Lions Vs Snakes

Chapter Five

It was the snowy month of December, and all the students were packing their trunks to go home for the holidays. At the end of their last class the other students cheered and shouted. Draco on the other hand had no interest in returning to Malfoy Manor.

With his mother in Azkaban awaiting trial, and his father on the lam, there were no people to await his arrival for the holidays. The estate was still upkept with the house elves working the grounds but the old house which had never felt so empty was now a cold hard shell of its former glory. 

When they locked up his father in Azkaban indefinitely Malfoy Manor was legally passed down to Draco.  The young master freed most of the house elves working for his parents. He missed his favorite elf, Dobby, whom had been his own personal servant as a child. And as none of the elves that remained on the property could possibly measure up to Dobby, he only kept the staff he knew he absolutely needed. Some of the Elves came to work at Hogwarts like Dobby had. He was thinking about selling the old place but couldn't find it in himself to let the place go. Though not many of his memories there were good, the manor was still home. Perhaps he would fix it up for himself and his future spouse one day.

~Harry~

Harry packed his scarf into his trunk. McGonagall had needed some convincing to agree with Harry that he would be okay to join the Weasley's on holiday. Especially now with Fred being gone, Molly and the other Weasley's really leaned on Harry just as much as he needed to lean on them. How he missed Fred. He would never tell George, but sometimes Harry would just look at him and want to cry because he looked so much like Fred but could never be him. 

"Blimey Harry, are you crying?" Ron said as he entered the room. 

Harry hadn't noticed the tears streaming steadily down his face. He avoided eye contact with Ron as he swiped away his tears.

"Yeah just," Harry hesitated, "I'm grateful to your family for everything, but I sometimes wish I could just go home to Godric's Hallow and see my mum and dad for the holiday." 

Ron didn't know what to do about this vulnerable situation. He just patted Harry's shoulder, gave one of those smiles that kind of looks like he's in pain, and walked out, dragging his trunk behind him. 

~Later that day~

The students continued to pack and say their last goodbyes to their professors. Draco met up with Harry and his friends in the great hall. Over the last couple of months as Draco and Harry spent more time together, he got to know Ron and Hermione better too.  It was weird spending so much time with the trio, but he liked being with Harry and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were inseparable. 

"Hey Draco. Where's your trunk?" Harry asked giving Draco a hello hug.

Draco sighed "Oh. Er. I'm not going home. Decided I'd rather stay here." That in fact wasn't the case, McGonagall had decided not to pardon the Malfoy boy on account that he would be returning to an empty home whereas Harry would be at the burrow with the Weasley's. And the Weasley's were as a family some of the strongest wizards in the world. 

Only two death eaters were still at large. His father, and a William Thorne could be just about anywhere.

"Oh. Well. You sure?" Ron asked halfheartedly. He still thought it was absolutely mad of Harry to befriend Draco Malfoy. 

"Yeah." After a long pause Draco spoke again. "You all should probably go catch the train."

"Alright. I'm going to go talk to someone else before we go." Hermione piped. "Catch you at the train. Save me a spot Ron?" 

Ron responded "Course. See you there." He turned to Harry and Draco. "I gotta go find Ginny." And he walked off to find his sister.

Draco and Harry watched him leave the hall more in search of a room without Malfoy than in search of his sister. 

Harry and Draco walked out of the hall. Their hands brushing past each other's. "Why are you really staying here?" Harry asked. Concern lingering in his voice. "Do they really think your own father would hurt you?" 

"Harry," They stopped walking. Draco stood right in front of him but couldn't look him in the eyes. Taking Harry's hands in his own.

Shit! Why would you do that Draco! That's really stupid you dimwitt!

Draco was worried if he pulled his hands back then Harry would get suspicious. But if he didn't? Draco didn't have to worry about that. Harry held Draco's hands tightly. You couldn't torture the truth out of him, but the truth was that this felt right. It was as if Draco's hands were made to be held by Harry's. 

Draco continued, "Well. Um... I have to stay. I just can't risk my father finding me." Harry looked sadly at Draco, and it tore him seeing Harry sad.

He continued, "not that I want to go to the Manor anyway. It's awful boring alone."

"Yeah. Take it from the boy who spent ten years in a cupboard." Harry joked. Draco's face sunk. How could he be complaining about living alone in a giant estate when Harry had been crammed into a broom closet? 

"You should catch the train." Draco sighed. Harry was leaving and Draco was going to be stuck at Hogwarts over the holidays. How unfair. 

"Well..." Harry looked down at his hands, he intertwined his fingers with Draco's. "What if I were to stay with you? Here at Hogwarts?"

Harry looked hopefully into Draco's eyes. "We don't want you getting bored now, would we?" Harry teased. Still looking at their hands together. 

Draco removed his hands from Harry's firm grip. "Well. We definitely wouldn't want that." He flashed a smile. 

"Okay good." Harry responded and the two boys began to walk again. Though they were unsure where exactly they were going, they didn't really care. They were together. And they were happy. 

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I know my chapters are super short but I want to keep updated as often as I can! Okay! Love you all!