I do not own anything from Harry Potter, only any OC that may appear in my stories.

Hello guys, Badger here. Back with a new chapter. This chapter was supposed to come out a few days ago, but I had difficulty with the ending and my second semester at University started up, and I had to get ready for that. But, the chapter is all done and that's all that matters. Hopefully, I'll be able to update all my other stories, on a semi regular basis, and maybe start a few new ones here and there. In fact, if any of you have a story request, feel free to let me know.

Anyway, that is all I have to say for now. You know the drill. Read on, enjoy and I will see you at the end.

Chapter 14

Harry stretched as he woke up, his back still feeling stiff from his Quarter Final duels. As he rubbed his eyes, he remembered what day it was. Christmas. Which meant Sirius was going to arrive any moment to take him to Malfoy Manor for the Malfoys yearly Christmas Yule Party. Getting out of bed, Harry got changed into some smart, black trousers, black shoes and black button up shirt, leaving the top two buttons undone. It may only be a Christmas party, but the Malfoys were always very stern with people dressing in smart clothing at their parties and events. Looking in the mirror, Harry took a moment to look at his outfit, where he felt like something was missing. After giving it some thought, he rummaged through his wardrobe before pulling out a red waistcoat. He wasn't massively fond of the colour red, but it felt fitting for the festive period, and it contrasted well with his black clothing.

After buttoning up the waistcoat, and checking himself in the mirror, Harry nodded, feeling satisfied before picking up a small, wrapped package, addressed to his little sister. It was still quite early in the day so, despite it being Christmas, Harry knew Evelyn would still be asleep, so he decided he would leave her Christmas present by her pillow, as a nice surprise for when she, eventually, woke up.

Present in hand, Harry left his room and slowly opened his kittle sisters, bedroom door. As expected, Evelyn was asleep in her bed. It was almost difficult to see her, because of all the stuffed toys that were surrounding her. Why she needed to sleep with all of her stuffed animals, Harry would never know. Rolling his eyes a little, he slowly made his way over, being extra careful to not accidentally wake her up. She may be a little angel, however she was anything but an angel, if she was woken up early. Once Harry was by her bed, he knelt down, slightly, gently placing the present by her pillow, amongst her stuffed animals. Due to the sparkling wrapping paper, it stood out, so Harry hoped she would notice it, the moment she woke up from her peaceful slumber. With a smile, Harry leaned down, kissing Evelyn's forehead softly, before carefully making his way back out of her room, closing the door behind him.

Harry made his way down the stairs, where he heard voices. He immediately picked up Sirius' voice, meaning his Godfather must've gotten here, earlier than expected. Entering the room, Harry saw that Sirius was talking with his mother. Whilst they weren't raising their voices, Harry felt like they were about to, as it didn't seem like the conversation was one of pleasantries.

"He's staying here Sirius!" Lily said, firmly "He's my son, he's family...and because he's family, he's staying here so we can have a family Christmas Dinner!"

"Your son?" Sirius repeated "He hasn't been your son for about a decade...he's gone every year, ever since he made friends with Arianna, and he wants to go again this year, he's going whether you like it or not..."

At that moment, Harry cleared his throat, causing Sirius and Lily to jump in surprise, before turning to him. Sirius took a moment to brush his suit off, before stepping forward, his ever-present Marauders smile on his face.

"Harry, it's about time you got up, you lazy bastard!" He teased "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready" Harry nodded, giving his Godfather a smile, before turning to his mother "I won't be home until much later, so don't bother leaving a place for me at the table"

With that, Harry and Sirius entered the fireplace. Sirius placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and activated the Floo Network, engulfing the two in a mass of green flames, disappearing into a cloud of black smoke.

...

Lily felt like crying, as she watched Harry and Sirius disappear through the Floo Network. She had hoped that Harry would be here on Christmas day. She had planned to make a lovely Christmas family dinner, where she and James will then start trying to lay the foundations for improving their relationship with their son. This Christmas was supposed to be the day they started becoming a proper family again.

But now, those plans had gone up in smoke and she wasn't sure what to do now.

...

The warm feeling of the Floo Network disappeared as quickly as it arrived, as Harry and Sirius arrived within Malfoy Manor mere seconds after they had left. Brushing himself off, Harry stepped out of the fireplace, with Sirius in tow. The sound of the Floo Network must've been enough to alert the Malfoys of their presence as, Narcissa quickly appeared, and smiled brightly, seeing her cousin and the boy she saw as her own.

"Sirius, is Remus not with you?" She asked, giving Sirius a hug

"No, the old wolf won't be arriving until a bit later, he had some errands to run" Sirius replied

"Oh good, I would hate if he missed out on the fun" Narcissa smiled, before turning to Harry, giving him a hug too "And Harry, it's lovely to see you again, Sirius has kept me informed about the Duelling Tournament...I am so proud, though I trust you've been keeping yourself safe"

"As safe as I can be, during a Duelling Tournament" Harry replied, a small smile on his face

"I'm glad and, if it's any help dear, you're going to win, I know you can" Narcissa said

The Malfoy Matriarch couldn't help but smile, as she looked at Harry. She remembered the first time she met Harry, three years for the first time. She had read about Harry in the letters sent to her by Arianna, but he was different to what she was expecting. Harry was quite short back then. Short, quiet and distant. However, over the last three years, she has seen him grow into a nice young man, who wasn't like other teenagers his age, who were moody or had an attitude. Harry was as polite, as he always has been. It was clear to Narcissa that his close friendship with her daughter and all his other friends has been a big help to Harry over the last few years and it made her happy. Harry was like a son to her and hearing stories from both Sirius and Remus about the neglect Harry had been through at the hands of his parents truly upset her, though she never let it show. Over the last couple of years, Harry has become a son, of sorts, in her eyes and, though Harry may not share blood, like Sirius does, Harry was a part of the family, and Narcissa was sure Lucius would agree too.

Harry smiled, before looking around, curiously.

"Where's Arianna and Draco?" He asked

"Oh, they're enjoying their Christmas presents, no doubt, Lucius has given both of them new brooms" Narcissa sighed "Speaking of which, can you go check on them Harry…I've already warned them twice now, about flying indoors…and you have my permission to hex them, if they're doing it again…"

Harry chuckled a little, but nodded, making his way out of the room. As he walked down the corridors of Malfoy Manor, he couldn't help but look around. No matter how many times he spent time at Malfoy Manor, he was always in awe at how luxurious and elegant the place was. The Malfoy's weren't exactly showoffs or boastful when it came to their wealth, they just enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. Harry's train of though was interrupted when he heard someone yelling behind him.

"LOOK OUT!"

Harry quickly turned, to see Arianna and Draco zooming towards him, at high speed, on brooms. His eyes widened, before he immediately dropped to his knees, allowing the Malfoy siblings to fly over him, narrowly missing his head. Brushing himself off, Harry got back to his feet, looking up to see Arianna and Draco hovering above him on their brooms, looking at him sheepishly, as he glared at the two of them.

"Sorry about that Harry, that was a close one" Arianna said

"That's one way of putting it" Harry replied, crossing his arms "Hasn't your mother already warned you about riding your brooms inside the Manor?"

"Don't tell mum, she'd kill us!" The Malfoy siblings said in unison

"She won't have too" Harry smirked, flicking his wand into his hand "She's given me permission to hex the both of you, if needed"

"Okay, okay, put that wand of yours away!" Arianna said as she and Draco hovered down to the floor, getting off of their brooms "I'd rather not be on the receiving end of that thing!"

"I'm glad we came to an understanding…" Harry smiled, as he put his wand away, once again, before turning to Draco "How has Hogwarts been for you so far, Draco, as good as you were hoping it would be?"

"It's been great, and fun, though I'm glad to be home for the holidays" Draco nodded

"If you think it's fun now, just wait a few more years, little brother" Arianna rolled her eyes "Now, let's go, the others should be arriving soon and I'm hungry, I'm sure we could sneak a bite from the lunch, the elves are preparing"

…

Nathaniel was having a good Christmas. For one, he had received everything he had written on the list, he sent to his parents around a month earlier. He had no doubt, of course, that they would have gotten him everything. They always did. Secondly, he didn't have to see his attention seeking, older brothers smug face around. Nathaniel knew that his Christmas would be spoilt if he had to see that bloody smug smile of his at all, today. How Nathaniel longed for something, or someone to wipe that smile off of his brother's face. Until then, Nathaniel was going to enjoy the rest of his Christmas, before his brother returned home. As his brother was gone, that meant there was going to be more turkey for himself.

All in all, Nathaniel was having a good Christmas.

...

Across the country, pacing inside his office at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore wasn't having a good Christmas. Nathaniel was showing little progress in his private studies, to get him up to speed with the other students, but that wasn't the cause of his pacing. Despite coming across as the calm and patient Headmaster and Leader of the Light, Dumbledore was anything but patient. He didn't like having his time wasted, nor did he like to be kept waiting. And waiting around, for Quirrell to try and make a second attempt to go after the Stone, left him equally infuriated and paranoid. Whilst Dumbledore already suspected Voldemort would order Quirrell to wait until he attempted to steal the Stone again, not knowing when Voldemort may decide to strike is what left him paranoid. Especially now, when Nathaniel wasn't at Hogwarts, nor was he ready to be tested yet. Dumbledore could only hope that, when the moment comes, Nathaniel will be more than ready to complete the prophecy as, the Boy-Who-Lived.

All in all, Dumbledore was not having a good Christmas.

...

Back in Malfoy Manor, the Christmas Yule Party was in full swing. Unlike other events and social gatherings the Malfoys held, this party was purely for those the Malfoys viewed as close friends to the Malfoy family, for one reason or another. That's what made Harry enjoy them every year. Despite the formal setting and dress code, if was more of an informal event, where he could have a laugh with his friends. Currently, as people were dancing and chatting, Harry stood with James in a quiet corner, so they could have a private chat. Specifically about Harrys, rather vivid and disturbing dreams.

"I've looked through several of my books about a dozen times now, and I've not been able to find anything" James shrugged "Nothing solid anyway...do you still think they're visions of some kind?"

"I don't know...they could be, but they don't feel like it" Harry sighed "Do you think they could be?"

"Admittedly, its possible, though if they are, that's what worries me" James replied "We both know that, despite your many talents, Divination is not one of them, let alone the ability to see the future in general...A Seer, and I mean a true Seer and not the fraud that is Professor Trelawney, are rare in the Wizarding World..."

"So...you think someone is...placing these visions in my head?" Harry asked, having a feeling as to what his friend was thinking

"Maybe, but I don't know..." James shrugged "If someone is placing visions in your head, then whoever it is, must be powerful in Legilimency to do such a thing...you have to be a strong witch, or wizard, in general to be a Legilimens, but to be able to put fake visions in someone's head...I don't know who would be placing these visions in your head but..."

Harry watched, as James reached into his pocket and pulled out a book that had been shrunken down. With a wave of James' wand, the book grew back to normal size, where Harry could properly see the title of the book: 'Occlumency, The Powerful Arts Of Protecting One's Mind'. James brushed off any residue dust from the cover, before handing it over to Harry, who took it.

"You want me to have this?" Harry asked, he, of course, knew what Occlumency was, and he couldn't believe that James was giving him a book on the subject

"Of course, I figured this could help, stopping these dreams, or visions, until I can find anything that could help us figure out what they are" James shrugged, patting his shoulder "Consider it a Christmas gift"

Harry gave his friend an appreciative smile, as he shrunk the book down and put it in his pocket. As he put his wand away, he heard a loud crash, behind him. Turning, Harry saw his Godfather, who was clearly heavily intoxicated, on the ground, after knocking down a table full of drinks, laughing and giggling his ass off. Harry couldn't help but groan, as he saw the sight. Sirius may have been a happy and jolly drunk, but he never knew when to stop drinking, which led to situations such as this. James, however, had an amused smile on his face.

"Every year..." Harry muttered to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose, before turning back to James "You'll have to excuse me, it looks like I have a Godfather to take home..."

"No problem" James chuckled "Get him home, and make sure he passes out somewhere comfortable, he's going to have a major headache in the morning"

"Will do, and good luck with Fred..." Harry said, briefly glancing at The Weasley Twins

James' eyes widened, and he blushed a little as he nodded, as Harry made his way to his intoxicated Godfather. Harry knew James still hadn't informed Fred about how he felt and, to be honest, Harry felt like it was going to be a while longer before he did. Harry couldn't blame his friend for being nervous, and afraid, though. Homosexuality, whilst not uncommon, it was frowned upon by many in the Wizarding World, especially by Pureblood Supremacists, with many couples receiving their fair share of unfair hate and bigotry.

Harry shook his head from those infuriating thoughts as he picked up his drunken Godfather who looked like he had passed out. Looking at the state of the man, at this current moment, to say he was going to have a major headache the next day would be an understatement. Harry had a feeling his Godfather was going to need more then a simple Pain Relief Potion, when he woke up tomorrow. Maybe this will be what makes Sirius realise he needs to cut back on the alcohol at parties. After giving his goodbyes to Lucius and Narcissa, with the latter giving the unconscious Sirius an irritated look, making a comment about such a thing happening every year, like Harry did, before Harry dragged Sirius into the fireplace and heading back to Potter Manor, with the Floo Network.

Potter Manor was quiet and appeared to be empty. His family must've gone out, which was fine by Harry. He didn't want to deal with them, right now, anyway. Carrying his unconscious Godfather to the living area, he laid Sirius down on one of the sofa's. No doubt, as soon as Remus was informed about what happened, from Narcissa, he would arrive soon to take Sirius home...and probably give the man a massive lecture the next day. With his Godfather now safely resting on the sofa, Harry made his way up to his bedroom. Despite it only being the early afternoon, Harry wanted to get some sleep. Tomorrow was the Semi Finals of the Tournament and he wanted to have plenty of energy for it. Immediately, upon entering the bedroom, he was greeted by Athena, his Familiar, who let out a happy trill as she flew in a circle a few times before landing on his shoulder, nuzzling her head against his.

"Welcome back, Harry" Athena's voice echoed, with its melodic and soothing tone, in Harrys mind "I hope you had a wonderful time"

"I did, thank you Athena" Harry said, stroking her feathers a little "But now I want to get some sleep for tomorrow"

"Of course, Harry" Athena replied "Before you do, your mother had come in, earlier, with two packages, they have your name on them"

Harry was curious, when he looked to see two packages, both wrapped in wrapping paper, on his desk. As Athena went back to her perch, he examined them, where he saw one of them was from Hermione. Harry couldn't help but smile, when he saw that she had sent him a gift. It seemed, the young First Year was still appreciative about Harry saving her from the troll earlier in the year. Harry was just glad he had gotten her a gift, as Harry knew that he would be kicking himself right now, if he didn't, when she had gotten him one. With a smile on his face, Harry carefully opened the present, to find a book on advanced spells and potions inside, making Harry smile brighter. It was clear the girl knew him well, by this point, but Harry could only imagine how much this must've cost her. When he saw her again, he was going to thank her for getting him a present, when she didn't have to do so.

Putting the book down, Harry picked up the second package, when his eyes widened to see that it was from his mother. He stood there for a moment, more then a little surprised. He couldn't remember the last time he had received a present from either of his parents. With a hesitant hand, he opened up the present, to reveal a book. But not just any boon, a photo album. A photo album that contained a variety of photos. Photos, Harry had never seen. Photos of him as a baby, with his parents, as well as photos of, what Harry was guessing to be, the Marauders during their time at Hogwarts. Harry stood there for a while, in silence, just looking at the photo album in his hands. He wasn't sure what to think. Whatever he was expecting the present to be, it certainly wasn't that.

It was no secret, that Harry hated his parents, for their neglect over the years, so to receive a present like this, he wasn't sure what to think in this moment. Shaking his head, after a few moments, Harry closed the album shut, putting it back down on his desk. In silence, Harry got ready for bed. The present had definitely shocked him quite a bit. After getting changed into more comfortable night wear, he climbed into bed, staring at the ceiling, in complete silence, the photo album on his mind.

He wasn't sure what to think.

...

And done. What did you guys think?

People who remember the last chapter will know that, to break away from the repetition of each chapter being part of the Duelling competition, this chapter will be about the Malfoy christmas party, with chapter 15 being the Semi finals. It was a pretty early decision to make, as I felt like it would just get boring and repetitive.
Also, in this chapter I added a couple of story mentions in here, just to jog peoples memories, like Harry's dreams/visions and the James/Fred pairing.

And to anyone who isn't a fan of M/M pairings, don't worry, this won't be a main pairing, or a main focus of the story. Yes it will be mentioned and seen at times, but it is more of a side plot. And if you're wondering why I'm doing an M/M pairing, well it's because I want to try and do new things in my stories and as all my stories so far have been purely M/F pairings, and because I've questioned my sexuality in the past, I thought I'd give an M/M pairing a try. Does this mean I'll add smut into my stories, like some of you have asked? Maybe, maybe not, I've never written smut before so it would be pretty awkward to write and probably read.

Anyway, enough of that. That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed and I will see you next time, in whatever story I see you in.

Badger Out.