Chapter Eighteen

Hey, all sorry for the late chapter! For those who don't know, I work in the government... life has been rough recently for obvious reasons. Sorry for the three week update and also for how much angst is in this chapter. Hope you like it and stay safe our there, peeps!
Warning for this chapter: child abuse and language
November had been both busy and relaxing for Harry. It was announced on Monday that Professor Quirrell had left and wouldn't be returning, which was confusing because his Professor hadn't said anything. Harry had tried to get his guardian to tell him what happened, but the man had refused. Harry was happy the Professor had left because he would no longer get those horrible migraines in Defense—it also had made Defense more informative without the man's horrible stutter ruining his lectures—but it made no sense for the man to leave and not be told why. Harry was tempted to find out why, and his other friends agreed that it was weird for him to go before the holiday break. Harry brought it up at Study Group, and everyone decided to ask around to find out what had happened.
Study Group had been a bright spot of his month, with all his new friends learning to get along. His new Slytherin friends were all so different and interesting, and Harry had made sure to spend equal time with each one. Vince and Greg were inseparable, so Harry spent time with them together. They were cousins through their mothers and had spent their whole lives like brothers. They were both relatively quiet, but their hobbies differed. Greg liked to play instruments and hadn't found one he couldn't figure out within a week—sadly, he couldn't show them since the school had no music programs. Vince was really into baking, which mainly was a well-kept secret as it was looked down upon by pure-bloods due to them thinking House-elves were meant to do that work. Harry loved to discuss both hobbies with them while they worked on homework.
Daphne was sometimes a little too sharp with her words, but she was also very kind and understanding. She seemed to see Harry a little too well, and it made him uncomfortable. Harry still spoke with her, but Ron was mainly the one to spend time with her as both seemed to be chess prodigies. It had taken some convincing for Ron to even speak with the Slytherins, but within a week, the two had created a chess tournament and ended in a draw in the finals. They were mad, but Harry loved seeing them getting along.
Tracey was another Slytherin Ron had befriended, and Harry also loved speaking with her. She was confident and outspoken, but her words were never harsh. Sometimes, like Ron, she spoke without thinking, but she was never unkind. Ron had spent most of his time talking about Quidditch with her, which was one of her favourite things about the wizarding world. She hadn't spent as much time in the wizarding world because she was a half-blood. Her mother was a pure-blood and her other mother a muggle, but Tracey was confident that she hadn't missed out as she was also football-mad as well. She was adamant that she got the best of both worlds due to the two sports. Harry thought it was good that the girl could talk about the muggle world in a positive way for Ron and the other pure-bloods without coming across badly, as Hermione did.
Hermione had found her own people in Slytherin as well. She and Daphne were very chatty, both interested in some of the same subjects—though what subject was Hermione not into. Hermione also spoke with Theo since they both seemed to love reading. But unlike Hermione, Theo was less about spitting out information he read and more about rationalizing it and applying it to real-world instances. Theo also didn't read anything he didn't find interesting, and one of his worst traits might have been lording the usefulness of Hermione's books over her. Theo had never read their history book or defense text, but he had consoled Hermione by explaining that he had read other better texts. Hermione had still been set off into a tangent, but Theo seemed determined to get through to her about the weight of knowledge.
Neville seemed to surprisingly find quiet friendship in Millie, who was quiet but much more confident than Neville. They both seemed to love their pets, and Millie had a cat as her pet. They also found interest in Herbology and were the two members in charge of tutoring Herbology. The other girl would hopefully rub off on the skittish boy, but Harry had already told his Professor his concerns with Neville. Harry wasn't worried since the man was the best he knew to handle home life concerns.
Blaise might have been Harry's preferred Slytherin as the boy seemed to treat Harry calmly without seeming like he pitied him. The boy was charming and always had this way of making everyone join in a conversation. He was also as observant as Daphne—annoyingly so—and had taken to bringing Harry snacks to Study Group—Harry had no idea where he kept getting them. He appreciated the boy for it either way and had a great time speaking about potions with him.
It was during these talks of potions that Harry had noticed Draco wanting to join in their conversations. So far, the boy had come to the group, but he would hardly speak to anyone who was not a pureblood, and while he didn't disparage Tracey, he never talked to her either. Most of the other Slytherins—except Draco's own best friend, Pansy—gave him a hard time when Draco said something snobbish. Harry was happy someone else would since he didn't think the boy wanted to hear the corrections from him. Draco's attitude wasn't completely fixed during the month, but he had stopped bringing up Harry's homelife except the one time, and he was oddly curious about Theo's and Millie's Dads. The other more discreet Slytherins would take over, making him quiet or shooting knowing looks, but Harry wasn't sure what they knew that the blonde was just now figuring out.
The change in Draco's attitude made Harry less fearful of the coming holiday period, but he was still unsure about what it would be like to live in the same house as the boy the whole time. His Professor tried to get him to talk about it throughout the month, but Harry kept his reservations to himself. He never wanted to talk about how it had made him feel to be second to a child who got everything, not when it was obvious that would happen again. The man might call him selfish or think him some horrid brat who didn't deserve to spend holidays with their family.
It would be more people than planned, as Draco's Mum and her boyfriend were staying at the manor, so Draco didn't have to have a split Christmas. Harry could see it had changed Draco after his Professor and Lucius had sat them down to tell them after dinner one night in mid-November. The boy seemed less sneering toward Harry and mostly avoided even looking at him. It was great for Harry because it was how he planned to survive at Malfoy Manor, disappearing from view and trying to not be noticed.
Harry would begin hiding after they rode the train back from Hogwarts, which his Professor had only agreed to allow after volunteering to chaperone the train. The man continued to be worried about Headmaster Dumbledore and owed Professor Sinastra for watching over the Slytherins over break.
It was about time to board the train, and Harry and all his friends were meeting in the Entrance Hall to say goodbye to those who were staying over break. Millie, Theo, Neville, and Ron were all staying at Hogwarts over break. Harry wished all three a 'happy hols' and promised Ron to send him sweets. Everyone exchanged goodbyes before Professor McGonagall called everyone to the carriages. Harry shared his carriage with Hermione, Daphne, Blaise, and Tracey, and while they let him fade into the background, he listened to all their excitement over the plans they had with their families. Hermione was skiing in Switzerland, Daphne was excited to see her little sister, Blaise was looking forward to the warmth of Italy, and Tracey was excited to see a few football matches on the telly her Mum had taped for her. Harry didn't know how a Malfoy Christmas would be or Yule if that was what they celebrated, so he just tried to smile and be happy for his friends.
They made it to the train, and all took the time to find a larger compartment, but it was settled that they would get two side-by-side and move about freely. Harry settled into one, knowing he didn't have the cheer to move about and hear about everyone's usual Christmas plans. Harry was happy he wasn't going to the Dursleys and would never tell anyone about his usual Christmas there. However, he did feel left out of all the talks of family traditions and vacations, and it made a hollow ache appear in his gut as he listened to everyone gush about their past holidays and families.
"Alright, Harry?"
Harry snapped from staring morosely at his fingers to see Blaise had taken a seat next to him. The boy was always conscious of Harry's space and never crowded him, always leaving enough room between them for Harry to move freely. It was nice. "'M fine, Blaise."
The boy scoffed, his thin brow arched in disbelief. "Sure you are. I can get them to stop talking if you like?"
The knowing look on Blaise's face made Harry flush. He knew the boy was observant, but somehow, he thought he was doing a better job at being a good friend. Harry could never be a good friend because he was a selfish, jealous brat, which was why all his friends would eventually hate him. Harry bit his lip and shook his head, not daring to look up at Blaise.
"It's okay to want them to stop talking about it, Harry. I won't even make it about you. I'll just redirect them."
"It's stupid, Blaise, and not fair to them. They're just excited to see their families."
"They wouldn't want that to make you feel bad, Harry."
Blaise's shoulder slowly moved closer and soon he was bumping into Harry, but not rough or mean. Harry smiled shyly, knowing other boys had done this with their friends and feeling buoyed by the motion. "It's me that is making me feel bad, Blaise. I don't think they even know it's bothering me."
Blaise hummed, his finger coming up to trace his lips. "I suppose we can't hold their idiocy against them… Maybe, we should talk about it."
Harry's eyes grew wide, but the darker-skinned boy just smiled reassuringly. "Don't look as if I am asking you to perform fifth year spells. I just want to help you feel better."
Harry sighed, knowing the boy might be right but having a hard time really coming to a point where he could say everything. He had never told anyone except his Professor and the ministry worker about his life with the Dursleys, and he worried that telling someone his age would make them think he was a freak. "I-I don't know if I should… You… it's fre… different."
"I don't think it is for me… When I was seven, my mom had married a third man, and when she would be gone for long periods, he would lock me in my room and not feed me. He had me convinced that my mother would never believe me and that she wanted him to teach me to respect him. When she found out… Well, I don't really know what she did, but I never saw him again."
Harry's eyes were wide as he looked at the calm face of Blaise, the taller one, who kept eye contact with him throughout the whole story. Blaise didn't seem ashamed or even scared to talk about the man, and Harry knew the boy had opened up to make him feel better. It was only right Harry did the same. "I-I don't have any traditions like everyone else… They… My family didn't want me. They never wanted me, and on holidays, they would have me cook all the meals before locking me in my… room. I never even got to taste it, and I never got gifts… Well, that's not true. They gave me a wire coat hanger one year… They said my mother should have used it rather than have me."
Harry progressively started looking at his knees to keep from seeing Blaise's expression. Therefore, he was surprised when the dark-skinned hand grabbed his and squeezed. Harry looked up in shock to see Blaise staring at him consolingly, not an ounce of pity or disgust to be seen. Harry doubted the boy would touch him otherwise since all the people who considered him a freak had only ever touched him to hit him.
"Thank you for telling me, Harry. It's probably hard to hear everyone excited, even though you are going to get to spend it at Malfoy Manor. They have a lot of traditions, but I would rather not spoil the surprise."
Harry gulped, swallowing around the want to deny taking part in the Malfoy family traditions. It was only his first Christmas with the family, and they hardly knew him. He highly doubted he would be invited to their family affairs. Better to keep that knowledge to himself rather than have Blaise think him some whining baby. "Thanks, Blaise."
The boy gave him a rare genuine smile without his usual sarcastic tilt before directing the conversation with a well-placed question to Hermione about the Transfiguration homework. Harry let the conversation around him fill his ears, trying to beat out all the negative thoughts and worries he had about the next two weeks, and his hand was warmly grasped in Blaise's while the boy masterfully charmed the compartment into doing homework together for the rest of the trip.
It must have been several hours later that Harry felt his shoulder being jostled. He sat upright immediately, wide-eyed and worried he was going to be hit for not being up in time to cook the bacon. Harry looked around, confused to see everyone in the compartment looking at him worriedly. Harry gulped down the panic, trying to push it away while he smoothed his hair nervously. "Are we there then?"
Blaise leaned forward into his line of sight with a smile. "Yes, we are only a few minutes away. We thought you might want to pack away your books. You fell asleep during History homework."
Harry flushed at the teasing smile coming onto Blaise's face at the mention of the dreaded History class. Harry avoided the boy's gaze while he stuffed his book and some loose parchment into his bag. Everyone else had already looked away and acted like nothing had happened—like Harry hadn't acted like a mental patient from being shaken awake. He wished he could act normal, but he was pretty sure that could never happen in his life. It was his own fault for talking about the Dursleys, as they had been on his mind when he fell into some nightmares where the family and the Malfoys had sort of blended together.
The train stopped, and everyone began to gather their things and leave. They would all probably meet on the platform to introduce everyone to their parents, but for now, everyone was tired of sitting on the train and excited to meet their parents they hadn't seen in months. Harry was less excited, but he wanted to meet Daphne's little sister, Astoria, and was looking forward to meeting Blaise's Mum, the Contessa. He wasn't sure what the title meant, but he hadn't wanted to look stupid by asking.
Harry followed behind everyone as they left the train, most splitting off to walk calmly to waiting families. Harry watched Blaise meet with a darker-skinned woman with beautiful chestnut curls and the prettiest purple eyes he had ever seen—not that anyone had ever had purple eyes that he had seen. The lady hugged Blaise without reservation, and the usually controlled boy had fallen into her without any self-consciousness. Harry's chest hurt for a second, and he turned away to focus on something else. In his movement, he spotted Lucius's tall, blonde head, standing next to a lady with a blonde streak in her dark hair and a darker-skinned man in deep purple robes.
Harry was nervous about approaching them, watching Draco, in all his pure-blood snobbery, approach like a peacock. The lady smiled softly at him and spoke to him while the younger blushed. They looked happy and smiling, and Harry started feeling dread pool in his belly from knowing he would interrupt their family dynamic. The knowledge had him moving in place, jittery and trying to convince himself to approach the family. The lack of his Professor also made him nervous, and he wished the man didn't have to patrol the train for students before joining them.
"Boy!"
Harry's heart seemed to stop in his chest before restarting like a rabbit, pounding quicker than he thought natural. Harry knew that tone, that voice, and that anger, and his body felt cold all over. Harry didn't want to turn toward the voice, but he knew not acknowledging the man would make the pain worse. Harry looked to his right, seeing what might be Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley, but they looked slightly different-bad even. They had bags under their eyes and looked like they had lost some weight. Harry wasn't sure what had happened to them, but he knew they would blame him. It was always his fault.
The large man stalked forward, Aunt Petunia trying to stop him with a hand on his arm, but the man shook her off in his approach to Harry. Harry wanted to run, but his feet felt frozen to the ground while they shook in place. The large walrus-looking man grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him slightly where Harry could feel it tighten near his throat. Harry wanted to call out, but his voice felt tight, and his fear made him want to shut down.
"Remove the curse from us, boy! You think you can send one of these freaks to curse us, and we will just take it! You're a vile, evil cretin! Ungrateful bastard of a child! I should have drowned you like Marge suggested, disgusting whelp!"
Harry's teeth rattled as the man shook him violently before some gust of wind sent the man flying—luckily, the surprise had him letting go of Harry. Harry was about to land harshly on the ground when large hands grasped him, pulling him until his face was able to bury itself into a familiar neck with a curtain of dark hair.
"What the hell do you think you were doing, Dursley?"
Harry felt his Professor turn, making his body a buffer between him and his Uncle. More voices joined in now, and a hand found its place rubbing between his shoulder blades. Harry peeked out from his hiding place to see Draco's Mum was the one rubbing his back. The other raised voices were Lucius and the dark-skinned man approaching Vernon.
"How dare you touch him!" Lucius shouted, his voice harsher than Harry had ever heard.
"Stand up, Dursley, you are under arrest for harming a magical child in the presence of an Auror."
Harry's Uncle looked red in the face and shaking with rage as he was approached by the two wizards. "Arrest! You freaks can't arrest normal people! You disgusting-"
One of the adults had sent a spell at his Uncle, and the man could no longer make a sound. His mouth was moving without noise, and while that made Harry feel a bit more relaxed, he still could not stop shaking. Harry watched, nearly stunned to see his Uncle put in handcuffs by the man in the purple robes. The large walrus man struggled, but the stocky, tall man had no trouble with handcuffing the man.
"Stop, please! Don't arrest him. Severus! Please, we just want the curse lifted," Harry's Aunt pleaded.
Harry was unsurprised when his Professor turned around, a whimper still escaping him at the move, but a strong hand was rubbing through his hair within seconds, calming him. "You come here and ambush an eleven-year-old that you abused, and then you dare to ask for my mercy! Your punishment is everything you deserve, you vile woman! Lily would be ashamed!"
Harry buried his face back in the man's neck, not wanting to see his Aunt's face any longer. His Professor smoothed his hair, but he didn't turn his back yet. "Severus, please. We never wanted him! None of you cared to check on him!"
Harry felt the man stiffen, and he hated that the man was probably feeling guilty. Harry didn't blame him for those years, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself by speaking. "Be that as it may, Tuney. You are the one who harmed him, and that will not go unpunished. Count your days for as soon as Harry allows it, we will be bringing you up on charges."
Harry whimpered, and his Professor finally turned away, his hands going back to rubbing his head in comfort. "Shhh, Harry, we'll leave soon. They can't hurt you again. I have you."
"I will escort you from here, Dursley."
"Allow me to assist you, Kingsley," Harry heard Lucius say.
Kingsley must have been Draco's Mum's boyfriend, the man in the purple robes who called himself an Auror. Harry knew from his lessons with his Professor and Lucius that those were the wizarding police. There seemed to be less yelling but no less commotion. The mortification that this had all happened in front of most of his friends and classmates came over Harry like a wave. His face dug more into his Professor's neck.
"Is he alright, Professor?" Harry heard Blaise ask.
The boy must have approached them after the commotion had died down—at least, Harry hoped he hadn't heard everything—and Harry was reminded that he was meant to meet his friends' parents after finding the Malfoys. There was no way he was doing that now, and he doubted any of their parents would let them be friends with a freak like him. They would all see he was unwanted, a freak, and a burden, and just like in the muggle world, he would be alone.
"Harry." Harry heard his Professor call him, unsure if that was the first time and peeked his head out from the curtain of hair. The man looked concerned, and harsh lines were still taunt around his mouth. "Would you like to speak with your friends, Harry? They're all rather worried."
Harry's eyes widened at the statement. "Worried? Don't they never want to talk to me again?"
The man's face softened, a sad smile coming to his lips. "Of course not, Harry. They are all rather worried, but currently, I have us behind some privacy wards."
Harry was shocked enough to peek his head from his hiding place, seeing a distorted shield surrounding the two of them. He hadn't even noticed because of how worried he was about what his friends would think of him. Harry still wasn't sure he could face them if they heard everything his Uncle and Aunt had said about him. "Do I have to?"
The man looked pained but nodded. "Yes, I do think you should. It would be good for you to see how concerned they are for you, Harry."
Harry frowned, but he didn't want to make a fuss. The man was already kind to him when everyone knew he was a freak, and Harry was lucky the man hadn't pushed him away. Harry would refuse to be put down, not when he didn't know if the Dursleys could return. His Professor must have known that because he only took down the wards with a wave of his free hand.
Harry was shocked to see all his new friends crowded around, waiting for him-their parents also behind each of them, looking concerned. Harry was red with embarrassment from all the attention, but he knew his Professor wanted him to hear this. Harry would do anything as long as the man didn't put him down or make him go with the Durselys.
Blaise was the first to step toward him; his own mother had a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay, Harry?" Harry nodded, but he knew it was a lie. Blaise probably knew, too, since he was so perceptive, but Harry was already sure the boy would spit something vile at him. "That's good, Harry. We were all really worried."
Hermione stepped forward, her face earnest. "We really were worried, Harry. Are you sure you feel okay?"
Harry bit his lip, but one tap to his hip from his Professor made him stop. "'M fine, Mione."
Harry wished they would leave it, and some of that must have appeared on his face because Daphne stepped forward with a smaller blonde girl attached to her. "Harry, this is my sister, Astoria."
The smaller blonde was clinging to her older sister. Harry smiled as well as he could. "Nice to meet you, Astoria."
A taller, blonde man and a brown-haired woman stepped up behind the two girls. Daphne looked behind them to smile up at them before turning back to Harry. "This is my mother Lady Soleil Greengrass, and my father, Lord Jamison Greengrass."
"Well met, Heir Potter," Mr. Greengrass said.
Harry inclined his head since he couldn't bow like Lucius had taught him. "Nice to meet you, sir."
The man smiled gently and inclined his head back. Daphne's Mum smiled as well, but she placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. Harry was concerned that she didn't want them to be near him, but he understood she might be worried that his freakishness was contagious. Harry assumed he probably wouldn't have a friendship with the girl once they returned to Hogwarts, just like in primary school when Aunt Petunia would tell kind kids' parents about him, and those nice kids would become not-so-nice.
Blaise stepped closer, his hand going out to grasp Harry's. "You should meet my mother next, Harry. This is the Contessa Zabini. Mother, this is Harry Potter."
Harry was taken by the pretty lady's smile and wonderful eyes. "I have heard great things about you, Heir Potter. I am so happy to have met you. I hope this snafu in your holiday has not tainted our meeting."
Harry shook his head, glad to hear sincerity in her greeting. "No, no! I'm happy to have met you, Contessa. Blaise has talked about you a lot, and I looked forward to meeting you."
Hermione seemed to be bouncing because of her inability to wait, and Harry smiled at the Contessa, who, like her son, was quick to understand his unspoken words. Hermione shot forward, both of her parents' hands in her own. "Harry! These are my parents! This is my Mum, Jean Granger and my Dad, Hugo Granger."
Harry was distracted by a noise to his right, where he saw Draco standing with his Mum. His Mum seemed to nudge him, and Harry noticed the boy's open mouth closing quickly. Harry ignored them after that, speaking with the Grangers for a few moments, who, while looking concerned, did not bring up what had happened. Her parents also seemed to keep Hermione corralled, and Harry was thankful not to hear her questions so soon after the event.
Next was Theo's dad, who his Professor was quick to glare at when he stepped forward, but that didn't stop his Professor from scheduling tea with the older man for the next day. Harry was concerned about what was wrong with his Professor, but too much had happened for him to question the man. There were a few more people around, but Harry had since buried his face into his Professor's neck, ready to leave but too overwhelmed to ask for it.
"I think we can leave now. Harry, do you want to say goodbye to anyone?"
"Bye," Harry said softly.
Several others echoed him, some with promises to write, but Harry had no expectations for that to continue. Their parents would explain he was horrible, and they would no longer talk to him after the break. It was nice while it lasted.
"Hold tight and keep your eyes closed. This might make you sick."
Harry nodded, and the world felt topsy-turvy as his Professor spun on his heel. It could have been several seconds or minutes before they landed. Harry's stomach heaved, but luckily, he had fallen asleep before he could eat lunch on the train. Nothing came from the heaving, and his Professor was quick to rub his back while his body tried to right itself.
After his stomach stopped doing flip-flops, Harry was acutely aware that he was still grasping onto the man, who carried him without fuss like he was some kind of toddler. Harry tried not to think about the fodder he had given Draco by doing that in the meaner boy's presence, but hopefully, the silent truce held out, and the boy would not hold it against him.
Harry wiggled, and his Professor easily set him down in what looked to be an opulent, over-the-top entrance hall. Harry's eyes grew wider and wider with each look at all the white marble floors, walls, and columns that made up the entryway to what had to be Malfoy Manor. Even though Lucius had tried to prepare him, Harry doubted he would ever be ready to be in a house that cost more than the entire neighbourhood at Privet Drive.
"Why don't we meet everyone in the dining room, Harry?"
Harry looked up at his Professor and shrugged, still not feeling up to more words if he could help it. Harry was truly afraid he might make an even bigger fool of himself by sobbing and begging his Professor not to get rid of him. The darker-clothed man gestured for him to follow and began leading him through the entrance hall, through a portrait-lined corridor intersected with vases and art that was probably meant to be in a museum rather than a house.
They passed an open archway of a ballroom, two sitting room-like areas, and some closed doors, and finally, after a few turns, they reached the dining room. Harry didn't think he would make it to most meals here, even if he were allowed to eat them with the family. There was no way he would be able to find his way in this big manor. Harry kept from saying as much as he was directed into a seat next to Severus, who was on Lucius's right. He and Kingsley had beat them to the manor, and the dark-skinned man was positioned directly across from Severus, leaving the seat by him for Draco's Mum. Harry hoped Draco would sit next to his own mother rather than by him.
Draco's Mum entered with a lagging Draco, who greeted everyone except Harry very formally and took the seat beside his mother. Narcissa had smiled warmly at everyone, including Harry, which made him feel less awkward sitting in a huge room with only five people. Draco didn't seem awkward or uncomfortable. He fit here, with these people and in this manor. The jealousy was uncomfortable as it stirred in Harry's stomach.
"Good, everyone is finally home!" Lucius commented a bit loudly and with a giant smile.
Harry was included in his warm gaze, which helped calm his anxiety a little. "We are proud of both of you boys for your grades this year, and we hope to have less incidents of misbehaviour in the New Year. Right, Narcissa?"
The woman glared sternly at her son before giving him a smile. "I think we can expect better in the coming year, correct, Draco?"
The small blonde rolled his eyes, building dread in Harry's stomach. He didn't want confrontation and had no idea why Draco would antagonize the adults. It was always terrible when you did that. "I had all O's, Mother. If grades are the concern, turn your concerns to Potter."
The woman pursed her lips. "Grades are not a concern for you or Harry. But, attitude most certainly is. Respect, Draco."
The blonde flushed, and Harry was surprised to see the confrontation so lacklustre and quickly defused. It had scared him for a moment, but this family seemed different in how they handled attitudes, or it was like with Dudley and the boy would go unscathed, unlike Harry, who would be in trouble if he did the same. The thought stirred something ugly in Harry, but he shoved that away.
The discussion moved around to plans for the Holidays, which mainly seemed centred around what they usually did. Harry allowed himself to fade into the background with nothing to contribute and the knowledge that he was unlikely to be included in their festivities. The adults tried to include him by speaking about what he would like to do during the break, but he mostly shrugged off the questions. They eventually let him remain quiet, but Harry could see his Professor watching him with concern. Harry felt horrible for making the man worry while he was off work and finally free from watching over so many kids.
Harry let himself look from under his eyelashes at the other boy at the table. Draco had not seemed as snide in his comments, and he kept shooting glances at Harry when no one was looking. The boy didn't look angry or mean in his looks, but Draco seemed to be thinking a lot while he searched Harry—though for what, Harry did not know. Maybe he didn't know what to believe after seeing Harry's relatives.
Dinner was coming to an end when Lucius shot to his feet, startling Harry a bit, but luckily, not making him cause a scene. His Professor put a calming hand on his shoulder even without Harry causing too much fuss, and Harry flushed deeply from the knowledge that the man knew he was that anxious for no reason.
"Are you ready to see your room, Harry?!"
Harry shot a wide-eyed look at the enthusiastic Lucius, but he could only manage a small nod. The man seemed too excited to let Harry's reluctance affect him, and the man excitedly led Harry back to the entry hall and up the stairs to the second floor. It was several halls they walked through—Lucius explaining along the way what wing of the house went where. The far right-wing was for family, and it was where everyone's rooms were in the family.
Severus and Lucius had the first room on the right—a master suite, he said, which Harry didn't know what that meant, but he nodded anyway. The room right across from them was another master suite that Narcissa and Kinglsey were staying in, and to their right was Draco's room since he moved out of the nursery—that information had caused the procession behind them to snicker or squawk in outrage in Draco's case. Lucius ignored that and went to a room two doors down from Lucius and Severus' room, the door opening without much time.
Harry was stunned to see a room with blue rugs on the marble floor, the walls painted in a deeper blue with a mural on one wall of magical animals in a forest. The ceiling had a night sky painted on it, and Harry hoped the stars would light up in the dark. The large four-poster took up one wall with a nightstand on each side. The bedspread looked to be made to look like the night sky as well, with white sheets. There was a large desk, and shelves settled on a wall next to a window with a window seat, and the shelves already had several books filling up the shelves with room for him to add his own. There was also a standing wardrobe and a dresser, but Harry hoped the man hadn't bought him more clothes when he had so many already. The wall opposite the bed was a fireplace, already tended and making the room cosy, and the sofa propped in front of it with a throw across the back looked so comfy.
"There's a personal bathroom as well."
Harry's eyes widened more at the statement, and Lucius took the initiative to usher him to the door. Harry peeked in to see a giant bathroom with a large tub and a walk-in shower and promptly closed the door. He looked back to see Lucius looking at him in anticipation. Harry's mouth opened and closed for a minute, trying to find the right words to thank the man while feeling so overwhelmed. "T-thank you," was as much as he could manage.
The blonde man looked happy, and he patted Harry's shoulder enthusiastically. "You're very welcome, Harry. Please, just let me know if you need anything at all."
Harry was too overwhelmed to respond but nodded to show he understood the man. Harry watched his Professor grab the man's shoulder and whisper in his ear before they both smiled down at him. "We'll let you unpack, Harry. If you need us, you know where our room is, but I'll be back soon to check on you."
Harry nodded to the man, and after a comforting squeeze to his shoulder, the two men left the room, shutting the door behind them. Harry sighed, aware that the men likely knew he was some anxious wreck who couldn't handle getting a new room. It had already been such a long day with too many things for him to handle, and he worried he had already ruined the holiday for everyone. Harry could only hope his plan to stay out of the way would keep him from ruining it more.