Fic: Homecoming - Part 22
Dec. 22nd, 2016 10:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alisanneTitle: Homecoming - Part 22
Author:alisanne
Word count: 875
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy.
Challenge: Written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
slythindor100/![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
slythindor100/![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-community.gif)
slythindor100's Christmas Challenge prompt #22: Poinsettias.
Summary: Harry sees Malfoy Manor in a new light.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Beta(s):sevfan and emynn.
Authors Notes: This is part 22 of my H/D Homecoming Series (LJ/IJ/DW).
Back to Part 21 (LJ/IJ/DW)
~
Homecoming - Part 22
~
Draco headed straight for the gates, not slowing down as they drew closer. In fact, he seemed to speed up.
“Er, Draco?” Harry was beginning to get nervous. “Are we going to stop? At this rate we’re going to run into the gates and hurt ourselves.”
“Nope.” And before Harry could even react, they had passed through the gates and were on the other side. Harry, who had been bracing himself to hit cold iron, stumbled.
Draco smirked at him.
Harry rolled his eyes. “You enjoyed that a bit too much.”
Draco laughed softly. “Maybe, but you should see your face.”
Harry sighed, turning his head to look back at the gate. “Are they an illusion, then?”
“No, they’re quite real. They only let you though because you’re with someone of the blood.”
“Oh.” Harry pondered that as Draco led him towards the front steps. “But what if someone held you hostage and made you bring them through?”
“They couldn’t,” Draco said. “If the member of the blood is in any way coerced, the wards sense it, and the intruder is killed while the Malfoy is allowed through.”
Harry gaped at him. “What? You mean I could have been killed back there?”
“Of course not.” Draco huffed. “You’re with me.”
“But—” The rest of his words were lost as the door opened and he saw the interior of the Manor. It was far warmer than he recalled, decorated as it was with red poinsettias and abundant greenery. In the center of the entrance stood a decorated Christmas tree that had to be at least twelve feet tall. “Wow,” he breathed.
Draco’s hand settled in the small of Harry’s back as he propelled him inside. “Impressive, no? Mother does love to decorate for the holidays, even if only a few people see.”
“Draco?” Narcissa Malfoy emerged from a room. “I was wondering if you’d make it home this evening.”
Moving past Harry, Draco walked toward her. “Of course I made it. Happy Christmas, Mother.” Leaning down, he kissed her cheek.
“Thank you, darling.” Narcissa reached up and patted his face gently with her hand. She looked past him, straight at Harry. “And you’ve brought a guest, I see.”
“You remember Harry Potter,” Draco said.
Narcissa raised an eyebrow. “Of course I do. But for him, we would have all been in prison.” Moving gracefully towards him, she held out her hand. “It’s lovely to see you again, Mr Potter.”
“Hello, Mrs Malfoy.” Harry shook her hand. “And call me Harry, please.”
“Only if you call me Narcissa.”
“Hawwy?” came a small voice.
Harry blinked. “Teddy?” A familiar toddler was running towards him and, reflexively, Harry released Narcissa’s hand and bent down, hugging him. “Teddy!”
“Happy Cwistmas, Hawwy!”
Grinning, Harry lifted him up. “Happy Christmas, Teddy! What are you doing here?”
“Visiting!” Teddy cried.
Before Harry could ask anything more, Andromeda emerged from the same room that Narcissa had come out of.
“I thought I recognised the voice. Hello, Harry. Happy Christmas.”
“Happy Christmas to you, Andromeda. I didn’t expect to see you two here. Aren’t you going to the Burrow?” Harry said, bouncing Teddy on his hip.
“We are,” confirmed Andromeda. “But we came by here to drop off some gifts first,” she glanced at Narcissa, “and to try to persuade my sister to come with us.”
“You want Mother to visit the Weasleys?” Draco coughed.
“Why not?” Andromeda raised an eyebrow. “They welcome everyone. And it’s better than sitting here alone, with nothing to do on Christmas Eve.”
“I have things to do,” said Narcissa. “I have gifts to wrap and cards to which I must reply—”
“Cissa.” Andromeda sighed. “Please.”
“I’m attending, Mother,” chimed in Draco. “Harry invited me. You should come with us.”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly,” said Narcissa, but Harry could see her resolve was weakening. “I’m not expected. Surely they would need an accurate number to prepare enough refreshments. I shouldn’t like to throw the numbers off—”
Harry and Andromeda grinned at each other. “Er, I can honestly say, Mrs Malfoy, that Molly Weasley will have prepared enough for an extra twenty people to stop by unexpectedly,” said Harry.
Narcissa looked over at Draco. “And you’re attending?”
Draco nodded.
She sighed. “Very well. Perhaps I can stop by for a few minutes.”
“Wonderful!” said Andromeda.
“What do they like?” Narcissa asked Harry. “I should bring a hostess gift.”
Harry, who was still holding Teddy in his arms, shook his head. “They’ll just be pleased to have you. You don’t need to bring anything.”
“Of course I do.” Narcissa pursed her lips. “I know.” And, reaching out her hand, she Summoned a potted poinsettia. “There, this should be acceptable.”
Harry smiled. “Molly will love that.”
“Right, now that that’s settled, you should change into warmer robes, Cissa, and then we can go,” said Andromeda. “Come, Teddy. Let’s get your toys out of your aunt’s sitting room.”
Once they were alone, Draco sighed. “Salazar. I love that Mother agreed to come with us, but I think this is a conspiracy.”
“What is?” Harry asked.
“You do realise that with Mother there, we’re not going to be able to snog in a dark corner, yes?”
Harry blinked. “Damn.”
Draco nodded. “Exactly.”
~
Part 23 (LJ/IJ/DW)
Author:
alisanneWord count: 875
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy.
Challenge: Written for
slythindor100/slythindor100/slythindor100's Christmas Challenge prompt #22: Poinsettias.Summary: Harry sees Malfoy Manor in a new light.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Beta(s):
sevfan and emynn.Authors Notes: This is part 22 of my H/D Homecoming Series (LJ/IJ/DW).
Back to Part 21 (LJ/IJ/DW)
~
Homecoming - Part 22
~
Draco headed straight for the gates, not slowing down as they drew closer. In fact, he seemed to speed up.
“Er, Draco?” Harry was beginning to get nervous. “Are we going to stop? At this rate we’re going to run into the gates and hurt ourselves.”
“Nope.” And before Harry could even react, they had passed through the gates and were on the other side. Harry, who had been bracing himself to hit cold iron, stumbled.
Draco smirked at him.
Harry rolled his eyes. “You enjoyed that a bit too much.”
Draco laughed softly. “Maybe, but you should see your face.”
Harry sighed, turning his head to look back at the gate. “Are they an illusion, then?”
“No, they’re quite real. They only let you though because you’re with someone of the blood.”
“Oh.” Harry pondered that as Draco led him towards the front steps. “But what if someone held you hostage and made you bring them through?”
“They couldn’t,” Draco said. “If the member of the blood is in any way coerced, the wards sense it, and the intruder is killed while the Malfoy is allowed through.”
Harry gaped at him. “What? You mean I could have been killed back there?”
“Of course not.” Draco huffed. “You’re with me.”
“But—” The rest of his words were lost as the door opened and he saw the interior of the Manor. It was far warmer than he recalled, decorated as it was with red poinsettias and abundant greenery. In the center of the entrance stood a decorated Christmas tree that had to be at least twelve feet tall. “Wow,” he breathed.
Draco’s hand settled in the small of Harry’s back as he propelled him inside. “Impressive, no? Mother does love to decorate for the holidays, even if only a few people see.”
“Draco?” Narcissa Malfoy emerged from a room. “I was wondering if you’d make it home this evening.”
Moving past Harry, Draco walked toward her. “Of course I made it. Happy Christmas, Mother.” Leaning down, he kissed her cheek.
“Thank you, darling.” Narcissa reached up and patted his face gently with her hand. She looked past him, straight at Harry. “And you’ve brought a guest, I see.”
“You remember Harry Potter,” Draco said.
Narcissa raised an eyebrow. “Of course I do. But for him, we would have all been in prison.” Moving gracefully towards him, she held out her hand. “It’s lovely to see you again, Mr Potter.”
“Hello, Mrs Malfoy.” Harry shook her hand. “And call me Harry, please.”
“Only if you call me Narcissa.”
“Hawwy?” came a small voice.
Harry blinked. “Teddy?” A familiar toddler was running towards him and, reflexively, Harry released Narcissa’s hand and bent down, hugging him. “Teddy!”
“Happy Cwistmas, Hawwy!”
Grinning, Harry lifted him up. “Happy Christmas, Teddy! What are you doing here?”
“Visiting!” Teddy cried.
Before Harry could ask anything more, Andromeda emerged from the same room that Narcissa had come out of.
“I thought I recognised the voice. Hello, Harry. Happy Christmas.”
“Happy Christmas to you, Andromeda. I didn’t expect to see you two here. Aren’t you going to the Burrow?” Harry said, bouncing Teddy on his hip.
“We are,” confirmed Andromeda. “But we came by here to drop off some gifts first,” she glanced at Narcissa, “and to try to persuade my sister to come with us.”
“You want Mother to visit the Weasleys?” Draco coughed.
“Why not?” Andromeda raised an eyebrow. “They welcome everyone. And it’s better than sitting here alone, with nothing to do on Christmas Eve.”
“I have things to do,” said Narcissa. “I have gifts to wrap and cards to which I must reply—”
“Cissa.” Andromeda sighed. “Please.”
“I’m attending, Mother,” chimed in Draco. “Harry invited me. You should come with us.”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly,” said Narcissa, but Harry could see her resolve was weakening. “I’m not expected. Surely they would need an accurate number to prepare enough refreshments. I shouldn’t like to throw the numbers off—”
Harry and Andromeda grinned at each other. “Er, I can honestly say, Mrs Malfoy, that Molly Weasley will have prepared enough for an extra twenty people to stop by unexpectedly,” said Harry.
Narcissa looked over at Draco. “And you’re attending?”
Draco nodded.
She sighed. “Very well. Perhaps I can stop by for a few minutes.”
“Wonderful!” said Andromeda.
“What do they like?” Narcissa asked Harry. “I should bring a hostess gift.”
Harry, who was still holding Teddy in his arms, shook his head. “They’ll just be pleased to have you. You don’t need to bring anything.”
“Of course I do.” Narcissa pursed her lips. “I know.” And, reaching out her hand, she Summoned a potted poinsettia. “There, this should be acceptable.”
Harry smiled. “Molly will love that.”
“Right, now that that’s settled, you should change into warmer robes, Cissa, and then we can go,” said Andromeda. “Come, Teddy. Let’s get your toys out of your aunt’s sitting room.”
Once they were alone, Draco sighed. “Salazar. I love that Mother agreed to come with us, but I think this is a conspiracy.”
“What is?” Harry asked.
“You do realise that with Mother there, we’re not going to be able to snog in a dark corner, yes?”
Harry blinked. “Damn.”
Draco nodded. “Exactly.”
~
Part 23 (LJ/IJ/DW)
