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Left For You	By : Araea Swiftwind Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 24796 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and in no way reflects the views of J.K Rowling or the affliated companies that own Harry Potter. I make no money from the writing of this story and do this of my own volition for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
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Title: What Lies Beneath

Author: Araēa Swiftwind

Pairing: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione, Neville/Luna

Rating: M as precaution

Warnings:Language, adult themes, AU, slight OOC, slightly against Dumbledore, slight Weasley bashing, Hermione bashing, pureblood idealism, evolution of feelings in preteens and the discovery of sexual activities by minors, and probably some other stuff I haven’t through of yet. You have been warned. (I also reserve the right to omit anything that is in the warning from the story if I decide that it just doesn’t fit. I may or may not change the warning to reflect the absence of stuff.)

Notes: This chapter was originally written just after the original prologue, but I decided to go back and rewrite because I had forgotten two key plot points that presented as glaring holes later in the story. So, instead of writing the fourth and fifth chapters of this story, I’m going back and making the prologue and first three chapters better. I’ll get to the newer stuff as soon as the rewrite’s done. (It’s going pretty quickly.)

< @ @ @ >Chapter One< @ @ @ >

Harry had been staying with Severus for about a month when he saw his second magical person. The raven-haired boy was playing in the front garden with a couple of toy cars when he saw a blonde family walking up the lane. At first he thought it was his Aunt Petunia come back for him and he got scared, but as the three people came closer, he realized that these people were much prettier than Aunt Petunia and the other Dursleys. However, they all did have the same pinched look on their faces that Aunt Petunia got when she saw something nasty—usually Harry.

The raven-haired boy decided right away that he didn’t like these people. They were too…angry…or cold—he didn’t really know which. They looked down on everything, and Harry was sure that he wouldn’t be an exception. He watched as they moved as a unit, backs ramrod straight and noses lifted loftily in the air. The man had long blonde hair, tied back with an ice blue ribbon. The woman’s long blonde hair was piled up prettily on the top of her head, covered with a stylish hat. The small boy in between them had much shorter blonde hair that was slicked back with something. Harry thought they all looked much to pretty to be on such an ordinary lane.

When the family was about two yards away, Harry stood up and dusted off his knickerbockers. He ran a hand through his hair in a vain attempt to straighten it a bit. He made sure that his shirt was straight and there was no dirt on his face, and then stood in the yard, waiting for the family to either pass, or come to the gate. It took only another couple of moments for the family to pause at the gate. The other boy looked Harry straight in the eye for a full thirty seconds before lifting his head to look at his mother.

“Mother, who is that boy in Uncle Severus’ yard?” His voice was soft and melodic, with just a hint of a whine at the end. Harry could tell that the boy was used to being spoiled. Dudley’s voice sounded a lot like that, only rougher and far whinier.

The woman turned her frigid blue gaze to the boy in question, pinning him with her stare. Harry stood up straighter, squared his shoulders, and bore her scrutiny without a single flinch.

“I haven’t a clue, Draco. Why don’t you ask him?”

The blonde child, Draco, took two steps forward, stopping just short of actually touching the garden gate. “Hey, you. What’s your name?”

The man smacked the child in the back of his legs with the cane he held in his black-gloved hand. Harry flinched just slightly at the act of violence. The man spoke for the first time.

“Manners, Draco. This child is most likely a guest of Severus’, as are we.”

Draco bowed his head. “Yes, Father.”

Harry narrowed his eyes before taking a step forward. “My name is Harry James Potter, son of Lily and James Potter, deceased. And you are?” He never wanted it to be said that he didn’t also possess manners.

All three blondes expressed their shock at his name in different ways. The man tightened his hold on his cane; the woman raised a hand to her mouth, and the boy’s eyes widened comically, his mouth falling open.

A small smirk graced Harry’s face. He enjoyed shocking snooty people like these pretty blondes. “It’s quite rude to forgo giving your name after one has asked for it,” Harry stated, quirking an eyebrow like Severus taught him.

The man cleared his throat and responded first. “Please forgive my son for his lack of manners. It seems meeting a celebrity has caused him to lose his faculties momentarily. My name is Lucius Malfoy. This is my wife, Narcissa, and my son, Draco.” He pointed first to his lovely wife and then to his son, who still had his mouth gaping open like a fish.

Harry’s smirk grew wider. “Did you know, Draco, that if you keep your mouth open like that, you’ll catch flies?” The boy’s mouth snapped shut audibly and Harry let out a soft chuckle. “If the three of you will wait here for a moment, I shall go and fetch Severus.”

Severus was brewing in his private laboratory and Harry was sure he would rather not be disturbed. However, when three blonde aristocrats showed up in your front garden, you really shouldn’t leave them waiting. The raven-haired boy knocked on the laboratory door before walking in, not waiting for the man within to bid him enter.

“Harry, what’s wrong?”

Harry paused just inside the door, breathing in the smell of potions ingredients and stale air. It always reminded him of Severus, every time he smelled it. He associated it with safety and love. When the man cleared his throat, however, the boy came back to the present.

“I apologize for interrupting you, Severus, but you have visitors.”

The potions master furrowed his brow. “Visitors? Did you get their names, Harry?”

He nodded. “Of course. Lord and Lady Malfoy, and their son Draco, await you in the garden.”

“Lord and Lady Malfoy? Did they ask who you were Harry? Did you tell them your name?” Severus looked a bit panicked.

It was Harry’s turn to furrow his brow. In all the things Severus told him about magic and who he was, who his parents were, he never said anything about keeping his identity a secret.

“I was asked by the boy, Draco, who I was. It would have been rude and a breach of etiquette if I refused him. I spoke the truth. It was rather fun, actually, to see three such polished people lose their composure like that.”

A pinched look came over Severus’ face. “Well, what’s done is done. I had better go see what Lucius wants.” He flicked his wand and placed his potion under a stasis spell. “Come along, Harry. It’s never good to leave a Malfoy waiting, especially outside.”

The man and his ward calmly walked down the stairs and to the front door. Harry desperately wanted to ask Severus why it was so bad that he had told their guests who he was. The Dark Lord was dead, wasn’t he?

“Lucius, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” The black-haired man said stiffly. These particular blondes were the last he wanted coming to his home while Harry was still in attendance, and now that they knew for a fact that Harry was here, he wasn’t sure what they would do with the information.

Lucius bowed his head in greeting. “I see you have a guest. Is he just visiting, or is this his home as well?” There was a sharp look to the blonde’s face, and Severus had no doubt that the future hinged delicately on his answer.

“Harry informed me that you are aware of his identity. For the time being, I shall be taking care of him. Think of it as a vacation from his relatives.”

Lucius was again the one who spoke. “A vacation from his relatives? When will he be returning to them?”

Severus looked briefly at Harry before turning his attention once more on his friend. “He has been with me for the last month. I am attempting to teach him as much as I can about Magic and who he is, which his guardians are either incapable of doing, or unwilling. He will be returning to them when I am satisfied that his education is sufficient to allow him to cope with his accidental magic.”

Narcissa was the next to speak. “Are his relatives muggles, Severus?”

“Yes, as far as I can tell. Harry has not revealed much about his upbringing to me, but from what I can gather, those people haven’t an ounce of magic between them. I have not yet asked Albus about them.”

It was actually Draco who spoke next. “Uncle Severus, why would Headmaster Dumbledore know anything about Harry Potter’s muggle relatives?”

“Severus, would you like to explain to the boy,” Lucius asked, clearly not wanting the task for himself.

Narcissa put her hand on her husband’s arm to draw his attention. “We should first take this indoors. If we stand out here too long, it will draw the unwanted attention of the neighbors. You first, Draco.” She shooed her son inside.

Once all three adults and both children were comfortably settled in the parlor, Severus began to explain the situation.

“Headmaster Dumbledore has his hands in a lot of pots, Draco. It was his decision what to do with young Harry the night his parents were murdered. I believe that he chose to place Harry with the muggles to keep him off of the radar. If no magical beings knew where to find Harry Potter, then no magical beings could harm Harry Potter.”

“But, Severus, that doesn’t still doesn’t explain why he is currently residing with you, or why his family has not explained magic to Mr. Potter,” Narcissa interjected.

Severus cleared his throat. “The matter is rather delicate, Narcissa. All you really need know is that Harry has come to stay with me, and I have taken it upon myself to teach him what he should have already known.”

Harry was a little confused at why Severus continuously avoided giving any straight answers. He never said, in so many words, that Harry was living with him permanently. He also never said, in so many words, that Harry would be homeless if not for Severus’ kindness. Harry smiled internally, appreciating the man’s avoidance of straight answers, even though he didn’t understand it.

Draco was most likely the most curious person in the room, or at least, the one most likely to ask questions. “Uncle Severus, are you going to be taking him with you when you leave for Hogwarts on the first, or is he going back to his relatives’?”

Severus hadn’t thought about it. He had just been thinking about how to get by day to day with a five-year-old child underfoot. Something had to be done with the boy, and if he took him to Hogwarts, then Albus would most assuredly realize that Harry was no longer living with the Dursleys.

“I am embarrassed to say, Draco, that I hadn’t thought about it. His education on all things magical is not yet complete, so he cannot return to the muggles. And he will need to start learning the things he would in primary school as well. However, I cannot bring him with me to Hogwarts.”

“Why not, Uncle Severus? I think it would be fun to live at Hogwarts.”

“Draco, be practical. Severus will be spending the largest portion of his days teaching other children about potions. He will not have the time to be babysitting another child while he does that,” Narcissa responded, answering for Severus.

“Not to mention, Draco, that Headmaster Dumbledore will then realize that Harry is on ‘vacation,’ and will most likely demand that Severus return the boy at once. It doesn’t seem like that is an option, either,” Lucius finished.

Harry screwed up his courage and looked each of the Malfoys in the eye, starting with Lucius and ending with Draco. “I have a proposal.”

All three adults quirked and eyebrow at Harry’s statement, confused as to what sort of proposal a five-year-old could have.

“Go on, Harry,” Severus stated softly.

The small boy cleared his throat. “If you were amiable to it, Lord and Lady Malfoy, I could study with Draco. He and I seem to be the same age, and so it seems logical that we combine our needs. Because I simply cannot resume my place with my relatives, and Severus cannot be toting a needy child with him to Scotland, the best option would be to have me stay with a trusted friend. Which I dare say you all seem to be.”

Draco’s face instantly lit up at the suggestion. He could not remember if he had ever had a friend quite as intriguing as Harry Potter, but he highly doubted it. His mother always had some pureblood heir or another coming over for a “play date,” but most of the children were only interested in the things Draco owned, not the boy himself. Harry seemed different, somehow, as if he knew that people were more valuable for who they were, not what they owned.

“I like him,” Draco stated. “I wish for him to join me in my studies at the manor. I feel as though I would be much more likely to succeed if I had someone to compete with. If it is only the tutor and myself, there will be no challenge to overcome. Also, this would help Uncle Severus, and therefore make him happy. I enjoy making Uncle Severus happy.”

Narcissa stated, “I don’t see why we couldn’t take the boy in. Draco does have a valid point about competition garnering better results.”

Severus shared a look with Lucius; it seemed as though they were the last to voice their opinion. Each had quite the valid point. Severus simply could not, under any circumstances, take Harry with him to Hogwarts. And, unbeknownst to Lucius or Narcissa, Harry could not go home because his family didn’t want him.

“Lucius, if you would be so kind, I would appreciate it if you could look after Harry for me while I am away teaching. You would, of course, be compensated greatly.”

“I don’t want your money, Severus,” Lucius scoffed at his friend. Keeping Harry for a few months really was no hardship at all. With the Dark Lord dead and the majority of his followers imprisoned in Azkaban, there was little danger where Harry was concerned. Albus was the only one anyone needed to worry about, and Malfoy Manor would be the last place the old codger would search for the boy.

Severus smirked. “I said nothing about money, Lucius. I simply said you would be compensated. I believe you asked for a few different potions last week, did you not?”

Lucius nodded and reclined back in his armchair, one leg resting on top of the other. “I did. In fact, that was the very reason we came to see you. When I told Narcissa that I’d be away for a while, coming here to retrieve the potions, she insisted she come along and pay you a visit. And you know we couldn’t very well leave Draco out when coming to visit you.”

“Naturally. If you give me a few moments, I shall be back with the potions that you requested. During the next several months, feel free to compile another list of anything you run low on. I will, of course, prepare them for you.”

“As unnecessary as it is, it is appreciated.”

Draco and Harry were getting bored of grown-up talk, so they both made their excuses and went back out into the garden. Harry sat to one side of the trucks he had been playing with, gesturing to Draco that the blonde boy should sit on the other.

“Have you ever played with a plastic truck, Draco? Muggle children have tons of them.”

Draco scowled and turned up his nose. “Malfoys don’t play with muggle toys.”

Harry cocked his head to the side. “Then what do you play with?”

Draco sniffed. “Malfoys don’t play. We train and educate.”

“Of course you play. All children play. You must just call it something different. What do you ‘train’ and ‘educate’ with?”

The blonde aristocrat didn’t take kindly to Harry making fun of him, but knew better than to alienate someone so famous. He decided that it would be better to get back at Harry when it really counted, like with their upcoming studies.

“I train on a toy broom for an hour every day, to learn how to ride it properly. I am educated on correct posture for two hours every day on my mare Morgana. She’s a Pegasus.”

“A Pegasus? What’s that?”

Draco scoffed at Harry. He couldn’t believe that any magically child wouldn’t know what a Pegasus was. “It’s a winged horse. I can’t believe you’ve never heard of a Pegasus before. Did you used to live under a rock?”

Harry answered honestly. “No, I lived in a cupboard.”

“A cupboard? You can’t be serious. Who lives in a cupboard.”

“I do. Or did, until Severus took me in. I don’t think I’ve ever thanked him properly for saving me.”

“He saved you? How did he manage to do that? He almost never leaves Spinner’s End, and when he does, it’s to either teach and Hogwarts or to visit at our Manor.”

The raven-haired boy laughed. “He didn’t save me in the literal sense. See, what happened was I was visiting my grandparents in that graveyard over there,” Harry pointed down the lane to the patch of green that was only barely visible. “I was with my aunt, uncle and cousin. My cousin, well, he’s a bit like you, only chubby and with fewer manners. He’s blonde and spoiled, and can be quite mean—especially to me.

“Anyways, my relatives and I were visiting my grandparents, and Dudley—my cousin—decided that it would be a good idea to shove me into a grave. Not an empty one, but one that was newly filled with dirt. I landed on the wooden cross they used to mark where the headstone should go, and crushed the flowers I had laid there. I got really cross with my cousin and tried to get up to tell him off. He stood on me so I couldn’t get up and started taunting me about my dead parents. My magic started crackling and eventually he backed away enough that I could get up. I started chasing him and almost killed him with my grandparents’ headstones.

“My aunt and uncle were freaked out, and Dudley had wet himself. They were lucky that I lost my concentration, or I would have flattened them. But anyway, they ran away and left me in the graveyard.

“I started knocking on doors and asking for help, but no one wanted to help me. They thought I was part of some scam or something. They turned me away, and some even threatened me. Eventually, I got to Severus’ house. By then, I was tired and hungry. I started crying and he came out. He let me stay, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

“Wait a minute,” Draco said. “So, you almost killed your relatives? Why did Uncle Severus say that you were on vacation, then?”

Harry smiled. “I think it was because he didn’t want to reveal more information that I wanted to give out, but that’s just a guess. He might not fully trust your parents. Or he might not have wanted to launch into the details. I don’t really know.”

“Is he going to adopt you, or something? Magical adoptions are pretty common, and don’t take very long. If he did that, not even Dumbledore could take you away.”

The younger boy’s eyes widened and he grew quiet, deep in thought. He’d have to ask Severus about that. It would make things much easier if the professor adopted him, but that didn’t mean the man wanted to be saddled with a child for the rest of his life.

“I’ll ask Severus about it. It logically makes sense, but that doesn’t mean he’ll go for it.”

“True,” Draco replied. “Hey, maybe if Severus doesn’t want to do it, Mother and Father will. I’ve always wanted a younger brother.”

Harry’s face brightened with another smile. “That would be wizard, Draco. I’d finally have a family to call my own. The Dursleys always acted like I didn’t exist. I never really felt like they were my family, you know?”

Draco didn’t know, but he played along anyways. “Yeah.” His stomach rumbled softly. “I’m hungry, Harry. Let’s go bug Uncle Severus for a snack.”

The boys stood up and dusted off their clothes, making sure no grass or dirt was clinging to their bottoms. They checked each other out to make sure nothing was amiss before walking back into the house.

Harry paused just outside the door. “We’re friends, aren’t we Draco?”

The blonde smiled a brilliant smile. “Of course we are, Harry. We’ll always be friends, you and I.”

“Good.”

TBC
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