Notes:
Still no Tom!
(I am sorry... This story isn't really centered around the possible ship.)
Also merry Christmas to those who celebrate it!
I have set up a Patreon page where you can follow my story, which is divided into five chapters. Instead of releasing all the updates at once, I will be posting one chapter each week. patreon.com/Chartso_
Summary:
Previously. . . Harry's name is burned from the paper and he is entered into the tournament. Ron receives a vision and Harry must deal with Death's voice speaking into his mind.
Draco stared daggers at Potter, heavily unnerved at how unaffected he seemed. The absolute capability to keep calm and act like nothing happened was a superb talent he wished he had. He watched as Potter went about his day, dodging or deflecting questions from other students. He had even been witness to an angry Hufflepuff cussing out Potter and the only thing he did was lazily wave his wand and vanish their mouth. Poor guy was horrified and trying to demand Potter to reverse it.
When Potter did nothing but walk away, the Hufflepuff's had done their best to fix the issue and even went to the Ravenclaws for help. Unfortunately for them, the eagles were more fascinated with the spell work rather than attempting to fix it. In the end, Draco marvelled at the magnificent display of power and nonchalance that Potter carrier as three Hufflepuff's begged him to reverse his spell.
As the day ended, the news of what Potter had done after vanishing into the hidden room for the champions had spread across the school. Students of Durmstrang were begrudgingly impressed by the display of power and Beauxbatons were creating conspiracy theories with the Ravenclaws. The Hufflepuff's were outraged that the attention they had been looking for was taken from them as their champion was being outshone by the boy-who-lived. Then there were the Slytherins.
As the day ended, a group of Slytherins were gathered around the common room and discussing the supposed bane of their existence; Hadrian Potter. Draco had been kind enough to explain that Potter's name had been butchered by the public and his first name was actually more fancy and suitable. Draco sat on his favorite chair whilst his friends surrounded him, close enough to gossip amongst each other.
"Did you see him?" Pansy said looking absolutely outraged, "He didn't even seem to be tired! The bastard performed a perfect oath upon his magic and he's walking around and using magic as if nothing happened."
Daphne nodded in agreement, quietly handing a transfigured glass figurine to her sister Astoria and resumed the discussion. "He was also hanging around that boy from Durmstrang."
"Nikolai Markov," although the name felt foreign in Draco's mouth, he had gotten to know the boy… a bit. "He's Nadia Markova's son. You know… that attorney that was hired to defend Minister Levitsky when her husband accused her of infidelity." Now that was a scandal that even reached Britain.
"Wait, seriously?" Theo finally perked up, Blaise hissed quietly under his breath when Theo almost pushed him of the couch. Draco remembered that his family originated from Russia and him and his grandfather occasionally went there for summer. "Lady Markova is a major benefactor of the Russian ministry and you're telling Potter somehow became close friends with her son?!"
Although it was a fact some of them would have thought ridiculous, the current Harry Potter could pull it off. Had it been the rude and reckless Harry Potter of before they would all agree that someone like Nikolai Markov wouldn't be friends with him. However, Potter was different and Markov seemed to think it was suitable enough to befriend the boy. All of them agreed this new and improved version of Potter was better than the previous one.
"Hm… he's been rather close to the Durmstrang students… he avoids the Beauxbatons students like the plague in complete contrast." Blaise commented, grumbling as he pushed Theo away and pouted at the brown haired boy. He rolled his eyes when Theo sheepishly grinned at him, "Anyways, the entire day he seemed to dodge Beauxbatons, aside from their champion and another girl. Aside from that, Potter has only been associating himself with Durmstrang."
"It is a great contrast to what people would expect from him." Daphne calmly said, "Beauxbatons is more aligned towards the light, although is more of a gray school than anything. Still, he chooses to befriend those of a school known for being dark."
Draco couldn't agree more. Potter had been weird since the quidditch world cup and that weirdness was getting worse and worse by the day. No matter the cause, Draco found the entire situation to be odd. It was not something that would normally happen in Hogwarts, especially with the pure and unbridled rage Hadrian Potter had unleashed on the great hall the night before.
The vivid memory of it made him shudder.
The flames upon candles had gone out for a few seconds before igniting. The flames were mixtures of blue and red, angrily bursting until the candles could no longer handle the heat and melted completely. They had resorted to lighting up their wands when the candles were of no use. He could remember heads of houses desperately trying to extinguish the flames but all of them had failed.
Then a memory of his first runes class with Potter resurfaced. The way he had masterfully summoned a ball of flames into the palm of his hand. He wasn't too surprised to see the flames going crazy after Potter had just performed a magical oath.
"Sonnet… are any of you familiar with Lincoln Sonnet?" Draco asked, looking around for the odd boy in their house and year.
His group looked at each other and shook their heads.
Pansy asked, "Sonnet? He's not particularly famous or anything. Although I did hear that he was having trouble with students from different houses. Why?"
Trust Pansy to give him information.
"He's… friends with Potter. Remember that he arrived late with Potter two nights ago?"
"Right, that happened. Well, he's not here." Theo looked around but didn't see the boy.
"Strange… Tell me if he pops up. I need to ask him some things." He removed himself from his chair and patted his uniform, robes having been discarded into his dorms. He ran a hand through his platinum hair and sighed, turning on his heel to exit the common rooms.
"You gonna ask about Potter again?" Blaise snickered as Pansy followed with a giggle
Draco flushed in embarrassment, "Of course not! What makes you think that?"
Daphne roed her eyes, "The intensity of your interest in Hadrian Potter says so."
"Well I'm not." Draco clicked his tongue, "Look, just tell me if Sonnet appears. I'm going to take a walk… be back before dinner."
He grumbled as he stomped out of the common rooms. He checked himself, just in case his uniform was askew. His robes were still discarded in his dorms, but there was no problem with not wearing it for now.
As he wandered the halls, he noticed the additional noise to the castle. He expected the visitors to be exploring the school and he wondered if he could ever get the chance to visit Durmstrang. Although his mother often chastised him about it, saying that Durmstrangs structure was a complicated piece of architecture. There were legends and myths on how the institution's castle was once a prison, for what or who was still a mystery.
Taking a sharp turn, he didn't expect to be colliding with someone and stumbling to the floor. His poor arse hit the marble floors, quietly groaning to himself as he glared at the person he bumped into. Seeing the red they wore, he immediately assumed they were Gryffindor, but from the Russian they were cursing in, he froze and stared at the stranger in question.
" Ah, Morgana, chert voz'mi. Kolya, ty durak. "
Draco didn't understand the stranger, but he did recognize Morgana's name and the word fool in the sentence. He blinked, rubbing the side of his head and quietly observed the stranger.
He lifted his head and Draco's breath hitched. "My apologies! I was not looking correctly." He said, Russian accent prominent yet subtle in a skillfully clumsy manner.
Yet Draco froze at the beautiful purple eyes that gazed into his stormy gray ones. He sat on the floor, befuddled at the familiar face. His features were soft, quite tall for his age, and his curly hair was a mess. The boy's clear skin was flushed red of embarrassment, unable to meet his gaze for a few seconds.
"Nikolai Markov."
Nikolai blinked, confused as to why Draco knew his name before finally recognizing him. There was this little light that sparked between purple hues, as if knowledge was being injected into his brain. The other boy grinned, getting to his feet and hastily offering his hand for Draco to take.
"Since you are… er… what is the correct word… aware of my name," he sheepishly continued, "may I please ask for your name?"
Draco hesitantly took Nikolai's hand, quite surprised to feel how damn sturdy it was. Nikolai's hand was a bit bigger than his slender ones, the next thing he knew, Markov had dragged him to his feet and helped him balance himself. He resolutely turned away from the Markov heir, unable to handle the fact he had been stunned into silence by him. But Draco gulped and shook his head.
Focus , he told himself and introduced himself. "Draco Malfoy, if you do not remember. We spoke briefly during the feast last night." He dusted whatever debris was on his clothes and offered Markov a polite smile.
"Malfoy… ah! You are the boy I sat in front of. Ah… you also spoke to Asen, correct?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.
Draco hummer, trying to remember the previous night. He had gone on a mission to get himself more connections outside of the country, to which he had succeeded in acquainting himself with Asen Oblansk, the son of Bulgaria's minister. The boy was a pleasant conversationalist and was great at explaining the rubbish Draco considered to be the divination taught in Hogwarts. He's a genius , was what Draco had thought when Asen Oblansk explained hydromancy in such an ethereal and fascinating way the captured his attention.
"Yes… are you lost? From what I can remember, your schoolmates have been residing in your ship. Are you looking for the path to the lake?" Draco asked.
Markov blinked, before a faint red painted his cheeks. He was embarrassed, as Draco observed, fascinated with the way his expressions were so subtle yet conveyed so much. "I… erm… No, I am not lost. Hades has made sure I remember the way to the lake if I ever get lost."
"Hades?"
"Ah! That is what I call Hadrian. Hadrian Potter, to be precise." Nikolai immediately brightened at the mention of the boy.
It was Draco's turn to be confused. When did they get so close? There was a sense of jealousy resting in his mind, a scathing urge to glare at Markov being reigned back. He allowed himself a smile. "Is that so? How generous of Potter."
"Hm, but it'd concerning… ah, I should not bother you with my woes." Markov nervously laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Once again, I must apologize for bumping into you. I shall be more careful in the future."
Draco narrowed his eyes at him. He tilted his head, curious as to what Markov was doing in the first place. He had found it odd that students under seventeen had been brought along by Durmstrang, and the only thing he could get out from the students were that the younger students were some kind of moral support. It sounded ridiculous, but then again, Fleur Delacour had brought her sister as a moral support. From his observations, Nikolai Markov was a close friend of Viktor Krum.
Markov was currently an unknown variable to the rest of his house. The only thing they currently knew of the boy was who his mother was, a vague explanation on his reputation in Durmstrang, and the fact he had made fast friends with Potter. The last bit was somewhat disturbing since Potter was well known for being rather conservative. Hell, most of Hogwarts were aware of the fact that aside from the Weasleys and Granger, Potter wasn't that close to anyone else… well, Luna Lovegood was now part of that small group.
A small smile graced his lips as he offered his hand again, "Well, you seem troubled. Is there anything I can help you with?" Get close to him… understand what the hell Potter likes about him .
Nikolai and Draco weren't that different, but Potter saw a significant difference that caused him to outstretch his hand to Markov and slap Draco's away. But you've gone back to the beginning… Potter is acquainted with you now , a voice in his head said. Potter had wanted to start over again, offering his hand and befriending Draco. But he was still bitter about their first meeting.
Markov seemed to consider his words, looking hesitant and cautious but nodded quietly. "The… erm… what's the English for where the books are placed?"
"The library." Draco replied with an amused look. Markov pursed his lips, refusing to look him in the eye and nodding in confirmation. "Did Potter not show you where it was?"
"He did not get the chance. Would you be able to lead me to the library?"
Draco hummed, nodding and leading Markov towards the library.
"How exactly did you and Potter meet? You seem to have known each other for a while."
"Hm? Hades and I met during the quidditch world cup." Markov explained, a bit confused at the baffled expression on Draco's face.
Noticing that his expressions showed, he cleared his throat and nodded. Although his mind was a whirlpool of thoughts. He had gotten a good understanding about Markov and Potters connection but now everything was spiralling. They met at the world cup? That felt impossible.
Granger and Ron Weasley had taken months, almost an entire year to make Potter open up. Almost everyone had seen it. The way Potter had slapped Weasleys hand away when he tried to touch and the way Potter would often distance himself from the two in the early stages of their friendship. Their supposed saviour was a boy who refused to befriend anyone and had chosen to hide somewhere and never show himself. It was until their second year that Potter had grown to be a bit more relaxed.
Yet as he glanced towards Markov, Draco could not find anything that would cause Potter to immediately open up. There was nothing about him that would make someone instantly fond, but Potter seemed to have found something. Aside from his gentle and clever exterior, Markov didn't show anything remarkable enough to… attract the immediate attention Potter never gave to anyone…
Except for Luna Lovegood.
There are two exceptions… Draco thought. Markov and Lovegood had nothing in common from what he observed.
"Here we are…" Draco announced as he gestured to the vast library their school provided. He glanced towards Markov, surprised to see the disappointed look on his face.
"Ah… I thought it would be… bigger ." Markov murmured.
"Bigger?"
"I am sorry to say but… Durmstrang's library is bigger than this. It consists of two floors and a few other rooms for students to study." Markov explained, unable to hide his disappointment.
Draco visibly winced. He had heard from his parents that the library in Durmstrang was vast and bigger than that of Hogwarts. Maybe this was why Potter hadn't shown Markov the library, theirs paled in comparison to Markov's school.
"Sorry to disappoint you then."
"Ah! No, it is okay. I appreciate your help. Would you mind leading me to the runes section? I will be out of your hair after that."
Draco quietly nodded, leading Markov to the runes section. He lingered for a bit as Markov carefully removed some books from the shelves and ran his hand through the dust. Markov looked back at him, offering a smile and Draco froze.
Ah… maybe that's why.
Nikolai Markov had a smile comparable to the sun.
There was a hissing noise coming from the end of the hallway. Draco stared at the abyss, wary. Dinner would be in an hour but most of the students had gathered in the great hall to speak to one another. He wandered around the castle to clear up his head but what he found were more and more questions.
His friends had yet to tell him that Lincoln Sonnet had entered the common room. It seemed as though their fellow Slytherin had done everything to avoid the common room like the plague. It was inconvenient. He found himself at in an empty corridor, something orthodox to Hogwarts.
There was hissing.
Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run.
Every single cell in his body was telling him to move, to run. He was foolish enough to stay still. More foolish when he began to approach the noise. He gulped, shaking his head as he moved closer and closer.
" Lu —"
"If you summon light it'll run away."
Draco flinched, quickly going into defensive. Yet, the voice sighed and quietly mocked him.
"No need to get defensive."
"Potter?" Draco's eyes went wide as he realized who's voice it belonged to. Potter was hidden under the shadows, apparently speaking in Parseltongue.
"Is there a snake there?!"
"Shut up already, will you? Damn thing will bite your hand of if you keep yelling." Potter snapped, and quietly walked towards him.
He looked the same, mostly that is. His hair was still in it's skillfully messy style, wearing the red clad uniform of the Gryffindors. But there was something different. His expression was completely blank and his glasses were no where to be found. He didn't know what was more odd, the fact that Potter was without his glasses or the fact he was acting so differently.
What Draco was most cautious of was the fact that Potter was talking to a literal snake. Green eyes wandered away from him and turned back to the shadows of the hallway. More hissing was heard and Draco took a cautious step back. Potter quietly hissed back at the snake and sighed to himself.
"Nevermind. It doesn't want to get anywhere near your shiny head." Potter dismissively waved him off.
At the mention of his hair, Draco's hand flew over his head and tried to protect it. He glared at Potter, who was doing nothing but tapping his foot on the floor. A few more seconds passed and Potter ran a hand through his hair, looking at Draco from top to bottom. He recoiled for a bit, feeling a bit worried for what Potter will see.
"It's gone now. Somehow the snake got in the castle when one of the Durmstrang students was wandering the castle." Potter explained as light ignited from his wand. As promised, the snake was nowhere in sight.
"What are you doing here?"
"That's none of your business Potter." Draco snapped back, before calming himself down. Potter had been civil, it was only right to return such courtesy. "I bumped into Markov earlier. He got lost looking for the library and I led him there."
Potter paused, before groaning. "Dear Morgana… I should have told him to not go there. Our library is shameful compared to Durmstrang and Beauxbatons." He cursed under his breath and shook his head. "Well thank you. Kolya is known as some sort of runic genius so I suppose he was looking for books on runes. Apparently British wizards have a different perspective on runes compared to Russia."
"When did you get so close?" Draco raised a brow, walking side by side with Potter— who had lazily summoned his glasses and placed them over his eyes.
"Summer. Pen pals. We have a lot in common… Well, he's quite cute, so I guess that's a plus to why I'm fond of him." Potter cheekily grinned.
"Cause he's cute?"
"Cause he's clever… also cause he's cute."
Within those emerald eyes, Draco saw amusement, a cruel kind of amusement. Potter was not like this, he wasn't like this. It made him question whether Granger and Weasley hadn't noticed— maybe they did and chose to live with it . It was odd but he didn't have any right to interrogate Potter about the change. They weren't friends, acquaintances, yes, but not friends. Draco had a fascination with Potter and Potter simply wanted to indulge in a vague kind of friendship with him.
We are a species that can easily change. Sometimes, it takes nothing at all for that change. Narcissa Malfoy was a wise woman and a wonderful mother. Draco could easily put those words into perspective when he looked at Potter. What caused the change? Was it something tragic? Was he tired? Or did he just want something different? Was this a whim of his? He didn't have an answer to any of his questions and continued on.
"How are you perfectly fine?" Draco finally asked the question. He and half of Slytherin had discussed it since the previous night after all.
Potter simply looked at him. He just looked and then smirked. "Maybe I'm just powerful." The cockiness dripping from his voice grated his mind as Potter cackled at the glare he received.
"Who knows," Potter shrugged, "I might just be that great. I didn't get the title of boy-who-lived for nothing. If I survived the bloody killing curse, might as well withstand the after effects of an oath."
"You're insane."
"A compliment when it's coming from someone with the blood of House Black running through his veins." Potter smirked, satisfied with himself.
Draco could only scowl, yet he was intrigued. The way Potter spoke of his mother's house was with utmost respect that he never expected from the boy. The reverence in his eyes as he simply spoke of the name Black . Whatever Potter learned during the summer, it made sure he respected his mother's house better than most.
"Ah… well… shall we enter separately or go in Slytherin style? Extravagant yet intimidating." The jovial tone in his voice was a bit mocking but there was mischief in his eyes that spoke volumes.
Draco contemplated, "Not the Gryffindor way? Loud, reckless, and impulsive?"
"Oh, heavens no! I'd prefer to strike fear on the idiots that won't stop bothering me about being a bloody champion. To hell with them if they have a problem with it. If they want to be champions…" he trailed off and smiled, "Then let them die."
Maybe he did approve of this version of Potter.
He smirked and mockingly offered his hand, "Shall we?"
"We shall." Potter cackled, gently slapping his hand away as they entered the hall in unison.
There was a sense of superiority to it— walking beside Hadrian Potter. Draco did his best not to grin, not to allow his face show how damn happy he was to do this. But he couldn't stop himself from smirking as he spoke to Potter as if they were old friends. Potter reciprocated the desire to mess with their heads, replying to him in a similar manner.
"By the way… don't bully Lincoln too much. I have yet to deal with the lions who bothered him." Potter hummed, giving him a knowing look.
"None of my friends have seen him."
"Of course you haven't. I've been telling him where to go to keep hidden. Don't blame him too much— I am genuinely a wonderful influence."
"How did you know I was looking for Sonnet?"
Potter grinned, giving a mysterious smile that was slowly becoming his signature look. "Ah, well… people talk behind others backs." He said in a quiet tone, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder and leaning close to his ear. "And many talk about Draco Malfoy, almost as much as they talk about me."
Draco shuddered.
Hadrian Potter's voice was a cool and vicious melody that graced a person's ears. It used to be quiet and meek, yet seeing this new and improved version of him was exhilarating. He was cold, subtly cruel, and was viciously protective of the people he claimed as his own. But Draco faltered with a single thought, The exact opposite of Nikolai Markov .
The image of gentle purple eyes and a smile so warm overtook the thought of how different Potter was. Draco felt like melting.
Potter pulled away, an interested look on his face. "Nikolai… huh…" he grinned, patting Draco's head and turning him towards the Slytherin table. He has a full display of the baffled looks of the snakes.
Draco realized what had happened, and coughed into his palm and he glared at Potter. The Gryffindor only offered a cheeky grin and pushed Draco back to his friends as he rejoined the baffled Granger and Weasley.
That bastard! He did that on purpose. He thought, hurriedly walking to his little group of friends. The stares of his housemates bore into him, even some of the Durmstrang students were staring. He gulped, cursing his own arrogance and plopping in between Pansy and Blaise. The two stared harder than the rest.
"The hell was that?"
"Nothing." He snapped, glowering at them.
"I see…" Daphne calmly said as she sent a hard look at Astoria who looked excited. Her sister quickly pouted and sat back on her seat, picking at her food. "Whatever it is… Potter was rather… curious. "
Pansy scoffed, "Curious?! Draco, he bloody grabbed at your tie and fixed it when you were dazedly staring at him… his… oh goodness, his eyes really are pretty aren't they." She sat back down on her seat, frowning at her own words. She pointed an accusing finger at him, "Damnit! Look at what you've done to me!"
Draco raised a brow at her statement, but his eyes went wide and immediately went to his necktie. It wasn't loose anymore and was perfectly tied, making sure he wouldn't choke.
"You know… I like this new and improved Harry Potter…" Blaise admitted, tilting his head to the side. "Hadrian Potter… that sounds so much better."
Theodore groaned, "Draco you've started a bloody cult."
"I have not!"
Theo rolled his eyes as Daphne nodded in agreement. He scowled at them, crossing his arms and glaring at his food. His eyes wandered around the table, seeing students whisper to each other and gesture to him or Potter. But his eyes met with purple ones, a pair that made him freeze.
Nikolai sat a few seats across him, eyes locked on Hadrian before moving to him. There was an unreadable look on his face, before he smiled. That damned smile! Draco despised it, as Nikolai waved and focused on his food.
Bastard… the both of them.
Notes:
The entire chapter is just either Draco calling Nikolai Pretty and Harry Handsome, and Harry just flirting and being cocky.
Draco has created a cult (accidentally of course).
Harry is a little shit.
And Tom hasn't even been seen. If I decide to actually make him the love interest for Hades than all of you are gonna have to go through hell of a lot of slowbuild and slowburn.