Thoughts: 'Blah. Blah. Blah."
Flashback: Blah. Blah. Blah. ( [END]FLASHBACK before/after them)
Hedwig: "Blah. Blah. Blah."
Parseltongue: {Blah. Blah. Blah.}
Letters/Articles/Writing: Blah. Blah. Blah.
Chapter 1
Harry and Draco's summer passed by in a blur of laughter and ecstasy. Harry had moved in immediately after the trial and he honestly couldn't be happier. Of course, he still has bad days, you can't just erase years of trauma and abuse overnight. But these days are becoming fewer and fewer the longer he stays with the Malfoy's. Needless to say, Harry is healing, both mentally and physically. Lucius, Narcissa, and Snape have all been keeping up with Harry's physical state, taking him to see healers and making sure that he's eating right, and it shows. Harry's no longer skin and bones, having put on enough weight to almost be normal for his age, and he's actually grown a little too. In fact, he and Draco are now pretty much the same height.
One of the first things the Malfoys had done when Harry began living with them was replace his entire wardrobe. What used to be old hand-me-downs are now new, high quality clothes.
Harry and Draco have been practicing Quidditch over the summer to get ready to try-out for the Slytherin team this school year, and they've actually gotten quite good. They have always been pretty good flyers, but their skills from before are nothing compared to what they are now. Harry definitely isn't worried about making the team. However, he is slightly apprehensive of the fact that both he and Draco want to try out for Seeker. He can see it easily becoming a sore spot if one of them gets the position over the other.
Harry has also been teaching Draco how to cook. Harry was surprised to find that the blond seems to be a natural at it, picking up the things Harry teaches him at an incredibly fast pace. And what's even better is that Harry no longer finds the act of cooking stressful in any way. Before, when he was with the Dursleys, he perceived cooking as a gateway to abuse. If he did an unsatisfactory job, there was no doubt that he'd be in for a beating later. However, now that he's been doing it with Draco, he has seemed to reclaim the activity, no longer associating it with the trauma of his past, but instead relating the activity to his friendship with Draco.
And, of course, Harry quickly made friends with all of the house elves. In the first few days after his arrival, he made a point to seek them out and introduce himself, which was first met with surprise, and then gratitude from the small creatures. There is one house elf in particular though that he has become rather close with. Dobby, who is one of the younger elves, immediately took a shining to Harry and has followed him around incessantly ever since. Harry can't say that he's complaining. Having a house elf close by at all times is rather convenient.
Lucius has also continued tutoring him on forms of magic that are not taught at Hogwarts. Sometimes Draco joins him, but most of the things Lucius is covering with Harry are things that he's already learned. The more information Harry gathers, the more fascinated he becomes. However, Lucius has been adamant that Harry not try any of the spells until he's completely sure that he can handle them, both magically and mentally.
All in all, it has been a great summer, and even though he hasn't left for Hogwarts yet, he can't wait to come back for Christmas break. Severus stops in from time to time. Sometimes to address business with Lucius, and other times to see Harry and Draco. Every time he comes, without fail, Draco and Harry are roped into working on Potions. Severus has let them observe as he brews higher-level potions, and they have even been able to try out a few on their own, giving them a great head start on their work for the next school year.
Harry and Draco are supposed to leave for Hogwarts in four days and Narcissa and Lucius are taking them on a last-minute shopping trip to pick up the last of their school supplies. And this time, Harry isn't limited to what's on his school supply list. That's another thing Harry has been enjoying. The lack of meddling from Dumbledore has been a huge relief. He hadn't realized how much Dumbledore was influencing his life until the days after the trial, but now that he's out from under his thumb (at least partially) the man's previous manipulations are much more apparent. Since Dumbledore was called out at the trial, the man has seemed to step back, at least for a little while, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself in that area.
"So, what do you think? Books next?" Narcissa asks, guiding the boys toward Flourish and Blotts.
"Definitely." Harry responds, a wide grin on his face.
As they approach the shop, they notice a long line stretching from inside the store all the way to the door of the next shop.
"I wonder what all the commotion's about?" Draco queries, addressing Harry.
"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure we're about to find out."
Narcissa, Lucius, Draco, and Harry shoulder their way through the crowd, eventually reaching the front of the group. Before them stands an eccentric-looking man who looks to be in his late twenties. There's a sign next to him reading Gilderoy Lockhart in large, bolded lettering.
"Gilderoy Lockhart? Isn't he our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year?" Harry asks Draco, searching for confirmation.
"Yeah, unfortunately." Draco mutters darkly, rolling his eyes.
"What do you mean 'unfortunately'?"
Before Draco can answer, Harry hears a voice call out his name.
"It can't be- Harry Potter!" Harry whips his head around to face forward, his gaze finding the wide-eyed stare of Gilderoy Lockhart. Harry hears Draco scoff next to him.
"Harry Potter!" The photographer that had previously been photographing Lockhart is now beelining toward Harry. He grabs Harry's arm and Harry gives an almost imperceptible flinch at the action. Most people wouldn't notice, but Draco definitely does, and Harry has to shake his head to keep the blond from losing his mind on the photographer.
The man who grabbed Harry pulls him up to stand next to Lockhart, shoving him into the man's side. Lockhart's arm goes around Harry's shoulders as he whispers, "Nice, big smile, Harry! Together, you and I will make the front page!" Lockhart is now addressing the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment this is." Harry looks out into the crowd and notices a large group of people with flaming red hair. It's the Weasley's, and Ron is standing right up front with a heated glare on his face. Lockhart continues, "When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me, which, incidentally, is currently celebrating its twenty-seventh week atop the Daily Prophet bestseller list, he had no idea that he would, in fact, be leaving with my entire collected works, free of charge!" Lockhart extends his hand in a flourishing gesture, squeezing Harry's shoulder as the camera flashes. Harry would try to find it within himself to smile, but he just doesn't care enough to do so. Lockhart is making him uncomfortable, therefore, he doesn't deserve the effort.
Harry is finally released from Lockhart's hold and is handed a large stack of books. He makes a face at them and begrudgingly says thank you to the woman who placed them there. Afterward, Harry quickly turns on his heels and walks back over to the Malfoys, glaring at Draco who is trying, and failing, to contain his laughter.
"And the celebrity returns!" Draco snarks, a smirk on his face.
Harry growls and hands the books off to Lucius, who places them in a basket he picked up upon entering. Once his hands are free, Harry stalks to Draco's side and punches him in the arm, earning a disgruntled squawk of pain from the blond.
"Well someone's touchy today." Draco mutters under his breath, just loud enough for Harry to hear. Harry narrows his eyes at Draco in warning, however, there is a playful undertone to his expression that Draco quickly picks up on.
Before their banter can continue, Lucius addresses the two boys. "You boys go look around. Narcissa and I have some things to pick up while we're here." Harry and Draco nod and watch them walk off and disappear down one of the isles.
"So… Quidditch?"
"Definitely." When Draco responds to Harry they turn toward the Quidditch section. However, they are stopped in their tracks by the appearance of Ron Weasley, who has somehow come up behind them without them noticing. Harry and Draco sigh in unison.
"You must've loved that, Potter. All the attention, and getting your picture taken for the Daily Prophet." Ron scoffs and folds his arms over his chest.
"Are you sure that I'm the one who needs glasses, Weasley?" Harry replies offhandedly.
Ron's smirk morphs into a frown of confusion at Harry's words. "Um, what?"
"Well, if your eyes were working properly, you would have clearly seen that I wasn't enjoying that. It was uncomfortable. And honestly, I could care less about being in the Daily Prophet. I don't need the publicity, nor do I want it."
Ron opens his mouth to fire back a retort, but before he can get it out, a pair of hands land firmly on his shoulders, causing him to sink down slightly under the pressure.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Harry Potter and baby Malfoy." Fred says, smirking down at Harry and Draco.
"Yeah, we were hoping to run into you, weren't we, Fred?"
"We absolutely were, George. We have pranks to plan, and we can't do that without our prankster in training." Fred winks at Harry, his smirk turning into a wide grin as he speaks.
"I'm looking forward to it. And I have some ideas of my own to run by you." Harry replies.
"Oh no…" Draco groans out, letting his head fall back dramatically, causing Harry and the twins to chuckle.
"We'll be happy to hear them." Fred replies, nudging George in the side and drawing his attention to another part of the shop.
"Well, we best be going. Mum and Dad look like they're about to pick a fight with baby Malfoy's parents. And as much fun as that would be, I think it's best if we leave before jinxes start flying, don't you agree, Fred?"
"Ah, yes. Off we go. See you soon, Harry." With that, Fred and George walk away, dragging a reluctant Ron behind them.
"I told them to stop calling me that." Draco mutters, pouting.
"It's the twins, Draco. Did you really expect them to listen?" Harry replies cheerfully, flicking Draco on the cheek before walking away, heading toward the Quidditch section. Harry hears Draco grumbling behind him.
~~~Time Skip~~~
The Malfoy's and Harry arrive back at the house a few hours later, weary from shopping. However, before Harry and Draco can retreat to Draco's bedroom, they hear the fireplace flare to life and see Severus Snape step out of the flames.
"Ah, Severus, I was wondering when you would be stopping by." Lucius comes up to Snape and shakes his hand.
"Yes, I thought I'd come to see the boys off and give them some last-minute potions instruction. I expect nothing but excellence from them this year." Snape replies in his signature drawl, returning Lucius' handshake.
Harry and Draco inwardly groan, wanting nothing more than to rest and do nothing for the rest of the day. However, they can't help but appreciate the effort Severus is putting in to make sure they are prepared for the coming school year.
Narcissa comes up to greet Severus as well, smiling amicably at the Potions Master. "What do you have in store for them today?"
"The Swelling Solution. It's one of the more complicated potions this year, but I believe they can handle it."
Harry and Draco swell with pride, basking in their professor's praise. Severus walks over to them and places a hand on their shoulders, guiding them through the house to the potions room.
When they arrive, Snape pulls a weathered tome from one of the many bookshelves in the room, placing it on a table and instructing them to read pages 197 and 198.
Harry and Draco look down and begin to read.The Swelling Solution is a potion that causes whatever it comes into contact with to swell in size. It has three main ingredients: bat spleens, dried nettles, and puffer-fish eyes. The instructions for brewing can be found below.
Part 1Add 2 scoops of dried nettles to the mortar
Add 3 puffer-fish eyes to the mortar
Crush into a medium-fine powder
Add 2 measures of the crushed mix to your cauldron
Add two tablespoons of water to the powder in the cauldron and mix them together
Heat on a medium temperature for twenty minutes
Add some more water to the cauldron and stir the mixture carefully
Wave your wand
Leave to brew and return in 60 minutes (depends on the type of cauldron used)
Part 2Add 1 bat spleen to the cauldron
Stir 4 times, counter-clockwise
Heat to low for 30 seconds
Wave your wand to complete the potion
Once Harry and Draco have finished reading, they raise their heads and begin to watch Severus, who is gracefully traveling around the room as he gathers the needed tools and ingredients.
"Harry, grab the puffer-fish eyes from that cabinet." Severus points to an ornate cabinet by the entrance to the room before continuing to give instructions. "And, Draco, retrieve the mortar and pestle. I'm sure you know where it is."
Once Harry and Draco move to complete their tasks, Severus walks over to the table on which he's placed the potions book. He brings a finger to the page, skimming over the words as he reads the recipe.
Harry walks over to the table Severus has set up once he has the puffer-fish eyes, placing them carefully next to the other ingredients, making sure that the separate ingredients don't touch. Harry feels Draco come up next to him and watches as the blond puts the mortar and pestle next to the cauldron.
Harry and Draco wait for a moment while Snape finishes going over the instructions. Finally, the Potions Master takes the book in his hands and walks over to Harry and Draco, placing the heavy tome on the table in front of all the ingredients and equipment.
"Now we can begin." Snape says before launching into a brief history of the Swelling Solution.
~~~Time Skip~~~
Harry and Draco are standing on platform 9 ¾, chatting excitedly with each other about the coming year. Harry is wearing the emerald green sweater that the Malfoys had given him for his birthday, which had been a month before. Severus had stayed for the celebration, much to Harry's pleasure, and all of the adults had the entire day planned out for him. This having been his first real birthday celebration, they had gone all out, and Harry couldn't be more thankful for their efforts.
"Be sure to write," Narcissa says, smoothing down Draco's, then Harry's hair, "And keep each other out of trouble, understand?" The Malfoy matriarch's voice takes on a stern, yet worried tone for a moment as she recalls their less than safe adventures last year.
"Yes, ma'am." Harry and Draco chorus, placating the woman, even if only slightly. Narcissa wraps both of them in a hug, pulling back after a moment and stepping away to give Lucius, Draco, and Harry a bit of space.
"I expect great things from you both this year, but don't forget to have fun as well. I often look back on my Hogwarts years and wish I had taken advantage of the opportunities presented to me." Lucius places one hand on one of each boy's shoulders, squeezing tightly before releasing them with a sigh.
As Harry and Draco begin to move away from him, Lucius calls, "Oh, Harry." Harry turns, meeting the grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy. "I urge you to be cautious this year. You never know what's lurking around the corner." Harry senses a dual meaning to Lucius' words, but he can't seem to understand what the man is trying to tell him. Harry assumes that all will become clear with time and he nods reassuringly at Lucius before turning once again, jogging to catch up with Draco.
Harry and Draco board the Hogwarts express, visions of the beginning of their friendship flashing through their heads. Harry can't believe that it's been a year, a whole year, since Draco and he had met at Madame Malkin's. The notion seems to be inconceivable, but he can't deny the facts. Over three hundred and sixty-five days have passed, and Harry has changed more than he ever thought possible in that short amount of time.
They walk the familiar path to the Slytherin train car, collecting a nervous-looking Theo along the way. There is a fresh bruise on Theo's temple, and Harry's temper flares dangerously at the sight. For the first time in months, Harry has to fight for control of his magic.
Theo places a comforting hand on Harry's arm, which quells Harry's anger, at least for the moment. Harry looks at Theo, giving him a meaningful stare. Theo nods appreciatively, removing his hand from Harry's arm and continuing down the hall of the train car, following Draco. In this moment, Harry vows to find a way to help Theo. He doesn't care what he has to do. Harry makes a promise to himself, an oath against his pride, that Theo won't have to return to an abusive home this summer. Harry nods definitively to himself before schooling his expression into one of indifference as they enter the car housing the second-year Slytherins.
Once Blaise is within Theo's field of vision, Theo rushes to the taller boy, immediately fitting himself against Blaise's side. Harry notices the same rage that he had felt not even seconds before on Blaise's face as he sees the blemish on Theo's skin. However, the emotion quickly fizzles out, fading into fondness.
Harry and Draco take their own seats, and Harry notices that the manner in which he and Draco naturally sit closely resembles the way Blaise and Theo sit with each other. Their bodies are always touching in a comforting manner, and they constantly seem ready to defend the person sitting next to them. Both pairs have an intense bond; They're more than best friends, even though they have no idea what that means.
Even though Blaise and Theo are extremely close, they have no idea what Harry and Draco are experiencing. They had established at the end of the last school that they have the ability to feel each other's emotions, at least to some extent. Neither boy has looked further into the subject. Possibly out of fear for what they will find, or possibly because they've found that they just don't care as long as they're together.
Draco and Harry snap out of their thoughts when Pansy slides over to Draco, pressing herself close to his side. Draco grimaces uncomfortably.
"Hey, Draco. How was your summer?" Pansy asks innocently, her puppy dog eyes in full effect. But, little does she know, the only puppy dog eyes that work on Draco are Harry's. It's like his best friend's superpower or something because, with just one look, Harry has Draco doing anything and everything he wants.
"Fantastic. Especially once Harry moved in." Draco sends an imploring look in Pansy's direction, hoping that she'll take the hint and back off. Luckily, she does, giving an indignant "hmph" as she moves back to her original seat.
Draco turns to Harry and rolls his eyes heavily, eliciting an amused chuckle from the green-eyed boy.
The Slytherins feel the Hogwarts Express pull away from the station, and they all settle in for the long ride to Hogwarts.