The First Heat
"Harry!" called Hermione.
Harry looked up from his transfiguration book and essay, but she was already heading towards the fireplace where a seventh year girl was loudly fighting a piece for piece match at chess.
"Over here, Hermione," said Harry.
She turned and made her way to him just as Lavender also pelted off the stairs and followed her over. "Of course you're at a table tonight," said Hermione, then leaned close and whispered, "can you hear what Nim is up to?"
Harry listened. Nothing. He poked for where Nim should be in his mind, and only got static and drive. What in the world?
"No, I can't," said Harry, "What's she doing now?"
"She's in heat," said Hermione.
Harry raised an eyebrow, "I don't know what that means."
"She was under my bed soliciting Crookshanks for sex!" whispered Hermione with even more vehemence, "Probably all the other male cats in the dorm now that I locked Crookshanks up."
"Oh," said Harry standing up from the table, "I'll … I can't get to her." Nor do I have any place to put her. Neither of us wanted for there to be a way to lock her up.
"Can you call her?"
"Nim! Come here," said Harry.
Busy.
I know you're busy and I'm telling you to stop that.
Why? Besides I'm not sure I can.
Because, I'm not ready for kittens.
I bet half these big kittens would want little kittens from me and Crookshanks.
Plausible, but I'm not ready to think about that.
If I have them and you don't want me to keep them, I can eat them instead, they're about rat sized from what I hear.
I'm disturbed to learn that you consider that an option.
So may I please not come down, will you please tell your Hermione to let her Crookshanks come back to me.
Not tonight, maybe next year after I'm sure how to deal with you and several other things.
Ugh, but Master, I need.
Is it going to kill you not to?
No.
Good, come down.
But, now?
Now. Because if you don't come now, I will authorise Hermione to bring you down to me, and I'll pay for any the murtlap she might need if you claw her, out of your and Hedwig's treat budget.
Fine. Coming!
Good girl.
Harry sighed and opened his eyes.
Nim tore down the stairs and hopped into Harry's lap with such force that her back shook the table.
Harry winced.
Sorry, Nim apologised, Not calm, Not calm, hard to walk slow or jump careful when not calm.
And she kept walking around on his lap with her claws out.
What am I going to do with you?
Nim turned an additional time and lay down, not in the groove between his knees, but on his left thigh, so her left legs hung off his lap, and her right legs hung between his knees. Marginal relief. Then she arched her back and held on tighter.
Oh. Oh is that what we're doing.
Please don't mind? Need.
Harry sighed, Whatever.
Thank you master. Then her claws dug into his robes and pants.
Nim!
"Are you alright?" said Hermione.
"I don't mind the finger claws when she pulls forward," whispered Harry, "it's the thumb claws when she's pushing backward that hurt."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "She's … what?"
Harry nodded and shrugged, "or trying to."
Nim sent him an image of … the inside of her skin and where she wanted to be held onto and pulled.
Harry figured out what that actually meant mechanically. Hold onto her scruff and pull her back hard enough that she doesn't need to pull back, only pull forward?
Please, Master.
And put my finger in your bottom?
I don't know, one of them might be the right size?
Harry grabbed her by the scruff and pulled her harder and harder in against his hip until she stopped struggling both directions, and only struggled forward, and that intermittently. Now she only twitched arched and straightened her back. Sometimes against his forearm, sometimes not.
And she started purring.
Hermione raised an eyebrow further. "What are you doing?" said Hermione.
"Just holding her still by the scruff," said Harry, which wasn't quite true, "Seems to be all I can do for the moment. Maybe her instincts will notice in a minute or ten that being held down isn't getting her all her chemical needs met, but for the moment she's calm."
Hermione sighed, and nodded and went back upstairs.
Lavender stared at him for a few seconds longer, then said, "you're gentler with her than my dad is with our mousers when they … get loud. Are you going to get her fixed?"
Harry shrugged, "Not until I have verified profit margin and the liquidity of the market for her kittens."
"What?"
"Lots of people act jealous of how smart she is," said Harry, "But until I figure out how many people want her kittens, or that no one actually does, I'm not ready to make that decision."
"Oh, I see," said Lavender, and she also returned upstairs.
.
That night Harry activated the spells that he normally didn't use, to keep his bed curtains closed tight.
After he finished reading and unlit his wand Nim became restless, may I get out?
You may go to the bathroom and directly back.
No, to hunt.
And breed?
Yes.
No. You're staying here.
Nim grunted, then burrowed under the blankets and then under his arm.
Does being held by the scruff and squished provide better or worse relief than having your bottom manipulated?
Don't remember, please do both.
Yeah right.
Please master.
No.
Tomorrow? If I'm good and don't pee on your pillow.
Tomorrow night, if you're good and don't pee or poop anywhere that you know you're not supposed to. And don't invite or let male cats climb on you.
Fine, That will be peek need anyway.
Good.
Roll harder on top of me?
If you're sure?
Sure.
Harry rolled slightly until it felt like he was using her for a pillow for his shoulder.
No, not sure. Can't breathe.
Harry rolled back.
Nim grunted frustration and rolled and pushed until her back was against his chest.
Is that better?
Yes.
Sleep well.
Yes.
.
The next afternoon Harry considered the ramifications of the schedule and decided he'd rather experiment in the bathroom when no-one was around, than have Nim become insistent in common room again.
So he took her there, and after one try, got his hands wet and tried again.
Several times she jumped and yowled, then came back. Finally with her step-by-step instruction he got a firm hand on her scruff and a pinkie finger inside her, then rubbed where she wanted until she went calm, calm like she hadn't been in days.
Is that better?
Don't stop.
Oh.
Boys always stop too soon, and when they get out it hurts.
What?
They don't have fingernails like you, scratching when it comes in, they have claws facing the other way, hurts when it goes out.
Boy cats have claws on their penis?
Yes, takes some getting used to.
I'd bet.
Then he felt something. It was like the feeling he usually felt from her when she purred, but it was different, she'd been purring since the last time he'd grabbed her scruff. This was less of an on, off, and more of a slowly building tension. Not like the tension of need need need, that was Nim in heat. This was … he wasn't sure what it was. It wasn't a sexual sensation, it was just an emotion. He tried to follow it. This time he got farther, perhaps because she was so calm that … Then he was in. With a gestalt of her entire proprioception, and spacial awareness, and just beyond that access to all the senses that let her know what was around.
And here was blinding itch he was rubbing for her and here was a memory of … here was all memory, and the way to draw out individual memories by similarity to the present moment. And as he kept rubbing and the itch didn't fade away but kept growing, other old memories faded until there were fewer and fewer and then they all blended together because they all happened in the same gazebo with the same girl.
No, one of two girls, sometimes, rarely, both working together.
Master?
Harry turned his focus away from memory and toward the centre.
Master has invaded Nim, should look over here.
Harry turned his focus to find … he wasn't sure what, there were emotions all around, but the whatever it was, seemed covered and clouded by magic. Snarled knots of yarn-like magic, some of Nim's but much was that of others.
Harry was surprised that he already recognised Nim's magic, or just the fact that it was the same … scarlet? colour, as the surroundings. The other colours were less at home. There was a lot of turquoise yarn around, it complimented the scarlet somehow. There was a yellow that didn't seem out of place. But the black … actually that was two or three shades of black and one of dark brown.
And those strands, some yarn-like but much more like string or twine or cord.
"Does all this belong?" said Harry, not that it was real speech. But when he pushed the sounds and concepts in, he could sense Nim working out what they meant, instead of the images and smells that she usually pushed into his mind, for him to work out.
"No, that is how little Nim belongs to others."
"Show me where you belong to me."
"You can't see yourself?"
"Perhaps not without a mirror."
"Wait on that, Where is … this is sister, sister, and sister-friend," yellow and turquoise. Maybe one of the colours had two qualities of yarn.
"What is the brown and black?"
"Brown is father and strange man and strange brother."
"And black?"
"Master of strange brother and master of sister-brother."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Hold on to Nim tighter than all the rest can."
"Do I look strong enough to hold on as tight as they do?"
"Most days you do. Right now you do."
Harry tried to take hold of the whatever it was. It trembled and the fluff of all the other magic left behind got in his way and made his grasp unsure. And hid the whatever-it-was from his understanding.
"May I take some of this off?"
"Brown and black first, leave blue for last, maybe you won't need to take that off."
Harry set to work.
"No master, don't stop rubbing."
"Oh, that's hard to concentrate on separately."
"Make the rubbing part of ritual to take control of Nim."
"That's not quite what I'm wanting to do."
"To take control of Nim away from annoying leftover magic?"
"Certainly."
.
"There, that's all the brown, and most of the black."
"Good Master is a good master."
"That remains to be seen."
"Now hold on."
"Sure."
"Now, demand that Nim's fun is Master's fun also?"
"What?"
"When you came in, you went and found how to feel everything, demand I show you that more often?"
"Oh," said Harry, "Is that better or worse than just … staying partway here and just watching whatever I wish to watch at the moment."
"I expect you can't. You can come in again to see whatever you want. You might need to demand I never try to keep you out."
"Ah."
"What I mean is, you are in here, or partly in me and partly at home, it is fine for sitting still and moving your fingers against my neck and bottom. But I expect you need all of yourself at home to balance to walk, or plan to speak, maybe even plan to write."
"Ah."
"So use your magic to grab Nim by her inside and her control and her magic, and tell her what you want to know, then go home."
"Yes, I see, I'll try."
And he tried again to hold onto the thing she thought he should, and it became like the steering wheel of Piers' little sister's stupidly slow sit-in battery car. Except Nim was alive and smart and fast and… it trembled under his touch. Wanting to fight out of his grasp. Wanting to be sure he was holding on first.
"Before I fight you for control of this aspect of your brain, tell me again what it is?"
"It is control."
"This is your will?"
"Yes."
"And you want me to tangle it up with more magic, just like the magic I just freed you from?"
"No," said Nim, "That was all strings and promises tied around it. I want you to take it away, take it away with you when you go home."
"Do you really think that will work?"
"I hope."
"Do you think either of us will still be able to walk, or breathe, if I do something like that?"
"Try, if it doesn't work, bring it back."
"I'm not ready to try to break you, I am more interested in helping you heal from the others trying to break you."
"Yes, I know, but none of them asked permission. Well, one did, but by then I wasn't allowed to say 'no'. And anyway, he didn't take his tribute properly, just … did the magical test to see if I had really agreed not to fight back, but he never took what he'd demanded I offer him."
"Huh, weird."
"Yes, he an uncaring, uninformed master. Better with no master, and just sisters."
"I can imagine."
"Will good master take Nim away from herself?"
"What if that isn't the kind of familiar I want Nim to be?"
"Master, Must do as he pleases with Nim."
"Alright," said Harry, "I want continued cooperation, not subservience."
"I know," said Nim.
"But you want slavery?"
"I want possession."
"Hmm," said Harry, "I'll think about it, and I'll look for … philosophy on when if ever that is permissible."
"When I beg you for it, it is permissible, the rest of the time, it is not."
Harry sighed, and closed his focus, and found himself back in his own body and mind. He was still breathing, though through clenched teeth. And he was still rubbing the inside of his cat's bottom. All things considered, perhaps it was good she was such a big cat, or his finger might not have fit.
"How much longer do you want this?" he muttered. But she wasn't paying attention. He went looking for the leakage from Nim's emotional state. He found his way back to her mind, and returned to himself. He made the trip several more times to make sure he knew the way.
Then while he was in her mind he asked again, "How much more rubbing do you want?"
"Feel for yourself, I don't think it can get more. Except maybe if you pinch my neck harder too."
He felt for himself and immediately wished he hadn't. Then he settled his focus more firmly and checked again, and pinched her scruff harder. That was mildly more excruciating, but didn't change the itch or the itch emotion any. It did change the … the emotion that might be making her beg for possession. Oh, is that what could drive her to ask for something like that.
"I'm going to let go and stop," he said.
"Yes, good," yawned Nim.
He let go, and he stopped rubbing, and Nim's focus revived and relaxed from where it had stretched itself tight between centre and emotion and sensation. Gradually the fronds and strands of her awareness spread to fill the whole space, and many brushed up against his presence.
"You're green," sighed Nim happily, "we compliment each other."
"What?"
"Our magic," said Nim, "but it is crowded with you in here."
"Good point," said Harry.
"Thank you for rubbing me," said Nim, "will you do it again at supper, after you eat, before you get bored enough to come back to find a book?"
"That is a thing that happens a lot isn't it," said Harry.
"Yes," said Nim, "A perfect time for petting me, even if I don't need this kind of rubbing most of the year."
"It occurs to me that Hermione brings books everywhere."
"You should too," said Nim, "but not tonight, tonight you should rub me."
"At supper?"
"Yes."
"With all the others around?"
"With all the others around talking to each other about boring things."
"Yes, I see," said Harry, "Do you understand how weird that is?"
"Cats usually breed in a crowd, even when they have preferred pairs."
"I don't entirely believe you."
"I don't care," said Nim, "will you rub me in front of everyone?"
"Under the table?"
Nim grunted, it might mean a shrug this time, "not quite in front of everyone. Yes."
"I see," said Harry, "I'll think about it. Probably not today."
"Tomorrow breakfast?"
"Tomorrow shower?"
"Yes, and breakfast."
"No."
"Lunch?"
"No."
"Next time? Spring?"
"Your heat will be over by tomorrow dinner?"
"I think."
"Hmm, alright, good to know."
.
But at supper things were excessively boring. Hermione had quit divination and wanted Ron to also. Ron didn't want to, and was just generally mad that she wanted to switch away from "Divination with Ron" to "Ancient Runes with Harry" Hermione was getting more and more annoyed, and for once she was saying less and less about herself and more and more about Ron and the contrast of Ron's study ethics compared to Harry's.
"Stop," said Harry, "Please stop."
"Stop what?" said Hermione.
"Before I came here," he said, "I was a terrible student, at least for tests, because my cousin would beat me up if I brought home better grades than him. And besides that, he beat up anyone who would try to be my friend, and if I tried to be anyone else's friend he would beat up both of us."
"That's horrible," said Hermione.
"It was, but that is not the point," said Harry, "The point is I like having friends. I like having both of you for friends. I also like learning things. I don't particularly like books, in fact, I particularly dislike them, but they happen to be a useful tool for learning things."
Hermione looked affronted, maybe even angry.
"Why?"
"They make my eyes hurt," said Harry.
"You need new glasses?"
Harry shrugged.
"Your relatives gave you clothes that didn't fit, how hard did they work to get you glasses that fit?"
"These fit."
"They fit your ears," said Hermione, "and you can see better with them than without them, but do they actually fit your eyes?"
Harry stared at her, "I don't know, they're lot better than nothing."
Hermione huffed, "That's your new most important assignment for summer hols, Getting your prescription verified, and if necessary updated and fixed."
"Should I take notes on that, for key words how to make them help me the way you think they need to?"
Hermione shrugged, "or just take the bus to my house and I'll go with you to the eye doctor."
"Alright," said Harry, "That sounds possible."
They stared at each other.
"Now may I continue?"
"By all means," said Hermione.
"Thank you," said Harry. "Don't make me choose between learning interesting things, or not. And between letting you beat up my friend with your tongue, because he does different things for fun than you do. And definitely never use me for a weapon for bullying and punishing him for not measuring up to your ideals. They might not even be my ideals, I just…" Harry shrugged, "don't make me choose between my friends. Don't make me choose between my subjects, and definitely definitely don't use me for a weapon against Ron."
"Thanks mate," said Ron, "But … I didn't really want your rescue."
"What?"
"Oh no, rescue Ron from Hermione the know-it-all," mocked Ron, "Thanks but … you got all … anyway arguments are more fun if no one cries."
"Well Sorry," said Harry, "And I wasn't crying," he was going to continue that his anger hadn't been about Ron, but he wasn't sure how to explain that it was about friendship.
But Hermione was already talking, "Wait," she said, "are you saying that you argue for fun?"
"Well yeah," said Ron.
"As a means to irritate people?" said Hermione.
"No," said Ron, "as a way to … check if they even think about the things they say they think and believe."
"Wait," said Hermione, "The Socratic method?"
"What's that?" said Ron.
Hermione sighed, "Who else in your family likes arguing?"
"Um?" said Ron, "Everyone, I think, we just have different topics we enjoy most."
"And do you think of … chess as a form of arguing?"
Ron blinked, "It's similar, but chess is not a kind of arguing, and arguing isn't a form of chess, I've seen people try to argue like that, but it … leads to actual lying, rather than, 'given what you just said, aren't we forced to this conclusion…'."
"Hmm," said Hermione, "So do you … try to win?"
"First goal," said Ron, "is to have fun, second goal is to learn our partner and their thoughts on the topic, while also verifying that they have considered your thoughts on the topic."
"Oh, hmm," said Hermione.
And then they were back at it, this time not arguing about whether Ron would do homework, but whether there was a way perhaps even an ideal way that they could include arguing in the homework.
Very quickly Harry was lost and bored. And he hadn't brought a book. And he was feeling very passive aggressive about neither one of them acknowledging his point about Hermione not using his new study habits to bully Ron.
And Nim was sitting right here.
He closed his eyes and found her, and verified what she wanted. Then he scooted all the way in to the table for privacy and … helped her relax.
When she was satisfied, more to the point, when he was sure he couldn't push her any brighter he relaxed and let her go.
He opened his eyes to find a small ravenclaw staring right at him.
He raised an eyebrow.
He might recognise her: Common room, chatting with Ginny. Perhaps most commonly on Saturdays. When she wouldn't be wearing accessories that would help him or anyone else identify her as a ravenclaw.
She tilted her head, not like it was a thoughtful look like some people, but like she hadn't learned how to raise just one eyebrow, and was simulating by tilting her head.
He smiled. She blinked and frowned then swallowed and opened her eyes even wider.
This isn't normal 'stare at the celebrity' behaviour, what do you think she wants?
Open the front door.
What?
She's trying legilimency by accidental magic or at least wordless.
I don't understand.
Pretend she wants to be your familiar for the duration of one conversation.
I don't even know how to…
Alright, she wants you to be her familiar for one conversation, pretend that you don't mind. Object and push her out if she actually starts claiming you or recommending blood rites.
Oh.
Harry smiled, he tried to make it a bit less amused and a bit more friendly.
Then you can here me?
Now I can, Thought Harry, Nim was just teaching me how to open the front door.
Which door do you normally use.
I think of Nim and Hedwig as using the back door.
Oh, Hello Nim, where's Hedwig.
Probably asleep right now.
Oh, may I see what she's dreaming about?
I suppose you may try.
She followed Harry's glance and Nim's trailing presence to the path to Hedwig's currently very quiet, mostly withdrawn, presence. Here she is, I think she's not dreaming, but … the girl's focus dropped through and only the trail of connecting magic remained stretched across Harry's thoughts.
Then she was back. Yes, very asleep, and very very owl.
Yes, she is.
She looked around and poked into Harry's Memories about Nim being in heat.
Gah, thought Harry, Ask first please.
It's fine, I'm done.
Alright. What did you want exactly.
Just … did you know that that ritual has a traditional chant? I mean, you can make up your own if you want, same difference as long as it's properly meaningful to you both.
It would be hard for Harry not to know what ritual she was referring to, not that he'd considered it a ritual, but … parts of it did seem to lend themselves to it. And depending on which definition of ritual, there were different requirements about…
What's your name?
[images that meant Moon, static, sweet] something else tried to mean something else, but then the sounds fit together into the syllables, "Luna Lovegood."
"Luna Lovegood," said Harry inside his head, "Nice to meet you. Thank you for …"
Helping you feel normative about your necessities?
Yes, that.
You're welcome, if you want any more advice how enlightened families act, let me know.
Oh, alright. Thanks.
You're welcome.
For a moment Harry thought she was about to leave, but then Nim reached out and caught her, and withdrew.
A bit later she drew herself back up out of the path to Nim's mind. Brightly radiating an emotion that while very positive, Harry had no idea what it was called.
Bye Harry, see to you later.
And she was gone.
Nim, What did you do?
Showed her what she wanted to see.
Which was?
What it felt like.
What which felt like?
And then she pressed on him the memories of what it felt like to be rubbed down there.
Harry had become used to receiving several minutes of sensation in an instant, but normally it wasn't sensations that intense.
Oh, He shivered and stood up. All but dumping Nim onto the floor.
"Are you alright, Mate?" said Ron.
"Mm fine," mumbled Harry, "Just … I'm going to go lay down for a minute."
"That doesn't sound good," said Hermione, "are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine," said Harry again.
"You only ever say that when you're not," said Hermione.
"True," said Ron, now they were both following him.
"No," said Harry, "I only ever say that when I don't want sympathy or do want privacy."
"Oh," said Hermione, "Yes, but."
"Maybe I'll just step into bathroom for a second, Or a shower."
"Runs?" said Ron.
"What?— Oh," said Harry, "No, Not that … oh, never mind. Lets just go back to the common room and see about homework."
"Alright," said Hermione dubiously.
.
As they turned the next corner Harry saw the Luna girl duck into a loo also, and he couldn't help but smile.
.
Gift Certificates
Harry received a letter from Mr. Davis regarding the final total for the ingredients, and asked if he wanted to pick it up, or pay the fees for goblin transfer.
He received another letter, this one from Mr. Englebart detailing the basilisk hide he'd received, and how much the tanner's bill was.
.
Harry took them to Professor Snape who showed him how much he owed to Snape and each student who helped. And advised him how money transfers of various sizes were usually handled.
Then Snape coached him through drafting a letter back, requesting the correct amount to pay his fellow students be sent to Professor Snape, and enough to pay the tanner's bill plus 220 galleons (enough for 11 sets of duelling robes at 20 galleons per piece for tailoring, the leather itself was considered priceless), be sent to Mr. Englebart, and the rest transferred to Harry's vault.
Then he wrote a letter back to Mr. Englebart saying that he wished to have the skin made in to several suits of duelling robes, which seemed about right to both Snape and Harry and from some comments earlier from Draco, but how many 'average adult sized duelling robes' did he think could come out of it. And how much would he normally charge for custom tailoring of that sort of thing? And that he'd had enough sent to settle the tanners bill and an advance on the custom duelling robes.
.
Mr. Englebart wrote back saying he expected 15 to 20 sets of robes, depending on style and the size of the wizards in question, and that it would be between 15 and 30 galleons a piece, depending on style and styling, and whether they were plain leather or lined, and what they were lined with.
Harry wrote back asking if Mr. Englebart had a standardised gift certificate form he'd prefer to use, or whether plain Christmas letters from Harry describing what they were allowed to choose between would be good enough.
Mr. Englebart wrote back that anything clear enough there would be no arguing was fine, but he didn't have standardised gift certificates.
.
So Harry wrote thank you letters to Snape and each of the students who helped clean up the basilisk, explaining what they could get from Mr. Englebert, a vest or duelling robes. Lined inside if they wanted, dyed or lined outside if they wanted.
He got tired of writing it all out and decided to use the twinning charm, and realised that was a good way for one of his friends to trick Mr. Englebart into giving him more than one set. So he changed it the words to make sure that it said, 'this is to verify that _ is entitled to one _.' Rather than 'this entitles the bearer to one _.'
He went to each of the students who'd helped and asked them each whether they wanted their hazard pay in clothes or coin. They all said clothes, though a few asked to know a description of the clothes first.
Harry already knew that Draco would want the clothes and put his 'certificate' in a Happy Christmas card. The first one he'd ever made that wasn't a school assignment.
Draco said clothes without asking to be reminded what was involved.
Harry nodded and handed him the card, with a, "Merry Christmas."
"But I haven't gotten you anything."
"It's just a card," said Harry.
Draco tore open the envelope immediately. He obviously wasn't expecting the card, or not constructed like that. He read it then the certificate, then the card again. Then hugged Harry very hard.
"Um, What?" said Harry.
Draco shrugged and didn't let go.
"What did I miss-spell for you to be doing this?"
Draco let go, "you don't like to be hugged?"
Harry shrugged, "I'm getting used to it, but … I thought you didn't hug anyone either."
"I only give hugs for thank yous for yule presents and for … apologies that don't seem right without them."
"Oh, alright," said Harry.
Draco stared at Harry.
"But why are you crying?" said Harry.
Draco swallowed, "after this … I can't not invite you for yuletide hols."
Harry shrugged, "I usually stay here."
"Meaning you have no appointments to keep you from coming," said Draco.
Harry shrugged again, "I guess."
Draco ground his teeth, "if you don't want to come, say so. If you want to come, don't you dare say 'no'."
"What am I missing?"
"This is priceless, right?" Draco waved the custom robe certificate in his face.
"Yes," said Harry, "vaguely."
"Though for my parents, it will seem about the value of dragon hide robes right?"
"Well yeah," said Harry, "practically that's what it's worth, but from the aspect of collectables, there will be twenty or less of them."
Draco nodded then whispered, "But from a boy-who-can't-die to his favourite cousin, with this line in your card about protection?"
"Well I didn't know what else to say."
"But, Is what you said the truth?"
"Yes," said Harry.
"Did all the rest of the rendering team choose them?"
"In the end, yes," said Harry.
"Do you already have plans who else to give them to?"
"Ron and Ginny," said Harry, "because they are who else was down there. Lockhart doesn't count. And Hermione, she wasn't down there but she solved the question of 'what kind of monster?' for us all before she got petrified."
Draco took a deep breath and nodded, "So those three are the ones who will be fighting me from now on to always have you over for Yule?"
Harry shrugged, "they usually get me for parts of the summer."
Draco smiled, "Then I'm claiming you for Yule, forever."
"Not forever," said Harry, "but this year, sure, I guess. Do you need to write your parents for permission?"
"First of all," said Draco, "perhaps not forever, but I'm claiming you for yule until one or both of us gets married."
"Oh," said Harry, "I'll think about it."
"Second," said Draco, "As soon as they hear of this, you're getting permanently added to the list of people who get yule presents from them. And probably I'll get punished for not inviting you, unless you write a very nice letter explaining that I did invite you and that you said 'no' for some reason that isn't my fault. And that I can't be blamed for not fixing it soon enough for you to come."
"But … it's just 8 galleons of tanning and 30 galleons of tailoring," said Harry.
"Which you could then give to anyone," said Draco, "or more likely sell for more money than Dad makes in a typical year."
"I didn't think he works."
Draco raised an eyebrow, "He doesn't labour, but he does a lot of things to make money and manage the money he has."
"Alright," said Harry.
"We're not living off of passive interest. I mean we could, but what's the challenge of that? (and it's not quite as good.) Both my parents actively manage their estates and share strategies and cooperate other ways."
"I need lessons in that," said Harry.
Draco nodded, "I'll tell Mom you want lessons. Lesson one is: how to properly and safely live off passive interest. Until you get good with the active management, you never dip into the principle for the passive interest, otherwise you'll have to take time off to labour."
Harry blinked, that wasn't what he was trying to ask for. But … how could he say… what could he say? "That makes sense."
.
I don't know, Nim.
I think you should go.
I've never liked a family Christmas before, and I still think he's so much like Dudley that it would be excruciating.
Except from the memories I've found, Dudley gloried in being a glutton, he wants more than you, and in general he just wants more.
Draco wants some abstract sense of value, I'm fairly sure it's emotional. He knows gifts mean he is valued, because he can precisely calculate what it is worth, but also what it cost for someone to give it to him. He's going to bully his parents into giving you presents.
Oh … Oh, no.
Don't worry they can afford it. They'll enjoy showing off their wealth and thoughtfulness by giving you things as much as by giving things to each other and Draco.
Oh.
Anyway.
.
When he got back to gryffindor tower he finished cards for Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. He went to take his name off the 'staying for the holidays' list and saw that the Weasleys and Hermione were there.
Ok, he thought, This could be more awkward than I planned.
Right, gryffindors, forward.
He went and found Ron.
"Alright, Ron, tell me the truth or I'll go ask Percy."
"What?" said Ron.
"Are you staying over the Christmas Hols to keep me company, or for some other reason."
"The world doesn't revolve around you," said Ron, "Though every once in a while … you deserve it to."
Harry shrugged, "I don't know how to take that."
"Mom and Dad spent a bit more on us than they should have in Egypt, it's going to be tight, but the easiest way to fix that is save on two train fares for five people."
"Oh," said Harry, "that makes sense. Anyway, here's your gift, in case I do in fact leave."
"You got me a card," smirked Ron, "you shouldn't have."
"It's a bit more than a card," said Harry, "You'll see what I mean when you open it. Anyway, I'm thinking of saving mine until I'm done growing. You'll understand."
Ron raised his eyebrow, "you got me clothes?"
"Yeah."
"Custom tailored?"
"Yeah."
"You've gone as daft as your cat," said Ron.
Harry shrugged, "maybe I have. Here give this one to Ginny."
"Sure," said Ron.
"Do you know if Hermione is staying because of me?"
"She stayed last year too."
"Yeah, but something about a ski trip or something."
"True, but whatever."
"I guess I need to ask her."
"Mate, Don't ask her, just tell her you're going, and watch how she acts. Are you going to stay if she acts like she was only staying to keep you company?"
"I … don't know, maybe."
Ron grunted, "Then tell her as soon as possible that you're leaving, so that she has time to owl her parents that she's changing her mind to coming home after all or whatever."
"Yeah, I guess."
"And anyway, I'm still staying, I can keep her company if she stays, regardless of whether she's staying because of her parents' plans or her own."
"Good point, thanks Ron."
.
"Here, Hermione, Marry Christmas."
"Oh, thanks."
Um, I'm going to Malfoys for Christmas.
"I'm going to stay with my relatives for Christmas."
"Really?" said Hermione, "I thought you hated them."
"Still better than dementors."
Hermione blinked, "True, alright, have fun, or at least be safe."
"Yeah," said Harry, "That's the goal."
"And maybe they can get your glasses fixed sooner rather than later."
"Oh, maybe."
"If there's extra time," said Hermione.
"It would be nice," agreed Harry.
"You won't know unless you ask," said Hermione.
.
Winter Express
The carriage ride past the dementors to the train was excruciating, but once they were aboard the winter express, everything was normal.
As normal as could be expected riding in the middle carriage in the same compartment as Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy.
After twenty minutes for everything to settle, Draco said, "Come on, let's explore."
"Explore what?" said Harry.
"Explore the train," said Draco, "see who is sitting where, and with whom, what they're looking like this ride. You can tell a lot about someone's home life by how they're feeling during the ride. If I have time, If I don't find something more interesting to do, I like looking at everyone twice. The first one to see how everyone is feeling about leaving school and another time towards the end to see how they're feeling about visiting home."
"Ah, I see," said Harry. Harry looked at Nim. Nim looked at Harry, then at Draco's bookends.
"What?" said Draco.
"Nim and I have a exploration habit also, but it's more about neighbourhoods and shopping districts, than about trains. I guess we can try it your way and see how it goes."
The first compartment they came to had Greengrass, Tracy, and Zabini. Tracy waved. Zabini gave him a nod.
"So Potter," said Greengrass, "are you really letting Draco drag you around like a trophy husband?"
"No," said Harry, "Nim is patrolling the train for threats and prey, I'm following her to make sure she doesn't eat anyone's familiar. And her search pattern just happens to be synchronised with Draco at the moment."
Tracy and Zabini laughed.
"Whatever you have to tell yourself, Potter," said Greengrass.
"Tracy, please, wish your family the best from me."
"Oh, alright," said Tracy, "and thanks for the business."
"You're welcome, it was very educational."
"I'd say," agreed Tracy.
"What?" said Greengrass.
"Proprietary information," said Tracy.
"With Potter?"
"Ask my dad, he has read the contract more recently than I."
"You're engaged?"
"Not to Potter, he sold Dad some things, I handled some of it, because some of it wasn't going to a public address."
"Oh," said Greengrass.
Draco got his hand out and shook everyone's hands.
Zabini gave Harry another nod.
And they wandered on.
Did you see how Miss Greengrass carried herself?
What?
Sitting up straight, looking you in the nose or forehead.
Oh, is that what that was?
Yeah.
Oh, OK. What about it?
You're an heir to a noble house, just like Draco, you could stand up straight if you wanted. Pick up your nose at people you aren't fond of.
Oh, but 'can' and 'should' are two different things.
I think you should, people would stare at you less about being the boy who lived, if they thought you were just another of those noble heirs.
Interesting point. But … I don't necessarily think that I'm above most people.
Ah, but you are.
But I don't care about my money. I think my dad was the same.
By the end he was, but when he was your age he did think he was all that, because of who his parents were.
And I am who I am because of what my parents did, but that doesn't make me proud of me, it makes me proud of them.
As you should be.
I'd still rather have parents alive than fame.
… As you should, but … You have me, and unless I miss my guess, you will very shortly have Lady Malfoy nee Black.
Um?
For a substitute mother I mean.
Um? Wow, that wasn't quite what I was expecting from all Draco's hints.
Draco has no idea, but I knew his mother.
The next several compartments were mostly ravenclaws and slytherins that Harry didn't know. Well, one compartment had Rebekah and Isaac Gamp playing … it looked like poker with one of Isaac's ravenclaw housemates.
But to Harry's knowledge, purebloods didn't play poker, so who knew.
Harry greeted everyone, Draco shook hands all round. Only Rebekah mentioned Nim, which Nim rewarded with a side strop to the knee, and then they moved on.
Nim began quizzing him on names, as soon as the compartment door closed, which he failed at, miserably, for three compartments, and then he started concentrating and gradually he started remembering a few more.
Until they were a third of the way down the train, and then he started to feel wrung out and began having trouble. And then it got significantly worse.
This is a skill to practice and learn, advised Nim, keep practising a bit longer, and you'll be better next time.
Oh, dear.
The next two compartments were empty, and the next had only Luna Lovegood.
"Hello Luna," said Harry, "Do you realise that your magazine is upside down?"
"Hello Harry," said Luna, "My magazine is not upside down, it just happens not to be orderly enough to have a right side up." then blinked and stared at Draco.
"This is my cousin Draco," said Harry.
"Oh," said Luna, "interesting, because he's also my cousin Draco."
"Quite," said Draco, "Luna is my second cousin on my father's side, Harry is my third cousin once removed, on mother's side. I think you two are more closely related through House of Selwyn than through me, but I don't know."
"Probably," said Luna, "How are your parents?"
"Mother sounded busy in her last letter, Father's trying to keep the practical half of the government running while the law enforcement half is busy chasing its tail and its skeletons."
Luna nodded and turned to Harry, "Not properly investigating the Rotfang conspiracy is coming home to roost, don't you know. And heliopaths always cost more than they tell you they will charge. Remember that."
"OK…" said Harry.
"Luna," said Draco, "you can't just talk about things like that."
"Yes, I can," said Luna, "I just did, didn't I?"
Draco sighed, "I was hoping you'd … make a better first impression."
"Oh, don't worry, Nim and Harry and I have already mostly known each other."
She looked at Harry again, "did you know that as long as you're on earth you are never more than six feet from the nearest spider? That's why they can tell the best stories, they've heard and watched them all."
"I had no idea," said Harry, "I'll be sure not to mention that to Ron."
She held up her fingers and wiggled them, "creepy crawly spiders!"
Harry blinked. Draco shuddered. But Harry was sure it was more about violated social niceties, rather than about spiders.
Then she smiled and put her hands down, "But they make beautiful webs, and some of them are cute."
"I'm sure Harry would make a very cute spider," said Draco.
Luna blinked and stared at Harry, "I suspect you're correct, cousin, very cute, a flying spider, a webbing spider, or a fighting spider."
"Probably trap door spider," said Draco, "uses a web to see around corners, but mostly a fighting spider."
"Yes," said Luna, "a fighting spider that isn't afraid to use a web." She turned to Harry, "Alright hairy-wolf-spider, learn lots, and protect your burrow well."
"Um, I'll try, I guess."
Luna smiled and sat back.
"Good bye, wolf-spider," said Luna.
"Um, bye, Luna" said Harry.
"Good bye, silky dragon-eyes."
"Good bye, Luna," said Draco.
"Good bye, Lady strange kneazle."
Nim made a sound that was somehow both a hiss and a purr.
Draco let the door close, and shuddered.
"Did you understand any of that?" said Harry.
"Almost all of it, I think," said Draco, "Which scares me a little."
"Honestly, that scares me more than anything she said."
Draco nodded. When the next compartment turned out empty. Instead of skipping it, Draco led the way in and climbed onto the bench in the corner and pulled his knees up to his chest and shivered.
Harry watched him for a few seconds, then followed him in and threw one of Snape's charms at the window to turn it an opaque turquoise blue.
After most of a minute Draco put his knees down, and sat up and stared at Harry, for most of another minute, then he looked around and noticed the window. Then he nodded and relaxed, "Thanks for getting the window."
"You're welcome," said Harry, "I'm not as good with the locking spell or the sound proofing."
Draco shrugged.
"Are you alright now?"
"Not quite yet," said Draco, "Um. If my Mom tries to adopt you, make her be specific whether she's trying to adopt you or recruit you."
"Um, oh-Kay?"
Draco shrugged, "never mind, probably won't be for several years, but … please watch what you agree to."
"Is she going to try to make me into a death eater?"
"I doubt it, but … it will depend entirely on what she thinks is the best investment at the time."
"I'm not going to serve Voldemort."
Draco blinked, "No, I guess you wouldn't."
"Would you?" said Harry.
"I would do what my mother told me," said Draco, "Which might look the same on the outside to doing what my father wants, but it won't be, it will never be, they gather different forms of power."
"Um? Oh, OK," said Harry, "I'm … oddly unsure how to respond to that."
Draco nodded, "I don't expect you'd understand until you've seen them in operation for a few games, so, two or three years. Except I'm never sure how deep other people see into the games, maybe it would take longer, or maybe you'd never see enough to understand."
Harry shrugged, "I can see Dumbledore's moves sometimes, though I cannot yet see the board."
Draco raised an eyebrow, "Then you can learn to play, or at least learn how be more than a pawn."
Someone pounded on the door.
"It's open," called Harry.
Professor Snape looked in, glanced between them, then said, "Have you two had chocolate since your last dementor exposure?"
"No," said Harry.
"I thought not," said Snape, "the snack trolley is five doors down, see that you get some, that is a prescription."
"Yes, professor," they said in unison.
He nodded and walked on.
"Ugh," said Draco, "I don't feel like chasing down a chocolate frog right now."
"Shall I order Nim to chase it down for you?" said Harry.
"Chocolate is poisonous to cats," said Draco.
"She wouldn't eat much," said Harry reasonably, "spit up the rest… you know. It would be a bit slimy but she likes to be helpful—
"Don't be."
—Anything to get kitten Draco to take his medicine," finished Harry.
Draco stared at him, then stared harder, "Oh, that was humour, well done, sadly there's no audience."
"Nim is amused," said Harry, "She's suggesting instead that I chase down your frog, eat it's head, pass you the rest. And you chase down my frog, bite its leg off and pass me the rest, some sort of cooperative hunting bonding ritual for kittens."
"Which one of is she primarily poking fun at?" said Draco.
"I think me," said Harry, "She's trying to get back at me for using her for the strait man in front of Daphne."
"You call her Greengrass to her face, and Daphne behind her back?"
"Got used to that from Tracy."
"Who you call Tracy all the time."
"Got used to that from her Dad."
"Ah," said Draco, "intriguing."
.
The snack trolley came, and they bought pasties and chocolate frogs.
They made short work of both, and then continued on.
Most of the compartments they passed were empty or full of students still munching, so they had less to say, but took longer to say it, in less than an hour they were back to the compartment where they started.
Crabbe and Goyle were just finishing up their meal, that was evidently two or three pasties each, and significant numbers of biscuits. Which Draco shared without asking.
.
{End Chapter 7}
