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Mar. 29th, 2005 01:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
why_me_why_notTitle: Picking Up the Pieces
Author: why_me_why_not
Rating: PG, for now at least
Summary: Draco & Harry are thrown together after both face situations that have turned their lives upside down. Will they become friends themselves?
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. I don't own the characters. I just borrow them and let them play around in my head (as long as I get to watch). No copyright infringement or disrespect intended. Please don't sue b/c I have less than nothing.
A/N: links to previous chapters under cut
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
The next morning, while Harry and Draco were getting dressed for the day, they were interrupted by a tapping at the window. Harry reached over and opened it for Hedwig, who was followed by a flash of fluffy feathers. Harry stepped back instinctively as the furball flew into the room and zoomed around just out of reach of the two boys. A chase ensued as they competed to see who would be able to catch this snitch substitute. Finally Draco jumped off the mattress and rolled onto the floor. He was so still for a minute that Harry was almost worried that he had injured himself. When he looked up he was grinning, one hand clutching the small owl that was trying to wiggle its way free.
“What the bloody hell is this thing?” Draco demanded imperiously.
Harry laughed. “That’s Pig. Short for Pigwidgeon. He’s Ron’s owl, and he has way too much energy.” He reached to take the owl from Draco’s grasp.
“That’s an understatement,” Draco muttered, standing gracefully while keeping his prize away from Harry. “Let’s see what he’s brought to you. More letters to be ignored, no doubt.” He slowly unwrapped the parchments from around the small owl’s leg. He didn’t recognize the handwriting, but luckily each roll had the initials of the sender. Draco read them aloud as he tossed each one on the bed. “Granger…Weasley…G.W. is the Weaslette, I assume…and N.L.? Longbottom, perhaps?”
Harry crossed his arms and glared at Draco. “Malfoy, you’re not funny. Give me my letters.”
Draco smirked and handed Pig to Harry before scooping up the four parchments. “Why? So you can toss them onto the desk with all the rest of them? Why not just vanish them all, or burn them? I mean, if you’re not going to read them anyway, why keep them?”
Harry glared at Draco for a moment longer before turning his back and securing Pig in Hedwig’s cage with a bit of food and water. He murmured something that Draco didn’t catch.
“What was that, Potter?” Harry kept his back to Draco and walked over to stare out the window at the early morning sky even though Draco knew he had heard him. “Harry?”
Harry sighed. “I said, I didn’t have my wand. This summer, at my aunt and uncle’s, I didn’t have my wand with me so I couldn’t cast a spell to get rid of the letters.”
Draco snorted. “What kind of foolish wizard doesn’t keep his wand with him at all times?”
“The kind of foolish wizard who doesn’t have a choice. All my stuff, including my wand, was locked in my old cupboard when I got back to the house this summer. The Dursleys don’t believe in magic, and I’m forbidden to do anything magical at home or I’d be punished.”
“Worse than what they did anyway?” Draco asked softly. Yes, he had suffered at the hands of his father but he always had magic to fall back on, whether to cast healing charms on himself or to provide distraction when he was locked in his room. Harry was not only abused, but he was not allowed the comfort of magic afterwards.
Harry nodded mutely.
“Does Dumbledore know? About how they treat you, I mean?”
“I don’t know. My first Hogwarts letter was addressed to me in The Cupboard Under the Stairs, so apparently he knew that I stayed there. I’m don’t know what else he knows, but I’m sure he’ll use whatever information he has to get what he wants.”
Draco almost laughed; he had always known that, for all his good intentions, Dumbledore was a manipulative old fool but didn’t think Harry realized it. His humor was cut short, though, by the sadness behind Harry’s words. “The Cupboard Under the Stairs?” he repeated.
“I don’t want to talk about this.” Harry grabbed his wand off the bedside table and quickly vanished the four new owl posts as well as the ones that had accumulated over the summer. He reached for Hedwig and gently unrolled the parchment from her leg. She nipped him lightly on the fingers, a gesture that had once been so familiar to him that it almost brought tears to his eyes with the realization that she had not been affectionate towards him all summer, even though he knew it had been his attitude that drove her away. “This one is addressed to both of us. From Mrs. Weasley.” He carefully unrolled the parchment and read it out loud.
Dear Harry & Draco,
Tonks has reported to us that you took a trip into Diagon Alley. I hope that both of you were able to purchase everything you needed. I must admit, it’s probably a good thing I was not told until after the fact because I would have worried tremendously. I wanted to pick up your things for you when I went, but as long as you all arrived back home safely, I suppose I can only accept what is past. However, if you do need anything else, please let me know as I will not be going into Diagon Alley until the day before you return to Hogwarts; I can bring whatever to you when we meet on Platform 9 ¾. The twins are quite upset that you did not come by their shop, Harry. They are insisting that it’s important that you see how their business endeavor has progressed, but they also understand how dangerous it is for to be out and about right now, and we feel the shop is being watched by dark sources. They do not know about Draco staying at Grimmauld Place; in fact, only a select few do know. That’s for your protection, Draco, not for any other reason you may be thinking. The Order is not infallible, and we do not want anyone to be caught with information of your whereabouts in case the wrong ears should hear.
The main reason for my post is to inquire about the Christmas holidays. I know it seems a long way off, but in actuality it is not. I don’t know how much Ron or Ginny have told you about the summer romance that has blossomed here in my house, but we are planning a wedding! Harry, you know we consider you as one of our family and would be pleased if you would stay at the Burrow for the holidays. Draco and Karissa are invited too. That way we can all travel to the ceremony together, as a family, which I know would please everyone. Specific details of the ceremony will be included in the invitation, but we are trying to get an idea of how many will be staying here and need to be transported, so if you could let me know as soon as possible, I would certainly appreciate it.
I will try to stop in and see you in the next few days. If I do not, please reply by owl at your convenience. Enjoy your last week of summer holiday and take care not to drive Remus crazy before the term starts.
All my love,
Molly Weasley
“I think that woman is somewhat mad,” Draco said, shaking his head. “Who’s getting married?”
“I don’t know if I’d call Mrs. Weasley mad exactly, but you don’t want to get on her bad side. And I don’t know who’s getting married. The answer could have been in one of those many letters, but ironically I just got rid of them all,” he reminded Draco with a grin.
“What do you mean the answer could have been in one of those letters?” Draco asked curiously.
Harry shrugged. This was the second time this morning that Draco had picked up on his exact words even when Harry wasn’t sure he had said them. “Ginny may have said something in one of her letters, but Ron would probably be oblivious to it and Hermione would tiptoe around it because she’s like that. She’d be all concerned that it would bother me.”
“Does it bother you?”
“Should it?”
“I don’t know, you tell me.”
“No, it doesn’t bother me that everyone else can be happy. Just as long as they don’t expect me to be.” Harry bent down to tie his trainers and to avoid the look he knew Draco was giving him. “Look, we need to get downstairs before breakfast gets cold. Remus will know who’s getting married. See you down there.” He bounded out the room before Draco could reply.
Draco watched him leave, wondering why Harry thought that he couldn’t be happy. It was his Slytherin nature that allowed him to pick up on the minute details of what people said, and what they didn’t say. He sighed, resolving to ask Harry about it later, and put on his own shoes before heading downstairs. Entering the kitchen, he found Karissa and Remus already digging into their food while Harry was pushing his around his plate.
“Potter, it’s not polite to play with your food,” Draco drawled as he took a seat beside Karissa. “If I were Professor Lupin, I’d be insulted by how little you eat.”
Harry shot a dark look in Draco’s direction but began eating. Remus watched the two of them warily. He had noticed that Harry hadn’t been eating, had pawned it off as a side effect of how little he got to eat when he was at the Dursley’s as well as the understandable depression, but he had not mentioned it. He had experience with teenagers as his students, but on a personal level he wasn’t quite sure what to say to Harry to get him to eat. Apparently anger worked, since Harry was shoveling food into his mouth so fast he probably didn’t even taste it, and he was doing it just to spite Draco.
They had finished eating in companionable silence, very different from the first strained meal they had had together, and Remus was starting to clear away the dishes when Draco spoke again. “So, did you ask about the wedding?”
Harry shook his head as Karissa and Remus asked in unison, “What wedding?”
Harry handed his empty plate to Remus. “We got an owl this morning from Mrs. Weasley. She mentioned a wedding over the Christmas holidays and wants us to stay at the Burrow for the holidays so we can go to the wedding together. But I don’t know who’s getting married.”
Remus gave him a strange look. “I’m surprised you don’t know, Harry. I’m sure Ginny must have mentioned it, Harry, she’s very excited about Bill getting married.”
“Oh yeah!” Harry exclaimed, like he had known all along and it had just slipped his mind. “Bill and Fleur! Of course, yeah, I knew that! So they set a date for over the holidays?”
“Yes, New Year’s Eve, I believe. Their original plans were to wait until the danger died down, but they decided not to wait since no one knows how long the war will last.”
Draco quickly changed the subject. “Fleur? As in Fleur Delacour, the part-Veela from the Triwizard Tournament?”
“Yeah, that’s her.”
“She’s going to marry a Weasley? What kind of spell is she under?”
“Malfoy! Shut up!”
Draco smirked. Well, at least they were back on familiar territory, and as long as Harry was irritated with him, he wouldn’t have time to focus on what Remus had said about not knowing how long the war would last. Next thing you know, Harry (in all his glorious Gryffindor) wisdom would probably come to the conclusion that he was responsible for the wedding not being “safe.”
After breakfast, Draco began teaching Harry how to properly cast the Crucio curse. They had talked to Remus about it and were told he would arrange for the DA to have dummies to practice on, but for now they could use the curse on plants for practice. The lesser curses would cause the plants to wither and suffer, whereas the killing curse would cause almost instantaneous death. Draco and Harry were outside in the garden behind the house, the wards having been extended to protect the yard as well as the house itself. Remus was in the sitting room, at the window overlooking the garden, supervising the boys’ lessons but at the same time sitting with Karissa where she was reading A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration.
Draco, Harry, and Remus had all decided that Harry (and, in turn, the DA) would learn various minor hexes that the Death Eaters liked to use in combat situations, both how to cast them and how to counter them, but most importantly, for offensive purposes, was to teach him how to cast Crucio and the Killing Curse. There was a section of the garden that had been designated for practice—large blooming bushes that could quickly and easily be regrown with a few simple spells.
Instructions spilled out in Draco’s imperious I’m-better-than-you voice. “Now, as with all spells, you have to mean them to make it work. You have to put force and will behind the spell when you cast it, and point your wand directly at the point you want most affected. The spell is somewhat localized, but will spread out. If you’re dealing with Death Eaters, aiming for the heart is the most effective, but hitting their wrist will quickly disarm them. Watch.” Draco aimed his wand at the bush and intoned, “Crucio!” His voice was enough to send shivers down Harry’s spine, but watching the bush wither was worse. Draco held the curse for less than a minute and abruptly pulled his wand up, ending the spell. He looked at Harry expectantly.
Harry took a deep breath, turned towards the bush, and aimed. “Crucio!” Absolutely nothing happened. He tried again, trying to use his frustration as force behind the incantation. Still nothing.
“Come on, Potter,” Draco taunted. “I know your skills are abysmal, but this isn’t hard. It’s just one word. Crucio!” he demonstrated again, keeping a bored expression on his face.
Harry silently looked at the bush. When Draco ended the spell and turned back to him, Harry tried again, this time making the leaves he was aiming at shrivel just a bit.
Draco had the nerve to laugh. “I guess this is just another thing that I excel at that you are unable to do!”
Harry felt his face flush at the insult. Wanting to take Draco down a notch, he took aim once more and practically shouted out the word. “Crucio!” The leaves and branches on the bush seemed to curl up into each other, like watching the bush burn without any flames. After a minute, Harry jerked his wand up and staggered back, gasping.
Draco’s hand was on his back to steady him and keep him from falling. “Well done!” Draco exclaimed brightly.
Harry looked at him, startled. Was that a compliment? “Um, should I try again?” Draco nodded and gestured back towards the bush before stepping away from Harry. Harry tried again. Back to nothing. Apparently it had been a fluke.
Draco sighed. “Do I need to start insulting you again, or can you do this without me goading you into it?”
Harry turned to glare at Draco, and then closed his eyes. He tried to recapture the feeling of anger he had towards Draco. Images rolled through his mind of the way he and Malfoy had fought in the past. Altercations in the corridors, insults being exchanged on the Quidditch pitch. He felt the tendrils of his familiar bitterness towards Malfoy as they began to creep around his subconscious. He opened his eyes and cast the spell perfectly.
They practiced for the greater part of the morning, on the Crucio curse as well as a couple other that Draco knew. Harry did not have any more problems finding the will he needed. They were sitting on the stone wall that bordered the garden, waiting on Remus to call them in for lunch, when Harry started contemplating how he was able to make the curses work. “It’s like the Patronus, only in reverse,” he speculated aloud.
“What was that?” Draco asked, looking up from the spell he was casting to restore the bushes to live.
“In order to cast a successful Patronus, I have to focus on a very happy memory. For what you’re teaching me, I have to think of angry memories. It worked when you started insulting me. Then I was focusing on memories that made me angry, and the curses just seemed to happen. Is that how you make it work?”
Draco made a noncommittal noise.
“Draco.”
Silence.
“Draco.”
“If it works that way for you, then use it,” Draco finally answered, pushing up off the wall as Remus came to the door and called for them.
Harry watched Draco walk inside and wondered exactly how he was going to make the curses work when the memories of Draco quit making him angry, because he could already see it happening.
Chapter 11
Author: why_me_why_not
Rating: PG, for now at least
Summary: Draco & Harry are thrown together after both face situations that have turned their lives upside down. Will they become friends themselves?
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. I don't own the characters. I just borrow them and let them play around in my head (as long as I get to watch). No copyright infringement or disrespect intended. Please don't sue b/c I have less than nothing.
A/N: links to previous chapters under cut
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
The next morning, while Harry and Draco were getting dressed for the day, they were interrupted by a tapping at the window. Harry reached over and opened it for Hedwig, who was followed by a flash of fluffy feathers. Harry stepped back instinctively as the furball flew into the room and zoomed around just out of reach of the two boys. A chase ensued as they competed to see who would be able to catch this snitch substitute. Finally Draco jumped off the mattress and rolled onto the floor. He was so still for a minute that Harry was almost worried that he had injured himself. When he looked up he was grinning, one hand clutching the small owl that was trying to wiggle its way free.
“What the bloody hell is this thing?” Draco demanded imperiously.
Harry laughed. “That’s Pig. Short for Pigwidgeon. He’s Ron’s owl, and he has way too much energy.” He reached to take the owl from Draco’s grasp.
“That’s an understatement,” Draco muttered, standing gracefully while keeping his prize away from Harry. “Let’s see what he’s brought to you. More letters to be ignored, no doubt.” He slowly unwrapped the parchments from around the small owl’s leg. He didn’t recognize the handwriting, but luckily each roll had the initials of the sender. Draco read them aloud as he tossed each one on the bed. “Granger…Weasley…G.W. is the Weaslette, I assume…and N.L.? Longbottom, perhaps?”
Harry crossed his arms and glared at Draco. “Malfoy, you’re not funny. Give me my letters.”
Draco smirked and handed Pig to Harry before scooping up the four parchments. “Why? So you can toss them onto the desk with all the rest of them? Why not just vanish them all, or burn them? I mean, if you’re not going to read them anyway, why keep them?”
Harry glared at Draco for a moment longer before turning his back and securing Pig in Hedwig’s cage with a bit of food and water. He murmured something that Draco didn’t catch.
“What was that, Potter?” Harry kept his back to Draco and walked over to stare out the window at the early morning sky even though Draco knew he had heard him. “Harry?”
Harry sighed. “I said, I didn’t have my wand. This summer, at my aunt and uncle’s, I didn’t have my wand with me so I couldn’t cast a spell to get rid of the letters.”
Draco snorted. “What kind of foolish wizard doesn’t keep his wand with him at all times?”
“The kind of foolish wizard who doesn’t have a choice. All my stuff, including my wand, was locked in my old cupboard when I got back to the house this summer. The Dursleys don’t believe in magic, and I’m forbidden to do anything magical at home or I’d be punished.”
“Worse than what they did anyway?” Draco asked softly. Yes, he had suffered at the hands of his father but he always had magic to fall back on, whether to cast healing charms on himself or to provide distraction when he was locked in his room. Harry was not only abused, but he was not allowed the comfort of magic afterwards.
Harry nodded mutely.
“Does Dumbledore know? About how they treat you, I mean?”
“I don’t know. My first Hogwarts letter was addressed to me in The Cupboard Under the Stairs, so apparently he knew that I stayed there. I’m don’t know what else he knows, but I’m sure he’ll use whatever information he has to get what he wants.”
Draco almost laughed; he had always known that, for all his good intentions, Dumbledore was a manipulative old fool but didn’t think Harry realized it. His humor was cut short, though, by the sadness behind Harry’s words. “The Cupboard Under the Stairs?” he repeated.
“I don’t want to talk about this.” Harry grabbed his wand off the bedside table and quickly vanished the four new owl posts as well as the ones that had accumulated over the summer. He reached for Hedwig and gently unrolled the parchment from her leg. She nipped him lightly on the fingers, a gesture that had once been so familiar to him that it almost brought tears to his eyes with the realization that she had not been affectionate towards him all summer, even though he knew it had been his attitude that drove her away. “This one is addressed to both of us. From Mrs. Weasley.” He carefully unrolled the parchment and read it out loud.
Tonks has reported to us that you took a trip into Diagon Alley. I hope that both of you were able to purchase everything you needed. I must admit, it’s probably a good thing I was not told until after the fact because I would have worried tremendously. I wanted to pick up your things for you when I went, but as long as you all arrived back home safely, I suppose I can only accept what is past. However, if you do need anything else, please let me know as I will not be going into Diagon Alley until the day before you return to Hogwarts; I can bring whatever to you when we meet on Platform 9 ¾. The twins are quite upset that you did not come by their shop, Harry. They are insisting that it’s important that you see how their business endeavor has progressed, but they also understand how dangerous it is for to be out and about right now, and we feel the shop is being watched by dark sources. They do not know about Draco staying at Grimmauld Place; in fact, only a select few do know. That’s for your protection, Draco, not for any other reason you may be thinking. The Order is not infallible, and we do not want anyone to be caught with information of your whereabouts in case the wrong ears should hear.
The main reason for my post is to inquire about the Christmas holidays. I know it seems a long way off, but in actuality it is not. I don’t know how much Ron or Ginny have told you about the summer romance that has blossomed here in my house, but we are planning a wedding! Harry, you know we consider you as one of our family and would be pleased if you would stay at the Burrow for the holidays. Draco and Karissa are invited too. That way we can all travel to the ceremony together, as a family, which I know would please everyone. Specific details of the ceremony will be included in the invitation, but we are trying to get an idea of how many will be staying here and need to be transported, so if you could let me know as soon as possible, I would certainly appreciate it.
I will try to stop in and see you in the next few days. If I do not, please reply by owl at your convenience. Enjoy your last week of summer holiday and take care not to drive Remus crazy before the term starts.
All my love,
Molly Weasley
“I think that woman is somewhat mad,” Draco said, shaking his head. “Who’s getting married?”
“I don’t know if I’d call Mrs. Weasley mad exactly, but you don’t want to get on her bad side. And I don’t know who’s getting married. The answer could have been in one of those many letters, but ironically I just got rid of them all,” he reminded Draco with a grin.
“What do you mean the answer could have been in one of those letters?” Draco asked curiously.
Harry shrugged. This was the second time this morning that Draco had picked up on his exact words even when Harry wasn’t sure he had said them. “Ginny may have said something in one of her letters, but Ron would probably be oblivious to it and Hermione would tiptoe around it because she’s like that. She’d be all concerned that it would bother me.”
“Does it bother you?”
“Should it?”
“I don’t know, you tell me.”
“No, it doesn’t bother me that everyone else can be happy. Just as long as they don’t expect me to be.” Harry bent down to tie his trainers and to avoid the look he knew Draco was giving him. “Look, we need to get downstairs before breakfast gets cold. Remus will know who’s getting married. See you down there.” He bounded out the room before Draco could reply.
Draco watched him leave, wondering why Harry thought that he couldn’t be happy. It was his Slytherin nature that allowed him to pick up on the minute details of what people said, and what they didn’t say. He sighed, resolving to ask Harry about it later, and put on his own shoes before heading downstairs. Entering the kitchen, he found Karissa and Remus already digging into their food while Harry was pushing his around his plate.
“Potter, it’s not polite to play with your food,” Draco drawled as he took a seat beside Karissa. “If I were Professor Lupin, I’d be insulted by how little you eat.”
Harry shot a dark look in Draco’s direction but began eating. Remus watched the two of them warily. He had noticed that Harry hadn’t been eating, had pawned it off as a side effect of how little he got to eat when he was at the Dursley’s as well as the understandable depression, but he had not mentioned it. He had experience with teenagers as his students, but on a personal level he wasn’t quite sure what to say to Harry to get him to eat. Apparently anger worked, since Harry was shoveling food into his mouth so fast he probably didn’t even taste it, and he was doing it just to spite Draco.
They had finished eating in companionable silence, very different from the first strained meal they had had together, and Remus was starting to clear away the dishes when Draco spoke again. “So, did you ask about the wedding?”
Harry shook his head as Karissa and Remus asked in unison, “What wedding?”
Harry handed his empty plate to Remus. “We got an owl this morning from Mrs. Weasley. She mentioned a wedding over the Christmas holidays and wants us to stay at the Burrow for the holidays so we can go to the wedding together. But I don’t know who’s getting married.”
Remus gave him a strange look. “I’m surprised you don’t know, Harry. I’m sure Ginny must have mentioned it, Harry, she’s very excited about Bill getting married.”
“Oh yeah!” Harry exclaimed, like he had known all along and it had just slipped his mind. “Bill and Fleur! Of course, yeah, I knew that! So they set a date for over the holidays?”
“Yes, New Year’s Eve, I believe. Their original plans were to wait until the danger died down, but they decided not to wait since no one knows how long the war will last.”
Draco quickly changed the subject. “Fleur? As in Fleur Delacour, the part-Veela from the Triwizard Tournament?”
“Yeah, that’s her.”
“She’s going to marry a Weasley? What kind of spell is she under?”
“Malfoy! Shut up!”
Draco smirked. Well, at least they were back on familiar territory, and as long as Harry was irritated with him, he wouldn’t have time to focus on what Remus had said about not knowing how long the war would last. Next thing you know, Harry (in all his glorious Gryffindor) wisdom would probably come to the conclusion that he was responsible for the wedding not being “safe.”
After breakfast, Draco began teaching Harry how to properly cast the Crucio curse. They had talked to Remus about it and were told he would arrange for the DA to have dummies to practice on, but for now they could use the curse on plants for practice. The lesser curses would cause the plants to wither and suffer, whereas the killing curse would cause almost instantaneous death. Draco and Harry were outside in the garden behind the house, the wards having been extended to protect the yard as well as the house itself. Remus was in the sitting room, at the window overlooking the garden, supervising the boys’ lessons but at the same time sitting with Karissa where she was reading A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration.
Draco, Harry, and Remus had all decided that Harry (and, in turn, the DA) would learn various minor hexes that the Death Eaters liked to use in combat situations, both how to cast them and how to counter them, but most importantly, for offensive purposes, was to teach him how to cast Crucio and the Killing Curse. There was a section of the garden that had been designated for practice—large blooming bushes that could quickly and easily be regrown with a few simple spells.
Instructions spilled out in Draco’s imperious I’m-better-than-you voice. “Now, as with all spells, you have to mean them to make it work. You have to put force and will behind the spell when you cast it, and point your wand directly at the point you want most affected. The spell is somewhat localized, but will spread out. If you’re dealing with Death Eaters, aiming for the heart is the most effective, but hitting their wrist will quickly disarm them. Watch.” Draco aimed his wand at the bush and intoned, “Crucio!” His voice was enough to send shivers down Harry’s spine, but watching the bush wither was worse. Draco held the curse for less than a minute and abruptly pulled his wand up, ending the spell. He looked at Harry expectantly.
Harry took a deep breath, turned towards the bush, and aimed. “Crucio!” Absolutely nothing happened. He tried again, trying to use his frustration as force behind the incantation. Still nothing.
“Come on, Potter,” Draco taunted. “I know your skills are abysmal, but this isn’t hard. It’s just one word. Crucio!” he demonstrated again, keeping a bored expression on his face.
Harry silently looked at the bush. When Draco ended the spell and turned back to him, Harry tried again, this time making the leaves he was aiming at shrivel just a bit.
Draco had the nerve to laugh. “I guess this is just another thing that I excel at that you are unable to do!”
Harry felt his face flush at the insult. Wanting to take Draco down a notch, he took aim once more and practically shouted out the word. “Crucio!” The leaves and branches on the bush seemed to curl up into each other, like watching the bush burn without any flames. After a minute, Harry jerked his wand up and staggered back, gasping.
Draco’s hand was on his back to steady him and keep him from falling. “Well done!” Draco exclaimed brightly.
Harry looked at him, startled. Was that a compliment? “Um, should I try again?” Draco nodded and gestured back towards the bush before stepping away from Harry. Harry tried again. Back to nothing. Apparently it had been a fluke.
Draco sighed. “Do I need to start insulting you again, or can you do this without me goading you into it?”
Harry turned to glare at Draco, and then closed his eyes. He tried to recapture the feeling of anger he had towards Draco. Images rolled through his mind of the way he and Malfoy had fought in the past. Altercations in the corridors, insults being exchanged on the Quidditch pitch. He felt the tendrils of his familiar bitterness towards Malfoy as they began to creep around his subconscious. He opened his eyes and cast the spell perfectly.
They practiced for the greater part of the morning, on the Crucio curse as well as a couple other that Draco knew. Harry did not have any more problems finding the will he needed. They were sitting on the stone wall that bordered the garden, waiting on Remus to call them in for lunch, when Harry started contemplating how he was able to make the curses work. “It’s like the Patronus, only in reverse,” he speculated aloud.
“What was that?” Draco asked, looking up from the spell he was casting to restore the bushes to live.
“In order to cast a successful Patronus, I have to focus on a very happy memory. For what you’re teaching me, I have to think of angry memories. It worked when you started insulting me. Then I was focusing on memories that made me angry, and the curses just seemed to happen. Is that how you make it work?”
Draco made a noncommittal noise.
“Draco.”
Silence.
“Draco.”
“If it works that way for you, then use it,” Draco finally answered, pushing up off the wall as Remus came to the door and called for them.
Harry watched Draco walk inside and wondered exactly how he was going to make the curses work when the memories of Draco quit making him angry, because he could already see it happening.
Chapter 11
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 08:00 am (UTC)Harry watched Draco walk inside and wondered exactly how he was going to make the curses work when the memories of Draco quit making him angry, because he could already see it happening.
Harry is waking up! I love the brother/sister interaction too.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 08:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 10:30 am (UTC)I've just read the whole thing in one go. I loved the bit in one of the earlier chapters were Draco was throwing things and Dumbledore wasn't phased in the slightest, it made me giggle muchly. And then Draco and Harry had the moment over it and it was just, aww. The bit with Remus and Harry making the chocolate in the last chapter made me cry.
Well done, and more soon please?
no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 10:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 12:57 pm (UTC)