Chapter 15
Quick recap.
“Am I correct in assuming that it didn’t go well?” Narcissa asked softly.
“Bastards threw out the case when they found out that the victim was a ‘filthy halfbreed’.” Severus snarled.
“They were fined for animal abuse.” Lucius spat, disgusted.
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“What?!” Narcissa squawked. “You can’t be serious!”
Boy’s quiet tears restarted. He felt bad for ruining Lucius’ robes, but he just couldn’t help himself. Dazedly, he noted being shifted and he was now facing Severus and Narcissa, but he was still on Lucius’ lap. He heard a beeping noise from near Severus.
“Time to deactivate your brace, Harry.” Severus said, flicking his wand to shut off the alarm.
Sniffling, Boy did as asked, letting his leg fall limp.
“I’ll need to write to Madam Pomfrey about where to get those ingenious braces.” Narcissa said thoughtfully. “With a bit of luck, and a lot of proper feeding, you’ll need a new one by your birthday.”
Boy wiped his eyes on his baggy sleeve. “‘Kay,” he replied weakly, doubting it. That was only a few months away. There was no way he’d grow that much, but he wasn’t going to argue.
A familiar little brown barn owl with tan and white stripes on its chest flew into the open window. Boy was confused at why Penny’s owl was delivering mail to Narcissa.
As she scanned the letter, she was smiling, and actually giggled at one point. When she was finished, she refolded the letter and gave Boy a mock-glare. “It seems like you’ve been keeping a very big secret from me, Harry.”
What? He’d answered every question they asked! “I haven’t!” He said, shaking his head.
“According to Misses Clearwater, Odoa and Elison, you are quite the little hairdresser.” Her smile was warm.
Severus snorted. “That’s putting it mildly.”
“What do you mean, Severus?” Lucius asked.
Finishing off his cognac, Severus put down his glass. “Every Hogsmeade weekend, there is a line of females from three of the four houses, all wanting to ‘get pretty’ for dates.”
“It’s not just girls,” Boy rolled his eyes, sniffling once more. “Anderson Whittaker and Jason Alaverez from Hufflepuff are regulars, and the Weasley twins both let me do theirs a couple of times when the girls were busy. Those two didn’t leave the room though.”
Boy felt Lucius’ stomach moving as he laughed quietly.
“Yes, Severus. Don’t be sexist.” The blond man chuckled.
“That reminds me,” Severus mused. “I need to set up a meeting with Mr. Alaverez’s family before the summer holidays begin.”
“Is Jason okay?” Boy asked, worried.
“Are you friends with him, Harry?”
Boy nodded. “He visits the salon every week, and I’ve been tutoring him in potions and advanced runes. Why?”
“Has he mentioned anything… odd to you?”
“Like what?”
“I’m not entirely sure how to ask, without just asking outright.” Severus sighed. “Have you noticed anything to indicate that he is… uncomfortable in his own skin?”
“That’s asking outright?” Boy clapped his hand over his mouth. “I’m so sorry. I just… I’m not sure what you mean.”
Lucius and Narcissa laughed.
“I have a suspicion that Mr. Alaverez is not a homosexual, but indeed, a female.” Severus explained. “Have you seen anything to indicate that I am correct in my thinking?”
“Oh!” Boy was shocked. “Can that happen? Being born in the wrong body?”
“Yes,” he said simply. “Have you noticed anything?”
Thinking about it for a while, Boy nodded. “I think so. Olive and Amelia have a bunch of magazines that he looks through and he talks about how he’d never wear half of what the models do if he had their figures. Stuff like that?”
“That is what I mean, yes. Though, I do hope to remove that word from your vocabulary. Stuff.” Severus shuddered. “I loathe that word.”
All traces of his upset finally gone, Boy muffled a giggle in his sleeve.
“Right,” Narcissa said, standing. She held out her hand. “You and I are going to test your skills, Harry. Let’s see if you can tame this mess of curls.”
“I like your hair curly,” he replied honestly, taking her hand. “But I can fix it if you want. The gel I made for Amelia should work for you.”
“Well, let’s go, then.” Narcissa said, leading him toward a corridor. “You can tell me about your friends while you work your magic. According to Miss Clearwater, your skill is quite astounding.”
Boy blushed, looking at the floor. “I wouldn’t go that far,” he mumbled.
“That will be for me to decide,” she said, sticking her nose in the air.
With one hand in hers and the other on his walking stick, he couldn’t hide the laughter. Remembering over Yule how she reminded Lucius to keep his nose in the air, he kept laughing. Maybe it would be okay.
An hour later, Narcissa sent a single sentence note to her husband.
We are all going to La Cloche Noire.
"Did they really write to you just to tell you that I like doing their hair?" Boy asked her, picking at his nails.
"Lord Clearwater was at the trial." She sat elegantly at her desk. "As a close friend of yours, I believe he decided to alert her, and your other friends by extension, to the outcome before it hits the newspapers. In the letter, they happened to mention that you found the activity helpful when you are upset. The fact that you're wonderful at it, was merely a bonus."
Taking a slow breath, he was able to keep the tears at bay. "Okay."
"Dobby!" She called lightly.
"How can Dobby serve Mistress?" He asked as soon as he popped into the room, bowing low.
"Assist Draco in getting ready. We will be dining at La Cloche Noire this evening. He is to be ready to leave in half an hour."
Dobby nodded excitedly. "Dobby be getting little Master Draco ready now! Does Master Kitten be needing help as well?"
Boy's jaw dropped. "No, thank you. How did you know my nickname?"
"It's something to do with house elf magic," Narcissa explained, looking through a lovely pearl jewelry box. "Thank you, Dobby. You are excused."
"I didn't know that," he mused. There was a lot of common knowledge that he was still ignorant of, despite so many people thinking he was a genius. He still didn't know how to tie his shoes.
"If it makes you uncomfortable," she said, looking away from the two lovely pairs of earrings she held. "I could-"
"Oh! No, not at all!" He was quick to assure her. "I just wasn't sure. I'm rarely called by my real name anyway. It's been so long, I'm actually half surprised when people use it."
“You’re not very fond of your name, are you?” She asked perceptively. Crossing the room, she sat next to the little boy, draping her arm across his shoulders in a comforting manner.
He shrugged, honestly not knowing. “To be truthful…” he bit his lip. “I didn’t grow up hearing it, so I suppose I’m not very… attached to it.”
“Well,” she said with a kind smile. “Then I suppose we have a decision to make, don’t we?”
Confused, Boy looked up into her stormy gray eyes for any kind of clarity.
“When the filing is all completed, you’ll be a part of the family.” She unwrapped herself from his shoulders. “After that, we have the opportunity to change your name. You will have the option to change it.”
“You… you…” Boy’s eyes misted as he struggled to find his words. “You want me to be a part of your family?”
“Of course we do.” She said fiercely, then opted for the silver teardrop earrings with rubies in them. "I quite like the name Kitten. It suits you. Small and huggable, yes, but also with sharp claws and equally sharp wits."
Blushing deeply, Boy twisted his fingers together, keeping his gaze locked firmly on his shoes.
“Lucius and I already love you like a son. We adore you!”
“She is, of course, correct,” came Lucius’ voice from the doorway.
Not understanding even half of the emotions he was feeling, Boy burst out laughing. “According to Olive and Penny, the woman is always right.”
He could analyze his feelings later. Right now, they were too intense. There was a warmth in his belly and a lightness in his chest he’d never felt before. If he focused on it too much, he’d fall to pieces then and there.
“Naturally,” Lucius replied with a knowing smirk. “Cissa, you are a vision. Are you two nearly ready to leave?”
Narcissa summoned a cool, damp rag and gently brushed it over Boy’s heated face.
Boy nodded, hopping off his seat. “Oh, wait.” Looking at Bear, he frowned. “What about Bear? Should I let him outside until we get back, or-”
“Not to worry, Harry,” Lucius said reassuringly, patting Bear’s head. “La Cloche Noire has a rooftop area that will easily accomodate a fearsome beast such as this.”
In true Bear fashion, he gave a tongue-lolling grin and rolled onto his back, just begging for belly rubs.
Narcissa let out a light laugh that sounded almost musical.
Pausing, Boy looked up at his- at Lucius. “Um… Lucius?”
“Yes, Harry?” He asked politely, leading them toward the floo room.
“What’s going to happen when people see us out at a fancy place?”
“I’m not entirely sure what you mean,” the blond said honestly.
“Well,” he began, forcing his hands to stay by his sides. “After… after what happened today… is it… a good idea?”
At that, Lucius smiled. “When I received that note from Cissa, I realized that she was being a very cunning Slytherin. We will be seen tonight, and it will cause gossip, which is exactly what we want.”
“It is?” Boy asked worriedly. “Why?”
“Do you remember meeting Bastien Leigalos?”
Boy nodded, not understanding why Lucius wanted to know.
“He and I, along with many of the purebloods, have spent years attempting to gain equal rights for people with creature blood,” he explained patiently. “Only to have our attempts blocked by the so-called light faction. By being seen tonight, especially after that… disaster of a trial, the public will begin discussing it. The Malfoy name commands respect, and by taking in-”
“Lucius!” Narcissa screeched, horrified.
Boy stared at the floor, his heart sinking. He was a political move and nothing more. “I understand, sir. I’ll behave.”
The door opened and Draco and Severus walked in.
“Is everything alright?” Draco asked, sounding politely curious, while just being nosy.
Without skipping a beat, Lucius told his son that everything was fine. “Go along with Severus and your mother. Harry and I will join you momentarily.”
“Yes, Father.” Draco strode gracefully toward the floo and waited for his mother. “La Cloche Noire!” He called out in a flawless French accent, tossing down a pinch of floo powder.
Ignoring the fact that Severus had yet to leave, Lucius knelt on the floor in front of the young boy. “Harry?”
Without looking up, Boy kept his voice even. “Yes, sir?”
Severus froze. ‘Sir?’ Why in Salazar’s name would Harry call Lucius sir? He had never done that before.
Letting the floo powder fall back into the ceramic pot, Severus simply turned to face the pair in silence.
“What is it that you understand, Harry?” Lucius asked gently. He knew he messed up. Harry might be a Slytherin, but he was not raised that way. Mentally, he was kicking himself.
“I need to be seen as a person, sir.” Boy’s tone was completely flat. “That I’m not just an animal. I’ll be on my best behavior, sir.”
Lucius sighed. “Harry, that is not what I meant. I am thrilled that we were granted custody of you!”
Biting his lip, Boy simply nodded. “I’ll help you, sir.”
“No, I-”
“We should probably go, sir. They’ll be waiting for us.” Boy headed for the floo, trying to force a mask of calm to hide his upset.
Without prompting, Severus picked up the little Vílaupír and called out the name of the restaurant, vanishing in a swirl of emerald flames. He made a mental note to speak with his oldest friend later… and smack him if necessary.
“You look lovely, Severus,” Narcissa commented as he stepped out of the floo.
As the chances of running into anyone he knew were slim, Severus had divested himself of the stiff, black teaching robes in exchange for a set of dark teal robes and a white button down with snug black breeches and dragonhide boots that went to just under the knee.
“Thank you, Narcissa,” he replied with a quirk of a smile. “Radiant as always.”
Boy lifted his head from Severus’ shoulder. The man was carrying him like an injured animal. He couldn’t be seen as an animal. “I can walk from here. Thank you.”
Without a second thought, Severus kissed the top of his head and put him down.
Boy blinked up at him, startled and confused, but was sidetracked as Bear appeared next to him. “Good doggy,” he said, leaning into the plushy fur.
“What’s taking Father so long?” Draco asked, growing impatient.
Narcissa calmly chastised her son and didn’t react when Lucius finally stepped out of the floo.
“Shall we?” Lucius opened the door for his family, knowing that he was in a lot of trouble with his wife. He was going to spend the night in one of the guest rooms and he was not looking forward to it.
The maitre’d led them to the roof and Boy was amazed at the sight. It was a calm night and a soft breeze fluttered around the space. Underneath the spider web-like dome, there were more than a dozen circular tables that could seat anywhere from two to ten people. They were covered in cream and crimson linen tablecloths with delicate looking china. Fairy lights roped around the edges of the roof, giving everything an otherworldly appearance.
Boy was seated between Severus and Narcissa at a table for five. On Severus’ other side, Draco slid into his seat with his typical haughty grace. Lucius sat next to his wife, who would only be polite out of necessity.
“Do you speak French, Harry?” Severus asked softly, his gaze flicking toward the menus that popped up onto their plates.
“Très peu, monsieur,” he replied just as quietly.
Draco hid his snort by clearing his throat. Turning on a perfectly charming smile, he began a discussion with his parents entirely in French. Finally something that Potter wasn’t a prodigy at!
“You needn’t call me sir, Harry.” Severus smiled slightly. “Unless we are at Hogwarts. As class does not resume for several days still, you may call me by my first name.”
Boy couldn’t do that. Calling his professor by name was wholly uncomfortable. He just gave a little smile, deciding not to use his name at all.
Throughout the six course meal, Narcissa kept a hand on Boy's back or shoulder. She might not have been looking at him the whole time, or talking to him, but her support was noted and deeply appreciated.
After a while, their conversation slipped into German and Boy's eyes widened in shock.
Draco clearly wasn't able to follow his parents words, but Boy understood every one of them.
"Es tut mir Leid! Ich wollte nicht so viel Ärger machen." He said, not intending to switch to German as well. (A/N the German bit was "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to cause so much trouble.")
The entire table froze. Draco and Severus in surprise, and the elder Malfoy's in humiliation.
"Sweetheart," Narcissa began, combing her fingers through his hair. "I apologize. You weren't meant to hear that."
He was worried, so he kept on in German, because the others clearly didn't speak it. "Du wirst ihn nicht wirklich verlassen, oder?"(You're not really going to leave him, are you?)
"Nein natürlich nicht." Narcissa replied. (No, of course not.)"Wir streiten uns nur, weil wir ein altes Ehepaar sind. Mach dir k eine Sorgen."(We just bicker because we're an old married couple. Don't worry.)
Biting his lip, Boy turned his attention back toward his plate. He wouldn't cry in public. No. He couldn't. It would cause more problems than necessary, and he certainly had enough of them already.
Draco leaned slightly to the left, whispering to his father in rapid French.
Whatever was said, it saddened Lucius.
Boy caught a few words that he was able to understand. Clever, plot, and Potter, the latter of which was obviously said in English.
Why had he thought that coming clean about everything was a good idea? At least Sir, Ma'am and Jamie didn't hide the fact that they hated him, or use him in plots hidden beneath kind words and affection. They were blunt in their hatred.
Why was he stupid enough to think that the Malfoy's just wanted him for the sake of wanting him?
For the rest of the meal, Boy sat quietly as the group talked to each other, seemingly content to ignore him. It didn't matter that Narcissa kept a comforting hand on him anymore. It didn't matter that the professor gave him several concerned glances. The fact that he was hurt wasn’t surprising. What really hit him was the fact that he had allowed himself to be hurt when he had been so hopeful just an hour ago.
Before he knew it, the meal had ended and they were back at Malfoy Manor and he was being shown through corridor after corridor to get to his new bedroom. He was never going to be able to remember the way. It was too confusing. It didn’t matter, as he was given permission to call on Dobby to keep himself from getting hopelessly lost. All he could say for sure was that he was on the second floor and there were at least three turns down seemingly identical corridors.
Eventually, he was led to a massive set of French double doors that were a dark navy color with gold trim. The doors alone were impressive, and he was a little (a lot) nervous about opening them. The Malfoy’s would keep him long enough to get the laws and bills passed, then he would no longer be useful to them. He didn’t want to get anymore attached to them, and getting attached to the manor was nearly as heartbreaking.
Having never slept in a real bed, aside from his infirmary stays, he didn’t want to become accustomed to such luxury. It would hurt that much more when they finally succeeded in their goals and Boy was dismissed.
But, Narcissa was standing right beside him, so he couldn’t put it off any longer. Taking a quick, fortifying breath, he steeled his emotions as best as he could.
Pushing open the doors, Boy couldn’t help but gasp. It was the largest bedroom he’d ever seen, and that included Jamie’s. Well, that was pretty much the only room he’d ever seen, but still! It was enormous! His entire broom cupboard at school was less than half the size of the bed alone! While his attic was spacious, it would have fit three times over and then some! The walls were a cool shade of grey and accented with blues and greens. The bed frame was made of some kind of black marble patterned wood. There were two end tables made of the same strange wood, as well as the fully stocked writing desk on the far wall. On the opposite side was a dark grey suede settee in front of a full sized fireplace with two more spindle legged round end tables.
He gaped at Narcissa, eyes wide and shining with unshed tears. "This is for me?"
She knelt down in front of the little boy and took his free hand in hers. "Of course it is, sweetheart. We want you to be comfortable here. Now, I know Lucius said hurtful things earlier, but I want you to understand that he didn't mean it. He wants you here just as much as I do. Sometimes adults can be wrong too, Kitten. We aren't always right, and do you know why?"
Boy didn't understand at all. Sure, they were still working on convincing him that Ma'am and Sir were wrong, but that couldn't mean all adults too... could it?
He shook his head.
"Because we're people," she said simply. "And all people make mistakes."
At that, Boy let go of her hand. They might be people, but he wasn't. He would always be a beast.
"You don't realize what a gift you've been given, do you?" She asked, standing. As she guided him to the bed, he shook his head again.
"As much as the people deny it, we all have creature blood. In my family line, we have incubus as well as succubus blood. In Lucius' line, there is veela blood. In Severus' maternal line, there are both vampires and high elves. For the Potter's, they obviously contain fae and vampire blood, though I haven't gotten far enough in my research to say for certain that there are no others. Most of the light families deny the presence of creature blood, but the dark families don't."
"But why?" He asked, more confused than ever. "Who would want-"
"Extraordinary gifts and to be more magically powerful than most?" She raised a perfectly sculpted brow.
His shoulders slumped. "To be a freak," he finished sadly.
She hummed in displeasure. "I have two things to say before you get to bed, alright? First, I never want to hear you degrade yourself like that again. And second, until the laws began to change, creature blood was something to be praised."
He nodded, not believing it for a second. It isn't a gift. It isn't something to be proud of. It's a curse.
“I’ll leave you with one final question to think over,” she said, scooping him up and putting him into the luxuriously soft bed. “Since full humans can’t handle magic, where do you think it comes from?”
With that, she kissed his forehead gently and swept out of the room.
Confused at her words, Boy lay in the sinfully soft bed for a couple of hours before finally drifting off to sleep, wrapped up in fluffy bedding and Bear at his side.
The next morning, Boy woke up shortly after dawn and stretched until his limbs shook. Giving a great yawn, he let himself sag into the mattress and just enjoy the comfort for a while.
The comfort didn’t last too long, as a bone deep ache in his back appeared and left him gasping. “Dobby!” He choked out, shifting slowly to his side. Oh, that made it worse! Crying out, he rolled onto his stomach. A tiny bit of the pressure eased, but not much.
“Good morning, Mas-” Dobby stopped, eyes widening. “Master Kitten?”
Rather than respond, he sobbed into his pillow. What was going on?
“Dobby be’s right back!”
There were several pops, but he didn’t have the energy to look up. It hurt too much to move.
“Harry?” Came the worried voice of Narcissa.
He vaguely heard her footsteps draw nearer as he bit down on the comforter to muffle the cries.
“Sweetheart,” she began, brushing his hair back gently. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”
But he couldn’t speak. The pain was just too much, and it only seemed to be growing. Something was shifting, grinding, breaking his shoulder blades, and he didn’t know how long it would last before it finally killed him. Crushing, splintering, grating pain.
“Cissa, I know what is happening,” Severus’ voice said, from somewhere on the left. “It would be prudent if you were to wait outside until the transformation is completed. Judging by the mobility of the ridges, I would estimate twenty to thirty minutes.”
“What on Earth do you mean?” She asked, bewildered. “What transformation? What’s happening to my baby, Severus?”
Mostly ignoring his friend, he grabbed one of the many pillows adorning the bed. “There are numerous books amongst my belongings that will explain. Now, you need to leave quickly. At this time, your presence is more of a hindrance than help.”
She gasped at the abrupt dismissal, but relented when her newest son cried out once more, gripping the bedding with white knuckles. As she hurriedly made her way toward the door, she decided to get her hands on those books.
Severus carefully began to remove his little mate’s shirt, as using ‘foreign’ magics around him could very well be detrimental to the transformation. In all of the books he’d read on the topic, none were able to agree conclusively, so he decided that it was more prudent to take precautions rather than unnecessary risks.
He watched in fascination as the skin between the young Vílaupír’s shoulder blades began to ripple.
“Can you hear me, Harry?” He asked softly.
Amidst the sniffling and panting, Boy nodded, unable to give an audible answer.
“Excellent, Harry. You’re doing well. This will only last a little while longer, all right? I am going to touch your back. While it may be uncomfortable at first, it will help you. Do you understand?”
There was a brief pause before he nodded once more. He cried out when cold fingers began gently working over the area between his shoulders. His eyes squeezed shut and he heard soft words of encouragement.
After Merlin knows how long, the pain started to ease. At the same time, a strange pressure began to build as the pain faded. The deep seated ache eventually took on a searing sting and he could only whimper.
Pressing his face into the pillow, he screamed… and then it stopped. Breathing raggedly, his muscles relaxed all at once. “Wha’ hap’n’?” He slurred, feeling exhausted.
“Hold still, and I will explain,” Severus said calmly, then summoned an elf. “I will need a basin of warm, soapy water, a very soft flannel and towel, as well as the small pot of oil from my trunk.”
Boy was confused by this, but let it go as soon as something wet and heavy slapped down on his arm. Whatever it was, it tugged at his sore muscles. Fully opening his eyes, Boy gasped. There, lying uselessly at his side, was what looked like a lumpy pile of thin, bloody leather. Choking back his panic, he closed his eyes again.
He winced at an odd stretching in his back, but was shocked when something soft and warm was dabbed around the sore area.
“When I am finished, Harry,” the man said, a tinge of awe lacing his words. “I will assist you to the mirror. You will want to see this.”
“See what?” He asked worriedly. Whatever it was, it scared away his fatigue. “What is it?”
“Didn’t you read up on the Vílaupír? I gave you a very rare tome detailing-”
“I’m sorry!” He said immediately, not having known that it was a rare book. “It’s still in my trunk.”
The flannel stopped. “Has it been damaged?”
“No, sir! I would never!” And it was true. The book was still in fantastic condition, wrapped in the robe he’d used as a pillow before Bear showed up. Bear made a fantastic pillow.
Still lying on his front, he slowly shifted his arm out and summoned the book in question.
“Very well,” Severus said, giving it a once over. “I will explain. The transformation of a Vílaupír takes approximately six months to complete. It began when you first ingested blood. The next several months are spent acclimating to the Vampire gene, before the fae gene begins to appear. What you have just endured was the fae gene being fully accepted and incorporated into and by your body, resulting in physical changes from both species.”
“Like what?” Boy was going from confused to scared pretty quickly. Now he looked different?! What’s next? Is he going to start craving something really awful and sprouting horns?
“Do not fret, Harry. What changes I am able to see are rather becoming.” The flannel slowly continued to move. “Though I have yet to see them, your eyes will have changed, however slightly. Ordinarily, your eyes are green. Now, the green will brighten and allow for unbelievable night vision. There is also a chance of having them changing to match your affinity. Your ears will become pointed, though not overmuch, as you are still growing. As of right now, that change is still slight. Your teeth, hair and nails will become stronger to the point that you could very well take up rock biting as a hobby without fear of injury.”
Despite his fears, Boy couldn’t help but giggle at that. “Don’t wanna chew on rocks.”
“That is a good thing. It’s a terribly tacky habit, not to mention dirty.”
His giggles picked up as he imagined chewing on dirt covered rocks in the Great Hall.
“The most obvious change, however, will be these.”
Boy felt an odd tug in his back.
“Your wings-”
He gasped, eyes widening. “I’ve-I’ve got wings?!”
“You do,” Severus replied simply. “They will be quite lovely when I have finished cleaning them.”
Boy bit his lip. “What do they look like?”
“At the base, they are black. Roughly a third of the way, they are beginning to fade into a startling shade of blue I have only ever seen in paraíba tourmaline. It is an incredibly expensive gem.”
Having been about to ask, Boy stayed silent, then a thought occurred to him. “Where have you seen it?” Realizing how that might have come across, he was quick to correct himself. “I don’t mean to say that you’re poor! I don’t know what professors make-”
A rich chuckle stopped Boy in his tracks. “Professors certainly don’t make enough money to purchase such extravagant things, but my mother owned a broach when I was younger, that was made of paraíba tourmaline, which are known for their brilliant shades of blue. It was one of her most prized possessions.”
Boy hummed, losing himself under the relaxing ministrations, and began to doze.