A/N: A quick thank you to all my readers. Thank you so much for actually reading my story, it means so much to me so thank you 🙏 . Sry chapters a little late.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Third POV
"So Har, are you staying here for winter break?" Harry looked from his place beside Draco on his bed. This had become a normal occurrence since that night in the infirmary. Both had trouble sleeping after so, being innocent eleven year olds, decided to share a bed.
"Ummm..no. I'm just gonna stay here." Draco frowned.
"I can ask if you can come to the manor. My parents won't mind I'm sure, they've been dying to meet you properly since I told them about you in my letters." Harry blushed and looked down.
"Are you sure?" Draco nodded. Harry gnawed on his lip, "Ask first. I want to be sure. Oh and make sure it's okay for Anguis and Nigrum to come too." Draco sighed and got up to write a quick letter to his parents.
"You do realize that Christmas break is in a week right?" Harry nodded.
"So?"
"You made no plans? You were just gonna stay in Hogwarts alone? Your crazy Har."
"What I'm used to being alone on Christmas." Harry said just a tad bit defensively.
"Well you shouldn't have to be, no one should." Draco replied softly. Harry just smiled and patted the spot on the bed next to him and laid down. Draco climbed in and soon both boys were asleep.
A week later
"Do you have every thing Dray?" Draco nodded as he rushed to put everything in his trunk half an hour before they were supposed to leave. "Are you sure?" Harry had a light smirk on his face as Draco hesitated in his packing. "Clothes," Draco nodded,"shoes," nod,"hair stuff," nod, "homework?" Draco's eyes widened as he rushed to the small desk they had placed inside their dorm, and he grabbed a multitude of papers and stuffed them into his messy trunk. Harry sighed and walked over to Draco's trunk. "Honestly we're going to your house. Why aren't you already packed? You trunk is a mess, do you want me to fix it?" Draco's cheeks took on a rosy color as he looked down.
"Please and thank you." Harry pulled out his wand and waved it over the messy trunk. The items magically folded and stacked themselves neatly into the trunk where Harry was already closing the trunk with a resounding thud.
"Your welcome. Now let's go, I don't want to miss the train." Harry and Draco grabbed their light trunks, filled with only necessary items, and made their way out of the dungeons and to the carriages. They ended up sharing a carriage with the Weasley twin and a round faced boy with brown hair and hazel eyes. Harry recognized the boy as Neville Longbottom from their Herbology lessons. The twins greeted them with their normal greeting.
"Hello," George began,
"Harry and,"
"Draco, how,"
"You been lately?"
"Haven't seen much of you,"
"Since last week,"
"Thought you left us,"
"We did, but,"
"We knew that you wouldn't,"
"You just love us,"
"Way too much." Harry laughed lightly before replying.
"We've just been busy, you know doing schoolwork. Some people actually do theirs." The twins fake gasped in indignation, putting a hand to their chests.
"Us?" Fred whispered.
"Work?" George cried.
"Never," They said together. Draco and Harry laughed. They sat in silence for a moment before Harry turned to Neville.
"Neville Longbottom, right?" Neville's eyes widened.
"Yeah, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. How do you know me?"
Harry smiled,"You're the best in our Herbology class, you know like everything about it. You raise your hand every time. How do you know us?"
Neville blinked in shock." Ummm.. one thanks. Er.. yeah. Umm.. two how does anyone not know you? Harry Potter and the Malfoy heir? Best friends? Bloody brilliant in every subject. And both on the Slytherin quidditch team which by the way shouldn't be allowed in any way shape or form, but hey I'm not complaining. It's bloody entertaining to the the faces on the Gryffindors when they lose to a team with two first years on it." Harry and Draco blinked in shock, copying Neville, "Well then, Longbottom, I think my egos been blown up a bit to much I feel a bit lightheaded." The other four laughed as they approached the Hogsmeade train station with the giant red engine waiting to leave. They quickly found a compartment and sat down, Harry and Draco on one side and the Weasley twins with Neville in between them on the the other. They talked the entire train ride talking about random things. The five soon became closer than anyone thought possible for three Gryffindors and two Slytherins.
The intercom goes off signaling that they are approaching Kings Cross and the boys quickly change out of their robes.
The train slowed to a stop and the boys grabbed their trunks before walking off the train.
"Well,"
"We'll,"
"See guys,"
"Later,"
"Bye!!" The twins rushed to the already large group off red heads. The three laughed and waved as they looked around for signs of their guardians.
"Oh! I see my grandmother, I'll see you guys soon, later!" Neville rushed towards and elderly lady with a smile on his face.
"And then there were two," Draco said ominously. Harry laughed and looked for the tell tale blonde hair of the Malfoy family. A flash of it in the back caught his eye. He tugged on Draco's sleeve and pointed. Draco followed Harry's finger and smiled brightly when he saw his mother's face.
"Mother!" Draco waved his left arm until his mother saw him and when she did, he grabbed Harry's wrist his own trunk and speed walked towards his mother.
"Draco dear, how are you?" Narcissa hugged Draco, which was hard since he hadn't let of Harry's wrist when Harry went to stand directly behind him.
"I am well Mother," Draco responded lightly before pulling Harry gently out from behind him. "You remember Harry, Mother?"
Narcissa eyes the boy with a small smile on her face."I do." Harry looked up and smiled tentatively at her before shaking off Draco's grip on his wrist and bowing down to lightly kiss Narcissa knuckles.
"Lady Malfoy, a pleasure to see you again."
"Oh, stop this pure blood nonsense, call me Cissa." Harry smiled and nodded. "Grab onto my arm dears." Harry and Draco grabbed onto each arm and felt the semi-familiar squeezing of their lungs before landing in front of a the gates to a large and beautiful mansion.
To either side of them stone walls covered with greenery towered over them. Cissa opened the black gates and led them further until they came upon a small clearing. Harry looked up and his jaw dropped. There was six spiral towers, dozens of enormous windows just on the front side. Draco looked at Harry's shocked state and laughed.
"It's a bit much I know, but it only has like a hundred rooms." Draco said the last bit as nonchalantly as possible without laughing. If possible, Harry's jaw dropped even more, so much so that his body slouched over.
"A hundred?" Draco nodded. "What in the world do you do with a hundred rooms?" Draco shrugged and looked to his mother who was watching the interaction with and amused glint in her storm grey eyes.
"Well, we have servant rooms, guest rooms, dressing rooms, drawing rooms, a library, a dungeon, a ballroom, a dining room, multiple sun rooms, studies and I'm sure there is more." Harry blinked once and mumbled a meek 'ok' before walking forward in small steps. Draco laughed freely and walked faster to catch up with Harry. Cissa looked at Draco in shock. She hadn't heard him laugh like that since he was one, since- she shook her head. She mustn't think about 'the accident'. It would make her emotional and she didn't need that at this time, but she would need to speak her husband and Severus.
Draco led Harry through the manor ,allowing him little time to gawk at the gorgeous black, grey and silver themed decor, giving him his idea of tour. They came to the foyer to see Lucius conversing with Snape in hushed tones.
"Oh hello Father, Uncle Sev." The two men abruptly stopped talking when the boys came in and greeted them.
"Ah Draco, welcome back. Is this Harry?" Lucius gestured to the figure hiding behind Draco. Draco smiled and nodded pulling Harry out from behind him. Harry bowed his head lightly before speaking.
"Lord Malfoy, it's great to see you again. Thank you for welcoming me into your home." Lucius raised an eyebrow.
"It's not a problem Harry. But please call me Luc, Lucius is a bit much on a daily basis." Harry smiled and nodded before turning to look at Severus.
"Not that I mind, but what are you doing here, sir?" Severus smiled.
"I am staying here for a portion of the holidays. I expect you to do all your work in the time that I'm here and not at the last minute." Harry looked affronted.
"Sir, what do you mean? I've already finished. I'm helping Dray finish his later today and tomorrow." Draco groaned.
"Seriously Harry? Your worse than Granger and she's constantly in the library and getting perfect grades but she never turns anything in early she always takes her time, why can't you do that?" Harry turned to look at Draco with a glare. "I mean.. um.. I just-I um. Ok I'm running now." Draco took off at break neck speed out of the foyer. Harry smirked and turned back to the two men.
"He's just upset because I always finish early to get it out of the way." The men chuckled lightly.
"Why did Draco run from you then?" Lucius asked confused. Severus laughed and Harry had a smug smile.
"I have a scary glare." Harry said dismissively. The men laughed. Harry heard a hissing coming from his shirt. He furrowed his before remembering. His snakes! He had put them under his shirt to help them sleep on the train and he had, until now, completely forgot about them.
~Are you guys awake?~ Two sleepy heads come out from the collar of his shirt and drape over his shoulders.
~Yes Master Harry. We are awake now~
~Are you sure?~ Harry laughed and laughed even more when they both slapped him lightly with their tail.
"This is Nigrum and Anguis, my snakes." Harry said to Lucius. "Draco mentioned they were staying here with me right?"
"He didn't but it is quite alright, we are all from the house of snakes after all." Harry nodded before departing to find Draco.
"He's a bit odd isn't he?" Lucius asked.
"A little, but did you see what I was talking about, they just seem to click. It's amazing."
"I did. Draco hasn't been like that since- Well you know. I'll look into it." Severus nodded.
Harry eventually found Draco in a bedroom on the second floor calming working on his Herbology essay that was assigned for the break.
"So you are going to listen to Severus and do the work?" Draco looked and smiled lightly.
"I already planned to. I just thought it would be fun to push your buttons." Harry rolled his eyes and sat down next to Draco.
The two conversed about homework and others matters for hours before they were interrupted.
A loud snap sounded through the room and a small wrinkly creature with large, glossy ears and droopy, bat like ears, appeared.
"Masters be sendings Dobby to collect young Masters. Masters says dinners ready." Draco nodded.
"Thank you Dobby, you may go." The creature popped away.
"What was that?" Draco turned to see Harry staring at the spot where the creature disappeared.
"That was a house elf. We have a bunch that serve us. They do whatever we tell them to." Harry's brow furrowed before,"Most don't like to be paid, but if they want to be we pay them. We have enough money to do so." Harry nodded and stood up.
"Dinner?" Draco walked out the room and led Harry down a set of stairs and through a maze of hallways. They reached a set of double doors that were partially open. Draco pushed the door a little farther and stepped inside. A long dark oak table with ten matching high-backed chairs sat in the center of the room. The room itself had mostly windows with gray white walls and dark bronze furnishings. At the table sat Severus and Cissa on one side, Luc at the head and two empty places on the other.
"Glad you could join us from your games." Luc drawled. Draco took the spot next to his father and Harry sat down next to him before replying.
"Actually, I was helping Dray finish the rest of his homework. We're free to do whatever we want for the rest of the break." Luc raises an eyebrow, while Severus and Cissa were holding back smiles.
"How did you manage to get him to accomplish that? Whenever I assigned him a task for his etiquette training it took weeks to get him to do it." Harry looked at Draco who blushed.
"Old friend, Draco has always done his work on time, if not early, since he has arrived at school. At this point in time he is in second place for highest grades in first year." Luc nodded bemused and Draco looked up shocked.
"I'm in second place?" Severus nodded. "Who's in first?" Harry interrupted before Severus could answer.
"Draco that is confidential, he only told us yours because your here to give your consent. And besides it's none of our business who's first. But if I may ask," Harry said turning to Severus,"What place am I in?" Severus smirked.
"First." Harry blinked while Draco laughed.
"So do we have your consent Har?" Harry snapped out his stupor to slap the back of the blondes head.
"Shut up second place." Draco mock gasped.
"Your words wound me! Oh how will I ever survive in your shadow?" The glowering look Harry sent Draco was ruined by the smile he struggled to keep off his face.
"Eat you food boys." They reluctantly turned away from each other to dig in to their meals of mushroom risotto with peas.
"This needs some more mushrooms and it could use some more time at a lower heat." Harry mumbled quietly, but since the rest of the table was quiet they all heard.
"Funny I was thinking the exactly the same thing. Do you know much about food?" Harry nodded and went into a conversation with Cissa about food. If Cissa was surprised by his wide knowledge of food, fault by his relatives, she didn't say anything. By the end of the meal, Cissa was practically begging for Harry to make her something to try.
"I'll just make something for Christmas breakfast." Harry Sadi finally.
"Are you sure?" Harry nodded. "If you sure but just know that you'll have to cook for seven people." Harry nodded again.
"I can do that." Cissa smiled and pulled out her wand and cast a puck Tempus and gasped at the time.
"Oh dear, bedtime for you boys." They nodded and stood up. Quickly saying their goodbyes, Draco led Harry to his bedroom door before stopping.
"We have another room if you want. You don't have to sleep with me." Harry just smiled and walked past Draco to open the door and go in.
"Wow. Nice room." Harry grabbed a pair of pajamas out of his trunk that was sitting on the foot of the black and silver queen sized bed. Draco grabbed his own and went through a door, which Harry presumed was a connected bathroom. Harry quickly changed and laid down under the sheets waiting for Draco. A minute later Draco joined and the two boys quickly fell asleep while wrapped up with each other.
Sounds of their even breathing was interrupted by the clicking of heels on marble floors. The door edged open a crack. Cissa peered in and froze in her place when she saw the scene. She smiled and made her way back to the second floor parlor where Severus and Luc were drinking fire whiskey and talking politics. The men stopped their conversation when they saw Cissa's large grin.
"And What has you so happy?" Luc asked with a grin on his face.
"I went to check on the boys and I found them not only in the same room but in the same bed, curled up with each other. It's adorable." Luc and Severus shared a shocked look on their face.
"I know the boys share a dorm, but I didn't know they shared the bed." Luc looked towards Severus.
"They share a dorm?" Severus nodded.
"When the two arrived on the train, a ward was placed around their compartment, I don't know who did it, but no one could get in. They walked in the Great Hall together. Harry gave the newest Weasley boy when he insulted Draco. They sat down next to each other for the opening feast, and every meal since. They walked into the Slytherin common room and silently decided to dorm with one another. They are practically inseparable. Have the same schedule and are on the quidditch team together." Cissa added onto the shocked silence.
"You guys see it to then? How happy they are?" At both men's grin nod she sucked in a breath. "You know what this means don't you? We have to find him. Severus, you know we do, so don't look at me like that." Severus shook his head.
"He's at Hogwarts. I can feel it. I confronted him but he doesn't remember. He was put under Albus' spell. He doesn't remember." Severus' voice cracked and a lone tear fell down his face. The elder Malfoys closed in and gave a one sided hug from each side, comforting him as he cried.
Time skip to Christmas morning
Harry woke to the buzzing of the alarm. He slowly untangled himself from Draco and padded down to the kitchen to start breakfast. He easily decided that he would make cinnamon Belgian waffles with fresh berries on top lightly dusted with powdered sugar and a side of German sausage, bacon, scrambled, fried and poached eggs. He grabbed all of the ingredients and started to cook.
By the time he finished he had been in the kitchen for an hour and a half and most of the house had woken up or arrived. He set the table with food and walked into the nearby parlor to see Cissa, Luc, Severus, Blaise and a woman who Harry assumes was Blaise's mother.
"Oh good, you're up and what I assume are both Zabinis are here." Harry said dragging attention to his form in the doorway.
"You're awake? I thought you were still sleeping." Harry shook his head.
"I woke up early to start breakfast. Excuse me, but my appearances not the best to greet guests. I'll get Draco on my way down." Once Harry walked out of the parlor Blaise turned to the Malfoys.
"They sleep in the same bed don't they?" Cissa nodded her head. "Thought so. They have since Halloween night."
"What happened on Halloween?" Cyline, Blaise's mother, asked.
"You know how I told you about the troll that got in," Cyline nodded. "Harry was the one to knock it out and save the Weasley twins but by doing so he drained his magic. The teachers came down with about half the student body to see Draco cradling Harry's head in his lap and the troll knocked out on he floor. Professor Snape and Draco took Harry to infirmary to find out that he had just put a strain on his magic and he had to spend the night. Draco stays there as well and he, from what I was told, crawled into the infirmary bed with Harry and they've slept in the same bed since. But I first saw it after they collapsed from quidditch, I just thought they were tired." Everyone took on a look of shock on their faces and all glanced at the doorway that Harry had left through.
Upstairs, Harry took a quick shower and walked to the still sleeping blonde. Draco was sprawled across the black silk sheets with a strand of hair falling across face. The curtains of the window in front of the bed were open and allowing the rays of the sunrise to shine through. They caused Draco's hair to glow. He seemed so peaceful. Harry sighed. He shouldn't feel this way. This was his best friend for Merlin's sake! He shook his to clear his thoughts on how to wake Draco up and decided on the most childish way. Harry slowly climbed to stand on top of the bed and suddenly Harry jumped up and down.
"WAKE UP DRACO!! ITS CHRISTMAS!!" Draco snapped awake and looked up at Harry with wide eyes.
"What the bloody hell was that?!" Harry jumped down from the bed as Draco sat up. He backed slowly towards the door with Draco following.
"It's Christmas." With those words Harry took off laughing his head off. They raced through the halls all the way down to the parlor. Just before Harry could reach the doorway Draco tackled him and the two came tumbling through the doorway both in a fit of giggles. They rolled around until Draco pinned Harry down.
"Ha! I win!" Harry up at Draco.
"Of course you won." Draco looked at Harry suspiciously.
"Why do I feel like there's something your not telling me?" Harry just smiled and tilted his head back to look at the amused faces in parlor.
"Hey guys. I got him up." Draco looked up and saw everybody. Draco hastily got off Harry and stood with a deep blush in his face. Harry started to laugh.
"You are evil Harry Potter. Truly evil."
"I'm sorry. But breakfast is done so unless you don't want food then hey go and wait in front of your presents. Not being able to touch them until everyone is done eating." Draco looked affronted. With a nod from his mother, he huffed and walked into the dining room only to stop before he sat down. He turned to Harry shocked.
"You made all of this?!" Harry nodded shyly and gestured for everyone to sit down and eat to which everybody listened. As people took their first bites, praises were shot at Harry who turned a deeper shade of pink at each one.
After all of the plates were cleared, the group made their way into a communal room with a gorgeous tree that had literally appeared overnight. It was at least ten feet tall and was elegantly draped with silver satin and small lights. It had red and black ornaments and was topped with a red topper. But none of this caught was what caught Harry's eye. Harry's was immediately caught on the enormous piles of presents. Harry had never seen so many before. He looked towards Draco for an explanation.
"There's a pile for every person. See the three biggest piles those are probably for me, you and Blaise. And the other four are for Mother, Father, Severus and Cyline." Harry has tears in eyes.
" I get presents?" He asked in a small voice. Everyone looked towards Harry. Draco gave Harry a small smile and walked towards the three big stacks and looked at the tags on the first and second one. When he got to the third, he pulled Harry over to the stack and sat him down.
"You get presents, Harry." Harry burst into tears and Draco rushed forward and swooped Harry up into a bear hug. He rocked Harry back and forth shushing him and whispering sweet nothings to quiet for the rest to hear. The adults other than Severus looked towards Blaise who just looked sad. Blaise glanced at them and backed up a little ways.
"He lives with relatives who hate magic. They abused him. Bad. The whole Slytherin house knows but you know we won't say anything. Draco's always been able to calm him down when he has an episode." The adults nodded and edged back towards the now calm pair. Cissa was the first to speak.
"Just know Harry that our home will always be open to you. Anytime you want to come over you can."
"I second that, come over to the Zabini manor anytime you'd like." Harry pulled out the hug and took a shaky breath, nodding.
"Thank you." He smiled and reached towards a small present and read the tag. The others grabbed or gathered around their presents and started opening. Harry opened the first from Fred, a box of thirty six chocolate frogs. He carefully placed the wrapping paper in stack and placed the chocolate next. The next was a container of blood pops from George. He got a glass wizard chess set from Blaise, hair products from Pansy, a cookbook from Cissa, a broom care kit from Luc and a Rememberall from Neville. Harry came to his last present from Draco. It's was small black velvet box with his initials in curly calligraphy on the lid. Harry looked up at Draco who was watching him. He pulled open the lid and gasped. Inside was a silver bracelet. It had emeralds laid down in a scale like pattern. On the inside the words 'Ego te incolumem custodiat, et sanare vos'* were inscribed. Harry looked back up at Draco.
"It's a protection bracelet. The inscription means 'I'll keep you safe and heal you'*. Once you put it on, only you will be able to see it or take it off." Harry smiled and gave Draco a brief but tight hug. He held out his wrist and the bracelet.
"If you would Dragon." Draco swiftly attached the bracelet before turning to the last present in his pile. It was a small box, much unlike Harry's. The difference was that his was slightly thicker and a small design on the front that Draco recognized.
"Who got me a Wittlestones?" He gasped out. Cissa looked up at Draco and huffed.
"Draco don't be silly, Wittlestones is far too expensive. No one ever buys from there. Though they very skilled at making jewelry I will admit that. Here let me see." Draco handed Cissa the box and Harry frowned. Were they really that expensive? He had only spent a thousand galleons to make sure the gift was perfect. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Cissa gasp. "It really is a Wittlestone. Who's this from?" Draco was about to respond when Harry interrupted.
"I did." The whole room looked at him. "Don't look at me like that I wanted to make sure it was perfect. Which I think it is, so you definitely open it." Draco grabbed the box from his mother and opened it. He nearly dropped it after though.
Inside laid a silver bracelet of a dragon with its wings tucked in and it's tail wrapped around its own neck. It's eyes were diamonds and the scales seemed to shine with an icy blue hue.
"When did you even get this?"
"I was looking through on of the magazines you keep for present ideas a month or so ago and I found the company, and then I sent in a drawing and explanation of what I wanted. It only came a couple days ago though. And don't ask me the price. I'm not telling you so don't even try." Draco just beamed at Harry and rushed to hug him.
"Thank you." He whispered.
"Your welcome Dragon." Draco looked back at the tree and stared at a couple presents that were hidden under the tree a bit farther than an elf would have put them. He looked back at Harry.
"How many people did you buy Wittlestones for?" Harry blushed and looked down at his feet.
"Um I bought one for everybody in this room, the twins, Pansy and Neville." Harry looked up to meet the six pairs of wide eyes. "They're right there." Harry pointed to the exact spot where Draco had been looking. Draco just sighed and went to grab and pass out the gifts.
Harry had gotten a sapphire necklace for Cissa with a white gold chain encrusted with tiny diamonds. He got Cyline, even though he had just met her he had known she was coming, a pair of emerald flower earrings with gold details. Severus and Luc both got watches. Severus' was an onyx with silver details in the Roman numerals on a black, brushed titanium. Luc's was a titanium band with a diamond center and the Roman numerals carved into the diamond and filled with gold. Blaise was given a bracelet as well but it was similar to his mothers earrings with black, brushed titanium set with emeralds in the design of leaves circling his wrist. Everybody loved their gifts and graciously thanked Harry before putting them on. Harry turned to Draco.
"Yours is a bit special," he whispered. "If you press the eyes then it automatically contacts me. I have a bracelet that goes with it so I'll see you in the reflection and you'll see me in a smoke form, or my head at least. It's for over the summer." Draco smiled and gave Harry another hug before sitting back down on the floor, opening his box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and admiring his bracelet.
Harry looked around at everybody. They all were so happy. They made him feel loved. He sat down and pulled out one of his BloodPops. He wanted this forever. And somewhere in his mind, a little voice told he would.