Hi guys. I'm glad everyone has enjoyed the story so far. Here is the next chapter so I hope you enjoy.
Enjoy and remember to leave me a review on any thoughts, likes or questions.
Snowbeam12
Is The Dark All Dark?
Chapter 4
Harry was silent as he sat at the table across from his godfather, feeling his nerves starting to get the better of him. Izzy stood close to the doorway watching the two wizards. She had managed to pop in and collect Sirius while he had been in his room at the Black Family house. When she had seen just how skin and bones he was she had been furious, already planning on forcing him to take better care of himself.
"Harry...I'm really sorry I didn't tell you the truth when we first met but...I was just so excited to see you." Sirius finally stated, looking at his godson with a defeated look in his eyes.
"I probably wouldn't have believed anything you said. And with Professor Snape there he probably would have thought you were crazy." Harry stated with a shrug. He looked down at the table, shifting slightly in his chair. Sirius released a sigh as he leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. Izzy snapped her fingers once they were enveloped in an awkward silence, setting the table for lunch.
"Eat. Neither can miss meals." She stated firmly, giving both of them a firm stare before she busied herself somewhere else in the house. Sirius released a laugh, shaking his head, catching Harry's attention.
"She really hasn't changed much." His godfather explained with a grin.
"You knew about Izzy before she came and got you?" Harry questioned curious about his past with the mothering house elf.
"Izzy was your grandmum's personal elf. She was as mothering as Mrs. Potter was in every way including yelling at James and me for doing stupid stuff." Sirius chuckled. Harry couldn't help but smile at learning the house elf had watched his dad grow up. Both wizards returned to their lunch in a comfortable silence.
After nearly a week Sirius, Harry and Izzy had fallen into a familiar, comfortable routine around the cottage. They all enjoyed meals together, Sirius telling Harry about pranks the Maruaders had gotten into during their time at Hogwarts, enjoying the smile on his godson's face at hearing each tale.
On the morning of his birthday he woke up to Sirius and Izzy knocking on his door, both badly singing him happy birthday while holding a cake. Harry laughed as he reached for his glasses, moving to slip them on. He faltered for a moment when he realized his vision was blurred with them on.
"Looks like your mum's charm wore off pup. You really look like a Malfoy now." Sirius stated, a look of aw on his face. Harry quickly scrambled out of his bed, nearly tripping on the blanket tangled around his legs. Sirius stood back with his arms crossed as he watched his godson simply stare at his reflection, horror evident on his face as he reached up to rake his fingers through his now blonde hair. He didn't fail to notice the boy still had James unruly hair just with the Malfoy color. His eyes were now a steel grey with a green ring in the middle, evidence of the blood adoption.
"I can't go to Hogwarts looking like this!" Harry panicked, jerking around to look at the house elf and his godfather. Sirius sighed, pulling out his wand, attempting to reapply the charm to calm the teenager down. With each failed attempt Harry only grew even more frantic, worrying about what his classmates would say.
"Pup calm down. We'll figure it out before you have to return to Hogwarts. Can't have Dumbledore freaking out about his precious boy-who-lived." Sirius attempted to joke, only receiving a glare from both Harry and Izzy.
"Now...this is just me throwing out ideas but what if...you didn't go back to Hogwarts? Plenty of Purebloods opt out of attending a wizarding school to privately tutor their kids at home and have them sit their OWLS with the ministry." Sirius suggested as he sat across from Harry at the table for breakfast. Harry hadn't stopped pulling at his hair since they'd sat down. Izzy glanced at him for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face.
"Master Remus help tutor?" she questioned, tilting her head as she climbed into the chair. Harry and Sirius had both been very addiment about her joining them for breakfast every morning no matter how much she had objected.
"Remus does have a mastery in Defense, and he was always better at history and potions than I was in all honesty." Sirius stated with a shrug. Harry couldn't help biting his lip as he thought about not returning to Hogwarts. If he had been given the option before finding out the truth he probably would have declined in a heartbeat, but now he felt torn on what he wanted to do. While it meant getting away from Dumbledore, Hermione, Ron and Draco he would also be leaving behind the few other friends he had. He took a deep breath, looking between Izzy and his godfather.
"Can...can I have some time to think about this?" he questioned, his voice little more than a whisper.
"Of coarse Pup. This is completely your decision, no one else's. You just let us know before the day you are supposed to get on that train." Sirius stated, leaning across the table to squeeze his hand. Harry silently nodded before excusing himself from the table, with a muttered not being very hungry. Sirius and Izzy both shared a look before looking at the boy's retreating back. He only sighed, reaching up to jerk his hands through his own unruly hair before he stood up, intending to write a couple letters to hopefully send out before lunch.
Harry ended up retreating to his room for most of the day, sitting on the window seat looking out the window. He glanced around the room that had been the nursery, thinking about Lily and James taking care of him. His gaze briefly wandered to the picture sitting on the nightstand beside his bed, the picture of Lily and James dancing in the snow. Even though he'd learned they weren't his biological parents he still considered him his parents because they had taken him in, adopted and raised him as their own. They'd given up their lives to protect him from Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
"Harry? Lunch is ready. Izzy said is saying since you didn't eat very much at breakfast you aren't allowed to miss lunch." Sirius stated, gently knocking on his bedroom door. When he didn't receive a response he turned the knob, opening it just enough to poke his head inside. Harry laid curled up on his side facing away from the door. Sirius sighed before he stepped further into the room, quietly making his way over to the bed. He reached down, pulling the blanket up to his godson's shoulders, watching his even breathing for a moment before he shifted into Padfoot, jumping up on the bed to lie against his back. Harry shifted in his sleep, rolling over enough to throw his arm across the large black dog, relaxing slightly.
For the last few weeks of summer Harry mostly kept to himself, internally debating whether or not he wanted to return to Hogwarts or not. He was currently sitting out in the garden, his Hogwarts letter held in his hands. He hadn't been able to bring himself to open it, knowing there was a chance he wouldn't return. He glanced up at the sound of wings, seeing the Weasley's owl Errol, landing on the fence beside him, holding his leg out as a sign to take the letter that had been tied to it. He slowly reached out, taking it, figuring it was either from Ron or Mrs. Weasley though he hadn't heard from either of them the entire summer. He knew it wasn't because of Izzy's shield since the owl carrying his Hogwarts' letter had been able to get to him without any issues.
Sirius glanced up from the book he had been reading when Harry stepped into the house. He didn't fail to notice the two letters had held crumbled in his hand, watching as his godson stepped passed him. Harry dropped them on the table before he sat down, accepting the lunch that Izzy offered him.
"Ron and Hermione wrote me today. Ron thinks it's wicked but stupid that I ran away from the Dursleys' whereas Hermione is telling me how stupid I am and that I should have just let Dumbledore handle whatever was wrong." He explained, picking up the sandwich he was given.
"Well you figured out that they were lining their pockets with your money that that old coot was giving them. It's not surprising that they would try to convince you to go back to the Dursleys." Sirius stated with a frown as he glanced over the letters. He didn't fail to notice that Hermione's seemed like she was once again attempting to boss him around like he had witnessed during his time sneaking around the school the previous year.
"I've been thinking about it more and...i don't want to go back to Hogwarts. At least not this year. Too much has changed and i...haven't had a whole lot of time to adjust to it. Plus, Merlin only knows what type of Defense teacher Dumbledore has hired this time." Harry commented without looking up.
"Than it's a good thing Sirius already wrote to me about everything going on here isn't it." Remus' voice stated from the doorway catching both of their attention. Sirius glanced at his godson concerned on how he was going to handle having Remus suddenly show up. Harry was staring at his old professor, fear clearly evident on his face. Remus didn't fail to notice it, slowly walking towards the boy he still considered his late friends' son. He'd known from the moment they had adopted him and named him Harry's unofficial godfather alongside Sirius that he would always care for the boy as his own. For the last 10 years he hadn't done that job and he was determined to make up for lost time even if it was just teaching him what he needed to know.
"It's ok Harry. I'm sure Sirius told you that James told both of us the truth long ago. So you're still the little boy I helped babysit and the boy I taught to cast a high-level spell. Just now you actually somewhat look like a Malfoy. Isn't going to change how I treat you. Merlin knows Lily would have my hide." Remus chuckled, stepping forward. Harry quickly got up from his chair, meeting the older wizard halfway, easily accepting the hug he was being offered. Sirius couldn't help smiling as he watched the exchange, hoping having them both around would help grow his confidence and help him heal.
"Well why don't we all three sit down and start figuring out a lesson plan shall we?" Remus questioned, glancing between the two.
:3 :3 :3 :3 :3 Malfoy Manor :3 :3 :3 :3 :3
Draco was silent as he sat in his room, his arms crossed in annoyance as he glared out the window. His mind wandered to the news he was still struggling to accept, hating the twisted feeling in his gut as he thought about the boy that he had learned was his twin, his brother. He glanced up for a moment when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door, figuring it was his mother once again attempting to talk to him. Narcissa stepped into the room, a tired expression on her face as she looked at her first born. The teen sighed before he stood up, walking over to sit next to her on his bed.
"Draco I know this is still all a lot, but you have to remember for tomorrow you can't say anything about it where anyone can hear. It will put both you and...Harry in danger if it's discovered right now that we know the truth." She stated, her tone of voice gentle as she thought about the fact her son had once again slipped through her fingers because she hadn't wanted to believe her husband. She looked at her eldest, taking his hand. She squeezed it for a moment as she watched him, reaching her hand up to brush a strand of his hair out of his face.
"You look so much more handsome when you don't try so hard to impress everyone." She commented, offering a smile. Draco couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head accepting the huge she offered before watching her slip out of the room with a soft goodnight. Since they'd discovered that Harry was his brother she had been taking more time for the little gestures that he hadn't seen her give often. He sighed in frustration before he laid on his bed, not even bothering to get under the blanket as he laid on his side, staring out the large glass windows on the opposite side of the room. He laid there for several hours, not being able to fall asleep as he thought about returning to Hogwarts.
The next day Draco bid his parents bye before boarding the Hogwarts Express, searching for both Harry and his own friends. After searching for any signs of the Gryffindor and finding none he settled into a compartment, figuring maybe he and the Weasleys were just running late per normal. The compartment door opened shortly after, pulling his attention away from the window. Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass stepped into the compartment, both Pureblood heirs greeting him before taking a seat.
"Passed both Granger and Weasley on our way here. I didn't see any sign of Potter and they didn't seem to be in the greatest mood if Weasley's insults were anything to go on." Blaise stated, leaning back with his arms crossed.
"I don't understand why Potter would put up with those two as much as he does. They are constantly with him, Weasley is always complaining, and Granger is bossing him around. Its unbecoming of someone who is heir to a Pureblood house." Daphne stated earning nods in agreement from the boys. She brushed her blonde hair over her shoulder, glaring when the door was opened again. Draco had to hold in an annoyed groan when Pansy slipped in, ignoring the looks she received from the other two in the compartment.
"Have you heard what's going down the train? Potter has apparently been missing for the entire summer according to the complaints from the youngest Weasel. Sounds like something the Headmaster won't be happy about." She stated, sitting down next to Draco. He shifted over closer to the window, so she wasn't sitting nearly in his lap, glaring at her again for a moment. The train jerked slightly before it began to journey to Hogwarts. The four Slytherins talked occasionally but mostly kept to themselves during the long journey, Draco lost in thought. He glanced up with a sneer when the door opened, revealing both Granger and Weasley.
"Malfoy." Weasley sneered, glaring at the blonde-haired wizard. Draco turned his nose up slightly, not even bothering to acknowledge the blood traitor.
"Ronald." Hermione snapped, slapping his arm before she turned her attention back to them.
"We were just going around seeing if anyone has seen Harry. He wasn't able to visit us this summer, so we just wanted to make sure he didn't miss the train again. Don't want a repeat of last year." She stated, forcing a smile on her face in an attempt to be cordial. Daphne glared at the female Gryffindor for a moment before returning to her book.
"We haven't seen any signs of him. Though according to your sister Weasley he ran away. Must have finally gotten embarrassed from being around your family." Pansy jeered, a smirk on her face when Ron's cheeks went red.
"You take that back you slimy snake." Ron sneered, jerking his wand out of his pocket. He pointed it at the four of them, none of the Slytherins bothering to pull theirs.
"Oh yes. Are you going to attempt to curse one of us? Don't you remember how well that worked for you last year Weasel? Except this time Potter is here to save your sorry arse." Draco sneered, glaring at them.
"Alright, as entertaining as this is, you two came into our compartment uninvited and have vastly overstayed your welcome. We all have better things to do than listen to Weasley go on about how horrible our house is and Granger acting like the prissy know it all we all know she is. So leave before I summon one of the Perfects and you can leave with a detention and lose of house points before we've even arrived at Hogwarts. Take your pick." Daphne stated without looking up from her book. Hermione glared at the Slytherin Ice Queen for a moment before grabbing Ron's arm, pulling him away from the compartment. Draco relaxed, leaning back against the seat, releasing a breath as he closed his eyes. He hoped for his mother's sake alone that Harry was at Hogwarts, knowing things wouldn't go well if he was indeed missing again.
Well here's the next chapter. Remember to leave me a review on what you thought. However, flames are not appreciated. But constructive criticism is always welcome.
Current Story Developments & Updates:
Growing Up Within the Nest: HTTYD – currently working on posting the next chapter as well as rewriting a few of the chapters
KeithPidge One-shots: Voltron – working on a few different one-shots I hope to have posted soon
Truth Behind the Light: Harry Potter – taken down and currently working on rewriting it. I feel like I progressed that one too fast in an attempt to post chapters and didn't do it justice. Will be reposted once finished as well as updated.
Everyone stay safe
Until Next Chapter,
Snowbeam12