The ride from Hogwarts back to King's cross was far more subdued than the other direction had been. Harry was still very upset over what he had heard and been told and hadn't been talking much. His friends had commented on it, but oddly enough it had been Daphne who had pulled him into a tight hug before the break and whispered into his ear "Whatever it is that's been bothering you, you'll feel better about it after the break"
' I'll tell Draco over the break. I just need to breathe a little first.'
Draco had told Harry a little bit about what to expect at the Malfoy's. Apparently, they never had celebrated Christmas, as Draco told Harry on the journey to Hogwarts. However, since so many others did, they would send presents out to friends. Family presents were given on New Year's, to start the year off with. Christmas itself would be more of a solemn affair, with the family doing a small ceremony to mark the special time of year.
"It's all about the power and possibility of change you know? Like, Yule is the longest night, and after that, the nights start changing and becoming shorter. So we focus on how we can change and use change to benefit us"
Harry had just Hmmphed, not really sure what to say to that. It did sound interesting, but he wasn't sure what it practically meant to him. Draco had just carried on talking
"And it's the same with the summer solstice. Although in winter we celebrate our darker side, and in summer we celebrate our lighter sides"
"What do you mean, dark and light?" Harry had asked, intrigued
"Well, it's like-The dark emotions. Hate, and anger, and sadness. We celebrate those now. And in summer we celebrate happiness and love and stuff like that. Father will talk about it after our banquet, he always does"
"Cool," Harry had said. That did sound interesting.
"Your parents gonna pick us up from the platform?" Harry asked Draco. They were sitting in the compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Theo, Blaise, and Pansy were with them. Crabbe and Goyle were who knows where, and Daphne and Tracy had headed off to the loo.
"Of course" Draco sounded scandalized at the question "They wouldn't just leave us to find a way back"
"No I meant- Never mind, the other ideas are stupid"
"What are you guys gonna be doing over the hols?" Theo asked, sounding bored
"Dunno. Probably just hang out a lot. Fly a bit if it's not too bad out." Draco answered, "In fact, why don't you guys come over for a game of Quidditch?"
"I'm in," Blaise said quickly "If I don't get out of my house a bit my mother will drive me mad. She loves hosting parties and stuff this time of year"
"That really doesn't sound too bad," Pansy said
"It would be better if there was anyone closer to my age there, but there never is. I just have to listen to them talk politics all night, and it gets boring real fast"
"What does?" Daphne asked, having walked in just in time to hear the end of Blaise's sentence.
"Blaise entertaining his mother's guests," Theo said with a smirk
"Oh, I don't have to entertain them, I just have to appear the perfectly mannered and attentive young man," Blaise said, "While all my mother's friends go on about how handsome I am"
"Can you blame them?" Tracey asked innocently, and the compartment was quiet for a second before raucous laughter exploded from it.
"Oh, my handsome man" Theo said in a falsetto, while pretending to swoon "Please, keep me company"
The laughter continued, and soon everyone was cracking jokes at each other's expense. Harry smiled. This would be a good break, he just needed to get away from Hogwarts and not think about all those things he had heard for a bit.
' What, you don't want to think about how everyone thinks you're evil? Or about how the greatest wizard of our time dropped you like a sack of potatoes at some muggles' house?' Harry's inner voice whispered insidiously. It had stopped bringing up his murders for the most part, and instead was pushing and poking him about other things.
The rest of the ride passed quickly. Harry's friends kept up conversation and games of exploding snap and chess for most of the time, although he did get an hour or so to read.
Disembarking the Hogwarts express, Harry was surprised to see Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy waiting for Draco and him.
' It's weird seeing people who actually seem to care'
Harry wondered for a moment what would be had his parents never been killed. Would they be fetching him instead of the Malfoys? Would they have been there early, or would he have been forced to wait for them? Would they mind if he was in Slytherin even though they were Gryffindors?
' All of them are evil'
Or would they think like Weasley?
"Come on Harry! They're waiting!" Draco pushed him a little bit, and Harry shook himself out of his thoughts. It had been many years since he had fantasized about life with his parents, and he didn't want to start doing that again. He got his trunk and followed Draco off the train.
As soon as they got close enough, Mrs. Malfoy grabbed Draco in a tight hug. Harry smirked at Draco's obvious discomfort. He clearly didn't want all of his friends to see him in this type of position.
"Hello Harry" Mr. Malfoy greeted him with a small incline of his head.
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you very much for letting me come to you sir"
"It is our pleasure" He looked over to his wife and son "Narcissa, please side-along Draco and his trunk, I will bring Harry."
Mr. Malfoy held out his arm. "You've never been apparated have you, Harry?"
"No sir"
"Well, grip my arm tightly, and be prepared for some discomfort"
Harry grabbed hold of Mr. Malfoy's arm and held it in a strong grip.
"Three, Two, and One"
Pressure, being squeezed. His whole body being squashed until it felt he would explode and then-
"Ah, we've arrived"
Harry stumbled, shaken up. That was apparition? That was terrible! He had been so excited for apparition- To disappear from one place and appear in another sounded amazing. But that? That was horrific.
Mr. Malfoy must have seen some of the discomforts on Harry's face.
"The first time is horrible. It gets a lot easier and less painful" He said
Well, that at least sounded hopeful for the future.
Harry looked around, the sunlight no longer shocking his eyes.
His jaw dropped open.
The house he was facing could be a palace, it was that amazing. It was enormous, with huge gardens around it. Through the gate and hedge, Harry could see large birds meandering around the garden and beautiful fountains.
"Is this your house sir?" Harry said, wonder piercing his voice.
Mr. Malfoy looked at his expression and gave a small laugh.
"Yes, it is. Be welcome to Malfoy Manor" He said, as from behind them a loud CRACK! Could be heard.
Harry turned to see Draco and Mrs. Malfoy.
' Draco doesn't look sick at all. It must get better with practice'
Harry followed the Malfoys through their wrought-iron gate, noticing with interest the dragons carved on it.
He walked through the spacious garden up to the house, looking around with awe and a bit of jealousy.
' Draco grew up with this?!'
He had known the Malfoys were wealthy, but it was one thing to know that, and it was another thing altogether to see it.
They walked into the manor, and immediately a small creature appeared, bowing before them.
It was about the height of Harry's knees, with incredibly long ears and large eyes.
"Dobby, take Draco's trunk to his room and take Harry's to the bedroom closest to Draco's" Narcissa commanded the small thing.
"Yes Mistress". It took a trunk in each hand and started walking.
"So Harry, what do you think?" Draco asked
Harry took another look around. The inside of the manor was just as elegant and spectacular as the outside. There was a giant coat of arms next to a large family tree on the wall, and it was lit by an enormous chandelier that glinted and let off prisms. And that was just the entrance room.
"It's amazing," Harry said and meant it.
Draco broke into a wide grin.
"Come, let me show you your room"
Harry followed Draco up the great curving staircase on to the second floor of the manor.
"Third floor is where Father's study is. And the library of course"
Draco smirked at Harry's expression.
"Don't worry Harry, there'll be plenty of time for you to check it out. Father may even let you borrow some books"
"And this is your room, mine is the one next door," Draco said, opening the door to Harry's room.
It was big.
Harry felt he could have fitted three bedrooms from the orphanage into it, and those had three or four people in each of them
"It's great. Thanks, Draco, really"
"Of course it is. Get unpacked, I want to show you the grounds"
With that, Draco left to his own room.
Harry looked around the room he would be staying in. The carpet was richly decorated, with what was presumably the Malfoy Family crest splayed upon it. The tapestries begged closer inspection, they seemed to be depicting all types of heroic and important actions done by Malfoys throughout the centuries.
His bed looked large enough to swallow him and was soft and welcoming. There was a thick oaken table next to it, with a large candelabra upon it.
' I think I'm going to be very comfortable here'
"Harry? You ready yet?" Draco called from his own room
"Just a minute" He called back and hurried to unpack his own trunk.
"Remember boys, we shall eat an early dinner tonight, so don't be out for longer than an hour or so"
"Ok mother, we'll make sure of it"
Draco took great pleasure in showing Harry their spacious gardens and fields and explaining some of the histories behind them. Most of his stories involved his ancestors tricking their muggle neighbors out of their deeds until the Malfoys owned all the surrounding lands. Some of these stories were absolutely hilarious.
"And then the muggle, he goes to Septimus" Draco was sniggering and couldn't really talk "And he says 'I keep feeling like I've forgotten something'" They boys burst out laughing, Harry clutching his stomach.
Suddenly they heard a crack, and rubbing the tears out of their eyes saw the strange thing standing in front of them.
"Mistress Narcissa says that Masters Draco and Harry must come inside now," It said, its eyes never leaving Harry's face.
"Ok," Draco said, still with merriness in his voice, "Tell her we're starting walking from the eastern paddock now"
"Yes, Master Draco," the creature said with a bow, before disappearing with another loud crack.
"Well, come on Harry, you heard Dobby. Get up, we've got to head back now" Draco said, stretching a hand out for Harry to pull himself up with.
"Draco?" Harry asked, "What is that thing? Dobby, you called it?"
"Oh Merlin Harry, I always forget you grew up with muggles," Draco said, looking a bit embarrassed "Dobby's a house-elf"
"A house-elf?"
"Yeah. All the good families have them. They're our servants. Although Dobby is a bit madder than most"
"I think I've read about them" Harry said slowly "Something about their magic working differently to wizards magic"
"Well, if you can call it that. Father says they can't use magic for most of the things wizards can"
"And they just work for you?"
"You can set them free, but really, who would do that? A house-elf without a master would be like, like, a wizard without a wand! It just doesn't work"
"Oh"
"You get it?" Draco nudged Harry, "It just doesn't work"
"Ha bloody ha"
Dinner that night was a lovely, but simple affair. Simple that is, according to the Malfoy's standards. Harry still ate better than he ever had before Hogwarts. By the time they reached dessert, both Harry and Draco were trying to hide their yawns.
"Ok boys," Mrs. Malfoy said briskly "Shower if you wish, and off to bed"
"But Muum" Draco whining
"No buts. There will be plenty of time over the rest of the holidays for whatever you wish to do, but only if you're awake enough to do so"
They headed up to their rooms, and minutes later were both asleep.
The next day, Mrs. Malfoy took the boys to do some Christmas shopping.
Harry bought gifts for all his friends. For Theo, he bought a mirror that would make mocking comments at him. Theo was notoriously vain. For Blaise, he bought a new set of Wizards Chess. He had gotten quite sick of his constant complaints about how slow and old the pieces were.
For Daphne, Pansy, and Tracey he had found a whole set of Make-up. Unlike the mirror he had gotten for Theo, the mirrors in these sets would actually offer advice. He bought a set for each of them.
He had been very unsure about what to buy for Crabbe and Goyle until Draco told him to just buy them food. He bought them enormous bunches of sweets, that had been shaped to look like fruits.
For Draco, he found a book on Quidditch tactics and another book on the history of noble pureblood families. While he wouldn't be giving them to Draco until New Years, he didn't want to leave it till later when he had found them now.
Harry had spent quite a bit of money by the time all was done, but he really didn't mind.
' I've never had friends to spend money on before. Hell, I've never had money to spend before. Maybe I should buy Weasley a book on manners?'
Snickering to himself, Harry grabbed hold of Mrs. Malfoys hand for the apparition.
Harry and Draco were sitting on a mound near a large field. They had been flying for hours and were taking a breather. Harry had come to love flying and had decided to definitely try out for the Slytherin Quidditch team the following year. It wasn't such real Quidditch when it was just him and Draco playing, but a whole lot of their friends would be coming in a few days for a game of Quidditch.
"Harry," Draco said, voice a bit softer than usual "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Harry said, his heart starting to race.
' Here it comes. Well, it'll probably be good to talk about it with someone who isn't a teacher'
"What's been up with you lately? The last few weeks you've been seriously withdrawn. Daphne says she's worried about, and I am too"
"So you're all talking about me hey?" Harry asked, words coming fast. His breath caught a little bit, and he felt oddly hot
"Harry, you're our friend. Of course, we talk about you when you're acting strange" Draco said, puzzled.
Harry deflated, his anger leaving as soon as it had come.
' Having friends is far more complicated than it seems from outside'
"It's just. Well, I was in the library and I heard them talking about me"
"Heard who?"
"That tosser Weasley and Granger"
"The blood-traitor and the mudblood. Harry, you really don't have to care about what they have to say at all"
"It's not just that. I'll start at the beginning. Weasley said Snape was trying to steal something, and Granger wouldn't believe him. Weasley said something about Snape being evil, and how all Slytherins are evil"
Draco laughed. "Really Harry, that's got you upset? You know that they all think that, it's not new"
Harry just carried on, ignoring the interruption.
"Granger said we can't all be evil because the great Harry Potter is in Slytherin, then Weasley starts talking about how I'm the worst of all, and I survived the Dark Lord because I was such a powerful dark wizard"
Draco sighed. "Harry, seriously. I know that overhearing people talk about you isn't nice, but it really isn't that bad. The way you've been going on, moping and-"
"You don't understand Draco! You don't understand my life!"
"Then tell me, Harry"
Harry had stood up, and was pacing around now.
"You know I grew up in a Muggle orphanage, but you can't know what it was like. They hated me Draco, hated and feared me because I could do things that didn't make sense. I had no friends. Not one. Every time I would start becoming friends with someone, they would be taught not to be nice to me. They spoke about me whenever something went wrong. Saying things like, the freak did it, or it's the weirdo's fault. Our rooms were randomly assorted Draco, and people fought not to be my roommate. They were all so scared of the freak. They thought I was possessed Draco, and it just got worse when I defended myself. When I-When I-"
' When you killed Joseph. C'mon Harry, tell your first friend how you're a murderer'
"When you what?" Draco asked, entranced.
"There was a boy named Joseph," Harry said slowly, voice barely above a whisper "He was the worst of them. Him and his gang made my life a misery. Always mocking me, always stealing my stuff. Pouring water on me in the middle of the night. Beating me up. He broke my leg once. He got worse after the family that adopted me brought me back. He beat me bad, going on about how I was a devil"
Draco looked horrified, his hand covering his mouth.
"I saw him one night. He was standing at the top of the stairs. He couldn't see me. He wanted to go downstairs, probably for some water"
"What did you do?" Draco whispered.
"I just wanted him to fall. I just wanted him to fall and break his neck"
Harry stopped. He stood still for a moment, the memory bright and cloying in his mind.
"He suddenly flew forward as if he had been kicked. I remember how he hung in midair for a second. He fell like he had been thrown down. He died. I killed him. I'm a murderer Draco"
Before he knew it, he was crying, weeping. He managed to get himself under control and wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve.
"Harry, I-"
"No Draco. I understand. You wouldn't want to be friends with a killer"
"You absolute idiot! Of course, I still want to be your friend! That muggle deserved it, and a lot worse too. I can't believe you had to experience that, Harry. I'm so sorry"
Harry felt like he had been slapped. Draco wasn't running away in fear, trying to warn people about him. Draco still wanted to be his friend.
' Why don't you tell him about Mr. Roberts then? See if he still wants to be your friend then, you dirty, disgusting-'
"Harry, he was just a muggle. You were right to do it. He was just a stupid muggle."
Harry wanted to cry with relief. Draco was on his side!
"But, when I hear that Weasley talking like that, it just brings it all back. Takes me back to when I-"
"Let Weasley talk! He knows nothing! He should be afraid of you Harry, that's what his kind deserve"
"His kind?"
"Harry, people like Weasley just talk about how great muggles are, and how we should respect them and treat them well. What you're telling me now just proves more and more about how muggles are barely any better than animals. They fight against those they're afraid. They need to be shown why they should fear us"
Harry wasn't quite sure who Draco was talking about at the end, muggles or Weasley, and was about to ask when Draco carried on.
"I just can't believe you were left to live with them"
That reminded Harry of how this all started. It had really been his conversation with Hagrid that upset him far more than what he had heard Weasley say.
"Draco, I need to tell you the rest of what got me so upset"
"Ok"
"After I left the library, I ran into Hagrid. Literally ran straight into him"
"Well, seeing that oaf does upset me, so I can see how-"
"He told me how he picked me up from the ruins of my parent's house and brought me to Dumbledore. They left me on my muggle aunt's front door. Left me there in the middle of the night, in a basket" Harry said, bitterness in his tone.
"They did what?!"
"They left me, in a basket, with a blanket and letter to my aunt about why she has to take me in. She dropped me off at the orphanage because she hated magic and was too selfish to raise me. But the wizard who everyone says is the greatest wizard in the world left me on a fucking doorstep Draco"
Draco looked absolutely shocked. Harry just carried on.
"When Dumbledore came to the orphanage, he made it sound like I was left there because of some whole great plan to prevent Death Eaters from finding me. But it was really because he just didn't care about me. Everything I went through, the nightmare that my life has been until Hogwarts, is because Dumbledore did nothing more than leave me at some stupid fucking muggles' house."
"Harry, you have to tell Father this"
"Why? What can he do? I asked Snape about adoption in the wizarding world, and apparently-"
"Screw that Harry. Father could get Dumbledore tried for that. And my parents would probably be happy to adopt you"
"Really?"
"Well, I'm sure. But even if they can't legally adopt you, you could still stay here over the summers. Mother already said something about that"
Harry simply didn't know what to do with this information. He had never experienced such love and kindness. His heart soared with hope.
"Harry, after Yule night, you must speak to my Father. He'll be very busy up until then, but after that, you must"
"It's a deal Draco. I'm done with keeping this all hidden and secret"