"I baked" Harrie said her smile huge, trying to draw attention to the flushed sweatiness she knew her face was right now.
Draco bought his hand up to cover his mouth with his knuckles, Harrie gave him a glare because he looked cool and collected sitting there as if they didn't just get interrupted fucking in her kitchen by her friends who, looked just as red faced as Harrie was.
"Yum they look lovely" Hermione said, overly loud and make a show of looking at the golden deliciousness that scones were.
"Ron get the butter would ya" Harrie said, tipping the scones onto a large plate
"What the fuck have you done to your butter?" Ron asked showing her the butter that had once been a rectangle but now had some…marks in it. Harrie's eyes flicked to Draco's and she saw his widened with realization and he shook his head, it dawned on Harrie just what had been the lube on his fingers earlier and she rushed forwards in horror, but Hermione got there first
"Are they finger marks?" Hermione asked getting a look at the butter
"I'll get another block out" Harrie squeaked, trying to take the dish away from her friends
"No, it's fine we can use this" Ron said, ever thrifty "We can just eat this end" He turned the dish so that the unruined end showed.
"No really it's ok" Harrie urged, trying to take it off him, Hermione was looking between Harrie's flushed panicked countenance to Draco's smirking one.
"What happened to the butter Harrie?" Hermione asked suspiciously
"Honestly it's just a bit munted looking, it's not bad" Ron said holding the butter out of Harries reach as she lunged for it
"Please just give me it" Harrie begged, jumping up and yanking hard on Ron's arm
"What the fuck, why are you freaking out about butter?" The red head asked playfully keeping the butter out of her reach, his freckly face breaking into a smile at her attempts to outmaneuver him.
"Just because, Ron don't be a dick give it to me" Harrie cried, jumping up and putting all her weight on Ron's arm.
"Just tell me why it's so important short arse then it's yours" Ron teased
"Oh god. Do we even want to know?" Hermione said, waving her wand and a new block of butter came drifting out of the cold store.
"I used it as lubricate to finger fuck Harries arse"
Draco's voice seemed to echo around the room, Harrie shut her eyes in defeat and Ron dropped the plate of butter nearly as fast as the bright red flush that spread across his face.
Hermione's lips seemed to disappear as she tried to keep her laughter contained as Ron rubbed his hands on a tea towel
"You are fucking disgusting Malfoy"
"Never took you as a prude Weasley"
"I'm not a prude! But for fuck sake, butter is not a suitable sex aid!" Ron blurted and Harrie shook her head at her food loving friend.
"What are you bloody laughing at?" Ron pointed an accusing finger at Hermione as she lost the fight to hold in her laughter.
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After they had eaten the scones and the awkward glances between everybody had stopped, Harrie gave them a brief tour of the first floor then they mounted the stairs and she took them into the drawing room. Ron immediately moved towards the large ancient chess set.
"Woah Harrie, this is brilliant" The red head enthused picking up on of the pieces and inspecting it.
"How old is the set? It doesn't look anything like the ones people have at Hogwarts" Hermione said, pretending to be interested when Ron showed her piece, he was so enraptured with
Harrie shrugged "It was in the Black vaults. So old"
Draco snorted "Judging by the board, it is roughly eight hundred years old"
Harrie's jaw dropped open "God…maybe I should have it put back in the vault"
"No way! A set this majestic needs to be admired." Ron said hurriedly, sitting in on of the chairs, bending low so he could see the set up close in all its glory. Every different piece he picked up a wide grin on his face as one of the knights waved his morning star warningly near Ron's nose.
Hermione gave a sigh, smiling at Ron with a look of deep affection "Harrie can you show me which room I will be sleeping in"
Harrie gave Hermione a weird look, she had always had the same room whenever she had stayed here "Third floor, the room on the right"
Hermione gave her a pointed look "Can you show me please?"
Finally catching on that this was Hermione's way of saying she wanted to talk to her alone Harrie exclaimed "Oh yeah I can"
Having caught the looks his friends were sharing Ron asked, "You play chess Malfoy?"
Draco hid a sigh of relief having caught the undercurrents of girl talk and grateful to have a distraction "I have been known to partake in the odd game yes"
"Good, you can be white. Harrie is rubbish and Hermione refuses to play at all" The red head declared, spinning the board and adjusting the pieces positions.
As Harrie walked past Draco he grabbed hold of her waist, tugging her against him and giving her a soft fleeting kiss
"What do I get if I win?" He said against her mouth
"A surprise" She said breathily
"Can't you guys control yourselves for five minutes?" Ron muttered
"Wow, it's so..." Hermione cried as they came to the center of the house
"Light?" Harrie finished for her, laughing at her friend's joyful spin, taking in all the details that Harrie had worked so hard at.
"Yes! My goodness you wouldn't even know this was the same house!" Hermione spun around looking up the stairwell to the glass dome at the top "I love the wooden floors; they look so gorgeous!"
Harrie just grinned, she really did love her house. Shame it couldn't have been this nice when Sirius lived here.
"Oh, the photos! God when were we ever that young?" Hermione laughed as she pointed to one of Harries many photos of them when they were in first year.
"I wasn't sure if you wanted separate rooms or not" Harrie said awkwardly as she opened the door to one of the spare rooms. The fact that this room now had two walls of books and the soft furnishings were pale cream and rich coppers was always the room Harrie envisioned as the 'Hermione room'
"Oh Harrie…This is beautiful" Hermione gushed running her hand along the polished wood of the beds foot board.
"Ron's got a room just across there, but you know...if you want to share that's up to you guys" Harrie pointed over the hall "And the bathroom is two doors down"
"I remember" Hermione said as she moved around to the other side of the bed looking out of the window down into the garden
"You even fixed the garden!" She exclaimed giving Harrie a wide smile as she walked over to join her.
Harrie snorted 'garden' was hardly the word for it. It was just a long narrow lawn that was enchanted to be much bigger than the space really allowed. It had waist high hedges down the left and right sides with some trees dotted along the fence line.
"Not really, I need Neville to come and help me, I think. There is a really creepy potioneers patch back there" Harrie pointed to a shadowy corner of the garden that even from here they could see the slight magical miasma that was being produced by the plants "Winky refuses to even go in it"
The two girls bantered back and forwards about what could possibly be growing in that garden that even a house elf wouldn't go near it. Before lulling into a companionable silence that Harrie broke when her curiosity got the best of her
"How did Australia go?" Harrie asked hesitantly
"Better than I thought it would" Hermione said giving a relived looking grin.
"All fixed?" Harrie asked, mentally crossing her fingers in silent prayer that Hermione didn't permanently lose her parents
"Yes, they are coming back to the UK in the summer" Hermione smiled obviously lost in memories of her (undoubtedly) emotion reunion with her parents.
"That's fantastic Hermione" Harrie enthused thrilled beyond words that there wasn't another broken family to add to her long list.
Hermione grabbed Harries hand that was twisting the hem of her jersey. Looking at her with earnest brown eyes "I don't blame you Harelayna Potter"
"What?" Harrie asked giving her friend a wide-eyed look, once again amazed that Hermione could read her so well
"I know that look" Hermione sat down on the wide bed, running her hands through the soft fur throw that decorated the end of the bed "You are not allowed to blame yourself for everything that happened"
Harrie looked down at her feet "Can't help it"
Maybe Harrie was always going to feel guilt for every horror that took place, even when she knew logically, she hadn't done them herself.
"Yes, I know you can't. So, how's it been with Mal…Draco?" Hermione asked, blatantly changing the subject and patting the space beside her.
Harrie grinned "Fantastic" Sitting down and banging her shoulder into her friends
"Thought as much. He makes you…I don't know…different I suppose" Hermione said looking at her friend with her head on an angle , contemplating what it was about Draco Malfoy that affected Harrie "It's like you…don't worry as much, or he makes you seem younger…more whole"
Harrie just smiled, agreeing wholeheartedly but always worried just how much of her affection for the blonde was showing on her face from her friends knowing smile. Hermione gave a huge sigh, clearly fortifying herself for what she was going to say next
"Ron and I are going to…well I was thinking tonight would be…."
Harrie let her mouth drop in comical shock "The night you guys do the deed?"
Hermione nodded her cheeks flushing and she pretended to be interesting in the wallpaper rather than met Harries eye.
Harrie asked "Are you sure you are ready?"
Hermione nodded "Yes…What do you think?" she worried her thumb nail fixing Harrie with a questioning stare
Harrie gave a laugh "That my best friends are planning on christening one of my new beds? Well I'm not thrilled Hermione"
Her friend gave Harrie the look that deserved "That's not what I mean. It is perverse that I want you nearby for…moral support?"
Harrie gave her friend an incredulous look "Yes, a hundred times yes"
Hermione gave Harrie a shove, sharing a smile. Harrie grabbed hold of Hermione's hand "I will be just down the hall and up the stairs. Just you know…use a silencing charm. I don't want to hear Ron busting a nut"
"Oh, shut up Harrie" Hermione cried giving Harrie a push toppling her over as she broke into giggles.
The game started evenly matched enough even as Draco conceded that the rumors of Weasleys strategical prowess may not have been exaggerated, as the black pawns outnumbered the white on the board.
"So, Malfoy…What are your intentions with Harrie?" Weasley asked, flicking his wand to hurry the cleanup of another wasted pawn of the board.
Draco directed his knight forward before clarifying "My intentions?"
The redhead nodded "Yep. We both know you have a reputation as a lout. Not to mention you are a dick and you probably have some pure blood arranged marriage contract somewhere"
Draco swallowed nervously, how could he just blurt that out. Does he really know? Draco bluffed it out "What makes you think that?"
Weasley gave Draco a look that clearly insulted Draco's intellect and said scathingly "Please, my family may not act it, but we are pure bloods."
"I don't see what Harelayna and I enjoying ourselves has anything to do with you Weasley" Draco said with as much calm as he could fake.
"Cut the 'Harelayna' bullshit" Weasley snorted, directing his knight to destroy Draco's bishop "It is not just about getting off either, so cut that crap too"
"Just say what you mean then Weasley" Draco hissed, still trying to work out how Weasley had gotten his queen in such a position.
"What I mean is…Harrie…she is easily hurt. She invests a lot into those she chooses. Don't fuck it up" The red head said, giving a scoff as Draco's white knight took out one of his rooks.
The game continued with as much destruction as is usual in a match between two who know what they are do. Draco grudgingly admitted that Weasley really was exceptional at chess. The silence was broken by the red headed asking seriously "Do you like her?" even as his rook destroyed Draco's white queen.
"Yes" Draco admitted, looking into the semi aggressive blue gaze.
This struck Draco as monumental, after years of feeling differently it came to him that he was on the same side as Weasley, he didn't want to examine the light feeling that gave him right now because he thought it might have been dangerously close to contentment.
Weasley nodded sagely "Thought as much. Do you love her?"
Draco couldn't say anything past the sudden lump in his throat, so he gave a brief nod as his remaining knight made its final charge.
Weasley nodded again giving a long look at the board "Well you better try calling me Ron then…Draco. Check mate"
And Draco watched his king bow down in defeat and then he looked into the face of Harrie's best friend who was willing to overlook years of schoolboy folly to be aimable just for Harrie Potters happiness.
"Good game...Ron"
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The girls had returned from their tour to find the males still locked in furious battle. The chest pieces were fighting with a fierceness that had Harrie wincing when the Black queen smashed a white knight into dust. Suddenly the game was interrupted by Draco giving a very unmanly squeak
"Oh hell no!" Ron near screamed as both men jumped away from the chess board as fast as humanly possible. Harrie and Hermione both moved closer hesitantly expecting to see something horrendous. Harrie shared a look with Hermione "It's a spider"
Not even a big spider, your average house spider.
"I don't like spiders" Draco said sharply, a good four foot away from the arachnid
Harrie smirked at him "Neither does Ron. Do you Ron?"
"Keep it the fuck away from me!" The red head said backing away from Harrie as she started using her finger to direct the spider onto her palm
"I'm not scared of them; I just would be happy if they weren't there" Draco said though Harrie noted he had backed up nearly as much as Ron had.
"Really, aren't girls the ones meant to be scared of bugs?" Granger said rolling her eyes at the two men who looked ready to leg it at top speed if Harrie came any nearer to them with her little prisoner
Weasley gave a revolted shiver "How can you stand to touch it?"
"Spiders don't worry me, I got used to them" Harrie said, looking at the small spider between her fingers
"Where? And Why on earth would you need to get used to them?" Draco asked, looking disgusted
Harrie shrugged "They were in my…bedroom a lot growing up"
"Bedroom? You mean that cupboard" Weasley said harshly
"What cupboard?" Draco said, voice dangerously quiet
The room went still, and Granger's hands went up to cover her mouth. The trio had an unspoken agreement to never speak about the grim facts of Harries upbringing that she had confessed to them during their hiding out last year.
"They kept you in a cupboard?" Draco asked again, his grey eyes locked on Harrie, wishing she would deny it. She had said they weren't nice but to keep her in a cupboard. What kind of sick twists were they dealing with here?
"Thanks for that Ron" Harrie said bitterly, putting the tiny spider into one of the potted plants in the corner of the room.
"That's not true is it?" Draco asked, watching the way Harries back seemed to solidify with his question and how Granger gave a little worried squeak.
Harrie just stood there still, her jaw tensing as she ground her teeth, Hermione put a hand on her friend's arm knowing how difficult this would be for her "Just tell him Harrie" she said, her voice though quiet seemed to echo around them.
Harrie tried to think of the words, but as always when she thought of her childhood a flare of remembered loneliness, desperation and defeat filled her and she felt like she couldn't breathe "You bloody well tell him" Harrie spat, pushing past the others in her haste to escape.
Granger stood there teary eyed, ringing her hands in conflicted emotion "She was…They were…it's hard to…don't know…Ron you shouldn't have said anything!" Granger stutteringly said then hit the redhead hard in the upper arm
"Ow what the fuck Hermione"
"For the third time what fucking cupboard?" Draco demanded, looking and sounding so much like his father in that moment that the other two stared at him in shock
"Harrie should be the one to tell you" Granger fretted, wiping her face with a conjured hanky
Weasley looked at Draco "Her family hated her, it wasn't until she came to Hogwarts that she got a proper room, she was kind of like a…human house elf for them"
Draco clenched his jaw, thinking about just how his father liked to treat house elves and imagining a young Harrie Potter in their place
"I'll kill them" The blonde said fiercely, mind filling with the image of little Harrie Potter standing on a tailor's stool being fitted for robes and being too shy to answer his questions.
Weasley snorted "Get in line, there is quite a few of us that want to kill them for how they treated Harrie"
"They hurt her?" Draco asked his voice dangerous
"No, well her cousin did when they were younger," Granger said sinking down on the couch again "She was just treated harshly, spoken badly to, given chores"
"Chores? She said they had her cooking meals since she was three Hermione! And doing housework since she was two. And that's only when she remembers" Ron shook his head in disgust "The name calling, never celebrating anything, being ignored, punished for stuff she didn't even do. Making her sleep in the cupboard when they had two bedrooms to spare? They are disgusting people"
"Why would they do that to a little girl?" Draco asked aghast
Granger gave a tearful sigh "Harrie said her Aunt had some weird jealousy fueled resentment, the Uncle was scared of magic because...well Harrie never really explained why and the cousin just grew up seeing Harrie as less than him, it's how his parents raised him to think about her"
Draco was stunned "But…she's Harrie Potter. Why did no one do anything?"
Before Hermione could answer him, Harrie said "Because, it was for the greater good that I was with my relatives" she walked back into the room, looking at her friends worried expressions and Draco's angry mask
"Harrie mate…I'm sorry I just…" Ron started to say but Harrie cut him off
"Don't worry about it Ron. No harm done" Harrie assured her friend even has everyone could see it had clearly caused harm to Harrie.