Harry glanced at Draco as he entered their dorm room. Amber hung her head down low enough from the curtain for Draco to give her a scratch on the head. Harry kept playing with Nanook while Mrs. Norris was cleaning her other two kittens. Fawkes was sleeping. Sophia had been in during the morning but she was already back in Severus' quarters.
"Hello." Draco kept scratching Amber.
*He better apologize now.* Amber lifted her head a bit higher. *He feels bad.*
Harry arched a brow. He wasn't going to speak to Amber as he didn't want to get into a debate with the snake. Amber had wanted Harry to make up with Draco a lot sooner but also knew Draco was the one in the wrong. Draco should have come to him first before ratting him out to Severus.
"If I were to apologize for going to my godfather before speaking to you what would you do?" Draco had made sure that no one was around. He didn't want Harry to reject his apology in front of others. Not that Malfoy men apologized.
"I don't know. How about we find out?" Harry kept playing with Nanook. Harry liked dealing with other Slytherins. He understood them and was able to deal with them.
Draco huffed a bit but straightened up. "I'm sorry. I should have spoken to you first but I was concerned. I know we tried to talk you out of it but I should have spoken to you before going to my godfather." Draco didn't have a lot of true friends. He wanted Harry as one because Harry didn't care about his name, his father, or his money.
"Accepted. Don't do it again." Harry threw his pillow at Draco. Harry's bed was the most comfortable thing he had ever slept in. He had ordered new pillows and bedding via owl. Hogwarts wasn't home but since he discovered he had money he didn't mind spending a little bit here and there for some comfort things. To him, his bed was one thing he loved to spend money on.
"Watch the hair." Draco sat down on the bed. He had shown Harry how to mail order via owl and Harry had excellent taste. "I thought you were going to make me work for it."
"I could have made this week worse for you. I figured you didn't mean to cause problems but to prevent them, so-" Harry shrugged his shoulders. He understood why Draco did what he did. He couldn't say if he would or wouldn't have done the same thing. "How about we cement our new found forgiveness policy with a prank on the Rule Lover and the Moron?"
Draco smirked. "What do you have in mind?"
Harry pulled out one of Severus' potions books from under his blanket. "Since they seem to want to be a duo why not make them so?" Harry opened the book as Draco picked up Midnight and sat on the bed.
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"Severus, do you have any idea?" Dumbledore was looking at Granger and Weasley. The pair were sitting on a bed and had a magical band wrapped around them. No one had been able to break it so far. They couldn't get the two apart. Granger and Weasley were stuck with each other with very little room for them to move. The band was glowing red since the two weren't moving. When they tried to separate them the band turned a deep scarlet red with flashing bits of orange sparking around the band.
Severus ran a few scans. "It's a potion. I will need to make the counter to it. It will take at least a day to make the potion." He knew who made the potion. He had let Harry borrow the book. It was the only book that had the potion mentioned. Draco had asked for some lab time two days ago. The counter only took a few hours to brew. He knew that Harry had done it to get the duo to leave him alone.
Dumbledore was still trying to get Harry to follow him but he had back off a bit on the forcing him to live with the Weasley family. He was still trying to get Granger and Weasley to be friends with Harry. Weasley stopped the name-calling and now followed Granger's lead of trying to find a way to assist Harry with his work. Dumbledore thought Granger's assistance was required. Severus hadn't been able to fathom how that worked when Granger was below Draco and Harry in rankings. "Any idea of how this happened?"
"No, Albus. It's a prank potion." Severus wasn't going to provide Dumbledore with any reason to pull Harry into his office or give Dumbledore any reason to interact with Draco. They were his snakes and his responsibility. He knew Dumbledore would place the blame fully on Draco and declare he was making an example of him while saying Harry just followed Draco's lead.
"I'll speak to the Twins." Minerva left the Infirmary as Weasley tried to scream about his brothers but all that came out was bubbles.
"That is a different potion. It will take me over 24 hours to make the solution as it needs to rest for ten hours." Severus was impressed. Two pranks that worked well together wasn't something most first years managed. He wasn't surprised, Draco and Harry are very intelligent. He had been tutoring Draco since he was old enough to hold a stirrer. Harry used his instinct. Draco had a natural ability too.
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"Potter, Malfoy, my office." Severus entered the common room. His prey was sitting on the black leather couch facing the fireplace. His new assistants were laughing at a story that Theo was telling about the idiotic duo's band. The gossip mill was also at work. Severus watched Draco send a glance at Harry as Harry put Mrs. Norris on the couch. Amber was curled up in front of the fireplace on the hearth. Harry put the rest of the kittens with their mother. Draco knew they were in trouble. Once in Severus' office, they took the two chairs in front of his desk. "I was summoned to the Infirmary."
"Really? Are you all alright? Did Madam Pomfrey find something strange?" Harry's voice was filled with concern. "Should you be walking around?" Draco decided he wasn't going to open his mouth. He certainly wasn't expecting Harry to be so calm about being caught. He knew his godfather didn't care for pranks.
"Thank you for your concern. However, I was summoned up there regarding two lions who are currently suffering under some potions that I know the two of you created."
"No idea what you are referencing. I would never hurt two lions. Mrs. Norris would never speak to me again if I hurt relatives of hers."
"Harry, you know exactly who I mean. The potions come from a book you borrowed. You two will be making the solutions to the potions." Severus laid the potion book on his desk. "You have 24 hours to make the solutions. Potion lab 2 is opened. Since you weren't technically caught, there will be no detention."
"Nope, we don't have to." Harry grinned.
"Already made them, Uncle Severus." Draco put the potions on Severus' desk. "We figured you might have needed them."
"Exactly. We just knew. It's why we needed to use the lab." Harry picked up the potion book from Severus' desk. "There are some interesting potions in your books."
"I'm aware. Since the solutions have been created I give you each ten points for forwarding thinking." Severus was very impressed that they had the solutions already created. It certainly saved him a lot of time. "Now, since I seem to have some free time why don't you show me what else you have created?"
Harry leaned back in his chair and when Draco went to speak Harry kicked him. "No idea what you are referencing."
"Not as a professor or student discussion. As a potion master to two future apprentices." Severus knew Harry might not speak but Draco would. Draco trusted him. He was Draco's godfather. Harry still hadn't leaped to fully trusting Severus.
"Terms of this deal." Harry still had the book in his hands. He sat up a bit. This could be interesting.
Severus could see Draco was a bit impressed. If he was honest with himself, he was too. Harry always seemed to be three steps ahead of him and Dumbledore. Normally, Severus was usually three steps ahead. He had to be as he was a spy and it kept him alive. He just wasn't expecting an eleven-year-old to do it. He folded his hands in front of him. "Simple, you don't do anything to hurt anyone. We will have private lessons on Saturday mornings. Yes, Harry, your other lessons will continue. If you two do as well as I believe, in your fifth year I will draw up apprenticeship contracts for each of you."
"Defense?" Harry knew Severus had his Masters in Potions and Defense.
"If it warrants it, I will include it. We can discuss the terms at the time. I will keep track of your progress separately from your grades. Your grades must remain in the top percentage." Severus knew that Harry and Draco would be in the top percentage. They worked hard and in Slytherin, the older years assisted the younger years.
Harry and Draco exchanged a quick look. Harry faced Severus. "I accept."
"I do too." Draco held out his hand.
Severus resisted the urge to smirk as he shook their hands. "I'll heal the two morons tomorrow. Now, how about you show me what else you have brewed."