Mr. Malfoy hesitated, then nodded. "All right. What happened during your first year at Hogwarts? Was there any adult who cared for you then? There were confusing rumors that, frankly, I didn't pay much attention to. Draco was jealous of you then, in your former identity, and spouted so much nonsense that I shut my ears to it."
Harry smiled fleetingly. Draco had been really different last year. "Well, I mean, Professor McGonagall cares, I think, but Ron and Hermione and I found out that someone was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone from under the school, and we told her about it, and she just told us it was fine and we shouldn't worry about it. And of course it wasn't fine, and someone really was trying to steal it."
He looked up to find Mr. Malfoy with his hand over his face. "The Philosopher's Stone," he said flatly. "The thief was the Dark Lord?"
Harry nodded. "His spirit, anyway. He was possessing Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. No one noticed that, either," he added, a little disgusted. How stupid were the professors?
"How did you stop him?"
Harry described getting through the obstacle course with Ron and Hermione, making sure to talk about how much they had contributed and especially how Hermione had solved the Potions riddle right away. He wanted his family to start respecting his friends. Mr. Malfoy listened with a frown and nodded several times.
"That will make you more of a target when the Dark Lord returns," he said, when Harry had finished. "And that is all the more reason that I will not be going back to his service."
Harry swallowed. "Then—I can trust you? Not like the other adults?"
"Of course." Mr. Malfoy's voice was soft and hurt. "You're my son. I love you."
Harry studied his hands intently, but then Mr. Malfoy got up and came and knelt down in front of him, which was just sort of embarrassing, and put his hands over Harry's and looked him earnestly in the face.
"I know it's hard for you to hear that, Henry. But I do love you, and nothing pains me more than not having been there for the first eleven years of your life. I will trust you, and believe in you if want to tell me something, and give you everything I can give you to make up for not being there. I made mistakes, and more than mistakes. I ask that you give me the chance to make up for them."
Harry nodded. "All right. Thanks." He leaned in and gave Mr. Malfoy a stiff hug, hoping it wasn't too bad, thinking it probably was.
From the tight hug Mr. Malfoy gave him in return, he found nothing wrong with it. And Harry thought maybe, if things changed, that he could call the man "Father."
"Father told you that you were part of the family, right?"
"Yes," Harry said. He had left the dining room after dinner and promptly been ambushed by Draco. And his brother was clinging to him as if Harry was about to combust, or disappear, or something. Harry patted his back. "I mean, all of you have. You and Mother and Father." The names tasted salty and sour in his mouth, but he said them to please Draco.
"What is this all about?" he added, pulling back to study Draco, because he seemed more upset than he had been so far.
"My little brother was abused."
The way Draco said it should have made Harry feel strange again, like they were talking about someone who really wasn't him, but the stormy look in Draco's eyes made it different. He was staring at Harry, and he had his arms around him, and he really seemed tormented. Like he wanted to do something to help, but he knew there was no way he could go back in time and make the Dursleys be kind to Harry, the way he probably wanted. Or kidnap him back.
"You're my little brother," Draco said in a low voice. "I'm going to protect you, and I'm going to make up for what they did, and I'm going to show you that life is better now. All right? No matter what happens."
"All right," Harry said, touched despite himself. He had sometimes wanted siblings, but not often. Dealing with Dudley was enough trouble. But a sibling like this, he could want.
Draco hugged him again, fiercely, and then said, "Mother would like to see you in the little sitting room off her bedroom."
Then Draco turned around and ran away towards a part of the house that Harry knew held the library. Harry just blinked after him. Maybe Draco was as embarrassed as Harry sometimes got because of hugging?
Maybe, Harry thought, and headed towards what he hoped wouldn't be a confrontation.
....
Do you want to read ahead by more than 60 exciting premium chapters?
Then join my p*atreon right now.
Link: p*atreon.com/Sonic_Spectre (Remove the *)
Free members can unlock upto 2 chapters.