Harry could hear feet scurrying up the stairs behind them as he stood there, frozen, staring at the doorway, as a strangely familiar voice called out, "Mother ! I'm, home !"

No, not familiar. The voice he remembered was deeper than this, more mature... kinder, and more... loving.

Harry gulped slightly as he moved towards the staircase almost unconsciously, all too aware of the eyes that were currently burning holes into his back. "I-is that your son, Mrs. Malfoy ?", he managed to stammer out.

The High Lady of the Malfoy house smiled slightly, a shark's smile, jagged and unconvincing, and inclined her head in confirmation, not taking her eyes off Harry for a second. A shiver ran up Harry's back, as he saw a figure running up the stairs. Small, and dressed in a dark winter cloak, with a clearly-absurdly-expensive fur lining. Blonde hair tumbled down his face and down his back, like his father's , long locks of it lying over his eyes, nose and mouth. Unlike his father, however, it didn't give him the appearance of malice. In fact... as Harry stared at him, and felt something warm blossom in his chest... it made him look all the more kind and innocent.

His eyes were a diamond-blue, like his father's, like ice and water and sky, and yet, Harry jerked backward as they fell on him, a completely different memory resurfacing in his mind

I am your destiny, Potter. Your beginning and your end

The boy looked confused at Harry's presence. Understandable, since he likely wasn't expecting to find another child in his room when he returned home, and yet, as Harry looked at his face, with an expression of abject confusion on it, it's brow furrowed, and eyes boring holes into Harry, only one thought came to his mind.

...Cute...

Harry nearly doubled over with shock at that, his cheeks burning a fiery red. What had he been thinking ? Why had he been thinking that ? He just met this person ! More than that, this person was the son of two immensely wealthy people ! What hope... what hope did Harry have ?

Consumed by his own thoughts as he was, he didn't notice the way Narcissa's expression went from a cold and shark-like smile to shock, before finally landing on a cold, calculating expression. Feigning cheerfulness, she walked over to Harry and Draco, and smiling slightly, though with a clear undercurrent of ice, she spoke, "Draco, this is your roommate, Harry. Harry Potter"

It was Draco's turn to look shocked now. His eyes went wide and he gasped, "Harry Potter ? The Harry Potter ?"

Narcissa smiled again, a faux kindness in her features, and a cold cleverness just beyond, "Yes, Draco. That Harry Potter"

Harry's mouth fell open again as he struggled to find words, struck dumb as he was by his own emotions, "The Harry Potter ? What do you mean, Mrs. Malfoy ?"

Draco turned to him, his face speaking of clear astonishment, as if he found it unthinkable that Harry would not know of his own status (very similar to his father's expression when he found out that Harry did not know about his own heritage, Harry noted), "What ?! What d'you mean "What do you mean ?" Don't you know ? You-"

"-are our guest", Narcissa interrupted firmly, shooting Draco a warning glare that caused him to immediately shut up, "and will be treated as such. Neither past nor status matter here. Is that not so, Draco ?"

"Y-yes, Mother"

Narcissa turned her hawk-like gaze on the two of them, a smile playing on her lips as she seemed to scan them both. Whatever she found clearly please her, for she reared up, a triumphant expression spreading across her face, and said, " Well, then, I'll leave you two to get acquainted"

So saying, she turned on her heel and strode downstairs, leaving the two together, alone

Harry was the first to speak, a red sheen flaring up across his face as he noticed how shyly Draco looked at him, "So... hi "

"H-hi", Draco said, a similar red flush spreading across his face

Harry smiled slightly, "So... I'll stay with you from now on. I'll... try not to be a burden"

This got a reaction. Draco's eyes went wide, "A burden ? You ? You aren't a burden. You could never be... a...," his voice faded away as he realized that he sounded less like someone reassuring a future friend and more like someone reassuring a lover. The flush across his cheeks deepened

"T-thanks", Harry stammered out

"So... where are you going to sleep ?", Draco asked. Harry looked at the room again. Only one bed. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. The bed stubbornly refused to multiply. "I-i can sleep on the floor", he managed to say

"The floor ?", Draco asked, sounding outraged, "Absolutely not ! You can", the blush deepened further, if that was possible, "...s-sleep in my bed"

Harry looked at him, and suddenly both his cheeks and his heart felt like it was afire

Narcissa Black-Malfoy was clever. She prided herself on that, at least. Clever enough to cause a hatstall when she was first Sorted, that lasted nearly thirty minutes as the Hat decided between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. The quiet reminder of her status as Pure-blooded Heir of a family known for being Pure-blood fanatics eventually won out, however, and to Slytherin she went. Regardless, the point was, she was clever, she was cold... and she was cunning

In a world of serpents and daggers, a sharp mind is practically necessary to defend oneself.

She was the one in control. She was the composed one. She was the "kind" one, though any kindness she may have once had had been stripped away long ago by the whistling, biting winds of the world of Heirs and Lords.

And yet, everyone has their weakness. For Narcissa, that weakness was her son. Draco... was kind, in the end, if somewhat prideful and arrogant around those brutish friends of his. A way to make himself seem "better", Narcissa suspected. And in their world, kindness... equated to weakness

She had always worried for her son's safety, about what would happen when he finally entered the real world, on coming of age and being declared Greater Heir. She had spent many a night sleepless and worried about this... but now, it seemed that her worries had been meaningless.

Smiling slightly, she poured herself a glass of Firewhiskey. Not something she often partook in, but tonight she was feeling particularly triumphant. A cold victorious feeling gripped her heart, and a smile played across her lips. Her son was safe. After all, who would dare challenge a companion of the great Harry Potter. A companion or... something more ?

Harry Potter... how interesting, she wondered. The man who dropped him off... was not the Black-Clothed Man she knew, though her husband, blinded by the prospect of having the Harry Potter under his thumb, had failed to notice this. Interesting... and irritating. For the first time in her long life, she was not the one pulling the strings, not the one in control

Irritating, almost... and yet, undeniably interesting. Though Narcissa felt slightly apprehensive about what the faux-Black-Clothed Man's true plans were, she had to admit. Whatever they were, they were masterfully executed. Had Narcissa been anyone else, been even slightly less observant, she would not have noticed anything amiss. Unfortunately, she was not less observant, nor was she anyone but herself

Unless, of course, the Man wanted her to know

She chuckled lightly as she sipped her alcohol. Things were about to get very interesting