490Chapter 18: Malfoy Manor and Explanations
Once they were all settled in the dining room, the house elves brought in drinks for everyone. Lucius cleared his throat. "If you don't mind me asking Mister Potter, is there really a prophecy with the Malfoy name on it?" That had been one thing during the trial that really intrigued him. Lucinda was his mother and she never mentioned a prophecy. Not that that was really surprising. She never had much contact with him anyways. Always preferred to have the house elves tell him what she wanted done of him. Neither of his parents had been the maternal kind. Bastards, the lot of them.
Harry snorted. "Call me Harry. I am dating your son and considering what I went through back there, it would make sense." Lucius nodded his agreement, he did not however request the same of him.
"To answer your question, fuck if I know." At everyone's astonished expressions Harry elaborated with a small chuckle. "You were there that night, rows upon rows of prophecies came tumbling down. Including the section with last names starting with the letter 'M'. Who's to say if Lucinda Malfoy really had a prophecy there. No one will ever know. They don't keep backup records. I checked."
Silence was the answer that greeted him. Harry could feel Draco's pride for him and it pleased Harry to no end. Lucius was the first to recover. "How positively Slytherin of you." He remarked in astonishment. Harry blatantly lied to the Wizengamot and got away with it? His story had seemed so plausible the he had also assumed there had been one. Impressive indeed.
Harry smirked. "Mm, isn't it?" By their expressions, Draco was the only one not surprised by the admission. Draco knew how Slytherin Harry could be. It was one of the many things he loved the most about him.
"Did the goblins tell you about my donations?" Lucius asked a little disgruntled at the thought of the goblins just disclosing his personal life. That went against several treaties the Ministry had with the goblins. If the trial had gone another way, he might have raised a stink over that. Still could, if he wanted to.
"Merlin no. They are still ticked off that I managed to break into Gringotts. They have taken it as a personal slight on their whole race. It's a nightmare trying to take my money out in peace. They insist on sending out a legion of goblins if I want to go to my vaults. They wouldn't help me even if their lives depended on it." Harry paused to take a drink of pumpkin juice. He had always known that goblins weren't particularly friendly but since the break in, they have been downright nasty. They made Dudley and his gang look like goody two shoes. The vile evil green little gits. It was just a simple job really. Go in, steal a cup, take a dragon and smash out. Okay, so he could understand some of their anger but they managed it with inside help. Were the goblins upset with Griphook? Doubtful. It wasn't like he did it alone either. He doubted Hermione and Ron were facing the same scrutiny. So they broke in, it wasn't the end of the world. He paid for the damages. Alone, he might add. Honestly their extra security was an insult. Did they expect him to steal again?
At Lucius's impatient look, Harry continued. "I had to imperio one of the workers." Lucius's mouth dropped open which Harry took as a great victory to fluster the blonde so much. Harry figured that they never thought he would do something like that. He did it during the war the first time. Harry could almost picture the type of scolding he would receive if he had told Hermione. But she would have tried to tell him that the first time around was justified because they needed to get the Horcrux. But that is where Harry's opinion differed with hers. You can't justify it during the war but think it wrong to do so after. Either it was wrong both times or the ends justified the means. Harry was more inclined to believe that it was wrong both times but he just didn't care. He would do it again if he had to. Sometimes morals just didn't matter. Hey, that sounded like a perfect Slytherin Rule. He wondered if he mailed the author, if he could get them to add that to the next edition.
"You used an unforgivable curse on a goblin?" Blaise asked weakly, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Pansy just stared dumbly at him. Harry feared she was spending too much time around Goyle. That was his everyday expression. Hopefully she wasn't about to grunt out responses like him too. He never bothered to learn how to speak moron.
"It wasn't the first time I have used it nor will it be the last, I imagine." Harry said with a shrug. He couldn't care in the least what they thought of him. I mean two deatheaters, a dark supporter and children of dark supporters. They all have probably done much more worse things than using the imperious curse. All that mattered was Draco's opinion in the end.
Draco was shocked for sure but at the same time, he didn't care how Harry managed to do it. Hearing the lengths he went to didn't disturb him, actually it excited him. Harry using an unforgivable curse should worry him considering all he has seen but it was the exact opposite. Goodness they were a messed up pair, weren't they?
Harry sucked in a sharp breath and stared at Draco with wide eyes. Now? Now was the worst time for Draco to be feeling lust. Harry shuddered at the depth of longing Draco was feeling for him. Draco winced when his own needs were sent back to him. He knew this was an awkward time and not the place for it but he couldn't help it. He sent Harry an apologetic smile. Harry shivered at the promise lingering in the smile directed at him. Later, that's what the smile signaled. He couldn't wait.
Lucius and Severus shared another look. Twice now the two lovers seemed to have a silent conversation. It bothered them when they didn't have the answers to everything. Slytherins weren't known for their patience when it didn't suit them.
"I knew there was a side to you that we didn't know, but I had no idea you were capable of that." Pansy said wide eyed. Draco snorted but refused to elaborate when he was sent questioning glances. Harry sent his own amusement to Draco and was rewarded with a twitch of Draco's mouth.
"There is a lot that I am capable of that would surprise you Pansy." Harry said cryptically. She gave him a long considering glance before conceding. "Yes, I imagine there is."
Harry just smiled in reply. As dinner was served the conversations died down a little. Harry was more relaxed then he thought he would be. Draco's parents weren't as stiff as he expected. They were immaculately polite but that was to be expected of someone of their stature and wealth. It wasn't exactly fun but it was not horrible. It was definitely the opposite of the Burrow. At the burrow it was constant energy and filled to the brim with people and food. The burrow's atmosphere was warm and friendly but it was always a little too much. Harry grew up in a cupboard, small spaces were constricting but also comforting. The madhouse of the burrow was more constricting than the cupboard at times. There was no time to just think. But here at the Manor it was different. It was nowhere near as warm. Actually nothing about the Manor could ever be classified as warm. But it was friendly in it's own way. Besides, Draco was here. Which made the appeal of the place drastically improve. He found himself liking the Manor just as much as he liked the burrow.
"Did Umbridge really receive money from known deatheaters?" Draco asked after wiping his mouth with his napkin. This was news to Severus and Lucius. They hadn't been privy to that knowledge if The Dark Lord had ordered it. Not that The Dark Lord was forthcoming with his plans. He had always been paranoid and kept things to himself. Price of being evil, you just can't trust anyone.
"Fuck if I know." Harry said for the second time that night. Once again Harry was met with stunned looks. "I just know what kind of person she is and what kind of company she keeps. It was a logical assumption. So I winged it."
Pansy and Blaise looked like they wanted to say something but couldn't find the words to say them. Lucius just raised his eyebrows while Narcissa's mouth opened slightly. Draco snickered but had a pleased expression on his face.
"Are you sure you weren't supposed to be in Slytherin?" Severus asked weakly. Harry took that as a great compliment.
Harry leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands behind his head. "Now that you mention it. Yes, I was." Harry smirked at the jaws that dropped.
Draco's mouth dropped open. "Say what?" He asked quietly. Harry had been saving this revelation for the perfect moment. He hadn't even told Ron and Hermione about it. He doubted they would appreciate it as much as these Slytherins might. Ron would probably have a heart attack or pass out from lack of oxygen. Hermione would probably go into a lecture on the cons of going against a magical beings wishes. She would probably cite ten different authors and then make a plan to write a theory on it once they got back to Hogwarts.
"The sorting hat wanted me in Slytherin. Said I had a thirst to prove myself and that Slytherin would help me on the way to greatness." Draco swallowed thickly.
"Then how come you ended up in Gryffindor?" Draco asked shielding his emotions. Harry frowned when Draco did that. Was something the matter?
"I argued with it. Told it I didn't want to go in Slytherin. So it put me in Gryffindor instead." Harry explained with a shrug.
"You argued with a sentient hat whose only job is to place students on its first judgement. It wanted you in Slytherin and you managed to talk your way into Gryffindor. Now that is definitely a Slytherin move." Lucius said with an impressed tone. Even Severus seemed impressed. Severus paused to think about what would have happened if Potter had been placed in his own house. Would he still have been so negative to the boy? Possibly. Perhaps not as harsh. James Potter never would have been placed in Slytherin. So that would be a glaring difference in trying to compare the son to the father. If Potter had been placed in his house he would have had zero tolerance with Potters blatant lack of respect for school rules. Perhaps it was better that he had been placed in Gryffindor. Severus probably would have been ready to pull out his own hair by the time the boy would have been in his second year.
But Harry again didn't care what they thought, only Draco's opinion mattered. The silence from the bond was unnerving, Harry hated it. Was Draco mad at him? Why else would he shield his emotions?
"Please don't do that." Harry begged quietly ignoring the curious audience. Draco closed his eyes but lowered his shields like Harry wanted. He wouldn't deny Harry anything.
Harry gasped when he felt the onslaught of Draco's emotions. Harry could feel waves of utter despair and stirrings of guilt. Draco blamed himself for Harry's placement and mourned the loss of what could have been. Harry pulled Draco into his lap not caring if that was unbecoming in polite company, or whatever else silly pureblood mentality thought. Table manners be damned.
"Stop that love. It's not your fault. I don't like what you are feeling." Harry said running his fingers through Draco's hair. For the first time in Harry's life he closed his eyes and pictured what his life might have been like if he had been placed in Slytherin. Would he and Draco have gotten over the handshake issue right away? Would they have been best friends? Would it have been Draco who went on all of his adventures with him? Would Draco have gone with him Horcrux hunting? Perhaps if they had been close friends that would have carried out to the rest of the Malfoy family. Would his home away from Hogwarts been the Malfoy Manor? Maybe if he had been close with them they wouldn't have rejoined Voldemort. Harry felt a pang of loss at the life that he could have had. The what ifs taunted him. For a moment he shared his sorrow with Draco. Mourning what could have been.
But then Harry shook his head, getting a hold of himself. "We can't do that, we can't dwell on what might have happened. Who knows what would have happened if I had been placed in Slytherin. We might have been friends but never gotten together. I don't know about you but that isn't something I like the sound of. Remember what you said to me in your letter?" Draco looked up into Harry's eyes sadly.
"You said that you would go through everything that happened bad in your life all over again if that meant that you got to be with me. The same thing applies to me, Draco. If I had a chance to go back in time and change things, I wouldn't. There is not one thing in the world that could be offered to me that could make up for not having you. I would live through everything all over again to keep you." Harry kissed Draco's nose willing Draco to understand.
Draco sighed heavily. He understood what Harry was trying to say to him, it was just so hard to not imagine what their lives could have been like if Harry had been placed in Slytherin. They might have been in a relationship sooner. Their Hogwarts years might have been wonderful together. Instead of fighting and bickering in the corridors they could have been enjoying themselves. They could have been on the quidditch team together. They could have spent holidays together. He would have invited Harry to the Manor. The life they could've had might have been truly spectacular. But… what if they hadn't gotten together at all? No. That thought was enough to cripple Draco. No. Draco would rather have Harry in his life now no matter how it happened then to dwell on the what ifs.
Harry could feel the sadness slowly ebb away from Draco and determination filled its spot. Harry wanted to smile at the fact that his words were getting through to Draco but he could still feel his guilt.
Harry lifted Draco's chin so he could see into those beautiful grey eyes. "Stop feeling guilty. It wasn't your fault. Yes, the meeting with you was in the back of my mind while I was being sorted. I won't lie to you." Draco closed his eyes and whimpered in regret.
If Harry had been standing, he would have staggered under the weight of Draco's guilt. "Draco stop." Harry begged with so much sorrow Draco snapped open his eyes. "Hagrid had told me that Voldemort had been placed in Slytherin. And then Ron said that all bad wizards came out of Slytherin. I was eleven and brand new to the wizarding world. I was told by the first two people who had ever been nice to me how bad Slytherin was. I was impressionable and let their opinions guide me. I know better now. So please don't blame yourself. Please." Harry begged.
Draco stared into Harry's eyes mesmerized by the way they darkened with Harry's desperation. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Harry's. "Okay." He whispered.
Harry hugged Draco tighter to him when he felt Draco give up on the argument. He kissed Draco's nose again when he felt the guilt fade away to be replaced by the gentle pleasure Draco felt wrapped in Harry's arms.
"Much better." Harry commended closing his eyes. Draco let out a little giggle that warmed Harry's heart.
"Would either of you care to explain?" Lucius said in a no nonsense tone of voice that had Draco wincing. This was the third time now that the two of them were behaving oddly and going on about feelings. There would not be a fourth time unless they explained just what the bloody hell was going on.
Draco turned around in Harry's lap but refused to get off. He knew it was uncouth for public displays of affection to be had at the dinner table. His pureblood manners were wincing at his actions but the thrill of doing whatever the fuck he wanted made him stay. The fact this father couldn't say a word against it thrilled him. It might be a tad childish but Draco didn't care. He had the sudden urge to stick his tongue out at his father's raised eyebrow. He didn't but it was a nice thought regardless, to know that he could.
Lucius took a moment to take a calming sigh. Patience. That was a virtue, wasn't it? Lucius wanted to snap at Draco's unbecoming behavior but stamped it all down. He was proud that only a wince made it through his composure.
Harry had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing at Draco's amusement. Draco had guts alright. He wouldn't have dreamed of messing with Lucius like this.
"Explain what?" Draco asked cocking his head to the side and resting his hands against Harry's that were holding him.
"Don't patronize me." Lucius warned. Draco tilted his head back onto Harry's shoulder so he could look into his eyes. Harry hummed in thought. They had already told the Weasley twins. What harm could telling Draco's family cause?
Harry gave a discreet nod. "Harry and I share a connection." At the raised eyebrows, Draco elaborated. "We don't know how or why we have one, but we do. I can feel Harry's emotions and vice versa. I can feel the bond connecting us even if we are using Occlumency. Distance doesn't affect the bond. It is always there and thrumming. We didn't perform a ritual if that is what you are wondering. It happened all on its own."
Narcissa gasped loudly covering her mouth, tears sprang to her eyes startling her son. Severus's mouth dropped open in shock. Lucius made a choked noise as he stared wide eyed at the two of them as he breathed heavily.
Pansy and Blaise couldn't decide which was more shocking, that their friends had a weird emotional bond or the reactions of the usually stoic adults. They looked from their friends to the adults then back again silently willing them to explain.
Harry and Draco were slightly alarmed at the expressions on their faces. If it was a different subject Harry might have laughed but with the conversation regarding their bond, it didn't seem like the appropriate response.
Draco had never seen such open emotions from any of them before. It worried him that the bond was something bad. What would possess them to behave so oddly? He gripped Harry's hard tightly, needing the support.
"Y-You are sure?" Narcissa whispered. Draco raised arched a brow. Of course he was sure. It's not like he is in the habit of lying. He leveled an unimpressed stare towards his mother.
Narcissa got up at once and hurried out of the room towards the direction of the library. "Where is she going?" Draco demanded impatiently. Screw politeness.
Lucius couldn't form a reply if he wanted to. His mind was whirling in a thousand different directions. He was shocked, utterly and totally stunned.
Severus recovered and sent Lucius an amused glance when he saw his still slack jawed face. He may have been surprised but at least he hadn't lost composure like Lucius.
"Narcissa is grabbing something that will help you understand our reactions." Lucius said in a reverent tone once he recovered. Harry and Draco shared another startled look. Harry was disturbed. By the tone of Lucius's voice, Harry almost expected the man to be talking to Voldemort. The silky awed tone sent unpleasant shudders throughout him.
Narcissa came rushing in. Draco lifted an eyebrow as his mother's panting. Purebloods don't run anywhere, it is considered below them, undignified even. Slytherin Rule #28: If you can't do something with dignity, then don't do it at all. His parents were acting rather odd and he didn't like it at all.
Narcissa handed Draco a book that she had obviously taken from the library. Except it wasn't one he recognized which was rather odd, Draco had combed through the library long ago and that book was not there. The way she handled the book with so much awe unsettles Draco. The book was old. Very old. It looked like it was falling apart and pages missing. It was dusty and dirty from old age. He lifted it carefully showing Harry the title so he could read along with him.
"Bonds: Eternal Soulmates Volume One" Draco chokes out in surprise. He looks up at his parents demanding an answer. He doesn't look back at the book, too afraid to actually read it. There was no such thing as soulmates. That was just muggle fairytale and myth. Why would his parents give him a book on such silly nonsense?
"Merlin's right ball sack!" Harry let out startled. Despite the serious situation, Draco laughed out right.
"What happened to the left one?" He asked as his mouth twitching as he remembered his own saying to Harry at the quidditch field. Harry shook his head. "Tragic accident. They couldn't save it." Harry and Draco broke out in giggles.
"Not another one." Blaise and Pansy both moaned in despair. Narcissa chuckled ignoring the affronted look on Lucius's face. Genitals being discussed in polite conversation? What were they thinking?
"Draco, you converted him to your awful humor." Pansy accused. Draco grinned wickedly. "That is not the only way I have converted him." Pansy's face flushed a dark red as Blaise snickered.
Lucius cleared his throat. Sexual innuendos at the dinner table is where he draws the line. Merlin, what would his father have said?
Draco appeared chastised. "Right. Sorry. So soulmates?"
Authors Notes:
Okay, I apologize for the shortness of the chapter. It was not as long as I would have hoped for. But the next one goes into so much depth that there was no way to extend this one without cutting into the next one.
Okay, I know what you are thinking. Not another soulmate story?! Well sorry if that is not what you were hoping for. There was a bit of foreshadowing involved so it actually shouldn't come as that big of a surprise. I promise you that this story is not a typical soulmate story as you have already figured that out. The next chapter explains a lot so stick around and find out. It may just surprise you.
Any thoughts? Any one else notice how crazy Gryffindor Harry's plan of getting the Malfoy's off was? So much could have gone wrong. Yes it was terribly Slytherin of him but definitely insane Gryffindor as well. Any predictions on what their bond might entail? Any thoughts on them being soulmates?