"What happened?"
"Flint. He's got the quaffle!" Ron shouted, even though they were right next to each other. "He's gonna score!"
"No way, Wood can block him!" Seamus yelled loudly.
Sure enough, Flint didn't make the goal.
"Those Slytherin's don't play by the rules!" Dean's irritated voice yelled.
Wood blocked another goal from Flint. Everyone gasped when Flint grabbed the beaters bat from Bletchley and sent a bludger flying right at Wood.
"Is he alright?" Hermione gasped.
Laughter could be heard from the Slytherin stands, and Draco sneered in their direction. "I hope so."
With the goal posts completely open, Slytherin kept scoring points. Angelina caught the quaffle and made a run for the goal, but was pinned between two Slytherin's that caused her to fall. The score was now twenty to sixty, with Slytherin winning. Draco was watching the Slytherin's, wondering why the hell nothing was being said about their rough play, when Hermione grabbed his arm.
"Draco, look!" She pointed to Harry and Draco saw him flying erratically.
"What's going on? What's he doing?" Theo wondered.
Hermione grabbed Seamus's binoculars so she could watch Harry. "I don't know! It looks like he's out of control!" She moved around to see if she could see anything else.
"It's Snape!" She hissed. "He must be jinxing the broom."
"Jinxing the broom?" Ron asked nervously. "What do we do?"
She threw the binoculars at Ron. "Leave it to me." She said as she made her way through the crowds of people.
"What's she doing?" Ron asked Draco.
"I have no idea!" He looked back at Harry. "He's not going to be able to hold on much longer!"
"Harry!" Theo shouted as Harry's broom spun upside down, leaving Harry to dangle in the air.
"Come on, Hermione!" Draco breathed. He took the binoculars from Ron and looked over at the teacher's box. "You're not going to believe what she did!" Draco grinned like a fool.
"What?" Theo, Ron and Blaise shouted.
"She sent him on fire!"
"She did not." Theo breathed. Draco handed him the binoculars and sure enough, he saw the teachers scrambling to put out the fire that was set to Snape's robes. "She did!"
They all cheered loudly when Harry was able to pull himself back onto his broom, and take off towards the snitch.
Alicia Spinnet, the Gryffindor seeker, raced around the pitch neck and neck with Harry. They were flying so close that they bumped into each other several times.
"What the hell is he doing?" Blaise asked as he watched Harry climb onto his broom to stand up, like he was going to jump for the snitch midair.
"Being reckless." Theo grumbled. "Someone explain to me why this idiot isn't in Gryffindor, again?"
Sure enough, Harry jumped off his broom and landed face first onto the ground, rolling a few times before he sat up.
"He looks like he's gonna be sick!" Hagrid said to them.
"He's got the snitch!" Neville shouted. "He caught it with his mouth!"
"Slytherin wins!" Lee Jordan announced and boos and groans were heard all around them, but Draco just smiled.
The following day was Sunday, and the three boys walked down to Hagrid's hut with him for tea. They hated Hagrid's tea, but they loved him, so they suffered through it.
"Nonsense." Hagrid told them. "Why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom?"
"Who knows?" Harry shrugged. "Why did Snape try to get passed that three headed dog on Halloween?"
"Who told you about Fluffy?"
"Fluffy? That thing has a name?" Theo asked in disbelief.
"Course he's got a name, he's mine." Hagrid said roughly. "I bought from an Irish feller I met down at the pub last year. So I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"
"Yes?" Draco said sweetly.
"I shouldn't have said that. No more questions! Don't ask any more questions. That's top secret, that is."
"But Hagrid!" Harry whined. "Whatever Fluffy is guarding, Snape is trying to steal it. I know it."
"Codswallop. Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher."
"Hogwarts teacher or not." Theo retorted. "We know a spell when we see one. I've read all about them. Hermione, too."
"Now you listen to me, all three to you." Hagrid said sternly. "Yer meddling in things that ought not be meddled in. It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel."
"Nicolas Flamel?" Theo asked.
"I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that." Hagrid grumbled as he walked away. "I should not have said that."
"Who is Nicolas Flamel?" Harry asked other two boys.
Draco looked confused as well, and Theo just shrugged.
"You're the Ravenclaw. Shouldn't you be smart?" Harry teased.
"I'll ask Draco's girlfriend, she'll know." Theo said with a snicker.
"She's not-"
"Yea, we know. Whatever Draco." Theo laughed out as he ran towards Hagrid's.
"She's not!" Draco yelled as he ran to keep up with him.
Harry watched them for a second before running to catch up with them, a smile on his face.
November went by in a haze of studies, classes and laughter. The three boys forgot all about Nicolas Flamel and Fluffy, and since the Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw quidditch match was rather uneventful, they forgot all about Snape, other than his regular brooding in potions. Quidditch wasn't to start back up again until February, so Harry had more free time to make friends, which turned out to be largely Gryffindor's.
The day they were to head back home for the Christmas holidays, Draco sat with Ron playing wizard's chess in the great hall, waiting for the announcement that they could head to the train. Theo sat next to Ron, while Harry sat next to Draco. Hermione walked up just as a Ron's queen destroyed Draco's knight.
"That's totally barbaric!"
"That's wizard's chess." Ron said proudly. "I see you've packed."
"I see you haven't." She chastised.
"Have so." Draco defended. "All our things are there." He pointed to the huge pile behind them in front of the fireplace. "Ron's coming with us for the holiday!"
"Oh?"
"Change of plans. My parents decided to go to Romania, to visit my brother Charlie. He's studying dragons there."
"So Ron's coming with us to our house." Harry said to her.
"What about your bothers?" Hermione asked.
"They've decided to stay at Hogwarts. Imagine all the trouble they could get into! All the things they'll find with no one else around!" Ron said to her.
"Speaking of finding things." Hermione said sweetly. "Have you found anything on Flamel?"
Theo shook his head. "No, but I haven't really tried. Mid-terms have taken all my time."
Hermione nodded in understanding. "Maybe your family will know something?"
"I'll ask my mom." Draco said he moved a chess piece. "She's brilliant at potions."
Harry nodded. "My aunt, too."
"Well you better hurry up, or you're going to miss the train."
"She's right." Draco said. "We'll finish this another time."
"You're only saying that because you're losing." Theo grinned, then walked off with Hermione before Draco could smack him from across the table.
"You know she told me that she tried to sneak into the restriction section last week? To see if she could find anything." Draco whispered.
Ron's eyebrows rose at that. "I think we've had a bad influence on her."
"Welcome back, boys!" Petunia shouted with excitement as they made their way over to her and Remus.
The three boys went running once they heard her, with Draco and Harry colliding into her and Theo into Remus.
"Happy Christmas, boys." Remus said kindly as he hugged Theo and ruffled Harry's hair, then Draco's. "Mr. Ron Weasley, what a pleasure it is that you could join us."
"Thank you, Sir." Ron said kindly.
"We brought the car, this way boys." Petunia said to them as she led them away.
"Aunt Petunia has a really nice car." Draco said to Ron. Have you ever seen one?"
"My Dad has an old Ford Anglia he's fixed up. He keeps trying to charm it, but mom stops him every time he gets going. A bit obsessed with muggle things, my dad."
Petunia drove them home, since she was the only one that needed a driver's license. Good thing it was a short trip, since Ron couldn't keep his hands off the buttons. He'd opened the sunroof twice and nearly got them soaked from the melted snow on the roof.
"Here we are." She said as she parked the car. "Grimmauld Place."
"Wow. You live here?" Ron said in awe as he looked up at the four story building.
"Sure do." Harry grinned as he ran up the stairs.
"Harry Potter you get back here right now young man and get your trunk." Petunia scolded.
"Aunt Tuni!" He whined, but made his way back down anyway.
"She reminds me of my mom." Ron whispered to Draco, who laughed quietly.
Once the front door was opened they barely made it inside when two more people came running towards them. Cissa took both Theo and Draco in her arms and squeezed them tight, while Sirius hugged Harry.
"Pads!" Harry cried as he was engulfed in a hug.
"Oh, it's so good to have you home!" Narcissa cried.
"Mom, you're embarrassing me." Draco grumbled even though he barely tried to pull away.
"It's okay, mate. My mom does the same to us when we come back." Ron said cheerfully. "I'm Ron Weasley."
"Ronald Weasley." Sirius said as he stood tall. "How wonderful you could join us. How are your parents?"
"Fine, Sir."
"Sirius. Call me Sirius. Well, what to do first? Get you boys situated, yea?"
"Ron, dear, would you like your own room or would you like to share with Draco?" Petunia asked.
"I'm sure they'll all end up together somewhere." Remus smiled. "Put your things wherever you'd like. They boys will show you the way."
"Lolly."
"Yes, Missus." The little elf said the moment she heard Narcissa call her.
"Will you please put the boys' things in their rooms?"
"At once, Missus!"
"You have a house elf?" Ron asked as they headed for the stairs.
"Two." Harry answered. "Kreacher, who is the Black family elf, and then Lolly. Who I guess really belongs to Theo."
"She was my mother's."
"What happened to your mom, Theo?" Ron asked without thinking. The three boys stopped and looked at him. No one talked about Theo's mom, but everyone they knew already knew what happened. Harry and Draco looked at Theo, unsure if he would even answer.
"She was killed." He said softly. "My father..."
"I'm sorry." Ron said sincerely. "This girl I know, she lives just over the hill from our house, and her mom died just last year. I bet you'd like her. She's weird."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Theo asked, glad for the subject change.
"She just speaks her mind, that's all. Only I never have any idea what she's talking about." He laughed, and the tension was gone.
"Wow. Your room is huge!" Ron said as he walked into Draco's room.
Draco looked around, he supposed it was a decent size. Either that or Ron must have a really small room at his house. "Harry is just across the hall, and Theo on the right. Sirius and Petunia are upstairs and Remus and mom are on the second floor."
"Has this always been your room? My brothers move around a lot. Well, mostly just Percy. He doesn't like being on the same floor as Fred and George. They make too much noise."
Draco shook his head. "We moved to the third floor when we were like four or five. We were on separate the floors before. So, what shall we do?"
"Do you have a place to fly here?"
Draco grinned. "Not really, we'll have to wait until Aunt Petunia goes to work before we can fly. It's a secret thing we do with Sirius."
"I don't know anyone else with a family like yours."
"Me neither." Draco just shrugged. He adored his family, and never wanted it to change. "What do you want to eat? We better tell my mom now so Kreacher can make it. She's the only one he doesn't talk back to."
"Doesn't he belong to Sirius?" Ron asked.
"He does. Doesn't mean he has to listen to him though. He's not mean or anything, just grumpy. And ungodly old."
For the next four days the four boys forgot all about Nicolas Flamel, again, and anything school related. Ron even got Theo to stop studying long enough to have a snowball fight with Sirius and Remus in the park across the street. Draco loved having Ron around, he seemed to get along with everyone. He and Theo tried to teach Harry how to play chess, and he brought his chocolate frog cards to trade with Draco. He talked to Sirius for hours about his twin uncles that Ron never met, and to Remus about all the pranks he pulled in school, and told him stories of Fred and George. Narcissa and Petunia doted on them like the mother hens they were, giving the boys nearly anything they wanted while they were home.
The morning of Christmas Eve Petunia got called away to the hospital she worked at, but said she would only be gone for a few hours and would be back in plenty of time for their Christmas Eve tradition.
"Hurry back, Flower." Sirius said sweetly as he kissed his wife.
"Don't get into too much trouble with them, I meant it Siri." She warned just before she left the house.
The moment that door was shut Sirius grinned. "Who's up for a fly?"
"Yes!" Ron shouted.
Harry, Ron and Draco practically fell over each other racing up the stairs to get their brooms.
"Theo?" Sirius said with a smile. "Care to join in?"
"That alright. I think I'll just stick with Remus for a while."
Sirius nodded. "You remember what to do?"
"Lie."
Sirius ruffled his hair. "Good boy."
Petunia came home about four hours later, after stopping at the muggle grocery store to get ingredients for her favorite Christmas dessert, bread pudding. She let Kreacher make it a few times, but it just wasn't right, which pissed him off something awful, but made her laugh so it was worth it every year to watch him scowl as she took over the kitchen to make it. The house was unusually quiet, it had been chaos ever since the boys had come home. Which suited her just fine, it reminded her of when the boys were little. After she put her groceries away she went upstairs to find Remus and Theo playing a game of checkers.
"Done with chess?"
Theo looked up and smiled at her. "For now. Ron's really good. I'm sure we'll play later."
"I've played him twice." Remus said to her. "I don't know where he gets it, I've lost both times."
"Where are the others?"
"Cissa went into town, said she forgot something but I'm not sure what."
"Oh, I could have went with her, I've just come from the store." She looked over at Theo. "And the others?"
Theo tilted is head upwards. "Napping most likely."
"Did they go flying?"
"Of course they did."
Petunia took a peppermint from her pocket and handed it to him. He took it without even looking up.
"As soon as I left?"
"The second after."
She handed him another peppermint, and this time he smiled.
With Christmas Eve fully underway, Petunia and Narcissa took over the kitchen, much to Kreacher's irritation. Neville and Augusta Longbottom arrived for the Christmas Eve festivities. They were to spend the night, as they did every year so Neville could enjoy some of the Christmas magic that only family can bring. Petunia loved everything about Christmas, she could bring some of her muggle magic into the house, as she liked to call it. The bright colors and decorations and baking always meant so much to her. When Draco and Theo became a permanent part of her life, she made a promise to them to always make this time of year extra special.
Their first Christmas together was while Sirius was still in Azkaban, and she tried, she really did, but her heart wasn't in it. The following year, when he finally came home, was truly magical. She decorated every room in the house, top to bottom. Kreacher mumbled about her tasteless muggle decorations and terrible influence but she didn't care. The joy that lit up Harry, Theo and Draco's faces was worth it. What was even more special about that Christmas, was the way that Narcissa finally let go, and let herself become part of their family. Over the years Petunia and Cissa had become the best of friends, and went just as overboard as Petunia did at Christmas time. Petunia had taught her how to make Christmas cut out cookies, and they'd made them every single year since.
Now they had five boys in the kitchen helping them, with flour and frosting on every surface. Petunia insisted they do everything by hand, only because it made it that much more fun. The cleanup though, she would let Cissa use her magic for that... unless Kreacher was being extra ornery that day. With five dozen Christmas cookies made and frosted, the boys left the kitchen after they'd cleaned up so Petunia could make her bread pudding, and Narcissa could take the time to frost her cookies perfectly.
"The cookies are all made?" Sirius asked as he jumped up when he spotted the boys coming up from the kitchen.
"Yup!" Neville said brightly. "Cissa stayed behind to frost her cookies."
"She always makes beautiful ones." Augusta said as she sipped her tea by the fire.
"I think I'll go steal some." Sirius grinned as he walked away. He passed Theo and stilled him by placing a hand on his shoulder. "She doesn't suspect anything?"
"Not a thing." He said with a straight face.
Sirius pulled a peppermint from his pocket. "Good boy."
Theo grinned as he unwrapped his piece of candy and went over to sit by Remus.
"Neither of them have caught on yet?"
"They have no idea."
After dinner everyone gathered in the living room for their annual watching of A Christmas Carol, and the boys all received their Christmas Eve gift.
"What is this?" Ron asked as Petunia handed him a package.
"It's tradition." Was all she said.
Ron opened up the bright red package with a huge green bow. He pulled out a pair of soft pajamas, packets of hot chocolate, peppermint fudge and a bag of other sweets, a book on charms used for flying, and a muggle board game. "Wow."
"Aunt Petunia always gives the pajamas." Harry said to him. "Sirius give the games."
"Remus gives hot chocolate." Theo said with a smile in the man's direction.
"Mom gives the sweets. I told her you liked chocolate frogs, hope that's okay." Draco said.
"And Gran always gives the books." Neville said as he held up the book he received, the standard book of spells.
"I bet Hermione can help you study." Ron said right away. "Alohamora, standard book of spells, Chapter seven." He said in a mocking voice, making Harry laugh.
"Draco's girlfriend can help you with anything." Theo said to him. "She's wicked smart."
"Draco's girlfriend?" Cissa asked. "Who's this?"
"Mom-"
"Her names Hermione." Theo said over Draco. "Gryffindor, muggleborn. She's beating everyone in grades so far."
"She's nice to me." Harry said to Cissa. "I like her."
"I'd like to be done with this conversation." Draco grumbled.
"How about you go and put your pajamas on, then we can make the hot chocolate and start the movie." Petunia suggested.
The four boys grabbed their boxes and ran up the stairs.
"Thank you for the gift." Ron said softly. "You didn't have to get me anything."
"It was no trouble at all, dear." Petunia said sweetly.
"Um, Sirius. What is... jan-ga?"
Sirius chuckled. "I love those muggle games. Your father will love it too, I'm sure. We'll play it tomorrow."
"Alright." With a smile he followed the other boys upstairs.
"Boy he's in for a shock tomorrow then, isn't he?" Cissa said with a laugh.
"The poor boy wasn't expecting gifts?" Remus said sadly.
"His parents don't have much money." Augusta said quietly. "I'm sure just the fact that you let him stay with you for the holiday was enough."
"Then tomorrow will be a great day." Sirius said as he kissed his wife's hand. He knew how much she loved Christmas, she always went above and beyond to make it extra magical for everyone.
The boys all stayed up late, having a sleep over in Draco's room, making a blanket fort with nearly every pillow and cushion they could find. Theo was the first to wake, and made his way downstairs to look at the tree. He always loved seeing the tree dressed up in bright decorations and loaded with presents.
"You're up earlier than I thought, pup." Remus said from the corner of the room. Theo was sure he was sipping on a steaming cup of hot chocolate and had eaten the cookies they'd made yesterday for breakfast. His well-worn cardigan securely wrapped around him.
Theo sat down on the other side of the small loveseat Remus was sitting at as he handed him the mug. Sure enough, it was hot chocolate. "I always like to wake up and see the tree before they demolish it. What are you reading?" He asked after he sipped the hot drink.
"A herbology book. Something new I found in Diagon, thought I might find something for the shop."
"Is it interesting?"
"Some of it." He answered with a shrug. "Unfortunately not all of it, though. Good thing it didn't cost very much, so harm done."
They sat in comfortable silence, with Remus going back to his reading and Theo gazing at the perfect Christmas tree. Their perfect moment was ruined however by someone thudding down the stairs.
Theo looked at Remus. "Draco." They said at the same time.
Draco came in and took one look at the tree. "Yes!" Then turned and ran right back up the stairs.
"Does he really expect nothing to be there?" Theo wondered aloud, then grinned. "That gives me a thought for next year."
Remus didn't even bother to hide his smile. "I'm so proud of you."
"Wake up!" Draco shouted once he reached his room. The three boys that were still asleep rolled around and grumbled. "Wake up, there's presents!"
"Of course there's presents you idiot." Harry shouted at him.
"Come on! It's Christmas, even Pads will be up early! Ron, come on!"
"I already know what my mom got me." He said as he laid back down, in hopes of falling back asleep.
"But you don't know what's in the others!"
This peaked his interest. "I've got presents?"
"Good Godric, make them shut up." Neville said as he covered his face with a pillow.
"You know he won't." Harry said as he rolled out of the fort. "Better just get up."
They walked down and met Sirius and Petunia on the stairs. Petunia looked giddy. Sirius looked grumpy, but did his best to smile.
"Is your mom up yet, Draco?" Petunia asked him.
"I'll go check!" He runaway without another word.
"You are an evil woman." Sirius grinned at his wife.
Once everyone was up they wasted no time ripping into their gifts. Ron went to the packages he recognized from his mother first. He tore it open and sure enough, found a maroon knitted sweater with a capital R on the front.
"From my mom." He said shyly as he threw it on over his pajamas Petunia had given him last night.
"Oh, that's wonderful." Petunia said warmly.
Ron smiled and looked at the other boys. "Looks like you all got one, too."
"Really?" Draco was genuinely surprised by this. He'd barely spoke to Ron's mom on the platform that day, and Harry and Theo were in different houses. "Nice!" He got up to put on the bright red sweater. Other than Ron, Neville was the only one that got a sweater that wasn't his house color. Instead, His was grey with a white N on the front. He looked over to see that Theo got a blue one, and Harry got green. They'd also been given homemade fudge.
"Look!" I've got a present from Draco's girlfriend!" Theo squealed, knowing it would irritate him. He held up the very nice quill with a bright blue feather.
"I did too!" Harry said brightly, completely oblivious to Draco's annoyance. "A whole box of chocolate frogs!"
"Same here!" Ron's voice high and giddy.
Neville looked around and smiled, then held up a gift. "Got one!"
No sense in hiding what he was doing, Draco dug through his pile of presents and found the one from Hermione. He unwrapped it carefully and opened the box. Inside he found a wooden plaque that had the Gryffindor crest made out of string art. Underneath the crest, in the most beautiful cursive he'd ever seen were the words Never forget who you are
"Well, what did you get?" Harry pestered.
"Nothing. It's nothing." He shoved it away quickly, hoping everyone would leave him alone about it.
Sirius saw it, though. And he loved it. He leaned over and whispered to Petunia. "We must meet this girl."
"Who's that from, Harry?" Theo asked as he held up a present wrapped in odd shiny paper. "I'm not sure, there isn't a tag on it." With a shrug he tore it open and saw that there was a note inside. "Your father left this in my possession before he died, it's time it was returned to you. Use it well."
"Clothes?" Ron asked.
"It's a cloak of some sort."
"Well go on, try it on." Neville urged.
Harry stood up and put it on. Sirius spit out his coffee. Remus choked on the cookie he was eating.
Harry looked down and gasped. "My body's gone!"
"An invisibility cloak!" Theo said with excitement. "They're really rare."
"He had it the whole time!" Sirius seemed really pleased about this.
"This really belonged to my dad?"
"Yes." Remus nodded. "It's been passed down for generations on the Potter side. I'm not even sure who the original owner was. I assumed it was lost with the old house."
"Who had it, Sirius?" Petunia asked at the same time Narcissa huffed that she had no idea James had a real invisibility cloak.
"Dumbledore, had to be. Imagine the things you can get into now!"
"Oh dear, maybe this wasn't a good idea after all!" Cissa said with a shake of her head, her eyes to the heavens.
With the living room now full with piles of presents and several other piles of torn up wrapping paper, they shared a lazy breakfast prepared by Lolly, since Kreacher was making their Christmas Day dinner. Ron was of course shocked at the amount of gifts he'd received. He wasn't expecting anything from Draco's family, and didn't even think that his friends would get him gifts. As they began to clean up, since Neville and Augusta had to leave soon for St. Mungo's, Narcissa quietly walked over to Draco.
"Let me see it." She said softly.
Draco looked around to see if anyone was watching, then picked up the box from Hermione and handed it to her. Narcissa opened the box gently and smiled, almost sadly. Her eyes filled with tears.
"That's wonderful, Draco."
"Yea. I feel like what I got her was insignificant now."
"What did you get her?" She asked as she handed him the gift back.
"She color codes everything. I got her notebooks for each class for her notes. She carries around rolls of parchment like you wouldn't believe. Aunt Petunia helped me."
Narcissa giggled. "I think that is a wonderful gift, and she will appreciate it very much."
The trip back to Hogwarts was a blur of noise and giddy excitement. Friends meeting up with friends again filled the atmosphere. Draco immediately found Hermione and pulled her into their compartment, thanking her profusely for her gift, which he had packed with him. She gushed over the journals, saying how she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it herself.
Blaise made his way into their compartment, too, happy to be with friends again. "Did you get the chocolate snitches I sent you?"
"I did! Thanks! How about you? Did you get mine?"
Blaise held up the book he'd gotten from Harry, Notable Potions Throughout History. "So at least one of us can earn some points from Snape in potions?" He joked.
"Exactly."
Dinner went by uneventfully, most of the hall staying crowded while students caught up with their friends after the break. Excited to use the cloak, Harry, Draco and Theo decided to sneak out tonight and try to get into the restricted section. One of the first things Hermione had asked them was if they found anything, which of course they didn't. Hadn't even looked. So they all huddled under the cloak and made their way down to the library.
"I don't even know what we're looking for." Theo whispered once they made it into the restricted section. "It's not like there's going to be a book labeled Nicolas Flamel."
"Let's just look, so we can say we actually tried this time." Draco began to look around, looking at the books carefully. "Be sure to not touch-"
Harry picked up and book and opened it and the thing began screaming. He slammed it shut and looked at Draco.
"-anything. Really, Harry?"
"Who's there?!" Filch's voice rang through the library, heading their way.
"Get under the cloak." Harry hissed. As quickly as they could they all scrambled to cover themselves, just as Filch came into view. They tip toed around him, barely breathing in hopes that they wouldn't get caught.
Once they were out of the library the ducked into the first room they saw.
"How long should we wait?" Theo asked as he let out a relieved breath.
"Not that long. We still have to go to three separate dormitories." Draco said as he leaned against the wall.
"Hey, guys! Check this out!"
Draco and Theo followed Harry's voice deeper into the empty room.
"Look!" Harry's excited voice rang though the room. "Do you see them?"
Theo stepped up to the mirror Harry was looking at and smiled. "Yea, I do."
"Really?!"
"Yes." Theo said softly. He reached out and touched the mirror. He turned to Harry then. "What is this mirror?"
"I don't know." Harry answered as he gazed at it.
Draco stepped up behind them and gasped.
"Draco, what's wrong?" Theo asked as he turned suddenly.
Draco just stared passed them. "Do you think... does this mirror show the future?"
Theo and Harry looked at each other. "I don't see how it could." Harry said blandly. "Since my parents are dead."
"Wait, your parents? You see your parents?" Theo asked, bewildered.
Harry looked at Theo's confused face, then to Draco's terrified one. "What do you see?"
Theo answered first. "I see my mom. And Remus and me, we're all happy and... and a family."
Harry stepped in front of the mirror again. "I see both of my parents. They're standing in front of Grimmauld Place."
Draco stepped up next to Harry, his eyes never leaving the mirror. "So it doesn't show things to come?"
"What do you see, Draco?" Theo asked him, all three standing in front of the mirror now.
"Nothing. Let's go, we should be s-"
"Draco, what do you see?" Theo demanded.
"Nothing!" He yelled. "I'm leaving." He grabbed Harry's cloak and threw it on leaving the either two no choice but to follow him.
They made their way up to Gryffindor tower in complete silence. Mostly because they didn't want to get caught out of bed, but also because the tension was so thick no one really knew what to say.
"I'll see you tomorrow." Draco said once they were standing in front of the portrait of the fat lady. Luckily she was still awake, so he whispered the password then went inside.
"What do you think he saw?" Harry asked Theo.
"I have no idea. He thought he was seeing the future." Theo sighed. "Let's go, maybe he'll tell us tomorrow."
"Right."
They began their slow walk to Ravenclaw tower, then Harry made it to the dungeons by himself.
No one slept that night, all three concerned about what Draco saw.
Draco stayed quiet for the next three days. He didn't talk to anyone, he went to class, ate as little as possible, and then went back to his dormitory where the curtains around his bed stayed shut. It was nearing dinner time and Theo, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in their usual spots at the Gryffindor table, waiting for Draco.
"Did something happen over break?" Hermione asked. "He won't even talk to me."
Theo's eyebrows rose at that. "Really?"
Hermione shook her head. "I've tried, it's like he's upset with me over something."
"It's not you, it's all him." Harry grumbled. "There's something on his mind and he won't tell any of us. It's consuming him."
Blaise walked up to the table with Neville and took their usual seats. "No luck." Neville said to the group. "I tried to ask him what was going on but he just pushed me out of the way."
Harry sighed dramatically. "I wish he would just tell us!"
"Shh, here he comes." Theo hissed at Harry, then looked over to Hermione. "Try and get him to eat something."
She nodded subtly and began to eat herself. "Hello, Draco." She greeted as he sat down.
"Hello." He mumbled.
The table sat in awkward silence, no one really knowing what to do. They just kept exchanging glances. Theo kept making faces at her, but she had no idea what to say.
"You should try the chicken, it's really good today."
"Yea, mate!" Ron said with a bright smile. "Try some!"
Draco didn't say anything, so Ron took the liberty of filling his plate. They watched carefully as he took a bite of vegetables, but mostly just pushed his food around with his fork.
"It tastes a bit like lemon pepper. My dad always made that. He-"
Draco threw his fork down loudly on the table. "You know what, I'm really not that hungry." He got up from the table and stormed off without another word.
Hermione stared at him, her mouth open in surprise. "Are you sure he's not mad at me? Everything I say seems to be wrong."
"Bet that's a new feeling for you." Ron joked.
"Shut up, Ronald. Something is wrong with him and you should be worried about your friend!"
"I am worried about him, but there's nothing I can do, is there? He doesn't want to talk."
"All we can do is be there when he does." Neville said to the group.
Blaise and Harry walked down to the Slytherin dungeons well after dinner, since they really didn't talk to anyone else in their year. Blaise didn't mind Daphne Greengrass, but she really only talked to Blaise and this other girl named Pansy Parkinson, who Harry thought was kind of pushy. They stayed in the great hall as long as they could, then left to do some homework in their own dormitory. Harry was looking down at the floor, lost in thought when Blaise elbowed him. When he looked up he saw Draco leaning against the wall.
"Draco?"
He looked up when he heard his name, but didn't move away from the wall.
"I'll see you inside, yea?" Blaise said with a nod in Draco's direction, then left them alone.
"What's going on?" Harry's voice reeking of concern.
"I need the cloak."
"Draco, no-"
"Harry, please." He begged.
"Tell me what you saw."
Draco just swallowed harshly. "I can't. Please, just this one time."
Harry covered his face with his hands and groaned. "Theo's gonna kill me."
Draco gave a sad smile. His first smile in three days. "Thanks, Harry. I will tell you, I promise."
"Well come on then." Harry grumbled as he walked up to a plain stretch of stone wall. After he'd said the password, a stone door that was concealed in the wall slid open.
"That's kind of cool." Draco said as he watched the door shut behind them. When he turned around he froze. "Whoa. This is nothing like ours."
"The exact opposite." Harry said as he watched Draco look around the dark room.
"It's cold."
"We are under ground." Harry smirked.
Draco gazed at the green lights and fancy furnishings. Everything seemed dark and cold and there for aesthetics rather than comfort.
"The common room isn't really my thing, but the dormitories are nice, come on."
They passed the stairs leading to the lower levels for the older students and stopped at the first door on their left.
"Left side is boys, right side is girls."
Harry opened the door and Draco looked around in awe. Harry was right, his room was much better than the common room. While still dark, the far wall had floor to ceiling glass windows and Draco was completely enchanted by it. Their beds looked huge, too.
"Hello, Draco." Blaise greeted from his bed.
"Blaise."
"Going to see the mirror?" He guessed as Harry dug out the invisibility cloak from his trunk.
"You told him?" Draco asked Harry.
"Yes. He's my best friend, of course I told him. I'm sure Theo told... does Theo have other friends?"
Blaise shrugged. "He likes that Padma girl, I think."
"Well whatever. If Theo has friends I'm sure he told them." He threw the cloak at Draco. "Just keep it and give it to me tomorrow."
"Thanks, Harry." He folded it up inside out and tucked it under his arm so it looked like he wasn't carrying anything, then left to go back to Gryffindor tower.
Once he made it to his common room, he looked around for Hermione. He found her in the corner by the fireplace, on the small bench that sat under the window, with an old red blanket covering her legs as she scribbled notes from a book she was reading into one of the notebooks he'd gotten her.
"Hey, Hermione." He said quietly when he was right in front of her.
"Draco." She looked up, surprised.
"Can I sit with you?"
"Um, sure. Let me just-" before she could move anything however, Draco sat on the floor with his back to the bench, his head resting on her leg.
"What's going on?" She asked him quietly.
"I'll tell you in a bit." He said as he closed his eyes. After a while she began reading again, her quill scratching on the paper made Draco feel surprisingly relaxed.
Their friends kept glancing at them, all wondering what was really going on with Draco. He'd sat there for so long, not even moving that Hermione thought he'd fallen asleep. Soon it was after curfew and the common room was beginning to clear out.
"I want you to go somewhere with me." Draco said quietly, once the room was mostly empty.
"Alright."
"Tonight. Like, right now."
"Draco, it's after curfew." She reminded him. Maybe he did fall asleep and wasn't aware of the time.
"I know." He got up and unfolded the cloak that sat beside him the entire time.
"What is that?" She hissed.
"Harry got it for Christmas. It's an invisibility cloak. I have something I want you to see."
She looked worried about breaking the rules, but she was even more worried about her friend. "Alright."
He smiled at her. "Thank you." He stood close to her and threw the cloak over the both of them.
"Where are we?" Hermione asked once Draco had removed the cloak.
"Some abandoned classroom. This way." He nodded towards the other side of the room. He slowly walked up to the mirror and took a deep breath. "Tell me what you see."
Confused, Hermione went to stand beside him and looked into the mirror. "I see myself. I'm head girl, Professor McGonagall is looking at me smiling. There's students all around congratulating me, like they're proud of me." She smiled at him, but lost it as soon as she saw his face. "What do you see?"
"Do you know anything about my family, Hermione?"
"I know that you live with Harry's aunt and uncle, and-"
"No. I mean, my blood family."
Hermione shook her head. "No, not really."
"My mom left my father when I was one, she never wanted to marry him but didn't have a choice, as her family was very strict and prejudiced. Malfoy's were known for being dark wizards, and thought it was a good match for her. When she was in Hogwarts she was secretly friends with Harry's parents, and Sirius and Remus, but after they graduated she never saw them. After she heard that Harry's parents died, she decided to run away. She and her best friend Phaedra, Theo's mom, made a plan to run away together, but they got caught I guess. She never really said what happened. My father and Theo's father hurt them both. Tortured them I'm pretty sure. Theo's mom died, and my mom nearly didn't make it. We've lived with Sirius and Petunia and Remus ever since. My mom was able to get a divorce and changed her name back to Black, but she never changed mine."
"Why not?" Hermione asked him, engrossed in his story.
"I don't know." He answered honestly. "I've always wondered why. Harry thinks it's so when I prove to the world who I am, it will remind them that a name doesn't define you."
Draco kept staring at the mirror.
"Draco, what do you see?"
He finally turned to look at her, and she could see the pain in his eyes, all over his face. "I hate him, Hermione. I hate him so much, he took people's lives. He stood there while Theo's mom died. He hurt my mom. I just know that he had something to do with Harry's parents. I hate him." Tears filled his eyes but he refused to let them fall. "I see him." He whispered. "Me, my mom and him. Standing together, like a family. His arm is around me. I'm smiling. Smiling!" He shouted. "I don't want anything from him! I don't want his approval or need his affection! Why do I see him?!"
Hermione had no idea what to do. "This mirror... it shows you what you want?"
"I don't know. Harry sees his parents. Theo sees his mom alive and Remus and they're one big happy family. I see my stupid father that I hate."
Hermione watched him struggle with what he was feeling. She wasn't sure why Draco saw his father, she didn't understand it either.
"There's nothing wrong with the family I have right now! I wouldn't change it for anything. I love the family I have now." He added desperately.
"I know you do."
"Then why do I see him?!" He shouted, unable to control it anymore.
"I really don't know, Draco." She said honestly.
"At dinner, when you began talking about your dad, I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm really sorry." And then he cried.
"Oh, Draco, it's alright. Really!" She ran over and hugged him tightly. "I was just worried about you! I'm still worried about you."
He clung to her like he'd never felt a hug before. "I can't stop thinking about it."
"Have you told anyone else?"
Draco shook his head.
"You should talk to your brothers."
"I can't." Draco sniffed as he pulled away from her, but kept his gaze away from the mirror. "I don't want what I see. They'll think that I-"
"That you are confused and need some advice on how to work through this." She cut in gently. "They will understand."
Draco just shook his head.
"Come on. We can go back to the common room and sit by the fire. I'll stay up with you."
"You don't have to."
"Even if I want to?" She asked softly.
Draco glanced at her, a crooked smile on his face. "I guess if you really want to." He tried to look back but she grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
The pull to look at the mirror was hard to resist, but Draco didn't look back as they walked towards the door.
Hermione made some tea and grabbed that blanket she liked and draped it over the both of them after Draco stoked the fire and threw some logs on. The wind whipped around the castle, making the room cold, but the fire and the warm tea soon warmed them from the inside out. With their backs to each of the arms of the couch, the sat facing each other.
"Do you see him often?" Hermione asked quietly.
"No. When I do he only taunts me, just to get a reaction. I try to ignore him but the second he says something I just can't help it and I blurt out something stupid. My mom has taken every precaution to make sure I see him as little as possible."
"When was the last time?"
"Just before school, we went shopping with Hagrid for school supplies. Before that it was just after Christmas. Neville's Gran got me a book I already had and Remus took me to exchange it."
"What does he do?"
"Nothing really. Just stands there looking important. He always makes a point to call me son though. Never lets me forget that."
Hermione sipped her tea as she thought about all of this. Lucius Malfoy was Draco's father, he couldn't change that. "Do you think that maybe... maybe you see Harry with his uncle and Theo with his father figure and maybe deep down you just want something like that?"
"I've never felt left out or anything. Sirius and Remus have always treated me like family."
"But not a son. Harry has Sirius, and Theo has Remus. And you only have your mom. It's okay to want things you don't have, Draco."
"But I don't want that with him, I don't want anything from him."
Hermione nodded. "Doesn't mean that you don't want a father."
Draco let out a deep breath. "I don't know. I've never thought about it before."
She could tell he was lost, how this ate him up inside for the last three days. She tapped his foot with hers to make him look at her. "Remember who you are."
She had no idea how much he thought of her words. "Stupid mirror."
Hermione smiled at him. "Stupid mirror."
They talked for a while longer, and when neither could keep their eyes open, they fell asleep where they were, legs tangled together.
Draco sat alone in the dark in front of that mirror. He never did give Harry back the cloak, so since he still had it, he might as well go back. He had no idea how long he sat there, staring at the image before him, wondering what the hell it all meant, when a voice came from behind him.
"Back again, Draco?"
Draco turned suddenly and stood when he saw Dumbledore standing behind him.
"I see that you, like so many before you, have discovered the delight of the Mirror of Erised. I trust by now you realize what it does." He walked slowly over to him. "Let me give you a clue. The happiest man on earth would look into the mirror, and only see himself exactly as he is."
"So then, it shows us what we want. Whatever we want."
"Yes... and no."
"It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest and most desperate desires of our hearts. But remember Draco, this mirror gives us neither knowledge nor truth. Men have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad. That is why tomorrow it will be moved to a new home. And I must ask you to not go looking for it, again."
"Sir- Professor Dumbledore. What do you see when you look into the mirror?"
"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick woolen socks."
Draco just stared at him.
"One can never have enough socks."
It was only after he returned to his room and thought back on their conversation that Draco realized Dumbledore might not have told him the truth. But to be fair, it was a rather personal question. The mirror gives us neither knowledge nor truth He'd said to him. Maybe it wasn't true after all, maybe he should really think about what Hermione had said to him. He swore on everything that he was, from that point on, he would never be anything like Lucius Malfoy.