Creature Comforts (h.p.)

7

The next morning dawned unnaturally bright. Harry had forgotten to draw the curtains of the huge windows that led to a balcony outside and light blinded him unapologetically as he rose from his slumber. He was set to meet Hermione at 10, and it was currently 7, but that would give him ample time to get his shopping done. Snatching up the school letter from his trunk and putting on the nicest clothes he had – which looked like rags – he put a glamour on all of his creature parts but the horns and the feathers on his head. They looked rather beautiful, he decided. Considering he looked nothing like his former self, he kept his current appearance. It was much more comfortable. He went down to the dining hall, where the biggest fireplace was, and flooed to Diagon alley.

He found that he still drew attention and looks in public, but it was a different kind. When he was the regular golden boy, they looked at him like he was a zoo animal to gawk at. They would tap eachother and point at him, and everyone would simply stare. Sometimes, people would ask for autographs in the street. It was highly uncomfortable.

With this look, however, their eyes would glance over Harry, and then look back in a dumbfounded double take. This regal, ethereal look simply demanded attention. And with the glittering colour-shifting feathers, he was hard to miss. He found himself rather enjoying the experience; for once, the attention he drew was respectful.

In flourish and blotts, two giggling fifth years approached him. He recognised that they were a ravenclaw and a hufflepuff. The two girls seemed to simply bask in his presence, and Harry thought to himself, it would do this body injustice to be insecure. And so he bowed lightly and kissed their hands in turn. They swooned and squealed, and as they scampered away, shouted back "see you in school!" He chuckled, loving the effect he had on people.

He went to get new school robes, and visited muggle London briefly to buy actually decent casual clothes. He had to use a confundus charm on the cashier, however, when she looked down at the gold galleon in suspicion. He cursed at his own stupidity. He had decided to stop at Florean Fortescue's for a treat – a celebration of freedom, perhaps. He ordered a huge chocolate and caramel cone with syrup drizzled over the whole thing and honeycomb pieces scattered across the top. The server slipped a piece of card into Harry's hand as he accepted the cone. Harry looked down to the slip of paper, and it had an owl address scribbled down and the name 'Damien'. He raised an eyebrow at the man behind the counter, who blushed and looked away. He went to a little table across the way, and when he caught Damien stealing a glance over at him, he winked at the man, who flushed a bright red.

Harry indulged in his delicious ice-cream, digging in with reckless abandon. It brought back memories of he, Ron and Hermione eating here in their younger years. He smiled sadly. As he went in for another enthusiastic dive, a cough shattered his silence. He looked up to see none other than Draco Malfoy studying him from a few feet away. When their eyes met, Harry felt some jolt in his gut. Faintly, but it was definitely there. He smirked. Well, the boy was here now, why not have a little fun teasing?

"Can I help you, mister Malfoy?" He said in a voice displaying minimal interest. No matter what had changed, he still disliked Malfoy – though with a jolt he recalled the hate potion keyed to the white-haired boy, and puzzled over the reason for it.

"Well, I couldn't help but notice you here and I haven't seen you around before. You seem to recognise me, though, have I forgotten you from somewhere?" Harry scoffed.

"Oh, please. Pureblood strut, white hair-" he cocked an eyebrow cheekily, looking the boy up and down, "- good looks-" Malfoy's cheeks coloured slightly, "-you've got Malfoy written all over you." Draco seemed to find this rather high praise, and puffed his chest out a little.

"Well, of course. A Malfoy does his best. Back to my original point, I don't recall seeing you before."

"Well, that may be because I've never been here before."

"So you are new? What's your name?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He said cheekily and ate another bit of his ice cream. A bit of syrup smudged on his nose and he jokingly stuck his tongue out to lick it off, but what unfurled from his mouth was not his tongue. It was long and muscular, tapering to a point at the end. It darted out and swiped the syrup from his nose. Harry's eyes widened. "Jesus fucking Christ I was not expecting that." He looked at Malfoy who was eyeing him with a mixture of horror and wonder. The boy dragged a seat out and sat down.

"Do you have a creature inheritance, then? Is that the feathers as well?" Draco asked, more excitement in his tone than Harry had ever heard.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. how will you ever know?" He said spookily. His terrifying new tongue rolled out and curled around his ice cream, stripping an alarming amount of the substance and retreating back to his mouth. Draco watched, fascinated.

"What kind of creature are you?"

"Several." Malfoy's eyes widened considerably.

"Me too! Ive never met another person with more than one." Harry's eyebrows moved upwards, signalling his surprise.

"I've never known the Malfoy line to carry creature blood," he observed more to himself. Draco suddenly furrowed his brow.

"Ah. Actually, try not to spread that around. Father would not take kindly to the news of me blurting out family secrets in public," he said quietly. Harry nodded.

"Naturally." He spotted the clock on the far wall. 9:45.

"Pardon, but if you'll excuse me, I must get going. I have somewhere to be in fifteen minutes and it happens to be rather urgent." He stood up to leave.

"Wait, you never told me your name!" Draco spluttered indignantly. Harry smirked.

"Well, maybe you'll just have to find out, eh?" He replied. He crunched down the entire cone in seconds flat and rolled a napkin between his sticky palms. He looked down, spotting Damien's owl address card on the table. He considered for a second; while he was not going to be using the address, he may as well humour the hopeful looking man in his Fortescue's apron. He tucked the card into his breast pocket.

"See you around, Malfoy," he said in a tone lower than he anticipated. As he left, he caught Damien's eye and winked once more, reducing the man to a blushing mess. Behind him, Draco Malfoy scowled.