Chapter 21
The rest of the week went by without a hitch. Harry was slowly but surely adjusting to life here at the Malfoy residence and the more he saw the more he liked it. He kept up with his promise at trying to get to know everyone and contrary to popular belief no one was as cold and harsh as everyone else made them out to be. Sure they were firm believers in following rules and upholding certain principles, but they were also very warm and loving and comforting. There was still a few more weeks until they left for Lucius’s cousin’s villa in France, and Harry could freely admit that he wasn’t as nervous as he thought he would be. He and Draco had been spending a lot more time together and he found that the little slytherin was actually very funny and incredibly protective. So much so that the adults have begun to refer to Draco as Harry’s shadow and vice versa seeing as wherever one was, the other wasn’t too far out of proximity.
There was a lot to do around the house and outside seeing as the Malfoys had a quidditch pitch, swimming pool, library, and garden. It seemed that everyone had their own respective places that they spent in the house. For example, Severus spent a lot of his time in the library and garden. Oftentimes Harry would catch him with his nose deep in a book or walking out in the gardens either collecting ingredients for potions or just admiring the scenery. It was actually Narcissa who spent a lot of her time in the potions lab down in the basement. Well it wasn’t actually a lab, more like her own hospital wing. She, like her husband, had a passion for potions and liked creating new concoctions that she could use for healing balms and the works. When Lucius was not working in the ministry or up to his neck in paperwork in his office, he could be found out on the quidditch pitch with Draco. They had even played a game together a couple of days ago with Draco and Severus as a team and Harry paired with Lucius. They had beaten their opponents with a score of 3-1. After that they spent almost all of dinner teasing and goading each other.
Now though, Harry and Draco were sitting in their room working on the last of their summer assignments. That was another thing that Harry learned about them. The Malfoys were big on success and although they were not down his throat about grades or always demanding perfection, they expected both boys to perform to the best of their abilities. They expected them to ask for help when they needed it, as, in the words of Severus Snape, “There is nothing wrong with asking for help.”
Although the man spoke to both of them, it was clear as day that his words were directed more so at Harry than anything.
A small sigh left Harry’s mouth as he shook out the cramp in his hand. He was finally finished with his charm essay and put it up for now. He looked at Draco and asked him something that had been occupying his mind.
“Draco?”
He hummed and looked up at Harry.
“Do you ever see Pansy and Blaise during the summer?”
“Yeah. Sometimes at different points during the summer. I haven’t written them lately.”
“I’m sorry.”
A frown pulled at the corners of Draco’s mouth.
“What are you sorry for?”
“You haven’t seen your friend because of me.”
Draco scoffed. “Harry, that is ridiculous.”
“No it's not.”
“Yes it is.” The blond said as he sat up. “I was going to write them eventually. It’s just we had been spending so much time together, and getting to know each other that I honestly just forgot.”
“Won’t they be mad?”
Draco shrugged. “Pansy may be a little peeved at me, but Blaise? Not so much.”
“But they don’t like me,” Harry said in a small voice.
“They don’t know you.
“They know who I am though.”
Draco rolled his eyes with a scoff. “Harry, everybody knows who you are. Sure they know your name, but they don’t know you. Besides, they had never been ones to follow the crowd. They never listened to any of the gossip or worship that was always said about you.”
“Really?” That was interesting. Draco’s face took on a slight pinkish tinge and he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment,
“Yeah. Even when I would rant about you they never really cared all that much.”
Harry tilted his head. “You ranted about me?”
“We weren’t friends before, Harry.”
While that was certainly the case, the little Potter had to know something for sure, so he looked at his blond companion with fearful eyes. “But we’re friends now, right?”
His anxiety and insecurity was lifted when Draco shot him a beaming smile. “Of course we are.”
“But you’re still going to invite them over, right?”
Draco smirked. “Trying to steal my friends, Potter?”
“You wish, Malfoy.” Harry gave the boy a light shove with his smirk only grew. “I just want to know. If we go through with the adoption that would make us brothers, right?”
Draco nodded.
“Well then they should know your brother.”
The boy had a point, but Draco knew that both of his best friends would welcome Harry with open arms, especially when they saw how much he meant to him. Since it was still on his mind now, he would write to them and invite them over, then the two of them could go find something to do together. Draco rummaged through his school bag for some parchment and ink.
“What are you doing?” Harry asked.
“I’m going to write them now before I forget.”
While he was busy, the green eyed child began to clean up the mess of paper and quills scattered around them. It didn’t take long as long as he would have thought for Draco to finish his missive. He folded the letter and stamped it, then stood.
“Let’s go to the owlery and send this off. Then we can go find Daddy or Papa. It’s getting kinda boring around here.”
Harry shook his head and laughed before he too stood up and followed after the boy.
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It didn’t take too long to get a reply from Pansy or Blaise. The next day he received a missive from his two friends, and just as he expected Pansy was not at all happy that he had not written to her sooner. Blaise on the other hand seemed...unphased that Harry was here. In fact, he just told him when he was free to meet up. He wrote them back and told them that they could come over tomorrow around noon. When he told Harry, he could see the boy’s nerves, but he promised him that he had absolutely nothing to worry about.
Severus went to go get them and Draco and Harry stayed in the floo room together. They decided on a game of exploding snaps, and when they were bored with that they opted to just sit and talk. Draco perked up when the floo flared to life and his two friends followed after his daddy. He beamed at them and raised his arms for a hug.
“Blaise! Pansy!”
The duo laughed at his antics and it once again left him stumped. They seemed so carefree with each other, so laid back and relaxed, which was so different from the cool and composed persona they had at school.
“How are you doing, Dragon?” Blaise asked while casting a glance at Harry. “Hello, Potter.”
“Zabini.”
The italian boy shook his head. “Call me Blaise.” He offered his hand to the shorter boy.
Harry took the offered appendage. “Then I insist you call me Harry.”
Blaise offered him a small smirk. Pansy on the other hand was too busy ripping into Draco.
“I mean of all the stupid things you could keep from me, you leave out the fact that you now have a brother? And that brother is Potter nevertheless!”
Her face had turned a deep shade of pink during her little rant. She then proceeded to slap the boy upside his head. When Harry looked on in worry, Blaise just watched them with eyes full of amusement. He turned to Harry.
“Don’t worry,” he reassured. “This is them in their natural habitat.”
They turned back to them to see Draco holding on to Pansy’s wrists as she tried to hit him again. The blond laughed at her ire.
“Pans, relax. I didn’t mean not to tell you guys, I just honestly forgot. I just got excited about the idea of possibly having a brother.”
He looked over at Harry with a smile causing the other boy to blush. He threw puppy dog eyes at the dark haired girl who only huffed and then folded her arms when he released her.
“Don’t let it happen again, Malfoy, or I will castrate you.”
Harry shuddered while Draco laughed and pulled the girl into a hug,
“Duly noted, Parkinson.”
The girl then turned to Harry who resisted the urge to hide behind Blaise. He was thoroughly surprised when she extended her hand with a friendly smile.
“Welcome to the club, Potter.”
The rest of the day was smooth sailing from there. The four preteens looked for any and everything they could possibly do together. They even worked a bit of homework together. They did make it to the quidditch pitch where they played a couple rounds of ‘catch the snitch.’ When they came down for some snacks that Dobby brought, Draco excused himself to go to the bathroom. He wasn’t sure why but he couldn’t stop smiling. His friends were here and they were getting along great with Harry, his soon to be brother.
When he came back Blaise was showing Harry some of the more complicated transfigurations that he could do. The Potter heir watched with rapt attention and fascination and Draco couldn’t help the smile that blossomed on his face- it felt like his face was going to break from all the smiling. He reminded him of child sometimes, which was silly since he was only a couple of months older than Harry, but that didn’t matter. In the short time that he had gotten to know him, he suddenly felt this overwhelming urge to protect him. He felt like a big brother. He felt a presence come up to him on his left and turned to see Pansy staring at the pair. Her dark eyes seemed guarded. Draco cocked an eyebrow.
“What’s that look for?”
“It doesn’t worry you?” Came an immediate response.
“Does what worry me?”
“ Potter being here.”
“No.” He answered with no hesitation. “Why would it?”
“You aren’t worried that him being here will take up all of your parents’ attention?”
This pulled a laugh out of the boy. What a ridiculous thing to say. When he saw that she was serious his laughs died off immediately.
“Oh come on, Pans.”
“Don’t act like you haven’t seen it happen, Draco.”
He was starting to get aggravated with the words coming out of her mouth. He put his hands on his hip and glared at his friend. “That would never happen.”
The girl turned to him. “That’s what Theo said too.”
“He’s not an infant, Pansy. Besides, even if he did take up one of their attention, its not like there aren’t enough of them to go around. I have three parents.”
“Yeah, who have all craved another child.”
Draco felt his head throb as he ground his teeth together. He didn’t like how she made it sound like he was some second rate child. As if his parents weren’t happy enough to have him around. “They love me regardless.”
“No one said they didn’t, but just like when any new child comes into the picture that love has to go somewhere.”
“Stop talking like that.” She finally turned to face him. “Stop talking like they don’t like me around. Like I’m second rate.”
“I’m not. I just know it happens to everyone.”
“Not. everyone.” He said through clenched teeth. Her eyes softened and although he had been raised to never raise his hand to a woman, he had a sudden urge to punch her in the face.
“It does, Dragon.”
With that she walked off to join the other two leaving him fuming in his own anger. His cheeks were turning red and he could feel the pinch of his nails as they bit into his palms. Breathing deeply like Severus had taught him, in through the nose and out through the mouth. He did this a couple of times before he felt his anger disappear. Once the anger was gone he felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. A feeling of dread filled his stomach as if it were full of lead. What if she was right? No. She was wrong. She had to be. His parents loved the two of them equally, that much he knew. So why did a lump swell in his throat as he watched his mama walk up to the three of them? That wasn’t what made that lump. No, it was the way when Harry ran to her, she beamed down at him with a smile full of love and absolute admiration. When was the last time she had looked at him like that?
“Draco”
He turned to see Lucius standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
“Come, dinner will be ready soon and you need to wash up.”
That lump suddenly felt like a rock in his throat when his Papa turned back inside. No loving smile, not soft words. No contact of any kind. What was wrong with him?
No! He refused to let Pansy’s words get to him. He refused to let her be right. Shaking his head, he turned and headed in the direction Lucius had just left.
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Days after the visit from Blaise and Pansy, Draco couldn’t seem to get Pansy’s words out of his mind. They played like a broken record bouncing along his skull leaving him with an unbelievable headache. However, no matter how much he tried to ignore them, it started to feel true. It felt like almost all hours of the day Harry was with one of his parents. The little boy was always taking up the time of the parent he wanted attention from at the time. Like the day after his friends’ visit, he wanted to spend some time with his daddy, but he had been with Harry giving him his necessary potions. That, in and of itself wasn’t a problem. No, the problem came when he asked to go out for a walk in the gardens with the man, he had received a curt answer that he was busy. It stung seeing as his daddy had never talked to him that way, and at the time Severus must have understood this as well because he looked up with softened eyes and apologized, saying they would go later. He gave him a smile and went off to find Lucius at Severus’s direction. He had looked in all of his customary places and when he couldn’t find him he called Dobby and asked where he was.
The little elf had told him that the elder Malfoy could be found outside on the quidditch pitch. He rushed outside, excited to have a little one on one time with his papa. That excitement was soon dashed away when he saw Lucius and Harry up in the sky together. They weren’t playing, but just flying side by side and talking. Talking and laughing from what Draco could hear. He had pushed down the lump that choked him and rushed inside, intent on going to find his mother who would offer him some comfort. The little blond found her in the hospital wing going over her ingredients, and when he called for attention she hadn’t answered. He persisted, but when she snapped at him that she was busy his mouth snapped shut and he could feel tears gathering in his eyes. Narcissa hadn’t even turned around to look at him so he took off.
Draco knew that a part of him was being selfish. Selfish and insecure, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted someone to reassure him that the words and feelings taking over his body and mind were just all fake. He understood that Harry needed time to get to know them before he decided on the adoption. He really did, but it just felt like lately there was no one there to make him feel better. No one there to comfort him when he needed it. He couldn’t remember a time when he felt so insecure and it was starting to suffocate him. It wouldn’t have mattered so much if it were only a few times, but it had been going on for days now. They were leaving for France in a couple of days and it filled him with some sort of joy. At least then he could see his cousins and they would want to spend time with him. Even his grandpa was too busy for him now.
A knock on the door pulled the malfoy heir from his thoughts and he perked up when Severus’s raven locks came into view.
“Dragon, come on. We are going to Diagon Alley.”
“Really?” He asked excitedly.
“Yes. We are leaving in two days time and we still need to get a few things and Harry still needs a new wardrobe.”
The blond deflated at the mention of Potter, but he made sure to not let his dad see his reaction. Instead he nodded and went to gather his shoes. It surprised him that Severus waited for him. When they reached the floo room where the rest of the family was waiting, Harry smiled at him and Draco offered him a small smile in return. The trip itself proved to be rather boring, but then again that could be because they were essentially here getting things for Harry and not him. He had trailed behind them for most of the trip, failing behind a couple of times. They hadn’t noticed at first but when they had, instead of being worried they scolded him and told him to keep up. He was silent more of the trip, only offering short answers every so often. He still tried to hold a pleasant conversation with Harry, but the gryffindor seemed to pick up on something being wrong with his companion. He tried to get Draco to talk but every time he went to say something someone took away his attention by asking him a question.
They got back home just in time for dinner. Food was already lining the table and the adults told Harry and Draco to go upstairs and wash up. It was then that Harry took the opportunity to check on his friend.
“Draco?”
“Yeah?” Came a soft reply.
“Is something bothering you?”
The slytherin looked up at Harry slightly shocked. He hadn’t expected anyone to notice. He took in the concerned look of his friend and forced a smile onto his face. Harry shouldn’t worry about him. He would be fine. He was a Malfoy after all.
“I’m fine, Harry. I promise” he added when the boy didn’t look convinced.
“I-if you’re sure.”
Draco beamed and grabbed his hand. “Definitely. Let’s go get dinner, I’m starving!”
Harry giggled and shook his head but followed him down nonetheless. Everyone was already seated when they reached the dining room. Harry sat in between Narcissa and Lucius while Draco sat in between Lucius and Severus. They were having shepherd’s pie and vegetables. When they dug in, it was silent for a bit while everyone relieved their hunger. That was until Lucius wiped his mouth and cleared his throat. Everyone turned their attention to the man seated at the head of the table.
“As everyone is aware, we are leaving for my cousin, Eleanor’s village tomorrow and I expect everyone to be on their best behavior.”
He leveled a look at Draco and it made him furious.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Excuse me?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” The boy repeated. “Why are you looking at me like I am going to get myself into trouble?”
“That look did not mean anything, Draco. I was just speaking to everyone.”
“No,” the boy said, his voice raising slightly. “You were looking at me like I am going to get into mischief or trouble of some kind. Like I am untrained!”
Everyone was stunned by the boy’s display. He had never acted in such a way. Lucius glared at his son.
“You do shout at the table, Draco Lucius, and you certainly do not speak to me in such a way.”
Draco met his papa’s glare head on even as he felt tears sting his eyes. He would not let them fall. “Then why are you looking at me like that?” He shouted. “Have you forgotten that I am not the one who has managed to get into mischief over the last couple of years at school. It is not me that you should be addressing that to.”
“That’s enough, Draco.” Narcissa warned. He turned blue eyes to meet hers.
“Well it’s true isn’t it?” He then turned to look at Severus. “Isn’t it?!”
He now suddenly felt desperate to have someone on his side. When it was clear that not the case, he turned his eyes towards Harry. Watery green eyes met tearful blues. No one spoke for a moment and Draco took that as his que to leave. He shoved his chair backwards and ran up to his room. Those downstairs looked at the space the blond had just vacated, flinching when they heard a door slam upstairs. Harry looked around at the adults present.
“D-did I do something?”
Severus sighed. “No, of course you didn’t. I do not know what has gotten into him, but he best gets over it before he finds himself with a very sore backside.”
“Don’t be mad at him.”
“Draco knows better than to act in such a manner, Harry.”
“I know, but-but if I did something don’t punish him for it. Punish me.”
“No one is punishing you, Harry.” Narcissa said. “Severus is right. Dragon knows better. And I am not quite sure where that attitude has come from but he best changes it, especially with us leaving tomorrow.”
Harry looked in the direction of the stairs, a heavy feeling filling his chest. Narcissa smoothed his hair.
“Why don’t you sleep with us tonight?” She offered. “Give him a little time to cool off.”
Harry looked back towards the stairs. For some reason he felt like he shouldn’t. Something was wrong with his friend and he knew that being alone was sometimes one of the worst things you could do. But then again, he didn’t want to invade Draco’s space even more and have him more upset at Harry. He looked back towards Narcissa and offered her a small smile.
“Okay.”