Harry tossed and turned on his bed, trying to sleep. It has been a month or so since classes started and his Professor told him to behave. He was still trying to get himself to tell Hermione about his problem and the Headmaster's insistence to not be called Harry Potter, but there was always something holding him back.
He knew that Harry Potter was a name that was too well known in this World, but Harry still wanted it. He still wanted to be called as that because it made him feel like he was free, and it was his. To be called as Harry would meant that he was honoring his real parents' death, but then again, Snape told him that to honor James and Lily, he had to live. He had to survive.
Survive? he wondered, survive from what? Was the end of the world coming?
But Snape only gave him a pointed look that says the conversation is done. Harry was to be Brandon Dursely for a while, as he had been when he entered Hogwarts. It didn't help that he had minimal time with his guardian, and sometimes, he would assign detention to himself just to have some time with Snape, but it seems the man was more than busy with something.
"Bran? Bran! You awake?" Harry scrambled as he tried to decipher who was whispering near him. Just then, he saw Draco, whose blonde hair was glinting along the dimmed lights of their dorm. What was he doing awake?
"Draco? Is that you?"
"Yeah," he said. Harry then saw Draco trying to reach up the window, and Harry was surprised to see a black owl, so black it almost blended in the night, "I think its for you."
Harry's brows furrowed. But Draco was already tiptoeing to him, the parcel in hand. Harry saw his name, Brandon Dursely, on the parcel. He held it in wonder. Who sent it? Why did that person sent it at the dead of the night?
He looked at Draco with questioning eyes. Draco looked back, his icy blue eyes looking almost like Winter, "I don't know. I just woke up to its tapping."
Draco woke up to its tapping? Harry was awake the whole time! Why wouldn't he hear it? Harry glared at his friend, "Stop lying, Draco. I've been awake for a long time now. I haven't slept a wink."
Draco gave a smirk in return, "Alright, you got me, then. I was looking at the sky."
Harry looked at him, more intently this time, "Is this about your Constellations again? Quit lying. I told you, I hate it when you lie."
Draco slumped his shoulders, "Why can't I get anything away from you? Why don't you just open that up?"
"I will, if you tell me the reason why you're awake."
Draco frowned at his friend, "Must I?"
Harry kept his eyes firm on Draco's, "Just tell me what it is that's bugging you, please."
"Fine," Draco sighed, "but promise me you won't tell. Even to your girlfriend."
Harry frowned, "'Mione's not my girlfriend!"
"Your future one then. Why don't we continue this at the Common Room? No one will be awake at this hour. It's almost morning."
Harry followed his friend. At the Common Room, he found Draco trying his hardest to lit up a fire, "Don't you know how to start one?"
Draco rolled his eyes, "By the Wizarding Way, not the Muggle way. And do not look at me like that, Dursely. I wasn't raised like you."
"Hey! I am not judging you or anything. I was just asking, Malfoy! Where's your wand, anyway?"
"Upstairs," Draco shrugged, "Ugh! How do you get this bloody thing to work?!"
"You don't. You do the work. Here, let me," Harry then crouched down to where Draco was and started a fire in less than ten minutes.
"The parcel," Draco reminded, "Open it up."
"You promised to tell me something, Draco," Harry reminded back.
"How about after you open that parcel?"
"What's wrong with before? Why don't I open while you tell it to me, then? "
Harry smirked in victory as he saw Draco rolled his eyes, "Fine," he groaned.
Hary fumbled with the parcel and ripped it open. While he did so, Draco started to tell him what happened one night during the Holidays.
Draco couldn't sleep. The sugar from the sweets that was given to him was still in his system and he couldn't stay put. It was already way past his bedtime. After a few moments of counting the stars like his Father taught him to, Draco decided to go out of his room and wander around their Manor. Maybe he can find Mother and Father, and tell them about his problem about falling asleep.
Draco saw his Mother as she strode inside the room, where her husband was sitting, clearly deep in thought. Draco was about to enter excitedly, but he saw the look in Father's eyes. Lucius was looking so scared. Draco rarely saw that look on Father's face, and he knew instantly that something was wrong.
"What is it, Love?"
"Cissy," Lucius said, standing up, his brandy in hand. Narcissa led Lucius with a hand upon the sette and so they sat side by side, "Cissy, the Stone!"
"What is it? What Stone? You look troubled, my Love," Narcissa held that tone of worry she used with Draco when Draco wasn't feeling any good. Draco knew that eavesdropping was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself from listening. The word 'Stone' triggered his curiousity, and he knew right then and there that it was something important. Something dangerous.
"Oh Merlin, Cissy, what have I done? I should have sought it out first. I shouldn't have let it slide. He's trying to get his hands on it, Cissy! I had to trust Dumbledore on this one," Lucius rambled, "And Severus... Oh Sweet Merlin, Narcissa. Severus is in danger. That ward of his. The boy."
"What about him, Lucius, and of his ward? I do not understand what you want to tell me, Lucius. Please calm down, it's scaring me. Please, Love, before you wake our Dragon up."
Lucius heaved a lungful of air and Narcissa leaned against her husband. Draco still watched, his eyes wide, "Do you remember the Dark Lord, when he said he has found a way to make himself immortal? Cissy, he was referring to the Stone. The Philosopher's Stone."
At the mention of the Dark Lord, how Draco wanted to ran right in there and hear the comfort from his parents. Draco had known about the Dark Wizard, from the story of his Father to others' lips. Everytime, it was always a scary event. Sometimes, it would end up to Lucius holding him, tears from his Father's eyes and Draco himself would cry from the anguish of his Father.
Narcissa looked up to her husband, "What do you mean, Lucius? The Philosopher's Stone is just a myth. The Dark Lord is gone, never to come back. Draco is safe. We all are now."
"No," Lucius shook his head, "No, Narcissa, no. He is alive. I have felt the Burn when I went to fetch Draco from Hogwarts for the holidays. I can sense Him near."
"Lucius, you are just getting paranoid again. Maybe, you just mistook it for something else. Do you want to see Healer Julliards? Maybe he can help."
But Lucius was adamant. Draco, although afraid, was still listening. Wasn't Bran his godfather's ward? What will become of them? And the Philosopher's Stone? He thought it was just one of Father's tales!
"The Philosopher's Stone is real, Narcissa. I have seen it with my own eyes. Before he was obliterated, the Dark Lord sought after Nicolas Flamel and his wife and he has found them. I was there, Narcissa. I was there. Severus was there. I watched as Riddle tried to destroy their memories and take the Stone for himself, but failed."
Narcissa suddenly looked afraid, and Draco wanted so much to run to her and hug her and tell that they are there to take care of her. But Draco knew that they can't, because Lucius himself was afraid. They can't and won't lie to each other; it was their unspoken Oath.
"If you were there, my Love, why hadn't I heard about this before?"
"Because I myself had to make sure that what I saw that night was real. I searched and searched, together with Severus. Now, it appears someone is out to get it. Snape said he had a hunch, but he won't tell me who. He said that he had to destroy that person before it endangers his ward."
Narcissa gasped. Lucius grasped her hands to his and held them tight, "But you need not worry, Cissy. I will make sure that our boy is safe. I have to make sure Severus' boy is safe, too. I owe Severus too much. I just need your permission for me to investigate. Please."
"But," Narcissa was starting tear up, "Do you promise to keep your self safe, too, Lucius? I can't lose you. Dragon can't lose you, too. He needs his Father. I need you."
"Yes," Lucius swore, "Yes, Narcissa. This I swear. I love you. I love you and Draco too much."
Then Lucius, with a flick of his wand, closed the door silently.
Draco was crying by the end of it. He had a nightmare that night, about his Father dying and Brandon being chased by a scary being and dying by the end of it. Narcissa was there to wake him up and comfort her distraught son.
As Draco finished his tale, Harry was looking at him with interest. The parcel was still a unopened.
"The Stone, the Philosopher's Stone, your Father said? But... Drake, we tried to find it; Hermione and I. All the books said it was a myth. We cannot ask Hagrid the Half Giant. He's wary with Slytherins," Harry wondered out loud. His gree eyes was lost in a thoughtful daze and suddenly, they glimmered, "I wonder if..."
Draco eyed his friend. What was this boy up to?
"Why don't you open up the parcel, Bran? Then we can talk about whatever."
"Alright."
Harry fumbled with the wrapping a bit, but Draco helped him out. Finally, Harry revealed a silky, invisible cloth, running like water under his palm. Both the boys were awed the sight and Draco murmured, "The Invisibility Cloak."
"The what?"
"The Invisibility Cloak. Why don't you try it om, Bran?"
Harry stood, the Cloak enveloped Harry's small frame, then making him invisible. Onky Harry's head remained, with his lips grinning.
"This is brilliant!" Harry shrieked, but Draco put a finger on his lips, signalling his friend to keep it down.
"Sorry," Harry apologized, "but this is swell!"
"I know," Draco mused, his voice almost a whisper, "do you think the Professor has sent this to you?"
Harry's eyes widened. From his Professor? Oh, he must have paid a lot for it! Draco himself looked awed and he was the sort to rarely look awed.
"Oh look, Bran, a card," Draco exclaimed, bending down to pick the card. The boys read the card, "Use it well."
"That's cryptic. Definitely from the Professor. What does that mean?" Draco asked. Harry only shrugged.
"Maybe I'll ask him tomorrow. But for now, I would like to catch on some sleep," Harry said. He then blowed the fire out, and the boys scampered to bed, the Invisibility Cloak in hand.