Unsung Hero - Part 1
Jun. 6th, 2009 08:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sesheta66The HDS Beltane reveal is up! Thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
oceaxe for my gift, The Wind in the Whomping Willows, a 51K retelling of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, a H/D tale starring Neville as Mole.
Here is my contribution, an H/D story in which Draco stars as the hero. Enjoy!
Title: Unsung Hero - Part 1
To:sugareey
Author:sesheta_66
Betas:alaana_fair and bryoneybrynn
Pairing/Threesome: Harry/Draco
Rating: R
Warnings: None
Word count: ~ 16K
Summary: This time, it's Draco's turn to play the hero. But at what cost?
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This was created for fun, not for profit.
Unsung Hero
Draco sat in the back of the estate looking out over the manor gardens. Their unique scent - a blend of honeysuckle and roses - permeated the air, and he was reminded of his mother. Narcissa had fled the country with Lucius after the war, fearful that he would be sent back to Azkaban. She had begged Draco to join them, but he had refused, saying that England was his home, and though he would miss her, he had no desire to leave. That much was true, but his real motivation lay elsewhere.
Draco sipped lazily on his breakfast tea and opened the paper to the business section out of habit. He had been left with the daunting task of managing the Malfoy estate -- a sizable sum -- now that his father was a fugitive. Funny, but for a man determined to ensure Draco had been ready to lead the family, Lucius had been woefully inadequate at preparing him for this most formidable task.
Draco smiled as he thought about how much he'd accomplished since the war. His mother was free and he'd received a suspended sentence, so he hadn't had to spend time in Azkaban. Thanks to Potter. The monetary compensation awarded to the Ministry had been circumvented by Potter's merry band of Gryffindorks as well. Shockingly, Granger had spearheaded that initiative.
He had to hand it to them, they'd been effective. With Potter's fame, Granger's intelligence, and Weasley's contacts, they'd managed to prevent the Ministry from bankrupting not only the Malfoys but many former Death Eater families. At the time, those who had benefited had laughed -- how idiotic were these children anyway? But they'd come around. The legislation had been left open-ended, such that the Ministry could reopen each case and confiscate entire estates in the event of further wrong-doing.
That meant they had to either follow the law or lie low to ensure they weren't caught. Another handy addition was the "aiding and abetting" clause. Anyone caught doing illegal business with those on financial probation ran the risk of losing everything they owned as well. As time passed, and a few people were held to account, word got around that the glory days were over. You want to keep what you have, you need to stay clean.
A shimmer in the wards warned Draco of an incoming owl. He frowned as the unfamiliar creature approached. The manor wards were set to restrict incoming owls -- after countless threats and numerous packages with poison, nasty herbal extracts, and various other goodies, Draco had decided to put a stop to unsolicited communications. He was not, however, permitted to restrict Ministry owls from entering, as part of his probation.
He removed the parchment from the brown owl's leg with trepidation. The bird remained where it was. It was waiting for a response, then.
Draco's face drained of colour as he read the message.
Draco stared at the parchment for some time. This was what the famous Harry Potter did now? Wasn't he an Auror? Draco searched his memory for something that would have warned him of this unfortunate turn of events. He was sure that Potter had gone directly into Auror training after the war. Why was he doing something so far beneath himself now?
~*~*~
Harry waited a full hour in his office for a response from Malfoy, but received none. Not surprising, but somehow … disappointing.
He'd hoped that Malfoy would respond quickly to his letter, telling him to piss off - or something equally eloquent - and that he had no idea what this was about. The hesitation in responding suggested something else. Perhaps not guilt, but it certainly didn't appear he was innocent.
Harry shouldn't care. It shouldn't mean anything. Malfoy was just another lawbreaker, and it was Harry's job to ensure that he was brought to justice. But he wasn't just another lawbreaker, was he? Malfoy was a former Death Eater on probation, whose life might be changed drastically if he were found to be guilty.
Harry had made a career of ensuring Animagi were registered, partly because of Peter Pettigrew and Rita Skeeter, but also because of what had happened during one of his last cases before he’d left the Aurors. He shuddered at the memory.
~*~*~
It had been the result of months of hard work and surveillance. They'd finally found the headquarters of a crime group that had been known to use orphaned youth as their drug runners and prostitutes. The children, ranging from ten to sixteen years of age, had often been seen, only to simply disappear before being apprehended.
When the Aurors had raided the headquarters, the horrific truth was revealed. They'd been taught -- from far too young an age -- to transform. The criminals had had no qualms about subjecting children to torture for their own gain. And, when the spell went wrong, the children had been left to suffer the indignity of bearing half-transformed bodies, or worse. Some children, if they could be called that, were mangled beyond recognition, and in excruciating pain. He found out later that many had died. With all the deaths during the war, there was no way to track down everyone that was missing. And there were even more who'd never even been reported missing. They just … vanished. Never to be seen or heard from again.
Harry had hexed every adult in sight, and scooped up all the children, taking them to St Mungo's where they were treated by the best Healers. Their physical wounds had healed with little scarring, but psychologically, they would never be the same.
Harry had handed in his request for transfer the next day. He was granted his request, albeit with hesitation on Kingsley's part. He'd insisted that Harry would do much good as an Auror. Harry had smiled, and insisted he'd do more this way. He hadn't looked back since.
~*~*~
"Why does it have to be him?" Draco asked.
"Whinging, Draco?" Severus replied. "Surely you haven't reverted to your schoolboy ways after one letter from Potter."
Draco scowled at the portrait. "I was not whinging!" he insisted. "I do not whinge."
Severus rolled his eyes. Draco ignored him. "My life was going just fine, thank you very much. I do not need a reminder that Potter is …" He threw his hands up in frustration, then flopped himself down on the leather sofa.
"Oh, nooooo," Severus mocked. "You aren't whinging at all."
Then he had the audacity to walk out of his portrait, robes flowing behind him as he swept out of the room.
"Come back here!" Draco shouted. "I wasn't done yet!"
After fifteen minutes, Draco gave up waiting for his former Head of House to return. His only satisfaction was knowing that Severus was stuck at Hogwarts, where he was likely to encounter real whinging. Adolescent whinging. Draco scribbled out a response to Potter, then sent it off with the Ministry owl.
~*~*~
When Harry returned to his office, he read the letter Malfoy had sent.
Harry threw down the letter, fuming at the audacity of Malfoy. He quickly scribbled a response.
He crumpled it up, took a deep breath, and tried a more professional approach.
~*~*~
Draco was grudgingly impressed. Potter hadn't risen to the bait of the last letter. He grinned, wondering how much strain would have shown on Potter's face as he wrote this response.
Still irritated - and more than a bit worried - Draco penned his response. He would face Potter here, at the manor. No sense giving up home advantage.
~*~*~
After Harry read the reply, he braced himself for the confrontation. He hadn't been to the manor since the war … and his memories were not at all pleasant.
He hoped Malfoy was innocent, that it was all a misunderstanding, or a mistake. But the Malfoy he knew would have kicked up a storm, would have cursed at Harry. Well, who knew how he would react in person.
Ever since he'd received this case, Harry had been thinking a lot about the past. He'd thought about school, the war, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. He'd done his best to ensure they hadn't suffered too much of the indignity deserved by Lucius. And now what? Was Draco about to throw away his life so that he could run around as a panther? It would be so typical of the spoiled, arrogant --
He cut off his own train of thought and sighed in resignation, deciding that his time would be better spent catching up on paperwork, rather than dwelling on the mess Malfoy may -- or may not -- have made of his life.
~*~*~
"Harry Potter is to be waiting in the sitting room", the house-elf said as she led the way. Not realising how tense he was until that moment, Harry let out a sigh of relief as he sat down on the sofa. The room had been redecorated since last he'd been here. Of course it has been, he chastised himself. Would you have left any trace of that monster's presence in your house?
"Potter." Malfoy entered the room as gracefully - pompously - as ever, and gave a perfunctory nod in Harry's direction before sliding into an armchair. Harry fidgeted, not sure why he was suddenly uncomfortable. He wasn't the one under investigation, yet Malfoy had made him uneasy with a casual nod, and a somewhat derisive once-over.
"You received my letter?" he said lamely. Well, duh!
Malfoy smirked. "I would think that was obvious, since I replied to it, and … well, you're here."
"Yes, obviously," Harry attempted to recover. "I meant that you are aware of my reason for being here."
"Again, rather obvious," he responded sardonically.
And to think he'd wanted to give this git the benefit of the doubt. "Well?" Harry asked, his incredulity rising at an alarming rate.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I miss something? Did you ask me a question?"
Harry clenched his teeth, his fists mimicking in sympathy. How was it that, in under a minute, Malfoy had caused him to revert back to his childhood volatility? Drawing a long, calming breath, he willed himself to remain composed. "How do you respond to the accusation?"
"And what accusation is that?"
He glared at Malfoy, unable to mask his annoyance. "Are you," Harry said slowly, "an unregistered Animagus?"
"I already answered that. In my letter, as you may recall." Malfoy stood up. "Is that all?" he asked with a smirk, heading for the doorway. "Nice of you to drop by. We should do this again sometime."
Harry didn't move, but for raising an eyebrow. If Malfoy wanted to make things difficult, he could play that game too.
"No, that is not all, Malfoy." Harry sat forward as he watched Malfoy cross his arms over his chest defensively. "We have witnesses who claim to have seen a white panther walk onto your property. These witnesses had followed the panther from the outskirts of town."
Malfoy returned to his seat, crossed his legs, and sat stiffly. His expression closed, though no longer haughty, he gave nothing away.
"The wards didn't stop it, which means you either don't have wards set -- something I already verified is not the case -- or the animal has the ability to get through them. Since I tested your wards myself before crossing them today, I can confirm that they will not allow any non-human creature the size of a panther to cross." Harry leaned forward with a smirk. "Care to explain that?"
~*~*~
Draco was seething. How dare someone follow … how dare they invade his privacy and report this to the authorities? And it just figured Potter would be the authority in question. And now the prat sat there smugly, enjoying every minute of Draco's discomfort. Well, he wasn't going to make things easy for the stupid Gryffindor.
Mustering all the patience he could manage, Draco feigned ignorance. "I have no idea, Potter. Perhaps these supposed witnesses could enlighten you." Draco took momentary pleasure in Potter's incensed expression.
"As for my wards, of course they would not allow a large animal through. I reset them myself immediately after receiving your letter. As you no doubt are aware, the Ministry would not allow the former wards to remain in place, so I had to improvise and come up with some adjusted ones. While I had thought they were sufficient, I will admit that ward setting is not my forte. I should thank you for bringing this to my attention, Potter."
Potter's face grew redder as Draco continued. Draco withheld his smirk.
"I also checked for any sign of a panther -- or other large, white animal that may have been mistaken for one -- and found none."
"Then you won't mind if I check also?" Potter asked.
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Certainly not," he agreed. "As long as that is all you are searching for. You don't, I presume, have a warrant to search the premises."
"No, I do not," Potter admitted.
Draco nodded, pleased to have that confirmed.
"But I would think you would be happy to cooperate," Potter continued, "if you are innocent."
Draco laughed. "Innocent isn't a word I generally use to describe myself, but in this case, it will do."
"Well then?"
"You may find this somewhat difficult to grasp, Potter, so I'll say it slowly," Draco taunted. "I don't trust the Ministry. I don't trust anyone that represents the Ministry. That includes you. They tried to take everything from me and my family --"
"But I --"
Draco waved off his reply. "Yes, Potter, you don't need to remind me that I'm indebted to you."
"That's not what I meant."
"No … you wouldn't mean that, would you? Perfect Potter, forever doing what's right." Draco couldn’t keep the condescension from his tone. "But I wouldn't put it past the Ministry to send you over here -- poster boy for what's right and just -- to give me the false impression that what they are doing is fair. That they won't use this opportunity, however implausible, to investigate me, and try to come up with something -- anything -- so they can take away everything."
Potter opened his mouth as if to say something, then snapped it shut, frowning.
"I don't for a moment believe that this is legitimate. I believe someone made this story up as an attempt to get what they feel I owe them. And I believe they're using you to do it. How sweet the revenge, to have the very man responsible for ensuring I keep this home, be the one to make the case to take it all away."
Potter looked perplexed. Almost as if he might believe what Draco said.
"So, Potter, I will allow you to check the grounds, on your word that you are not going beyond the scope of this supposed investigation.
Potter nodded. "I am not looking for anything else, Malfoy. But you know that I am obliged to report any illegal activity I may encounter to the authorities."
"Really?" Draco asked. "I don't recall Auror being your profession now. Was I mistaken?"
"No, you weren't. I'm no longer an Auror."
"Oh, my. Couldn't live up to your reputation, Potter?"
Potter laughed. "Not exactly."
"So why exactly are you in the Animagus Registry Office, or whatever it's called?"
"It's not something I want to talk about," he evaded.
"You mean you don't want to talk to me about it," Draco prodded.
"No. I don't want to talk to anyone about it."
Draco was going to press the issue, then changed his mind. "Fair enough," he said. "So … do you enjoy your work then? I mean, I can't imagine it keeps you very busy."
"You might be surprised," Potter suggested. "It has kept me busy ever since I took the position." Draco looked doubtful. "But you'll be pleased to know that right now this is my only active case." He smiled. "I'm all yours."
Draco felt his face go red. If only, he thought fleetingly.
"Right." Draco cleared his throat. "Well." He stood up, leading the way outside. "Let's go search the grounds."
~*~*~
Harry arrived home thinking that the visit to Malfoy Manor had been less painful than he'd expected. In fact, once they'd got past the initial discomfort of the situation, Malfoy had been almost pleasant. Of course, he'd probably wanted rid of Harry as quickly as possible, so that might have been the reason.
Still, Harry couldn't help noticing how fit Malfoy was. Hell, he was gorgeous.
Where had that come from? Harry wondered. He hadn't thought of Malfoy that way for … well, he supposed since the last time he'd seen the pompous arse. Mm. And a fine arse it was.
I'll probably never see him again, Harry thought. When that hit realisation hit, he drifted off into a fitful sleep.
~*~*~
"Shit!" Draco awoke with his usual morning wood, with the picture of Harry bloody Potter on his mind. No, no, no! That was not acceptable.
He'd given up those fantasies after the war. Well … okay … a year or so after the war. He thought back to the Room of Hidden Things, and holding onto Potter, pressed up against his back, breathing in his --
"Argh!" He really needed to stop this. Potter had only shown up to investigate him. He had no interest in Draco in any other way, and considering Potter's job, Draco had no business entertaining such thoughts.
But then Potter had said "I'm all yours," and Draco's mind had gone there. Right down there with his post-war wank fantasies.
He climbed into the shower, determined not to give his erection the attention it craved, yet failing miserably. To his credit, he refrained from calling out Potter's name. So what if the picture in his mind as he reached his climax was of vivid green eyes framed by messy black hair.
Besides, Potter was gone now. There was a good chance Draco would never see him again.
~*~*~
When Harry returned to his office the next morning, he saw an envelope on his desk. He opened it up to find three photographs and a note inside.
Harry looked at the pictures; they were grainy and out of focus. The boy had likely been moving - or shaking - when he took them. There were two pictures of an animal that certainly looked like a panther. The third was of a person. The figure in the photograph was in profile, slender, male and blonde. Harry couldn't make out any other details, given the distance at which it had been taken.
Resigned to his fate, and more than a little irritated that Malfoy was most likely lying to him, Harry left for Malfoy Manor. Without advance warning this time.
Photographs in hand, Harry Apparated to the edge of the property, and walked quickly through the wards and approached the door. The same house-elf that greeted him the previous day answered the door.
"Master Draco is not telling us that Harry Potter is coming today," she squeaked nervously.
"Oh, I was just in the neighbourhood, and I had a few more questions for Master Draco. Shall I go into the same room?" he asked as he pressed past her.
"No!" She started wringing her hands anxiously. "You is waiting right here, and I is getting Master Draco."
"Okay," Harry said with a smile. "Thank you."
She popped away, and Harry wasted no time marching into the other room. Where there was a young boy seated in a chair by the fireplace. The boy's head shot up as Harry entered, and his eyes went wide.
"Hello there," Harry greeted him.
"Um …" The boy curled into his seat and seemed to reach for something - his wand, perhaps?
"No need to be uneasy," Harry said. He held his hand out in greeting. "I'm Harry Potter."
The boy's gaze shifted immediately to Harry's forehead. He seemed to relax, then suddenly tense up again. He didn't shake Harry's hand.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Harry explained, troubled that the boy looked so frightened.
He gave Harry a weak and wary smile. "You work for the Ministry, don't you?"
Harry frowned, wondering why such a thing would matter. "Yes, I do. In the Animagus Registration Section."
All colour drained from the boy's face at Harry's words. A sick feeling settled in Harry's stomach. No. It couldn't be. Malfoy wouldn’t --
"Potter." Malfoy's voice, coming from the doorway, sounded harsh, annoyed. "I don't recall having an appointment with you today."
Harry watched the boy relax slightly at the sound of Malfoy's voice. Good. He didn't think Malfoy would do ...
"You didn't," Harry answered. "But I have some pictures I wanted to show you, so I thought I'd bring them by."
"And you hadn't thought to do that yesterday?"
"Actually, I just got them today."
Malfoy glared at Harry, clearly not believing him. He turned his gaze to the boy, and his face softened, transformed. Harry had never seen Malfoy look so open, so … caring. "If you'll excuse us?" he said to the boy, not unkindly.
"Nice meeting you," Harry said to the retreating figure. Once the boy had gone, Harry asked Malfoy, "Relative?"
"Mm," Malfoy replied vaguely. "You said you had pictures?" Clearly he had no desire to discuss the boy.
"Yes," Harry said. He sat on the sofa and removed the envelope from his pocket. He watched Malfoy's face as he spread the photographs out on the table. Malfoy's mask was good, but after years of watching, Harry knew him, could see his discomfort.
"As you can see, in these pictures --" He pointed to the first two, "-- there is an animal that looks a lot like a white panther." He handed the third photograph to Malfoy. "And in this one, there is a person."
"And this means … what exactly?" Malfoy asked derisively.
"According to our witnesses, one of whom took these pictures, the animal went behind this rock and disappeared. And this person came out from behind the rock, though no one saw him before that."
"What exactly," Malfoy asked in an irritated tone, "does this have to do with me?"
"Did you notice that the person is blonde?"
Malfoy looked at the picture, then back up at Harry. "And I'm the only blonde you know?" he asked.
Harry scowled at him. "Of course not, Malfoy, but it is rather a coincidence that the one place witnesses claim to have seen a white panther enter is Malfoy Manor, and this photographic evidence --"
"You call this evidence?" Malfoy laughed. "These are still photographs!"
"All the more troubling, since the witnesses are Muggles, and they are trying to sort out what they saw."
"The witnesses are Muggles?"
"Just the ones that saw the panther out near Avebury. The ones that took these pictures."
"There's no proof these are authentic. Who's to say that they weren't taken hours apart?"
"Our witnesses."
"Did you use Legilimency on them? Veritaserum? How do you know they're even telling the truth?"
"I didn't interview them," Harry admitted. "I was just given these pictures."
Malfoy crossed his arms over his chest and glared.
"Be honest with me," Harry said. "Are you an Animagus?"
"I've already told you that I'm not."
"Then how do you explain this?"
"I -- I can't."
"You can't, or you won't?" Harry demanded. "You know what will happen if the Aurors find out later on that you've been hiding this. They'll assume you've been transforming in order to break the law and evade prosecution. They'll put you in Azkaban."
"It was me!" The boy rushed into the room looking on the verge of tears. He had obviously been listening at the door. "I'm the Animagus!" he exclaimed. "You can't put Draco in prison. It was me. All me."
Harry looked from the fair-haired boy to the picture and back.
"You don't need to do this, Raef," Malfoy told him. "You shouldn't do this."
"He's right," Harry told Raef. "You shouldn't lie for him."
"But I'm not lying," he insisted. "I'll prove it!"
Before Harry's eyes, he transformed into one of the most magnificent creatures Harry had ever seen. The cat walked gracefully over to Malfoy and nudged his arm with his snout. Malfoy lifted his arm and stroked the panther's head. Raef lowered his head into Malfoy's lap, and Malfoy chuckled. It was one of the strangest and most beautiful sights Harry had ever seen.
"Oh, Raef," Malfoy said, continuing to run his hands through the fur. "Why did you do that? Why did you tell him?"
The cat transformed back into a young boy. As many times as Harry had watched witches and wizards transform over the years, he was still amazed.
"I couldn't let them put you in prison," Raef explained. "Not for something I did."
"But --" Malfoy started, but seemed to reconsider. "They wouldn't have put me in Azkaban if they couldn't prove I was an Animagus. And since I'm not, they couldn't prove the opposite."
"So I shouldn't have?" Raef asked, devastation radiating off him. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I'm sorry." He looked close to tears again, and Malfoy put a calming hand on his arm.
"It's okay," he told the boy. "You only did what you thought was best."
Raef nodded, looking a little relieved. Then his face fell once more. "They're not going to --" His words were cut off by a squeeze to his arm and a swift shake of Malfoy's head.
"That's enough for today," Malfoy told him. "Why don't you go practice your flying?"
He smiled at Malfoy, then turned to Harry, concern etched all over his face. "Draco didn't do anything wrong," he told Harry. "He's a good person." Then he left the room.
Well. That was odd.
Malfoy got up, watched Raef go, then locked the door and put up what Harry suspected was a Privacy Charm. Then he began to pace.
"Care to explain?" Harry asked, still in a bit of shock over what had just happened.
Malfoy sat back on the sofa, dragged shaky hands through his hair, then rested his face in his palms. Harry waited for him to regain his composure.
"If I say not really, will you go away and leave us alone?" he asked.
Harry gave him a dubious look. "We both know I can't do that."
"I know."
"Well?"
"Does it make a difference that he only transforms for the sense of freedom? He hasn't done anything wrong."
"He was seen by Muggles," Harry reminded him. "And it's not like he's a bird or a cat or a dog."
"Technically, he is a cat," Malfoy pointed out.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "A huge cat that is most certainly not native to Britain," Harry explained. "And need I remind you that this cat was seen entering the grounds here?"
"But you could explain that it was a mistake," Malfoy pleaded. "You can tell the Aurors that you've investigated and that I have now improved my wards. And that the panther hasn’t been seen since."
Malfoy was grasping at straws, and they both knew it. Harry remembered what Malfoy had said the day before, and realised that he had a point. Everything seemed to be far too convenient.
"I think you're right about something," Harry revealed.
"You mean you'll do it?" Malfoy asked hopefully.
Harry shook his head. "I mean that I think you might be right about the Aurors. I think they're looking for something on you. It seems rather strange to me that here, out in the middle of nowhere, witnesses just happened to be here at the right time."
"So you'll help me?" Harry could hear the desperation in Malfoy's voice.
"I don't know that I can," Harry explained. "I think you might also have been right about them wanting me to be the one to put you away, and that they're setting me up too. I don't know if anything I say could help."
"But Raef … I don't want him --" Malfoy stood up abruptly and began pacing the room.
"He won't get into much trouble, Malfoy. He's a kid. The problem is you."
"What about me?"
"What is his relationship to you, and how long have you known?"
Malfoy looked to be struggling with a response. Harry's stomach sank.
"Did you teach him to transform?" Harry asked, hoping that his instincts were right. Hoping that Malfoy hadn't done to this boy what those monsters had done to countless others. He doubted it; he had seen the genuine affection they held for one another.
Malfoy shook his head. "Transfiguration was never my strong subject, Potter. I couldn't have taught him if I wanted to."
"Okay, so how long has he been visiting you here?"
Again, Malfoy seemed at a loss for words.
"Malfoy?"
"He lives here."
"Since when? I don't recall hearing --"
"No one knows."
Harry laughed. "What do you mean, no one knows?"
"Exactly what I said. No one else knows he lives here."
Harry wondered why they would keep such a thing secret. "How long?"
Malfoy grasped two fistfuls of his hair and pulled. "Since the end of the war."
"But … but that was five years ago. Surely others know he lives here. Hogwarts --"
"He doesn't go to Hogwarts."
"Where does he go?"
"I home school him."
"You --" Harry tried to process everything. "Why would you do that? Were you afraid a Malfoy wouldn’t get treated properly?"
"Something like that," Malfoy agreed. "Only he's not a Malfoy."
Harry was confused. Hadn't Malfoy told him they were related? Harry knew the Black line had ended. "How exactly is Raef related to you?"
Malfoy took a deep breath and turned a desperate face towards Harry. "He's not."
"What? What do you mean?"
"He is a Muggle-born."
Harry frowned. "And he's here why?"
"It's a long story."
"I've got all day," Harry offered. "I told you, this is my only active case right now. Why don’t you start at the beginning?"
~*~*~
Draco desperately wanted to trust Potter. In fact, if he were honest with himself, Potter was probably the only person he could trust. But it was still such a risk.
"Malfoy?"
Potter didn't look like the arrogant boy Draco had always thought him to be. He looked like he wanted to help. He'd even admitted that Draco was probably right about his suspicions of the Aurors. And he suspected they were setting him up too. Maybe he could be trusted with everything.
Draco had reflected on his life many times since the war, and he'd concluded that he might have misjudged Potter. Still …
"Could we talk about this tomorrow?" Draco asked. "I'd like to talk to Raef about this first. After all, it is his life."
Potter looked at him suspiciously.
"I won't go anywhere."
"And Raef?"
"Has no place else to go." It broke Draco's heart to admit that, but it was the truth. It was the reason he'd brought him here to begin with.
"I'm putting my arse on the line here," Potter said.
Draco knew it was the truth. Under any other circumstances, he might comment on the attractiveness of said arse. Not today. "I give you my word."
Potter nodded. "Good enough."
Draco was stunned. Potter was taking him at his word when he'd done nothing to deserve that. "You really are too trusting for your own good," he said.
Potter laughed. "Yeah, well, sometimes I get burnt. But most times, I like to think that giving the benefit of the doubt is in everyone's best interest."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, really. Besides --" Potter shrugged. "-- I trust you."
Draco let his jaw drop open for a moment before he managed to regain his composure.
"Is that so difficult to believe?" Potter asked.
"Well … yes," Draco responded. "It's not like I ever gave you a reason to."
"You saved my life - twice, I believe. I'd say that counts."
"I didn't save your life. Your brain must be addled."
"You recognised me. I know you did. And you said nothing. Then with Crabbe; you stopped him killing me." Potter gave him a serious look. "Like it or not, you saved my life twice during the war. It wasn’t just your mother."
Draco wasn't sure what to say to that. So he said nothing.
~*~*~
Harry returned to the manor the next day, not sure what to expect. He had been left with so many unanswered questions, but the more he thought about it, the less sure he was of even what questions to ask. Who was Raef, and how had he come to live at the manor? Those were the obvious ones. But he also wanted to know why Malfoy was so protective of him. His concern for the boy had been clear, unmistakably so. And it went both ways, if yesterday's events were anything to go by.
Yet Malfoy had never struck Harry as someone to put the needs of another person before his own. Not unless there was something for him to gain in the process. What could Malfoy possibly gain from Raef? Besides the obvious - and disturbing - advantage of having an Animagus around.
No. Harry stopped that train of thought. No matter what had happened in the past, no matter how misguided Malfoy's choices had been, Harry had never seen evidence of malicious intent. Well, except when it concerned Harry. But, as Harry had finally come to admit - at least to himself - that had been mutual.
Besides, most of the things Malfoy had done, even to Harry, were more like schoolboy pranks. A broken nose was the worst he'd ever dished out. Something Harry couldn't say for himself. He shuddered. The memory of that day, all that blood, still had the capacity to make him ill.
As he approached the door, Harry realised he had never actually apologised.
Malfoy answered the door personally this time. Harry could see he was on edge.
"Raef has asked to speak with you himself," Malfoy informed Harry, his tone abrupt, as he led him to the sitting room. "Alone."
"Okay." Harry hadn't expected that, but … maybe the boy had something to tell him that he didn't want Malfoy to hear. The thought should have disturbed Harry more than it did, knowing there might be something he wasn't comfortable talking about with Malfoy there. But he couldn't dismiss the closeness he had seen, even if just for that few minutes. "Are you all right with that?"
"I don't believe I have much choice, do I?" Malfoy shrugged.
"Why do you say that?" Harry didn't like the look of defeat in Malfoy's eyes. It reminded him of the helplessness he'd seen in those same eyes on the Astronomy Tower all those years ago. He reached out and placed a hand on Malfoy's arm, not sure why, but knowing he had to make Malfoy understand. "I'm not making you do anything here. If you want to stay in the room, stay. Or tell me yourself."
"Oh, of course you aren't making me do anything. Saint Potter would never dream of that. But you can't deny you're here interrogating me."
"I'm not interrogating you, Malfoy."
"Oh, no? Then what would you call it?" Malfoy snapped. "I don't answer your questions, you run back to the office and report me to the Ministry. How do you think that would work out for me, hmm?"
Harry opened his mouth, then shut it again. Clearly Malfoy had been stressing over this since yesterday.
"I'll tell you what would happen." He began to pace, flailing his arms as he spoke. "First, they'd lock me up - and let there be no mistake, they'd take great pleasure in that. Next, they'd put Raef in some orphanage where … well, I don't even want to imagine what would happen to him there. And finally, the icing on the cake, they'd take away the manor and everything else I own."
"I don't think --"
"That's always been your problem, hasn't it? You don't think."
"Right," Harry said, reeling in his anger. "I get that you're upset, but I'm not the bad guy here."
"Oh, and I suppose I am?"
"No! Malfoy, listen --"
"Just go, Potter. Go talk to Raef and then do whatever you're going to do. Just remember what I said about the Ministry, and what they'll do to Raef. I know it won't matter to you what happens to me, but think of him."
"Malfoy --"
"And if you're going to say something, would you give me fair warning?"
Harry frowned. He had never seen Malfoy like this before. "Warning … so you can take Raef and leave the country?" Harry asked.
Malfoy looked contemplative before nodding. "Yes."
Well. Points for honesty.
~*~*~
"Draco saved me," Raef told Harry as soon as Malfoy left the room.
Harry took a seat and calmly asked, "How did he do that?"
"He hid me. I was eight when the Death Eaters were about to kill my family and me, and Draco helped me disappear." He looked imploringly into Harry's eyes, as if by the look alone, he were willing Harry to believe. "He sent me away until the war was over, then he came and got me a few months later, and brought me here. He's taken care of me ever since."
A long five years, Harry thought. "What about your family?"
"Dead. All of them." Harry watched the defiant young man in front of him soften. Grief was etched in his face, and his blue eyes held enormous pain. Suddenly, he looked every bit a young boy. "When Draco told me, I asked him where I would go from there."
"And he told you he'd bring you here?"
Raef laughed harshly. "No. He told me that the Ministry would find a place for me."
"But then he changed his mind?"
"No. I changed his mind, Mr Potter."
"You can call me Harry."
The boy looked startled, but nodded. "I begged him not to let them take me away. I knew they'd send me to some orphanage. I'm Muggle-born, so I could have been sent to a Muggle one. But I'd seen magic, so maybe they'd have sent me somewhere else. But I couldn't do any magic, and I was afraid that some of them would be the same as … them. I made him promise me he wouldn't let them send me away."
"And he promised you? Just like that?"
"Yup. He knew I was scared, and I knew he'd never let anything happen to me."
Harry tried to reconcile the Draco that Raef described with the one he thought he knew. He frowned at Raef. "Why do you say that? How could you know?"
"He took care of me, made sure I was safe while the Death Eaters had my family and me. Then he saved me from them, so I knew he'd never let me go somewhere I wasn't safe."
"So he brought you here?"
"Mm hmm. And he's taken care of me ever since." He smiled, and Harry could see the pride in his eyes. "He's soft under it all, you know?"
Running his hands through his hair, Harry took a deep breath, trying to process everything Raef was saying.
"But what about school?" Harry asked. "You should be learning --"
"Draco is teaching me everything I need to know." In response to Harry's dubious look, he added, "And Professor Snape helps sometimes, too."
"Professor … Snape?"
"Mm-hmm," Raef explained before Harry had a chance to ask. "Draco teaches me, and Professor Snape's portrait supervises sometimes. Sometimes, if Draco has other business, Professor Snape teaches me."
Harry's mouth hung open. Apparently, Draco and Snape had been closer than Harry had thought. Closer than Death Eater and wannabe, or teacher and teacher's pet, Harry thought wryly. Raef's laugh interrupted Harry's thoughts.
"Can I tell you a secret?" he whispered conspiratorially.
"Sure," Harry replied tentatively.
"I think Draco's a better teacher," he explained. "Less scary, anyway."
Harry burst out laughing and nodded. "You know, Raef, somehow I believe that." Then, in a moment of camaraderie, Harry added, "Snape does that on purpose. He's not really as scary as he wants people to think." He winked at the boy.
Raef's grin lit up the room. "That's what Draco says too!" Harry raised his eyebrows, curious that Malfoy would undermine Snape's authority like that. "I think you two are a lot alike, you know," Raef added.
"Oh, really?" Harry asked, hiding his shock. "And just how do you figure that?"
"You both seem to want to do what's right, and I think you both want what's best for me." He spoke the words assuredly.
"Why do you think that?"
"You want me safe, healthy and happy." Harry nodded, amused that he hadn't had the need to say any of this. With a groan, Raef added, "And educated."
Harry chuckled. "And you think Mal-- Draco wants the same for you?" he asked.
"Of course he does," Raef stated. "Draco is a good person with a good heart. And everyone knows that you are too."
Well. What could he say to that? Clearly there was a side to Draco Malfoy that Harry didn't know. Yet, he couldn't help but be wary of Raef's version. At least until he saw for himself.
"I suppose you're right; it seems we both want what is best for you. As for everything else, I think you'll find that Draco and I are quite different."
"Why, because he's a Slytherin and you're a Gryffindor?" He shot Harry a shrewd look. "You're out of school now. I would think you'd have figured out that there's more to a person than their house affiliation."
Harry gaped at Raef, who sounded frighteningly like Hermione at his age - at any age, really. He smiled at the thought and placed a hand on Raef's shoulder. "How did you get to be so smart?"
Raef beamed, then shrugged. "I suppose a lot of it is just who I am. But my family …" He blinked rapidly before going on. "My family, and Draco too, taught me that I can be more than that. That everyone is more than that."
Once again Draco shocked Harry. And he wasn't even in the room. Someone could have knocked Harry over with a feather after that revelation. "Really?" he asked Raef. "Draco said that?"
"Yup," he answered, nodding his head for emphasis. "Even when Professor Snape scoffed or argued about it."
"Huh." Would wonders never cease?
"Draco says it was attitudes like that - thinking one group was better than another - that allowed Voldemort to take hold and rise to power in the first place." Harry watched the boy's eyes gleam as he spoke. Clearly Draco had won him over.
"And he said that the only way to prevent ourselves from repeating the mistakes of our past - our own or our ancestors - is to learn from them."
Harry nodded. "That's very true." Grudgingly, he added, "Draco seems to have taught you well."
Raef looked hopeful. "Does that mean I get to stay?"
Harry tried for a stern look, but felt his lips twitch despite his efforts. "For now," he said. "But you'll have to show me what you do each day, let me see how well you're doing in your studies." The words sounded hollow to Harry's ears. After all, who was he to judge what was best?
Raef's expectant expression faltered, and he looked down at his feet.
"What's wrong?"
"You won't send me away if I don't do well, will you?" He cast Harry a crestfallen look.
Harry understood at once the pressure he'd inadvertently placed on the boy. Again he found himself placing a hand on Raef's shoulder. "That decision doesn't rest with me, I'm afraid."
"But you don't have to say anything --"
"I need to know that staying here is what's best for you, before I decide to stay quiet indefinitely."
"It is!" Raef implored. "Draco is. He's … well, he's the only family I've got."
Harry's heart ached at those words. He was catapulted back in time, to his own youth. Had he been able to spend his childhood with Sirius, it might have been much the same as Raef's life with Draco. Certainly it would have been better than the childhood he had lived - decided for him by someone he didn't know. If nothing else had convinced Harry to say nothing - at least for now - this fact certainly did.
"I won't say anything," Harry began.
"Thanks!" Raef interjected. He looked like he was about to hug Harry, but only barely held back. Then he pronounced, with a huge grin, "I just knew that Harry Potter would never do anything to hurt me."
Harry cringed at his ever-present notoriety. "You're right," he agreed. "I won't do anything to hurt you, Raef." The boy was practically bouncing in his seat. "But like I said, it's not up to me."
"But you promised --"
"For now, Raef. I won't say anything for now."
And hopefully I won't live to regret that decision, he left unsaid.
Harry's heart went out to the boy. He knew Raef enjoyed living at the manor, but Harry couldn’t forget those others that had been coerced into transforming. He still didn't know enough about Raef's life to simply accept the situation. And even though he didn't think that Draco would actually do something similar to Raef - he did genuinely seem to care about the boy - Harry had to be careful. It was Raef's life, after all.
"One more thing," Harry said in what he hoped was a casual tone.
"Hmm?"
"How on earth did you manage to master the Animagus transformation at such a young age?"
Raef's body stiffened, and his walls slammed back into place. He eyed Harry suspiciously. "Luck, I guess," he deadpanned, his eyes cold and distant.
"Ah," Harry responded, an uneasy coldness creeping up from the base of his spine. He pondered the wisdom of pursuing the matter further, and decided against it. Choosing to treat the question like one thrown out casually, he smiled.
"Well, there's no doubt you're a smart one." He waved his wand to unlock the door, and remove the Silencing Charm. "How about we go find Draco and get you some dinner?"
Raef's demeanour relaxed once again, and an easy smile graced his face. "Will you stay and eat with us? We hardly ever get company."
"We'll see," Harry replied, doubting very much if Malfoy would want him to stay. He left the question of who frequented the manor unasked. Malfoy had said no one else knew.
Raef ran ahead to ask the house-elves to prepare for a guest, despite Harry's insistence that Malfoy would likely throw him out.
Part 2
oceaxe for my gift, The Wind in the Whomping Willows, a 51K retelling of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, a H/D tale starring Neville as Mole.Here is my contribution, an H/D story in which Draco stars as the hero. Enjoy!
Title: Unsung Hero - Part 1
To:
sugareeyAuthor:
sesheta_66Betas:
alaana_fair and bryoneybrynnPairing/Threesome: Harry/Draco
Rating: R
Warnings: None
Word count: ~ 16K
Summary: This time, it's Draco's turn to play the hero. But at what cost?
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This was created for fun, not for profit.
Draco sat in the back of the estate looking out over the manor gardens. Their unique scent - a blend of honeysuckle and roses - permeated the air, and he was reminded of his mother. Narcissa had fled the country with Lucius after the war, fearful that he would be sent back to Azkaban. She had begged Draco to join them, but he had refused, saying that England was his home, and though he would miss her, he had no desire to leave. That much was true, but his real motivation lay elsewhere.
Draco sipped lazily on his breakfast tea and opened the paper to the business section out of habit. He had been left with the daunting task of managing the Malfoy estate -- a sizable sum -- now that his father was a fugitive. Funny, but for a man determined to ensure Draco had been ready to lead the family, Lucius had been woefully inadequate at preparing him for this most formidable task.
Draco smiled as he thought about how much he'd accomplished since the war. His mother was free and he'd received a suspended sentence, so he hadn't had to spend time in Azkaban. Thanks to Potter. The monetary compensation awarded to the Ministry had been circumvented by Potter's merry band of Gryffindorks as well. Shockingly, Granger had spearheaded that initiative.
He had to hand it to them, they'd been effective. With Potter's fame, Granger's intelligence, and Weasley's contacts, they'd managed to prevent the Ministry from bankrupting not only the Malfoys but many former Death Eater families. At the time, those who had benefited had laughed -- how idiotic were these children anyway? But they'd come around. The legislation had been left open-ended, such that the Ministry could reopen each case and confiscate entire estates in the event of further wrong-doing.
That meant they had to either follow the law or lie low to ensure they weren't caught. Another handy addition was the "aiding and abetting" clause. Anyone caught doing illegal business with those on financial probation ran the risk of losing everything they owned as well. As time passed, and a few people were held to account, word got around that the glory days were over. You want to keep what you have, you need to stay clean.
A shimmer in the wards warned Draco of an incoming owl. He frowned as the unfamiliar creature approached. The manor wards were set to restrict incoming owls -- after countless threats and numerous packages with poison, nasty herbal extracts, and various other goodies, Draco had decided to put a stop to unsolicited communications. He was not, however, permitted to restrict Ministry owls from entering, as part of his probation.
He removed the parchment from the brown owl's leg with trepidation. The bird remained where it was. It was waiting for a response, then.
Draco's face drained of colour as he read the message.
Mr Malfoy,
Our office has received information alleging that a white panther -- not native to this area, and suspected of being an unregistered Animagus -- was seen in Wiltshire, specifically in the vicinity of Malfoy Manor. As you are no doubt aware, it is illegal to withhold details of an Animagus transformation from the Ministry.
I would like to arrange a meeting this week, at your earliest convenience, to discuss this matter. You may attend at the Ministry or I can meet with you at your home. Kindly respond by return owl.
Sincerely,
Harry J. Potter
Animagus Registration Section
Improper Use of Magic Office
Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Ministry of Magic
Draco stared at the parchment for some time. This was what the famous Harry Potter did now? Wasn't he an Auror? Draco searched his memory for something that would have warned him of this unfortunate turn of events. He was sure that Potter had gone directly into Auror training after the war. Why was he doing something so far beneath himself now?
Harry waited a full hour in his office for a response from Malfoy, but received none. Not surprising, but somehow … disappointing.
He'd hoped that Malfoy would respond quickly to his letter, telling him to piss off - or something equally eloquent - and that he had no idea what this was about. The hesitation in responding suggested something else. Perhaps not guilt, but it certainly didn't appear he was innocent.
Harry shouldn't care. It shouldn't mean anything. Malfoy was just another lawbreaker, and it was Harry's job to ensure that he was brought to justice. But he wasn't just another lawbreaker, was he? Malfoy was a former Death Eater on probation, whose life might be changed drastically if he were found to be guilty.
Harry had made a career of ensuring Animagi were registered, partly because of Peter Pettigrew and Rita Skeeter, but also because of what had happened during one of his last cases before he’d left the Aurors. He shuddered at the memory.
It had been the result of months of hard work and surveillance. They'd finally found the headquarters of a crime group that had been known to use orphaned youth as their drug runners and prostitutes. The children, ranging from ten to sixteen years of age, had often been seen, only to simply disappear before being apprehended.
When the Aurors had raided the headquarters, the horrific truth was revealed. They'd been taught -- from far too young an age -- to transform. The criminals had had no qualms about subjecting children to torture for their own gain. And, when the spell went wrong, the children had been left to suffer the indignity of bearing half-transformed bodies, or worse. Some children, if they could be called that, were mangled beyond recognition, and in excruciating pain. He found out later that many had died. With all the deaths during the war, there was no way to track down everyone that was missing. And there were even more who'd never even been reported missing. They just … vanished. Never to be seen or heard from again.
Harry had hexed every adult in sight, and scooped up all the children, taking them to St Mungo's where they were treated by the best Healers. Their physical wounds had healed with little scarring, but psychologically, they would never be the same.
Harry had handed in his request for transfer the next day. He was granted his request, albeit with hesitation on Kingsley's part. He'd insisted that Harry would do much good as an Auror. Harry had smiled, and insisted he'd do more this way. He hadn't looked back since.
"Why does it have to be him?" Draco asked.
"Whinging, Draco?" Severus replied. "Surely you haven't reverted to your schoolboy ways after one letter from Potter."
Draco scowled at the portrait. "I was not whinging!" he insisted. "I do not whinge."
Severus rolled his eyes. Draco ignored him. "My life was going just fine, thank you very much. I do not need a reminder that Potter is …" He threw his hands up in frustration, then flopped himself down on the leather sofa.
"Oh, nooooo," Severus mocked. "You aren't whinging at all."
Then he had the audacity to walk out of his portrait, robes flowing behind him as he swept out of the room.
"Come back here!" Draco shouted. "I wasn't done yet!"
After fifteen minutes, Draco gave up waiting for his former Head of House to return. His only satisfaction was knowing that Severus was stuck at Hogwarts, where he was likely to encounter real whinging. Adolescent whinging. Draco scribbled out a response to Potter, then sent it off with the Ministry owl.
When Harry returned to his office, he read the letter Malfoy had sent.
Potter,
Imagine my surprise when I received your letter. My, how the mighty have fallen. Animagus Registration? Why, that's only a step above Muggle Liaison, isn't it?
I don't know where your office received this information, but I am not an Animagus. Surely even you would realise that such a skill would have come in handy during the war, had I been.
I trust I won't be hearing from you again.
DM
Harry threw down the letter, fuming at the audacity of Malfoy. He quickly scribbled a response.
Malfoy,
Think again.
Potter
P.S. Nice try.
He crumpled it up, took a deep breath, and tried a more professional approach.
Mr Malfoy,
I am sure you can appreciate that, while your word is no doubt sufficient in your circles, I cannot close a case based solely on that. This is particularly true in cases such as this, where a potentially dangerous animal might be involved.
I suggest we meet tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock. As I mentioned in my previous letter, either my office or Malfoy Manor would be acceptable. Please indicate your preference by return owl.
I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow to clear up this matter.
Harry J. Potter
Animagus Registration Section
Improper Use of Magic Office
Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Ministry of Magic
Draco was grudgingly impressed. Potter hadn't risen to the bait of the last letter. He grinned, wondering how much strain would have shown on Potter's face as he wrote this response.
Still irritated - and more than a bit worried - Draco penned his response. He would face Potter here, at the manor. No sense giving up home advantage.
After Harry read the reply, he braced himself for the confrontation. He hadn't been to the manor since the war … and his memories were not at all pleasant.
He hoped Malfoy was innocent, that it was all a misunderstanding, or a mistake. But the Malfoy he knew would have kicked up a storm, would have cursed at Harry. Well, who knew how he would react in person.
Ever since he'd received this case, Harry had been thinking a lot about the past. He'd thought about school, the war, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. He'd done his best to ensure they hadn't suffered too much of the indignity deserved by Lucius. And now what? Was Draco about to throw away his life so that he could run around as a panther? It would be so typical of the spoiled, arrogant --
He cut off his own train of thought and sighed in resignation, deciding that his time would be better spent catching up on paperwork, rather than dwelling on the mess Malfoy may -- or may not -- have made of his life.
"Harry Potter is to be waiting in the sitting room", the house-elf said as she led the way. Not realising how tense he was until that moment, Harry let out a sigh of relief as he sat down on the sofa. The room had been redecorated since last he'd been here. Of course it has been, he chastised himself. Would you have left any trace of that monster's presence in your house?
"Potter." Malfoy entered the room as gracefully - pompously - as ever, and gave a perfunctory nod in Harry's direction before sliding into an armchair. Harry fidgeted, not sure why he was suddenly uncomfortable. He wasn't the one under investigation, yet Malfoy had made him uneasy with a casual nod, and a somewhat derisive once-over.
"You received my letter?" he said lamely. Well, duh!
Malfoy smirked. "I would think that was obvious, since I replied to it, and … well, you're here."
"Yes, obviously," Harry attempted to recover. "I meant that you are aware of my reason for being here."
"Again, rather obvious," he responded sardonically.
And to think he'd wanted to give this git the benefit of the doubt. "Well?" Harry asked, his incredulity rising at an alarming rate.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I miss something? Did you ask me a question?"
Harry clenched his teeth, his fists mimicking in sympathy. How was it that, in under a minute, Malfoy had caused him to revert back to his childhood volatility? Drawing a long, calming breath, he willed himself to remain composed. "How do you respond to the accusation?"
"And what accusation is that?"
He glared at Malfoy, unable to mask his annoyance. "Are you," Harry said slowly, "an unregistered Animagus?"
"I already answered that. In my letter, as you may recall." Malfoy stood up. "Is that all?" he asked with a smirk, heading for the doorway. "Nice of you to drop by. We should do this again sometime."
Harry didn't move, but for raising an eyebrow. If Malfoy wanted to make things difficult, he could play that game too.
"No, that is not all, Malfoy." Harry sat forward as he watched Malfoy cross his arms over his chest defensively. "We have witnesses who claim to have seen a white panther walk onto your property. These witnesses had followed the panther from the outskirts of town."
Malfoy returned to his seat, crossed his legs, and sat stiffly. His expression closed, though no longer haughty, he gave nothing away.
"The wards didn't stop it, which means you either don't have wards set -- something I already verified is not the case -- or the animal has the ability to get through them. Since I tested your wards myself before crossing them today, I can confirm that they will not allow any non-human creature the size of a panther to cross." Harry leaned forward with a smirk. "Care to explain that?"
Draco was seething. How dare someone follow … how dare they invade his privacy and report this to the authorities? And it just figured Potter would be the authority in question. And now the prat sat there smugly, enjoying every minute of Draco's discomfort. Well, he wasn't going to make things easy for the stupid Gryffindor.
Mustering all the patience he could manage, Draco feigned ignorance. "I have no idea, Potter. Perhaps these supposed witnesses could enlighten you." Draco took momentary pleasure in Potter's incensed expression.
"As for my wards, of course they would not allow a large animal through. I reset them myself immediately after receiving your letter. As you no doubt are aware, the Ministry would not allow the former wards to remain in place, so I had to improvise and come up with some adjusted ones. While I had thought they were sufficient, I will admit that ward setting is not my forte. I should thank you for bringing this to my attention, Potter."
Potter's face grew redder as Draco continued. Draco withheld his smirk.
"I also checked for any sign of a panther -- or other large, white animal that may have been mistaken for one -- and found none."
"Then you won't mind if I check also?" Potter asked.
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Certainly not," he agreed. "As long as that is all you are searching for. You don't, I presume, have a warrant to search the premises."
"No, I do not," Potter admitted.
Draco nodded, pleased to have that confirmed.
"But I would think you would be happy to cooperate," Potter continued, "if you are innocent."
Draco laughed. "Innocent isn't a word I generally use to describe myself, but in this case, it will do."
"Well then?"
"You may find this somewhat difficult to grasp, Potter, so I'll say it slowly," Draco taunted. "I don't trust the Ministry. I don't trust anyone that represents the Ministry. That includes you. They tried to take everything from me and my family --"
"But I --"
Draco waved off his reply. "Yes, Potter, you don't need to remind me that I'm indebted to you."
"That's not what I meant."
"No … you wouldn't mean that, would you? Perfect Potter, forever doing what's right." Draco couldn’t keep the condescension from his tone. "But I wouldn't put it past the Ministry to send you over here -- poster boy for what's right and just -- to give me the false impression that what they are doing is fair. That they won't use this opportunity, however implausible, to investigate me, and try to come up with something -- anything -- so they can take away everything."
Potter opened his mouth as if to say something, then snapped it shut, frowning.
"I don't for a moment believe that this is legitimate. I believe someone made this story up as an attempt to get what they feel I owe them. And I believe they're using you to do it. How sweet the revenge, to have the very man responsible for ensuring I keep this home, be the one to make the case to take it all away."
Potter looked perplexed. Almost as if he might believe what Draco said.
"So, Potter, I will allow you to check the grounds, on your word that you are not going beyond the scope of this supposed investigation.
Potter nodded. "I am not looking for anything else, Malfoy. But you know that I am obliged to report any illegal activity I may encounter to the authorities."
"Really?" Draco asked. "I don't recall Auror being your profession now. Was I mistaken?"
"No, you weren't. I'm no longer an Auror."
"Oh, my. Couldn't live up to your reputation, Potter?"
Potter laughed. "Not exactly."
"So why exactly are you in the Animagus Registry Office, or whatever it's called?"
"It's not something I want to talk about," he evaded.
"You mean you don't want to talk to me about it," Draco prodded.
"No. I don't want to talk to anyone about it."
Draco was going to press the issue, then changed his mind. "Fair enough," he said. "So … do you enjoy your work then? I mean, I can't imagine it keeps you very busy."
"You might be surprised," Potter suggested. "It has kept me busy ever since I took the position." Draco looked doubtful. "But you'll be pleased to know that right now this is my only active case." He smiled. "I'm all yours."
Draco felt his face go red. If only, he thought fleetingly.
"Right." Draco cleared his throat. "Well." He stood up, leading the way outside. "Let's go search the grounds."
Harry arrived home thinking that the visit to Malfoy Manor had been less painful than he'd expected. In fact, once they'd got past the initial discomfort of the situation, Malfoy had been almost pleasant. Of course, he'd probably wanted rid of Harry as quickly as possible, so that might have been the reason.
Still, Harry couldn't help noticing how fit Malfoy was. Hell, he was gorgeous.
Where had that come from? Harry wondered. He hadn't thought of Malfoy that way for … well, he supposed since the last time he'd seen the pompous arse. Mm. And a fine arse it was.
I'll probably never see him again, Harry thought. When that hit realisation hit, he drifted off into a fitful sleep.
"Shit!" Draco awoke with his usual morning wood, with the picture of Harry bloody Potter on his mind. No, no, no! That was not acceptable.
He'd given up those fantasies after the war. Well … okay … a year or so after the war. He thought back to the Room of Hidden Things, and holding onto Potter, pressed up against his back, breathing in his --
"Argh!" He really needed to stop this. Potter had only shown up to investigate him. He had no interest in Draco in any other way, and considering Potter's job, Draco had no business entertaining such thoughts.
But then Potter had said "I'm all yours," and Draco's mind had gone there. Right down there with his post-war wank fantasies.
He climbed into the shower, determined not to give his erection the attention it craved, yet failing miserably. To his credit, he refrained from calling out Potter's name. So what if the picture in his mind as he reached his climax was of vivid green eyes framed by messy black hair.
Besides, Potter was gone now. There was a good chance Draco would never see him again.
When Harry returned to his office the next morning, he saw an envelope on his desk. He opened it up to find three photographs and a note inside.
Three white panther sightings by Muggles in Wiltshire. One just outside Amesbury, another near Salisbury, and the third in the vicinity of Avebury.
All witnesses claim the panther just disappeared when they tried following it. One Muggle boy took a picture of what he thought was the panther coming out from behind a rock, but it turned out to be a person.
Suspect unregistered Animagus. Likely link to the Malfoy Manor case.
Photographs from Avebury sighting enclosed.
Harry looked at the pictures; they were grainy and out of focus. The boy had likely been moving - or shaking - when he took them. There were two pictures of an animal that certainly looked like a panther. The third was of a person. The figure in the photograph was in profile, slender, male and blonde. Harry couldn't make out any other details, given the distance at which it had been taken.
Resigned to his fate, and more than a little irritated that Malfoy was most likely lying to him, Harry left for Malfoy Manor. Without advance warning this time.
Photographs in hand, Harry Apparated to the edge of the property, and walked quickly through the wards and approached the door. The same house-elf that greeted him the previous day answered the door.
"Master Draco is not telling us that Harry Potter is coming today," she squeaked nervously.
"Oh, I was just in the neighbourhood, and I had a few more questions for Master Draco. Shall I go into the same room?" he asked as he pressed past her.
"No!" She started wringing her hands anxiously. "You is waiting right here, and I is getting Master Draco."
"Okay," Harry said with a smile. "Thank you."
She popped away, and Harry wasted no time marching into the other room. Where there was a young boy seated in a chair by the fireplace. The boy's head shot up as Harry entered, and his eyes went wide.
"Hello there," Harry greeted him.
"Um …" The boy curled into his seat and seemed to reach for something - his wand, perhaps?
"No need to be uneasy," Harry said. He held his hand out in greeting. "I'm Harry Potter."
The boy's gaze shifted immediately to Harry's forehead. He seemed to relax, then suddenly tense up again. He didn't shake Harry's hand.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Harry explained, troubled that the boy looked so frightened.
He gave Harry a weak and wary smile. "You work for the Ministry, don't you?"
Harry frowned, wondering why such a thing would matter. "Yes, I do. In the Animagus Registration Section."
All colour drained from the boy's face at Harry's words. A sick feeling settled in Harry's stomach. No. It couldn't be. Malfoy wouldn’t --
"Potter." Malfoy's voice, coming from the doorway, sounded harsh, annoyed. "I don't recall having an appointment with you today."
Harry watched the boy relax slightly at the sound of Malfoy's voice. Good. He didn't think Malfoy would do ...
"You didn't," Harry answered. "But I have some pictures I wanted to show you, so I thought I'd bring them by."
"And you hadn't thought to do that yesterday?"
"Actually, I just got them today."
Malfoy glared at Harry, clearly not believing him. He turned his gaze to the boy, and his face softened, transformed. Harry had never seen Malfoy look so open, so … caring. "If you'll excuse us?" he said to the boy, not unkindly.
"Nice meeting you," Harry said to the retreating figure. Once the boy had gone, Harry asked Malfoy, "Relative?"
"Mm," Malfoy replied vaguely. "You said you had pictures?" Clearly he had no desire to discuss the boy.
"Yes," Harry said. He sat on the sofa and removed the envelope from his pocket. He watched Malfoy's face as he spread the photographs out on the table. Malfoy's mask was good, but after years of watching, Harry knew him, could see his discomfort.
"As you can see, in these pictures --" He pointed to the first two, "-- there is an animal that looks a lot like a white panther." He handed the third photograph to Malfoy. "And in this one, there is a person."
"And this means … what exactly?" Malfoy asked derisively.
"According to our witnesses, one of whom took these pictures, the animal went behind this rock and disappeared. And this person came out from behind the rock, though no one saw him before that."
"What exactly," Malfoy asked in an irritated tone, "does this have to do with me?"
"Did you notice that the person is blonde?"
Malfoy looked at the picture, then back up at Harry. "And I'm the only blonde you know?" he asked.
Harry scowled at him. "Of course not, Malfoy, but it is rather a coincidence that the one place witnesses claim to have seen a white panther enter is Malfoy Manor, and this photographic evidence --"
"You call this evidence?" Malfoy laughed. "These are still photographs!"
"All the more troubling, since the witnesses are Muggles, and they are trying to sort out what they saw."
"The witnesses are Muggles?"
"Just the ones that saw the panther out near Avebury. The ones that took these pictures."
"There's no proof these are authentic. Who's to say that they weren't taken hours apart?"
"Our witnesses."
"Did you use Legilimency on them? Veritaserum? How do you know they're even telling the truth?"
"I didn't interview them," Harry admitted. "I was just given these pictures."
Malfoy crossed his arms over his chest and glared.
"Be honest with me," Harry said. "Are you an Animagus?"
"I've already told you that I'm not."
"Then how do you explain this?"
"I -- I can't."
"You can't, or you won't?" Harry demanded. "You know what will happen if the Aurors find out later on that you've been hiding this. They'll assume you've been transforming in order to break the law and evade prosecution. They'll put you in Azkaban."
"It was me!" The boy rushed into the room looking on the verge of tears. He had obviously been listening at the door. "I'm the Animagus!" he exclaimed. "You can't put Draco in prison. It was me. All me."
Harry looked from the fair-haired boy to the picture and back.
"You don't need to do this, Raef," Malfoy told him. "You shouldn't do this."
"He's right," Harry told Raef. "You shouldn't lie for him."
"But I'm not lying," he insisted. "I'll prove it!"
Before Harry's eyes, he transformed into one of the most magnificent creatures Harry had ever seen. The cat walked gracefully over to Malfoy and nudged his arm with his snout. Malfoy lifted his arm and stroked the panther's head. Raef lowered his head into Malfoy's lap, and Malfoy chuckled. It was one of the strangest and most beautiful sights Harry had ever seen.
"Oh, Raef," Malfoy said, continuing to run his hands through the fur. "Why did you do that? Why did you tell him?"
The cat transformed back into a young boy. As many times as Harry had watched witches and wizards transform over the years, he was still amazed.
"I couldn't let them put you in prison," Raef explained. "Not for something I did."
"But --" Malfoy started, but seemed to reconsider. "They wouldn't have put me in Azkaban if they couldn't prove I was an Animagus. And since I'm not, they couldn't prove the opposite."
"So I shouldn't have?" Raef asked, devastation radiating off him. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I'm sorry." He looked close to tears again, and Malfoy put a calming hand on his arm.
"It's okay," he told the boy. "You only did what you thought was best."
Raef nodded, looking a little relieved. Then his face fell once more. "They're not going to --" His words were cut off by a squeeze to his arm and a swift shake of Malfoy's head.
"That's enough for today," Malfoy told him. "Why don't you go practice your flying?"
He smiled at Malfoy, then turned to Harry, concern etched all over his face. "Draco didn't do anything wrong," he told Harry. "He's a good person." Then he left the room.
Well. That was odd.
Malfoy got up, watched Raef go, then locked the door and put up what Harry suspected was a Privacy Charm. Then he began to pace.
"Care to explain?" Harry asked, still in a bit of shock over what had just happened.
Malfoy sat back on the sofa, dragged shaky hands through his hair, then rested his face in his palms. Harry waited for him to regain his composure.
"If I say not really, will you go away and leave us alone?" he asked.
Harry gave him a dubious look. "We both know I can't do that."
"I know."
"Well?"
"Does it make a difference that he only transforms for the sense of freedom? He hasn't done anything wrong."
"He was seen by Muggles," Harry reminded him. "And it's not like he's a bird or a cat or a dog."
"Technically, he is a cat," Malfoy pointed out.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "A huge cat that is most certainly not native to Britain," Harry explained. "And need I remind you that this cat was seen entering the grounds here?"
"But you could explain that it was a mistake," Malfoy pleaded. "You can tell the Aurors that you've investigated and that I have now improved my wards. And that the panther hasn’t been seen since."
Malfoy was grasping at straws, and they both knew it. Harry remembered what Malfoy had said the day before, and realised that he had a point. Everything seemed to be far too convenient.
"I think you're right about something," Harry revealed.
"You mean you'll do it?" Malfoy asked hopefully.
Harry shook his head. "I mean that I think you might be right about the Aurors. I think they're looking for something on you. It seems rather strange to me that here, out in the middle of nowhere, witnesses just happened to be here at the right time."
"So you'll help me?" Harry could hear the desperation in Malfoy's voice.
"I don't know that I can," Harry explained. "I think you might also have been right about them wanting me to be the one to put you away, and that they're setting me up too. I don't know if anything I say could help."
"But Raef … I don't want him --" Malfoy stood up abruptly and began pacing the room.
"He won't get into much trouble, Malfoy. He's a kid. The problem is you."
"What about me?"
"What is his relationship to you, and how long have you known?"
Malfoy looked to be struggling with a response. Harry's stomach sank.
"Did you teach him to transform?" Harry asked, hoping that his instincts were right. Hoping that Malfoy hadn't done to this boy what those monsters had done to countless others. He doubted it; he had seen the genuine affection they held for one another.
Malfoy shook his head. "Transfiguration was never my strong subject, Potter. I couldn't have taught him if I wanted to."
"Okay, so how long has he been visiting you here?"
Again, Malfoy seemed at a loss for words.
"Malfoy?"
"He lives here."
"Since when? I don't recall hearing --"
"No one knows."
Harry laughed. "What do you mean, no one knows?"
"Exactly what I said. No one else knows he lives here."
Harry wondered why they would keep such a thing secret. "How long?"
Malfoy grasped two fistfuls of his hair and pulled. "Since the end of the war."
"But … but that was five years ago. Surely others know he lives here. Hogwarts --"
"He doesn't go to Hogwarts."
"Where does he go?"
"I home school him."
"You --" Harry tried to process everything. "Why would you do that? Were you afraid a Malfoy wouldn’t get treated properly?"
"Something like that," Malfoy agreed. "Only he's not a Malfoy."
Harry was confused. Hadn't Malfoy told him they were related? Harry knew the Black line had ended. "How exactly is Raef related to you?"
Malfoy took a deep breath and turned a desperate face towards Harry. "He's not."
"What? What do you mean?"
"He is a Muggle-born."
Harry frowned. "And he's here why?"
"It's a long story."
"I've got all day," Harry offered. "I told you, this is my only active case right now. Why don’t you start at the beginning?"
Draco desperately wanted to trust Potter. In fact, if he were honest with himself, Potter was probably the only person he could trust. But it was still such a risk.
"Malfoy?"
Potter didn't look like the arrogant boy Draco had always thought him to be. He looked like he wanted to help. He'd even admitted that Draco was probably right about his suspicions of the Aurors. And he suspected they were setting him up too. Maybe he could be trusted with everything.
Draco had reflected on his life many times since the war, and he'd concluded that he might have misjudged Potter. Still …
"Could we talk about this tomorrow?" Draco asked. "I'd like to talk to Raef about this first. After all, it is his life."
Potter looked at him suspiciously.
"I won't go anywhere."
"And Raef?"
"Has no place else to go." It broke Draco's heart to admit that, but it was the truth. It was the reason he'd brought him here to begin with.
"I'm putting my arse on the line here," Potter said.
Draco knew it was the truth. Under any other circumstances, he might comment on the attractiveness of said arse. Not today. "I give you my word."
Potter nodded. "Good enough."
Draco was stunned. Potter was taking him at his word when he'd done nothing to deserve that. "You really are too trusting for your own good," he said.
Potter laughed. "Yeah, well, sometimes I get burnt. But most times, I like to think that giving the benefit of the doubt is in everyone's best interest."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, really. Besides --" Potter shrugged. "-- I trust you."
Draco let his jaw drop open for a moment before he managed to regain his composure.
"Is that so difficult to believe?" Potter asked.
"Well … yes," Draco responded. "It's not like I ever gave you a reason to."
"You saved my life - twice, I believe. I'd say that counts."
"I didn't save your life. Your brain must be addled."
"You recognised me. I know you did. And you said nothing. Then with Crabbe; you stopped him killing me." Potter gave him a serious look. "Like it or not, you saved my life twice during the war. It wasn’t just your mother."
Draco wasn't sure what to say to that. So he said nothing.
Harry returned to the manor the next day, not sure what to expect. He had been left with so many unanswered questions, but the more he thought about it, the less sure he was of even what questions to ask. Who was Raef, and how had he come to live at the manor? Those were the obvious ones. But he also wanted to know why Malfoy was so protective of him. His concern for the boy had been clear, unmistakably so. And it went both ways, if yesterday's events were anything to go by.
Yet Malfoy had never struck Harry as someone to put the needs of another person before his own. Not unless there was something for him to gain in the process. What could Malfoy possibly gain from Raef? Besides the obvious - and disturbing - advantage of having an Animagus around.
No. Harry stopped that train of thought. No matter what had happened in the past, no matter how misguided Malfoy's choices had been, Harry had never seen evidence of malicious intent. Well, except when it concerned Harry. But, as Harry had finally come to admit - at least to himself - that had been mutual.
Besides, most of the things Malfoy had done, even to Harry, were more like schoolboy pranks. A broken nose was the worst he'd ever dished out. Something Harry couldn't say for himself. He shuddered. The memory of that day, all that blood, still had the capacity to make him ill.
As he approached the door, Harry realised he had never actually apologised.
Malfoy answered the door personally this time. Harry could see he was on edge.
"Raef has asked to speak with you himself," Malfoy informed Harry, his tone abrupt, as he led him to the sitting room. "Alone."
"Okay." Harry hadn't expected that, but … maybe the boy had something to tell him that he didn't want Malfoy to hear. The thought should have disturbed Harry more than it did, knowing there might be something he wasn't comfortable talking about with Malfoy there. But he couldn't dismiss the closeness he had seen, even if just for that few minutes. "Are you all right with that?"
"I don't believe I have much choice, do I?" Malfoy shrugged.
"Why do you say that?" Harry didn't like the look of defeat in Malfoy's eyes. It reminded him of the helplessness he'd seen in those same eyes on the Astronomy Tower all those years ago. He reached out and placed a hand on Malfoy's arm, not sure why, but knowing he had to make Malfoy understand. "I'm not making you do anything here. If you want to stay in the room, stay. Or tell me yourself."
"Oh, of course you aren't making me do anything. Saint Potter would never dream of that. But you can't deny you're here interrogating me."
"I'm not interrogating you, Malfoy."
"Oh, no? Then what would you call it?" Malfoy snapped. "I don't answer your questions, you run back to the office and report me to the Ministry. How do you think that would work out for me, hmm?"
Harry opened his mouth, then shut it again. Clearly Malfoy had been stressing over this since yesterday.
"I'll tell you what would happen." He began to pace, flailing his arms as he spoke. "First, they'd lock me up - and let there be no mistake, they'd take great pleasure in that. Next, they'd put Raef in some orphanage where … well, I don't even want to imagine what would happen to him there. And finally, the icing on the cake, they'd take away the manor and everything else I own."
"I don't think --"
"That's always been your problem, hasn't it? You don't think."
"Right," Harry said, reeling in his anger. "I get that you're upset, but I'm not the bad guy here."
"Oh, and I suppose I am?"
"No! Malfoy, listen --"
"Just go, Potter. Go talk to Raef and then do whatever you're going to do. Just remember what I said about the Ministry, and what they'll do to Raef. I know it won't matter to you what happens to me, but think of him."
"Malfoy --"
"And if you're going to say something, would you give me fair warning?"
Harry frowned. He had never seen Malfoy like this before. "Warning … so you can take Raef and leave the country?" Harry asked.
Malfoy looked contemplative before nodding. "Yes."
Well. Points for honesty.
"Draco saved me," Raef told Harry as soon as Malfoy left the room.
Harry took a seat and calmly asked, "How did he do that?"
"He hid me. I was eight when the Death Eaters were about to kill my family and me, and Draco helped me disappear." He looked imploringly into Harry's eyes, as if by the look alone, he were willing Harry to believe. "He sent me away until the war was over, then he came and got me a few months later, and brought me here. He's taken care of me ever since."
A long five years, Harry thought. "What about your family?"
"Dead. All of them." Harry watched the defiant young man in front of him soften. Grief was etched in his face, and his blue eyes held enormous pain. Suddenly, he looked every bit a young boy. "When Draco told me, I asked him where I would go from there."
"And he told you he'd bring you here?"
Raef laughed harshly. "No. He told me that the Ministry would find a place for me."
"But then he changed his mind?"
"No. I changed his mind, Mr Potter."
"You can call me Harry."
The boy looked startled, but nodded. "I begged him not to let them take me away. I knew they'd send me to some orphanage. I'm Muggle-born, so I could have been sent to a Muggle one. But I'd seen magic, so maybe they'd have sent me somewhere else. But I couldn't do any magic, and I was afraid that some of them would be the same as … them. I made him promise me he wouldn't let them send me away."
"And he promised you? Just like that?"
"Yup. He knew I was scared, and I knew he'd never let anything happen to me."
Harry tried to reconcile the Draco that Raef described with the one he thought he knew. He frowned at Raef. "Why do you say that? How could you know?"
"He took care of me, made sure I was safe while the Death Eaters had my family and me. Then he saved me from them, so I knew he'd never let me go somewhere I wasn't safe."
"So he brought you here?"
"Mm hmm. And he's taken care of me ever since." He smiled, and Harry could see the pride in his eyes. "He's soft under it all, you know?"
Running his hands through his hair, Harry took a deep breath, trying to process everything Raef was saying.
"But what about school?" Harry asked. "You should be learning --"
"Draco is teaching me everything I need to know." In response to Harry's dubious look, he added, "And Professor Snape helps sometimes, too."
"Professor … Snape?"
"Mm-hmm," Raef explained before Harry had a chance to ask. "Draco teaches me, and Professor Snape's portrait supervises sometimes. Sometimes, if Draco has other business, Professor Snape teaches me."
Harry's mouth hung open. Apparently, Draco and Snape had been closer than Harry had thought. Closer than Death Eater and wannabe, or teacher and teacher's pet, Harry thought wryly. Raef's laugh interrupted Harry's thoughts.
"Can I tell you a secret?" he whispered conspiratorially.
"Sure," Harry replied tentatively.
"I think Draco's a better teacher," he explained. "Less scary, anyway."
Harry burst out laughing and nodded. "You know, Raef, somehow I believe that." Then, in a moment of camaraderie, Harry added, "Snape does that on purpose. He's not really as scary as he wants people to think." He winked at the boy.
Raef's grin lit up the room. "That's what Draco says too!" Harry raised his eyebrows, curious that Malfoy would undermine Snape's authority like that. "I think you two are a lot alike, you know," Raef added.
"Oh, really?" Harry asked, hiding his shock. "And just how do you figure that?"
"You both seem to want to do what's right, and I think you both want what's best for me." He spoke the words assuredly.
"Why do you think that?"
"You want me safe, healthy and happy." Harry nodded, amused that he hadn't had the need to say any of this. With a groan, Raef added, "And educated."
Harry chuckled. "And you think Mal-- Draco wants the same for you?" he asked.
"Of course he does," Raef stated. "Draco is a good person with a good heart. And everyone knows that you are too."
Well. What could he say to that? Clearly there was a side to Draco Malfoy that Harry didn't know. Yet, he couldn't help but be wary of Raef's version. At least until he saw for himself.
"I suppose you're right; it seems we both want what is best for you. As for everything else, I think you'll find that Draco and I are quite different."
"Why, because he's a Slytherin and you're a Gryffindor?" He shot Harry a shrewd look. "You're out of school now. I would think you'd have figured out that there's more to a person than their house affiliation."
Harry gaped at Raef, who sounded frighteningly like Hermione at his age - at any age, really. He smiled at the thought and placed a hand on Raef's shoulder. "How did you get to be so smart?"
Raef beamed, then shrugged. "I suppose a lot of it is just who I am. But my family …" He blinked rapidly before going on. "My family, and Draco too, taught me that I can be more than that. That everyone is more than that."
Once again Draco shocked Harry. And he wasn't even in the room. Someone could have knocked Harry over with a feather after that revelation. "Really?" he asked Raef. "Draco said that?"
"Yup," he answered, nodding his head for emphasis. "Even when Professor Snape scoffed or argued about it."
"Huh." Would wonders never cease?
"Draco says it was attitudes like that - thinking one group was better than another - that allowed Voldemort to take hold and rise to power in the first place." Harry watched the boy's eyes gleam as he spoke. Clearly Draco had won him over.
"And he said that the only way to prevent ourselves from repeating the mistakes of our past - our own or our ancestors - is to learn from them."
Harry nodded. "That's very true." Grudgingly, he added, "Draco seems to have taught you well."
Raef looked hopeful. "Does that mean I get to stay?"
Harry tried for a stern look, but felt his lips twitch despite his efforts. "For now," he said. "But you'll have to show me what you do each day, let me see how well you're doing in your studies." The words sounded hollow to Harry's ears. After all, who was he to judge what was best?
Raef's expectant expression faltered, and he looked down at his feet.
"What's wrong?"
"You won't send me away if I don't do well, will you?" He cast Harry a crestfallen look.
Harry understood at once the pressure he'd inadvertently placed on the boy. Again he found himself placing a hand on Raef's shoulder. "That decision doesn't rest with me, I'm afraid."
"But you don't have to say anything --"
"I need to know that staying here is what's best for you, before I decide to stay quiet indefinitely."
"It is!" Raef implored. "Draco is. He's … well, he's the only family I've got."
Harry's heart ached at those words. He was catapulted back in time, to his own youth. Had he been able to spend his childhood with Sirius, it might have been much the same as Raef's life with Draco. Certainly it would have been better than the childhood he had lived - decided for him by someone he didn't know. If nothing else had convinced Harry to say nothing - at least for now - this fact certainly did.
"I won't say anything," Harry began.
"Thanks!" Raef interjected. He looked like he was about to hug Harry, but only barely held back. Then he pronounced, with a huge grin, "I just knew that Harry Potter would never do anything to hurt me."
Harry cringed at his ever-present notoriety. "You're right," he agreed. "I won't do anything to hurt you, Raef." The boy was practically bouncing in his seat. "But like I said, it's not up to me."
"But you promised --"
"For now, Raef. I won't say anything for now."
And hopefully I won't live to regret that decision, he left unsaid.
Harry's heart went out to the boy. He knew Raef enjoyed living at the manor, but Harry couldn’t forget those others that had been coerced into transforming. He still didn't know enough about Raef's life to simply accept the situation. And even though he didn't think that Draco would actually do something similar to Raef - he did genuinely seem to care about the boy - Harry had to be careful. It was Raef's life, after all.
"One more thing," Harry said in what he hoped was a casual tone.
"Hmm?"
"How on earth did you manage to master the Animagus transformation at such a young age?"
Raef's body stiffened, and his walls slammed back into place. He eyed Harry suspiciously. "Luck, I guess," he deadpanned, his eyes cold and distant.
"Ah," Harry responded, an uneasy coldness creeping up from the base of his spine. He pondered the wisdom of pursuing the matter further, and decided against it. Choosing to treat the question like one thrown out casually, he smiled.
"Well, there's no doubt you're a smart one." He waved his wand to unlock the door, and remove the Silencing Charm. "How about we go find Draco and get you some dinner?"
Raef's demeanour relaxed once again, and an easy smile graced his face. "Will you stay and eat with us? We hardly ever get company."
"We'll see," Harry replied, doubting very much if Malfoy would want him to stay. He left the question of who frequented the manor unasked. Malfoy had said no one else knew.
Raef ran ahead to ask the house-elves to prepare for a guest, despite Harry's insistence that Malfoy would likely throw him out.
Part 2
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Date: 2009-06-07 02:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-09 02:08 am (UTC)I know! I have WAY too much to read! *fails*