490Chapter 10: Letters
Harry was currently in the study at Grimwald place pouring over many of the law books that the black family library had. He was rather surprised at how many of them there were. Although, them being a questionable pureblood family who was used to getting their way shouldn't have surprised him. Harry had already sent out a letter to Kingsley asking for the records he needed to look over. He would have to drop by Gringotts soon as well and see if they could help him out. Harry sighed, there was so much to do.
Harry was trying not to think about his letter. Was it too soon? Would Draco reply? Would he think his letter silly? Was his invite too forward? He was a bumbling mess of nerves. He sighed and grabbed a quill determined to focus. Harry tried putting Draco and the letter in the back of his mind. He was going to find a way to ensure that Draco and his family would come out of this trial unscathed. Part of him loathed to help Lucius in any way but he couldn't help but feel bad for him as well. If Lucius really had regretted joining Voldemort than he had to do this. The man wasn't as brave as Snape though. He could see the cowardice in the senior Malfoy to just go along with the homicidal maniac. If he had truly wanted out, then he could have found a way. Like Snape. The thought alone sent a little guilt through him. Not everyone is brave though. There was a reason Lucius was not put into Gryffindor. The slimy git. He would definitely be having a long talk with the man after this was all said and done with, that's for sure. Also he wasn't about to help Lucius for free either. He knew the man would never stop trying to run Draco's life. Harry would help Lucius with this trial in return for something much more valuable than the man would be willing to part with. But the beauty of the man's sensitive position would entail that he didn't have a leg to stand on. Harry would get what he wanted. That much he was certain. And there wasn't a damn thing Lucius Malfoy could do to stop him.
A tapping on his window cut off any further thoughts. He looked over and could see the owl he gifted Draco with. Harry rushed over quickly and yanked the window open. The owl hooted appreciatively. Harry was excited to get a reply. He pat the owl on the head as he took off the letter. He ripped open the envelope.
Harry. The real savior,
I was a little surprised to see you write to me so quickly. To be honest I was about to write to you myself so don't feel bad. I miss your company as well. I am intrigued about what this 'project' of yours is. Perhaps you could give me a hint? I would love to accept your invitation. Is tomorrow too soon? Say noon?
Crazy cat lady? You are quite right that I had no idea what that was. The only thing that came to mind was Umbridge and her weird obsession with cats. She is a right loon so maybe that expression applies to her. I am astounded that you think you will never find love. You are quite the heartthrob. I do believe that I will be the one to have a bunch of cats. Could you imagine the manor filled to the brim of so many furry animals? I think it would give my father a heart attack. What a way to go.
Speaking of my father, I told him. I was so scared. But I didn't let him see it. I even threatened him. Me. I actually threatened him. Good gods I thought he was going to kill me. He ended up saying that he couldn't force me into anything and that I needed to decide before the end our do over year at Hogwarts what I want to do. What a load of rubbish. It's like he forgets exactly who he has been training to take over his place. I know sneaky like the back of my hand. He is planning something. I just don't know what. I couldn't believe that he didn't have a back up plan in place. Not very Slytherin if you ask me. I am ashamed. Slytherin rule #20: A good Slytherin knows to always have contingency plans. I am still shocked it went so smoothly. It is thanks to you though. I wouldn't have had the courage otherwise.
My parents know about our friendship. It came as a shocker to them. Severus was the one to figure it out. He is doing fine by the way. He wants to talk to you though. I anticipate he will seek you out at some point before term starts. Don't worry, it is nothing bad. I promise you. My mother didn't mind about us being friends. My father was surprisingly okay with it as well. Probably since you killed his former master. That was my attempt at a joke if you haven't figured that out yet. I imagine the only reason he is okay with it is because you are you. He probably is thinking of ways to use your fame to improve the Malfoy name. Despicable. Don't worry, I won't let him.
As much as it pains me to say this. But perhaps it is a good thing that you did not mess up Weasley's face again. He is your best friend. I would never want to come between the two of you. I have heard many insults in my time. I can take his as well. Maybe the two of you should have a talk? I do not want to be the reason your friendship failed, you could grow to resent me otherwise.
I am proud of you for telling the Ministry no. Lovely choice of words by the way. Not that they didn't deserve it. You know, the Ministry really needs to be gutted and rebuilt. With new people that won't be afraid to change things up. I mean honestly, what good has the Ministry done to anyone in the past 100 years? Their legislations are literally bought. The laws that get passed goes to the highest bidder. The person with the highest bank account bribing the rest till they get what they want. The Minister is never qualified for the position. They say the Minister is picked by popular vote but that just isn't true. They know who is going to be picked before the election even starts. Not sure if it's a rigged system or the people are just mindless sheep following the masses. The Ministry is corrupt, plain and simple. I loathe to think of the laws that will be passed now that the world is 'safe'. I imagine the laws are not going to be pleasant ones. I heard from father that Umbridge (who is still working at the Ministry) is trying to pass a law barring any dark creature from entering any public establishment. They are to owl orders or find a back entrance so that their presence doesn't disturb normal law abiding wizard citizens. Her definition of dark ranges from werewolf, vampire, fairy, dwarf, giants, half giants, to centaurs. For them to even be recognized that would mean they would have to be branded for the rest of the world to even know that they are a 'dark' creature. Don't think she is the only one to think like this either. She has a backing of her own. They never would have attempted this legislation prior to the war. Only since some of the werewolves, giants, centaurs and some vampires fought in the final battle. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I can just imagine all the other laws the Wizengamot will come up with. Not just on dark creatures, I imagine all kinds of restrictions on wizards as well. To ensure that there could never be another Dark Lord again. They thrust their beliefs on the rest of us and hide behind the law to shield them. I really dislike the Ministry.
Now that the both of us are indecisive of our futures, maybe we will find out what it is we want together? And you are right, I am defending you. I think a memoir of your life would be quite interesting. It would be pretty entertaining to read about all of your adventures firsthand. You do need more confidence Harry. You Prat. I would read it.
Thank you for the owl. I do not know how you knew that I do not have my own. You are too smart for your own good. I have named him Azure. I think he reminds me of you actually. He is very strong willed. He bit me as well so don't feel too bad. I told him if he was tired that he could stay the night with you. I don't think he liked that too much. I doubt he will stay. If he is up to it then have him send a reply letting me know if it is okay to see you tomorrow. I hope you have a great rest of your night Harry. Thank you. For everything.
Draco.
Harry laughed warmly. Excitement flared strongly. Draco wanted to visit him tomorrow! He deflated a little bit as he looked around. The place wasn't exactly up to par. He sighed. "Kreacher!" He yelled. There was a *Pop* "Yes Master Harry?" Came his croaky reply. Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Um... err well tomorrow at noon we will be having a guest coming by. I need you to start cleaning and making the place more presentable. I will help of course." Harry added quickly. Kreacher looked up at him in surprise. Help? That was not something that he has ever been offered before. Kreacher was unsure what to think. Tis an insult to think that an elf couldn't do as Master pleased… but the place was dismal.
"Normally I will not be needing helps Master Harry but if you want the place cleaned by noon then I will be needings it." Kreacher said reluctantly. Harry smiled gently. "Okay. Let's get started. I would like the place to look good for Draco." Harry mumbled more to himself. Kreacher's eyes widened. "Is master talking about Draco Malfoy?" He asked a little awed. Harry nodded and looked at him questionably. "Oh my Mistress would have been proud to have the honorable young Master Malfoy in the house. Oh yes I will get started straight away!" Kreacher croaked loudly clapping his hands excitedly.
Harry smiled bemusedly and shook his head. Well at least he is happy to do it. That's all that matters. "Okay I will send a reply to Draco and I will be right down to help you." He promised. Kreacher was about to walk out when Harry's words reached him. "Is... is Master Harry friends with Master Malfoy?" The elf asked hesitantly. He admired the young wizard very much but did not want to go against his Master incase this was not a social call. Harry smiled widely. "Yes. And hopefully more." He said with a small blush. Kreacher's eyes widened comically. "Oh... well then perhaps Kreacher should get the polish cleaner out as well." Kreacher said as he walked down the stairs mumbling to himself.
Harry shook his head at his antics. He strained his hearing to see what Kreacher was saying. The words 'Master Malfoy is such a nice boy.', 'I do hope Master Harry marries him.', 'What a fine addition to the family that would be.', 'I must tell Mistress right away.' came out. Harry blushed all over. Marriage? Kreacher better not say anything like that tomorrow. He sighed at the thought of marrying Draco before he slapped himself mentally. No can't think like that. Not even dating… yet. Baby steps Harry, baby steps. Harry reminded himself.
He composed a reply and wisely did not ask Azure if he was up to it. The owl stuck out his leg and gave a challenging look to Harry. As if daring him to question it. He tied the letter to his leg and watched him fly out the window in amusement. The bird was a character alright. He made his way downstairs and spent the remainder of the day cleaning with Kreacher. The elf was downright ecstatic. He was cleaning with a vigor Harry had never seen before. If he had more time he would be amused by that but as it was they were working on a time crunch.
Draco spent the rest of the day trying to find something to keep his mind occupied. Without Voldemort breathing down their necks he was at a loss at what to do. He could work on school work but that would be such a waste. There was still four months until his final year was to begin. Draco was surely no Granger. He was not about to start his homework already. That would just be improper. He ended up just reading many different books in the library inside the manor. Some of the books were on the school list for the upcoming term. He decided to not count that as actual school work. He was just bored, that is all. That certainly didn't make him like Granger. He was about to call it a night when Azure started tapping on the window. He rushed over and instantly forgot about any previous thoughts of sleep.
"You alright?" Draco asked the owl softly. Azure attempted to glare at him but he was too tired. The look came across as just slightly disgruntled. Draco chuckled as he took the letter off the bird and told him to get some rest. "I won't be needing to send any more letters tonight." He promised. Azure looked grateful at that, he hooted softly before flying over to his cage and promptly falling asleep. Draco smiled at the stubborn bird shaking his head. He tore open the envelope and began to read.
Draco. The better savior,
Tomorrow at noon sounds perfect. I was not expecting it to be so soon. Don't worry, that is a good thing. I do have to warn you that I have not set foot inside Grimwald place in quite some time. I will be cleaning it out so it won't be too bad. But I apologize in advance if it is not the best.
Nice try but you are going to have to do better than that if you think I am going to give out any clues. I know how to keep a secret. Perhaps a counter offer? Make it worth my while and we might be able to work out some details.
Heartthrob? Me? You might be the one that needs glasses not me. You are the only one who knows of the colossal mess that I am. So I do not think that I will find love anytime soon. But you Draco are the actual heartthrob. You could have anyone you wanted. They would be crazy not to want you. So, no crazy cat lady for you. Ha! Leave that to me. Maybe after I get about ten cats I'll introduce them all to you. The image of you with a houseful of cats and the absolute horror on your father's face was enough to send me to a fit of laughter. I think Kreacher (my house elf) thought I had lost it. Nothing unusual, he always thinks that.
Speaking of your father. I am so proud of you. I knew you could tell him. You have always had it in you. I wish I could have seen his face though. It would have been priceless. I am happy that your parents are okay with us being friends. Don't worry about me Draco. If your father thinks he can use me then he has another thing coming. Nor will I let him use you. I know you can take care of yourself but if he does come up with a backup plan and you need help I am here for you. Perhaps killing Voldemort did have some perks if your father is scared of me.
I am glad to hear that Snape is doing alright. Although I am concerned about him wanting to talk to me. I have learned over the past seven years that anytime he wants to talk to me it can't bode well for me. Usually I walk away with a detention and a migraine from his insufferable personality. Part of me wonders if I will walk away with my life. Ha! Okay so maybe that was an overreaction. But he can be a little scary when he wants. I guess I will just pull on my Gryffindor britches and just hear him out.
As for you not wanting to come in between Ron and I, well don't worry. The fight may have involved you but it revolved around Ron's ignorance. This is not something that is your fault, nor could I ever grow to resent you. If he wants to apologize to you and me then perhaps I can forgive him. Yes I expect him to apologize to you. I will not go to him. He is on the brink of throwing away seven years of friendship. Seven years of sharing secrets. Seven years of sneaking out after curfew. Seven years of laughter. Seven years of jokes. Seven years of copying Hermione's homework when she wasn't looking. Seven years of annoying the teachers. Seven years of adventures. Seven years of just being brothers. He is willing to get rid of all of that just because I want to make room for you in my life too? That makes everything I just listed leave a bitter taste in my mouth. You don't go through everything we did just to throw it away because I make a new friend. I never asked him to be friends with you, I just asked him to accept it. If he can't do that then I don't want to continue a friendship with him. To me it wouldn't be worth it. Please, please do not blame yourself. You did nothing wrong. You were there for me at my lowest. You were there for me at my darkest. I honestly owe you so much for talking to me last night. I... I fear what could have happened. Ron isn't seeing this because he refuses to acknowledge it. Which is his own fault. Not yours. Never yours. Okay? Don't make me have to knock some sense into you.
I agree with you about disliking the Ministry. They are utterly useless. I didn't realize it was that bad. To think that as long as you have money you can influence the rest of the Wizengamot like that. It sickens me. When one can't trust their own government, you know there is a problem. You would think that after the war everyone would come together and try to make the world a better place. That was too much of a Hufflepuff mentality, wasn't it? Well one can dream. I can't stand Umbridge. I keep hoping I will wake up one day and the Daily Prophet will report that she has had a bizarre accident and keeled over. Again, one can dream.
I don't understand why people must see those who are different as dark. None of those mentioned are dark creatures. They are just creatures in general who want to live their lives out in peace. Turning into a wolf once a month does not make you 'dark'. Drinking blood does not make you 'dark'. There hasn't been a murder by a vampire since 1850. Not since the blood donor legislation came out. Probably the only decent legislation for vampires to come out of the Wizengamot. Giants are so terrified of magic they stick to themselves in tight nit groups. Centaurs prefer the stars over anything we could offer them. It's not like they would be going into any establishments. She just wants to legally spew hatred. Dwarves haven't come out of hiding since the last goblin war, too afraid they would be next. Fairies usually stick to their own realms anyways. If wizards would get their heads out of their arses they would realize that magical creatures are not 'dark'. It is a prejudice that I can't believe is still around. You would think after so long of being integrated that we could all live in relative harmony. I suppose that still sounds Hufflepuff huh? Well maybe the world needs more Hufflepuff viewpoints. As well as a new Ministry. Maybe you and I could change the world. Or at least the Ministry. Not exactly sure how we would do that. It's a thought though.
Thank you for being proud of me. It has been a long time since someone was proud of me. It felt bloody good telling them no. I honestly want to do it all over again. Hell, even just saying no to someone feels good. I have never said no to anyone when it concerns me or my future. It was a head rush. That might sound silly. But I really want to tell someone no. Maybe you could use your slytherin ways and find me someone else to tell off? Finding out what we want to do together? I say yes. That sounds like a plan. I don't know how much good advice I can give you but I will sure try.
Azure. He is a character. I think he is the perfect pet for you. Once he calms down. If he calms down. Sorry ha-ha. You don't need to thank me for anything. But if it matters, you are welcome. I am the one who should be thanking you. So, thank you.
See you tomorrow Draco. Sweet dreams.
-Harry.
Draco let out a sigh of relief at seeing that Harry was okay with meeting him tomorrow. Excitement flew through him. What was he going to wear? This project was really intriguing him. Harry's words of wanting to make it worth his while was so... Slytherin. It made him proud. Draco briefly wondered whose Kreacher was to begin with. Odd name, not that he had any room to talk. Draco was an unusual name even for the wizarding world. He flushed at Harry calling him a heartthrob. It pleased him to no end. Draco felt better about the Weasley situation. Harry was right. It is not his fault that the Weasel behaved so atrociously. He was positively giddy thinking about what would happen the next day. It took quite some time for Draco to calm down and actually get some sleep.
The next morning, he almost overslept. He woke up with only an hour till noon. "Fuck." Swore Draco. He scrambled into his closet to see if he could find something quickly. He was panicking. Nothing looked good enough to wear. "Izzy!" Draco yelled. A *Pop* and there stood the elf. "How can I help you Master Draco?" She asked with a slight bow. Draco sighed dramatically. "Izzy I need to find something nice to wear and nothing here is working. Help me!" Begged Draco not even looking at her. He had his face in his hands and was about to admit defeat. Izzy's eyes went huge. She had never seen young Master Draco so upset.
"Stay here Master Draco. I will be right back." Warned Izzy. Draco nodded still not looking. Izzy reappeared a couple minutes later with Narcissa. His mother looked around at the now very messy room with wide eyes. Draco was always so clean and tidy. Usually bordering on OCD, just how they liked it. "Draco what is going on?" Asked Narcissa. Draco startled at hearing his mother's voice. He looked up from his hands. "Mother I need help." Begged Draco. Narcissa nodded wide eyed with curiosity. "I am meeting Harry in thirty minutes and I have nothing to wear." Narcissa blinked rapidly for a moment before laughing outright. Draco glared at his mother. "I ask for help and you laugh at me!" He said outraged. Izzy looked down nervously. This was not how it was supposed to go. Mistress was supposed to help not make it worse.
Seeing his outrage only caused her laughter to increase. Draco growled and went back to his closet throwing the clothes he didn't like behind him. Narcissa calmed herself down and chuckled at her son's bizarre behavior. "It's just that when Izzy said it was a matter of importance that I come help you, I just assumed that it was a big deal and I get here and you are acting like a loon." Draco craned his neck to glare at his mother.
"This is a big deal mother." Admonished Draco. His mother pressed her mouth firmly together to keep from laughing at him again. By the narrowing of Draco's eyes, she knew she failed. "I'll help you. Just calm down." Narcissa warned. A look of relief flickered on Draco's face before he nodded.
With the help of his mum and Izzy, Draco was able to find a decent outfit. As he looked at himself in the mirror he had to admit it made him look good. He was wearing a silver dress shirt with black pin stripe trousers. The shirt matched his eyes and made them stand out. Draco decided to leave out the hair gel and to go with just a natural look. His hair had a slight curl to it and the ends.
"You look like a proud pureblood." Narcissa breathed as her eyes shined. Draco rolled his eyes. Couldn't she just say he looked good? Why do his parents have to resort everything back to blood status? "Harry is going to be blown away." She smirked at the blush covering her son's cheeks at her words. "First date?" Narcissa asked. Draco's blush grew much to her amusement. "No. I'm just going to spend some time with him at his house." Draco said quietly. Narcissa arched a brow. "You panicked and demanded my help and this isn't even a date?" She huffed disgruntled and thoroughly put out. Draco laughed at her put out look. "Sorry mother. I will wait till our first date to next ask for your help." He promised as he checked the time. "I have to go." He gushed before rushing out of the room and flying down the stairs. Not even bothering to wait for a reply. Narcissa shook her head and wondered if not for the first time, why they didn't have a second child. Perhaps that child would have turned out how they wanted.