The Tree
The next morning, Draco gave Florian his blueberries, and Florian gave Draco the remainder of the tea in the pot near him. They were okay again, they decided, as long as Florian talked to Draco. Because Draco would be there for him, no matter what. Now, Florian started to believe it, saying “I may have been somewhat harsh yesterday.” when they were alone before first period.
“Potter!” A voice very familiar called out, one Harry couldn’t help but smile at. He’s been having a hard time, what with the lessons with Dumbledore, everyone in Gryffindor hating him, the Ministry being against him and Florian Malfoy being a fucking Death Eater, that time with Draco was really the only thing that made him happy anymore.
Walking to the courtyard, Harry didn’t expect he’d have to look in a bloody tree for Draco Malfoy. Smiling like an idiot, Harry used his hand to cover his eyes, “How and what are you doing up there?”
In return, Draco smirked, “A magician never reveals his secrets, and obviously I am people watching Potter, get with the program.” He motioned for Harry to join him, shuffling over and properly sitting in the tree so Harry could squish in. Harry didn’t have to think about it before he threw his bag on the floor and unceremoniously climbed the tree plonking himself by Draco.
“Really, why did you come up here?” Harry laughed.
Theo and Blaise were sitting outside in the corner and overheard, “He saw you coming and wanted your attention.”
“That’s enough, Blaise.” Draco did a closing mouth motion with his hand only for it to actually get rid of Blaise’s voice. Harry wasn’t paying close attention to the two Slytherin’s in the corner, so didn’t see what happened. Theo reversed it, and immediately the two rushed off talking in hushed whispers.
“Didn’t know I was worth your precious time, Draco.”
“And don’t you forget it.” Draco flicked Harry and the other boy laughed.
“Is climbing trees a regular thing for you?” Asked Harry, looking at everyone through the thin vines and small leaves of the tree.
“New experience.” Draco shrugged.
“Didn’t peg you as the outdoorsy type, honestly.”
“Really?” Dramatically, Draco gasped, “I embody the wilderness.”
“Sure, sure.” Harry nodded, “And I’m in love with Florian.”
“You better not be!” Draco complained, whacking Harry’s stomach.
“Don’t worry,” Harry squeezed Draco’s hand, as nervous as ever but he was not going to show that, “there’s only one Malfoy for me.” It was a moment Harry didn’t think he’d ever be able to have, but here it was. A moment with someone he has feelings for and it isn’t awkward. Wait. Harry likes Draco Malfoy!?
In the common room, Draco was bombarded by Florian, Theo and Blaise. It was like they were initiating him and had to kidnap him to begin. Ignoring them, Draco briskly walked to his room, believing this will deter them from their questions. “You can do wandless and wordless magic, Draco.” Theo declared as he slammed the door open.
“A little sophistication, Nott?” Florian rolled his eyes and folded his arms. Closing the door with his foot, Florian made his way to be in line with Blaise and Theo.
“I’m sorry we’re not all perfect, Malfoy, but we just found out he can do very fucking advanced magic!”
“Yes, can you tell us how, where and why?” Blaise interrupted, speaking for the first time.
The other two stopped their squabbling for Draco to answer. There was no way out of this, so Draco sighed. “I’ve always been able to do it. I never knew wands actually existed. I thought what I could do was weird, not wizardly.”
“So you could do spells without actually knowing they were spells?” Asked Blaise, taking a seat in Draco’s desk chair.
He nodded, “I still can.” Draco held out his hand for the ink pot to fly to it and it did. Then, he sent it back and conjured a ball of light in his palm.
“And nobody else knows?” Florian tactically asked.
“No, no-one else.”
“But why?” Theo looked confused. All Draco did was shrug.
“You’re limiting your ability by using a wand. Wands are used to channel your power, but if you can do wandless and wordless magic you’re extremely powerful.” Explained Blaise.
Florian stepped in, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, Zabini.”
“All we’re saying,” Blaise gestured to himself and Theo, “is that you should flaunt it. You’d be getting top marks in everything.”
Draco thought about it and thought about it. Deciding it’s fine, that it’s okay that everyone can know about his abilities. Therefore, when time came for Charms, Draco left his wand in his dorm. In the lesson that day, they were doing the bird-conjuring charm after the week of doing theory and written work on the charm. “Firstly, we’ll try one bird. Think about the bird you want to conjure, and don’t forget the wand movement and to pronounce clearly.” Flitwick demonstrated from his book stack/stool.
Draco imagined an owl, one that looked like an eagle. He’d seen so many owls in the school and Hedwig was so gorgeous, so was Florian’s great horned-owl, like it was a regal treasure. Closing his eyes, he tuned out all the noise around him, did the movement with his hand and said the spell out loud. Then, in front of his eyes, was a beautiful, hard-looking Eurasian eagle-owl.
“Why, Mister Malfoy,” Flitwick took off his glasses, wiped them over then put them back on again, “that is mighty impressive!” He cheered. “Thirty points for Slytherin!” Hermione scowled, wanting to be the first person to accomplish the spell. She had been trying for a while in the common room for a while, only for it to fail every time.
He was sitting beside Harry, who’s jaw had hit the floor. Not only was it impressive, it made Harry feel a way he had never felt before. Ever. “I didn’t know you could do that.” He whispered, not wanting his normal voice to disturb the room’s stunned silence.
“There’s dozens more where that came from.” Draco whispered back. Neither saw Florian scowling on the other side of the room.
At dinner, Draco was the talk of the school, even amongst the teachers. Professor’s McGonagall, Flitwick, Snape and Dumbledore were looking at him, all for different reasons. In addition the stares and the whispers, it was mail day. For the first time, Draco received a letter, one with the Malfoy crest on the front of it. “It’s from Narcissa and Lucius.”
“Yes, well done, you can read Draco, fabulous.” Florian unhelpfully added. “Well? Open it.”
Carefully, he skimmed his finger over the fold and opened it so the envelope didn’t rip.
Dear son,
We love you, Narcissa and I, and we are incredibly proud of you, managing to master wandless and wordless magic at seventeen. We never wanted to give you up, you have to understand that, son. However, Narcissa and I would like to explain in person, if you will agree to a parental visit to the Headmaster’s office sometime next week, whenever you feel ready.
Sincerely,
Lucius Malfoy
After reading the first line, Florian wished he was in Draco’s place (Mother and Father said they were proud of Draco! Of a son they have never met! A son they didn’t want!). Florian left, going back to the task at hand, and Draco desperately wanted to follow but decided Florian needed a bit of alone time.
In the middle of dinner, Harry Potter willingly came over to the Slytherin table, standing by the seat Florian was previously in. “What are you doing?” Draco hissed.
“Who’s the letter from?”
“You know who it’s bloody from!” He bit, slapping Harry with the parchment.
“Can we talk outside?”
Draco surveyed everyone there, looking at the Slytherin’s all glaring at him (especially Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle) and the Gryffindor’s giving him the same expression. “Five minutes.”
Outside the Great Hall, Draco allowed Harry to read the letter and immediately Harry told Draco not to agree to this, that Dumbledore would never agree to this. Draco took it with a grain of salt, allowing Harry’s protectiveness to slide and went back into the Great Hall without replying.
After dinner, Draco tried to think where Florian would go, and the only place he knew was the Owlery. Walking up the steps, Draco shivered at the cold, and whispered a heating charm, rubbing his hands together, and suddenly he felt hotter, warmer, cosy. “Hi.” Draco greeted, seeing Florian shivering on the bench with his owl in his lap.
“Fuck off, half breed.” Florian bit, continuing to stroke Rigel’s feathers.
“He isn’t proud of me, Florian. And he doesn’t love me. At all. You must know that?” He calmly stated.
“Easy for you to say.” Mumbled the boy, finally releasing his owl so it could join the others. “You’ve never had real parents to approve of you, have you?”
“You are as deranged as bloody Lovegood if you think I wanted Narcissa and Lucius to raise me.” Draco scoffed, folding his arms, “They sound mean, manipulative and cruel.”
“Do not talk about my parents like that!” Raged the boy, pulling out his wand.
But Draco got there first, moving his hand to create a rectangle and saying “Colloshoo” out loud. “Our parents, Florian, you cannot deny their methodology seems… deranged.”
Florian laughed, “You don’t know deranged.” He laughed again, concerning Draco, “Did you grow up with all your most beloved pets miraculously dying when you named them? With House-elves as your carers? With decorum lessons where you were starved if you so much as went to pick up the wrong fork?”
“No, I didn’t.” Draco unstuck Florian’s shoes, “I grew up with only one person that liked me, in a home full of random children who left and were immediately replaced. I grew up in a home for children, Florian, not a fucking mansion.”
“That is not my fault!”
“When did those words leave my mouth?”
“It was implied!”
“Florian!” Draco tried again, “You are the only family I’m concerned about, the only one I will defend with my life!” He went on, seeing the tears form at the corners of his brother’s eyes and he began the array of blood-purist insults. As Florian called him a muggle-lover, telling him ‘The Dark Lord will set you straight’, Draco walked closer and held Florian close, letting the insults wash over him. Florian was hurting, and so was Draco. But Draco wouldn’t allow his emotions to overtake him so easily, wanting Florian to be calm and OK before he released his own. Tightly, Florian clung to Draco’s robes as he sobbed and sobbed and sobbed.