But he was. Happy, that was. It was the best birthday ever, and it was barely even halfway over.
"My son tells me you're getting better acquainted with the other heirs at Hogwarts, Mr Potter," Narcissa said, reaching for a plate of sandwiches. "It's good to hear the Black family name will be properly represented in the Wizengamot once more."
"I'm still new to it all, but I'm learning," Harry replied. "Draco's helping a lot. He knows far more about it than I do."
"If I can be of assistance, don't hesitate to ask. We are family, of a sort, after all," Narcissa pointed out. "There was a time when we thought that Draco might be the Black heir. I didn't realise Sirius had taken precautions. Lucius was… quite disappointed." Her face hardened for a moment, and Sirius growled quietly under his breath.
"You understand why I had to, Cissa," he said. "I knew you'd raise the boy well, but I couldn't be sure how much influence Malfoy would have over him. The Black family name has been through enough without adding that to it." "Oh, I completely agree."
Draco nudged Harry under the table. "Do you know what's happening at Hogwarts this year?" he asked conspiratorially. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Do you know what's happening?" he returned quietly. How could Draco know?
"Father bragged.
told
me
everything,"
Draco
"I'm sure he also told you to keep quiet about it," Snape cut in with a pointed look. Draco's pale cheeks flushed.
"Yeah, but you told me," Harry pointed out. Snape's glare turned on him, but he just grinned.
"For your own safety."
"And we all appreciate the forewarning," Remus said, resting his hand on Severus' forearm for the briefest moment.
"It's a shame underage wizards can't enter," Draco drawled. "I'm sure I'd win if I could."
"Yes, I'm sure you know far more spells than the seventh years," Harry agreed sarcastically, earning a glare. "You'll have to sit back and let someone else have the glory, I know it'll be very difficult for you." Draco gave a haughty sniff, turning to his pumpkin juice. "With any luck, the Hogwarts champion will be a Slytherin. Or a Ravenclaw." He sent a glance to Harry. "As long as it's not a Gryffindor."
"I bet a Gryffindor champion could win," Harry argued. He didn't know the Gryffindor seventh years very well, but they all seemed competent enough.
"I'm sure if Dumbledore has his way, it'll be a lion," Draco muttered with a grimace. "More glory to the house of red and gold." All three Slytherins in the room rolled their eyes in unison. Harry couldn't even debate the point; he didn't doubt Dumbledore would put a Gryffindor in the spotlight if he could. "Well, we'll find out soon enough," Sirius declared. "Now, who's for cake? Go on, birthday boy."
Harry was glad there was no singing and candle-blowing; at Dudley's birthday parties it always looked excruciatingly awful. Instead Harry was handed an enormous knife, and carefully cut a slice for each person at the table. The cake was moist and fluffy, with a thick layer of cream and ganache in the middle. It was heaven.
"Oh, that reminds me," Draco said suddenly. He reached down into his mother's handbag, pulling out a gift wrapped in Slytherin green paper. "Happy birthday." Harry blinked, surprised. He'd thought Draco's visit was the present. He said as much, and the blond gave him an exasperated look. "Of course I got you something, you daft lion. Go on, open it."
Harry tore into the paper, a beaming smile crossing his face at what lay inside. A brand new pair of quidditch goggles, brown leather with gold edging and buckles. According to the accompanying scroll of parchment, they were charmed unbreakable, anti-glare, waterproof and fog-proof, as well as prescription-adjusting; he wouldn't need to wear his glasses underneath them.
"You mentioned your current pair pinch your new glasses by your ears," Draco muttered, his pale cheeks turning rosy. "I don't want you to have any excuses when I kick your arse next year."
Harry laughed, Draco ducking his head when his mother scolded him for his language.
"You've got high hopes," the Gryffindor teased. His pulse was racing, his stomach squirming far more than it should over a birthday present. He couldn't even remember making that complaint; for Draco to not only have been listening, but remembered enough to think about it when picking out Harry's present… it made his face heat, though he wasn't sure why. "They're brilliant, Draco. Thank you so much!"
The two boys sat, grinning and blushing at each other — completely unaware of the looks the adults were exchanging over their heads.
"Have you shown Draco your room yet, Harry?" Remus asked, and Harry shook his head.
"Not yet. We've been too busy flying." He glanced over at his blond friend. "I can show you after lunch, if you'd like?" He'd never had a bedroom he was proud to show a friend before. "Oh, I should show you the library, too. It's huge!"
"You're getting worse than Granger," Draco muttered, barely any malice in his tone. Harry stuck his tongue out. "And here I thought you were starting to be civilised." "You can only get so far with Gryffindors, Draco," Snape told him. Remus snorted.
"May we be excused?" Harry asked, once he and Draco had both finished their cake. Draco could only stay until five, and Harry wanted to make the most of his time. They probably wouldn't see each other again until school started, and then they'd have to pretend to be enemies again.
"Go ahead, pup." Sirius ruffled Harry's hair, and the two boys left the kitchen, Harry leading the way, carrying his present from Draco securely.
"Come on, it's up here." He turned off the stairs towards his room, slowing down so Draco could look around curiously. "There's no portraits," he Harry shrugged.
remarked.
"Sirius said it's better that way. No chance of being spied on. I guess the Black family liked their secrecy."
"Malfoy Manor has dozens of portraits. I can't get away with anything," Draco groused. "There's a couple that like me, but most of them just go straight to Father if I'm doing something I shouldn't be."
"Why doesn't your mother just… leave? Get a divorce, or something?" Harry asked. Meeting Narcissa, hearing the way she spoke of her husband, it was clear she didn't want to be married to him. "It's not that simple in the wizarding world. Divorce needs a good reason, and it needs to be approved by the head of the slighted party's house. Unfortunately, the Black family doesn't have one of those at the minute, legally. Besides, we've got nowhere to go. You don't just say no to a man like Lucius Malfoy." The twist of Draco's lips was bitter, and Harry squeezed his arm sympathetically.
"We'll find Pettigrew, and get Sirius' name cleared. Then he can approve the divorce. I bet he'd even let you move in here, if you needed somewhere safe to live." Harry couldn't see Sirius letting Narcissa stay with such an awful husband if he could help it. He was always telling Harry how important family was to the Blacks.
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