|
'Swine. Gluttonous, squealing swine...
Well, the male two, anyway. And, the lanky female looks as if she wouldn't mind a bit of animal roughage. Harry told me after I arrived that she normally did not dress so - for lack of a better word - whorishly. WAIT, no - Potter told me. Ahem. Harry is not his real name...Potter is his real name...
Imagine, that beast of a woman dressing that way to impress the young rich gentleman. Yes, she knows I'm rich - they all do. They probably hope I'll take a liking to her ghastly body wrapped up in something so bright and tight it seems unmistakably like tin foil. The nerve! Trying to blind me on my first night at their despicable, middle class cave! No wonder Potter has such wonderful eyesight! Is this what happens every time aristocrats come to play? Well, they won't receive any of my kudos in this lifetime, for I shan't be returning...not after this disgraceful, summer long endeavor. For pity's sake! Alone...with three muggles and Potter for an entire summer! Please, cushion the ground with your sympathies before I faint.
...Actually, Potter's not so bad so far...but never mind that!
Back to the swine.
I've never seen anything like it. The younger piggy has half the height and twice the width of that lout of a groundskeeper at Hogwarts. The older, (and if it's possible) uglier piggy looks as if to blow a blood vessel at any given moment at how paranoid he is of Potter. Every time I take a glance he's either hounding Potter to do a chore, or telling him to keep silent or simply floating over him. ...Not that I look at Potter much. Anyway, it's as if he is not even apart of the family. As much as the muggles' behavior repulses me, I feel almost no empathy for Potter, because he's always been a rotten wanker to me.
Most fortunately, these people are civil enough to be in possession of a guest bedroom, consequently, I have some privacy in this minuscule excuse for comfortable living. My quarters are directly adjacent to Potter's, which is another reason for me to be happy. I'm at the end of the hallway and he is stationed in between his cousin's and mine. That slob makes me nervous as hell. I wish he'd stop looking at me the same way he does to his dessert. I'd rather room with Potter than next to - what was it's name? - Dudley. As I stated, that isn't the case.
"Why in fuckin' hell am I here?" I throw rhetoric into the air. Of course I know, then again, if you're not me - which many people aren't - the answer (lengthily) would be this...
Lounging in my favorite cushy armchair, I sat with my legs hanging carelessly over the arm of the black furniture. For the sixth or seventh time in my life I immersed my thoughts in the "gallant" adventures of Bilbo Baggins, otherwise known as the book "The Hobbit". Wizard Wilson's Wettest Water in hand and too caught up in the words of Tolkein, I did not notice my mother and father walk into one of our many living areas with Professors Dumbledore and Snape. The four sat across from me on a large sofa (save Snape, the always unsociable, who chose an armchair to the side) and my father cleared his throat politely. (Had we not company, I'm sure he would have poked me playfully in the side of my head.)
I nearly fell out of my spot when I heard the noise and saw my parents and the headmaster sitting across from me. "AHHH! I...I...I..."
"It's quite alright, my boy." Dumbledore was insinuating to the obvious that my shirt was missing; I only wore silky purple pajama pants. (I was thoroughly happy I'd not chosen the ones with bunnies that mummy bought me...especially since I'd just noticed Snape in the room as well.)
"Hello...um, professors. Mother. Father." Three of them smiled at me as I unsuccessfully tried covering my chest with the paperback and my bottle of water. "How nice to see you...so soon."
"Yes, Draco, we realize school's been out only a week and you'd not expected to meet us so early. I'm sorry for this imposition." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as usual and I wondered if he and Harry could be somehow related as his did that at times as well. Why am I bringing Potter into this?
I stared at them. They stared back. I was becoming very self-conscious about my exposure and was on the verge of shrieking something about pedophilia when Dumbledore started again.
"Young, Master Malfoy," (I love it when people call me Master Malfoy) "Where should I begin? Well, the beginning's a safe bet." Not daring to look, I but felt Snape roll his eyes. My own eyes wandered to the tray of hors d'oeuvres on the coffee table in front of me, I picked happily at the round vinegar marinated carrot slices that mother always made especially for me. I loved those; I was the grim and they were the reaped.
"Well, Draco, as you know, Lord Voldemort has fancied the thought of killing our Harry Potter for nearing sixteen years, now that his seventeenth birthday arising."
"Yes, sir, everyone knows that..."
"And for that reason, it is believed that Voldemort is in the process of attempting to become more powerful than ever before, in a final effort to be rid of Mr. Potter before he's a fully fledged wizard."
"Seems logical...but, what does this have to with me?" My parents and Professor Snape watched us converse.
"We'll get there, Draco..." He sighed discreetly. "Certain...circumstances...have provided Voldemort with the information that two of his most dedicated Death Eaters are in fact spies for our side during this ongoing war."
"War?"
"Oh, yes. Whether on the battlefield or not, this has been a war since before...hell, before I was even born." Shocked, the group of us looked at Dumbledore. We did not know whether to laugh at his joke or gasp because he used a curse word. Always prepared, I broke the silence.
"What war is that sir?"
"My boy, the war that is not necessarily between Dark and Light, Good and Bad, but, the side that wants peace and freedom against the side that wants power and control. This all started much before any of us, and will not end ever. All we can do is to keep the, so to speak, "evil forces" on their knees as often as possible. After all, no one can judge what is good and what is evil."
Pondering, I munched mindlessly on another carrot slice. Still, what did this all have to do with me? I'd thought it over in my head a thousand and six times! Good, Bad; Left, Right; Black, White...blah, blah...fine! What did it matter? What did it mean? Why were they dragging me into this? 'I'm a wittle seventeen year old baby for all that's holy!' Losing all of my Malfoyesque calmness I swallowed my carrot and slouched in my chair.
"And this has what to do with me?"
("Draco! Sit up straight!" "Yes, mother.")
"Well, not a whole lot really with you directly." The Headmaster replied. "Moving back to what I said about those two spies as Death Eaters..." Draco nodded.
"They're right here..."
"What? But that would mean..."
"Yup." Dumbledore spoke nonchalantly sounding eerily like a teenager. "Your father, and Professor Snape." He allowed me to let the words sink into my head. The idea my father hobnobbing with some half-dead, green-skinned freak was insulting!
"Father! Are you in trouble? Won't Voldemort come after you? Father -"
"Draco, son, calm yourself, we have company." Father remained seated as the immovable blonde picture of perfection he was.
"Yes, father."
"Well, I see this is where your portion of the situation comes in, Draco." Dumbledore smiled, then changed his face to look more dismal than I could recall ever seeing him. "You're correct when you say Voldemort will come after your father. However, we do not think he will want Lucius, as he too is a very powerful wizard and we do suspect Voldemort would rather want to use that to his own ability. That is, if he can find a way to get to Lucius in order to blackmail him or worse. Meaning, we think he will try to attack or kidnap a family member of his, namely... you."
'Whoa there! One minute I'm reading my favorite book and the next, Voldemort wants my blood? All too suspicious.'
"So, I'm assuming what you are telling me is - seeing that Professor Snape has no family and my mother could protect herself more easily than I could - that I'm on Voldemort's to-kill list?"
"Smart boy." Severus Snape spoke for the first time. The sun was now sitting in different place in the sky, which cast a shadow across his figure in the corner of the room.
"Yes, Draco. I'm afraid, that is what we came here to tell you."
Now that the deed was done, I felt no different than before excepting that my stomach was sated and I was anxious to get on with my afternoon reading. Could these people ruin someone's day or what? Still, curiosity swallowed me...
"And, what has this to do with me?"
"Are you insane, boy?" I have always loved making my Potions Master lose his temper in private. "What has this to do with me...?" He grumbled to himself.
"What I mean to say is...what are we going to do about this?"
All four looked at one another as if mentally debating who would tell me the news and I became nervous.
"Well?"
"Yes...well...erm...Draco, my boy." It was amazing! Dumbledore, stuttering and cussing in front of me all in the same day! Life gets better every second!
"You will be staying with...Harry Potter and his muggle relatives."
"WHAT?!" The Life-Is-So-Cool-O-Meter dropped ten bazillion points.
"Now, now. Soon enough you'll know our reasons..."
"Well, shell them out Dumbledore, while I hail you a taxi to St. Mungos ward for the mentally disable!" I stood fuming.
"Draco, calm yourself this instant!" Mother called, though I swore I could still smell psycho-pills on everyone's breath.
"Yes, ma'am." I sat huffily with my arms folded as a child would.
"Draco, when Harry was a baby..." The senile old man rambled on about Harry-Goody-Goody-Potter and the mad reasons why he placed the boy in the care of those only remaining family members of his. In the end, they had all come to the conclusion that - Voldemort being almost certainly unaware of Harry's whereabouts during the summer - I would be safe with "The Dursleys" as well. I would return with Harry to Hogwarts - the safest place otherwise - on September first.
"And why is it you expect that these...wizard haters would take a second one in, hmm?"
"They don't have to know you're a wizard Draco..." Snape said.'
"Professor?" Said an extremely irritated Draco Malfoy, sitting in the passenger seat of a shiny, black, car that he did not know the name of. Draco was annoyed at the act of being dragged out of his own lovely home into a muggle vehicle, not to see it again for an entire year. The adults Draco'd just discussed this whole situation with gave him an hour to prepare all of his belongings for the summer and the new school year. Naturally, he'd have to go with Harry to purchase his new school supplies with the money his parents had generously given him in a pouch before he slipped out of the door (the pouch would refill itself when it was empty). He'd also only packed a large suitcase with enough to make it seem like a summer's worth of things, with his school trunk under a shrinking and weight-reducing charm and kept neatly in his pocket.
"PROFESSOR!" He yelled purposely trying to prod Snape's patience.
"What is it, you little irritant?!" Success.
"Do you often wear those leather pants?"
Growl. Blush. More success.
"Professor?"
"Mmm?"
"You look sexy in that tight shirt..."
"You revolt me." Triple success!
"You want me!" Professor Snape nearly swerved off of the road at this suggestion.
"Enough, boy, before you kill us both!" Draco sighed heavily.
"Yes, sir, sexy Severus, sir..."
Growl.
The young Malfoy waited several minutes before speaking again. Truthfully, he did not want to die in the midst muggles driving their noisy vehicles. Often, he jokingly flirted with Snape when they were alone together. Though, he'd never actually seen the man in leather pants because they'd never been in the muggle world collectively. Shortly, Draco wondered if his subdued teacher had a secret life...
"Professor?"
"Mmm?"
"Why'd you volunteer to take me to Potter's house anyway?"
"I didn't. I was a leftover."
"What do you mean?"
"The others are traveling to the ministry to convince them to allow special protection spells to be placed on your home and added ones on Harry's"
"Like the ones at Hogwarts?"
"Mmm." Draco assumed that meant 'yes'.
"Professor?"
"Mmm?"
"You just called him Harry..."
"...Did not."
"Did too!"
"...Did not..."
"Admit it! You don't think he's that bad! Do you?"
"He's exactly the same as every other one of you snot nosed, masturbating teenagers."
"So you've seen him masturbating?"
"Oh, give it a rest!" Chuckling to himself, Draco shook his head at the silly man he new was inside the pale, darkness-drawn, professor.
"So...Sevvy..." The boy said toyingly, crossing his legs. After a second or two, Snape cracked under Draco's personality. He sighed.
"...So...Draccy..." He wouldn't give in entirely. Only a half-smile would do for now.
"Tell me all about your plan to fool Potter's relatives into letting me stay there..."
"What makes you so sure it's my plan?"
"...I know what goes on in that sneaky head of yours...besides, I have to know sometime, or we'll have a lot of explaining to do on their front steps..."
"Alright, alright..."
"BOY! Get the door!" Called Uncle Vernon from his and Dudley's mid After-Lunch-Snack-Before-Dinner-Snack snack. Harry was sitting quietly on the sofa, staring at the blank television screen awaiting permission to disappear into his room until he would be forced to cook supper when the doorbell rang. He ignored it, hoping whoever it was would go away...DING! "DAMN YOU! I SAID GET THE DOOR!"
Harry jumped up before his Uncle could lunge at him. Running to the door, he straightened out his shirt hoping it would be the young, suave mailman again with a package. He opened the door - no, it definitely wasn't.
"Uh...uh...wha..." Clumsily he mouthed at the sight before him. First of all, Snape...wearing leather...on his legs. Such nice legs noticed Harry. Second, he was grinning. GRINNING! It was a goofy, unnatural grin, which was the same for the boy next to him who was - MALFOY?
"I...I...""WHAT ARE YOU GAWKING AT BOY?" Vernon came up angrily behind unnerved Harry, who had yet to move from his position.
"Oh sir! Lovely it is to make your acquaintance after such a long, long journey!" Cried Snape with outrageous energy that Harry never knew could exist in such a man.
"Oh, such a very long journey!" Nodded Draco with much enthusiasm. What baffled Harry as he stood, scared witless with his mouth hanging open for all birds to nest in, was that the two were using French accents. Very believable ones at least.
"What on earth are you foreigners doing on my door step?" Said Vernon wiping mayonnaise off of his mustache.
"Oh my! Did not zey inform you, my dear, dear man?!" Dramatized Snape, putting his hand to his forehead.
"Oh my!" Repeated Draco.
"Excuse me?" Vernon demanded as Harry still wasted away at this priceless sight.
"Ze contest! You 'ave won it!" Snape leaped forward grabbing the masses of fat that made up Vernon Dursley's head and kissed him on both cheeks. "Oh, I am so 'appy for you!"
"Oh, so 'appy!" Draco jumped up and down to emphasize.
'This is too much!' Laughed Harry on the inside.
"What on earth are you talking about? I have entered no contest! Now leave these premises!" Ordered the reddening man.
"Oh...Draco...'ee does not want zee prize money..."
"Oh...so sad...Oh...I was so 'appy for 'im..." Draco stuck a bottom lip out and the two turned away.
"WAIT! Prize money did you say? Of course! Now I remember this contest! Come in, come in!"
Draco turned around and leaped into Uncle Vernon's arms, topping off the show with a kiss on he forehead. "Oh, sir! I knew you were a good, good man!"
"Er...yes well...in you come." Vernon mumbled, dropping the boy to the ground. Snape helped Draco up and they moveed in behind Mr. Dursley joining him on him couch. (Harry stayed behind to close the door.)
"Very well, might you - um - refresh my memory about this contest?"
"Oh, certainly Monsieur Dursley! Zee Oh-So-Fantastic-French-Annual-Sweepstakes!"
"OH YES! Now I remember! Sent in the application weeks ago! So eager to hear the results!" Harry snorted in the background.
"First prize is 20,000 francs (of course converted onto zee winner's national currency, sir)!"
"YES!"
"YES! And... your own, personal Rich-Summer-'ome-Schooling-Foreign-Student!"
"Oui! Oui! Moi!" Draco cried happily. Vernon's face fell.
"Oh, look Draco! 'ee is so 'appy 'ee is speechless!"
"Oh, I am so very 'appy to be staying with you for zee long, 'ot, treacherous, boring, miserable summer! Are not you 'appy too? We can be such good friends!" Draco launched himself at Vernon giving him another forehead kiss, then went to Harry and did the same. The most awkward feeling in the world was to be kissed on the forehead by one's arch nemesis of six years thought Harry. Now Draco stood close to Harry holding him securely in a hug. Harry only stood, attempting to remember how to breathe.
"Now wait one second!" Spoke Vernon loudly, coming to his senses.
"Oh sir!" Said Snape with his hands on his cheeks. "You do not want zee good little boy? And the 20,000 francs?"
"Well I...I..."
"Oh please sir, let me stay 'ere with you and your 'andsome son!" He squeezed Harry tighter.
"SON?!" Harry and Vernon said at the same time looking at each other in a nauseated way.
"Are you not where he received his good looks from, Monsieur Dursley?" That clenched it.
"Where do I sign?"
"No need to sign anywhere, sir! Everything is taken care of! Now, if you'll just follow me out to zee automobile to retrieve zee young man's luggage..." Snape gave Draco a subtle nod and the adult men ventured to the black car. Draco was still standing, clung to Harry as an excited little boy.
"Are not you glad to see me 'Arry Potter?" He stressed the "R's" grotesquely well by spitting all over Harry's face. Providentially, the round spectacles shielded his eyes.
"Um...Malfoy?"
"Oui?"
"Stop talking like that."
"Right."
"Malfoy?"
"Yes?"
"Get off of me."
"Right."
"Not so loudly, there are others in the next room..." Draco removed himself from Harry and looked around the living room. "Cheap..." He murmured to himself.
"What exactly is going on here?" Harry asked.
"Don't you have ears? I'm a Rich-Summer-Home-Schooling-Foreign-Student."
"And in actuality that means...?"
"Your not the only kiddo Voldemort is after."
"I see."
"I'll explain it to you later. Your tubby Uncle is coming."
"BOY! Take this luggage up to the guest bedroom!" Harry nodded and dragged Draco's bag up the staircase. Uncle Vernon went back to the kitchen to inform his family of the visitor as Draco trailed behind Harry.
"Can't you help? What have you got in here?"
"No, I can't help, you look quite comfortable. And I have in the suitcase every accessory a teenaged wizard needs to survive a summer with the likes of you."
"Your lipstick and eye-shadow...?" Whispered Harry secretly.
"What did you say?"
"I said, 'like what'?"
"Of course clothes and books, Harry!" He nearly dropped the suitcase backward onto the lagging boy.
"Watch it, POTTER!"
"What did you call me?"
"Potter."
"Before that!"
"What? Oh...Harry. I can't very well call you "Potter" all summer with those people hanging around...And the same goes to you and my name."
"...Fine. You still have some explaining to do."
"In due time. Now carry my things up faster."
"Prick..." Harry whispered to himself again, but Draco did not catch it. Once they arrived at the guestroom, he continued.
"And I have to use that accent in their presence, so get used to it."
"What about in private?" Harry said.
"Planning on having me in your room for slumber parties, Harry?"
"Just wondering...Draco."
"That sounds strange."
"It was your idea!"
"No, Snape's idea, don't bunch up your undies."
Sigh. "I'm going to my room."
"Which one is it?" Draco inquired.
"This one." Harry replied, walking into the hallway and opening his door. "See you at dinner."
"Indeed...Harry."
|
