June 21st, 1997

Versailles, France

Draco Malfoy was staring at him.

Again.

There was close to five hundred people wandering the gardens but it was Draco Malfoy's shocked and slightly offended face that kept popping up in his vision no matter where he went. Harry should have expected that Malfoy was going to be at the Versailles Midsummer celebration given his familial ties to France. Maybe he should have sent Draco an owl and told him that he would be attending the Midsummer celebration with his father and godfather in Versailles.

Harry finally stopped weaving through the crowds and waited near the fountain for Draco to catch up to him. The flustered blonde nearly ran through a group of nobles in his effort to get to his fellow Slytherin.

"Potter," Draco said with his patented sneer. The menacing effect was ruined by his flushed cheeks and the sweat running down his face.

Harry stared at his nails for a moment as if he had not heard Draco. "Malfoy," Harry replied in a cold tone, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Certainly, I never imagined your parents would get an invite to a prestigious event such as this given their. . . status." Malfoy said, looking around to see if he could spot Auror Potter and his wife.

"Mum is at Hogwarts prepping for next year and wouldn't have wanted to come even if she could have. It's boiling; let's get something to drink." Harry left the cool mist of the fountain and headed towards the palace. "You really must stop dressing in such dark clothes all the time. You're likely to get sick in this heat."

"I don't care. I look good in dark colours." Draco sniffed but followed behind.

Harry looked at his best friend who was still flushed from chasing him around the gardens, "Right. Of course, you do."

"Oh, shut up."

"Never. I know you only tolerate me for my wit." Harry said, a small smile gracing his lips. He grabbed a glass of champagne from a nearby house elf's serving tray and rested against a shadowed wall and looked into the crowd. Where was Lord Thomas Slytherin?

"How I can I tolerate you for something you don't have?" Draco asked and drained his own glass of champagne, "Is your father nearby?"

Harry shrugged. Draco would never admit to being nervous but he certainly sounded uncertain about the prospect of dealing with James Potter. They had not had the best interactions in the past given Draco's pureblood beliefs.

Draco frowned and grabbed another champagne flute from the house elf, "How did a half-blood even get in here?"

"Sirius got the invite and decided to bring my dad and me," Harry said absentmindedly and continued to scan the crowd for the mythical Slytherin heir.

"How your father ended up not married to Sirius Black is beyond my understanding." Draco settled next to him, "They're practically attached at the hip."

Harry smirked, he had honestly wondered the same, "I've yet to catch them together in any overly intimate displays."

"You are at school for ten months a year. What if that's when they're doing all that?" Draco joked.

"Doing what?" Came the booming voice of Sirius Black. Harry tried not to hide his face in his hands, his godfather had already begun to take apart his robes and wear them in a more muggle fashion. If it wasn't for his status as one of the Sacred 27 he would have been removed from the palace hours ago.

"Uh- Nothing." Draco answered, eyes wide and his cheeks going pink.

"Didn't sound like nothing." Sirius' grin showing that had obviously heard some of the conversation.

"Draco wants to know if dad is cheating on mum with you." Harry said and failed to not laugh as Draco's face drained of colour and his cool grey eyes focused on a pillar in the distance.

"Oh." Sirius' eyebrows were high, as if he had not expected an answer, "Well, dearest cousin Draco, the answer is no." Harry watched his godfather suddenly clutch the fabric above his heart and his eyes grow haunted, "Oh, how I offered!" he cried out dramatically, gathering the attention of nearby attendees, "But he didn't want me! He was intimidated horribly by my girth! He took one look and ran for the hills and into the arms of Lily!" Sirius fell to his knees and released a loud wail, "The pain! The agony! The utter humiliation of it all!"

"Oh Merlin," Harry whispered, and pawed at the empty space where Draco had been a mere moment ago. The Malfoy heir was already gone and running through the crowd. Harry bolted after his friend to escape his Godfathers theatrics. His lithe form easing through the large crowd and into one of the various hallway's where he could hear a mortified Draco was still running.

Harry lost sight of him and began to peer down other conjoining halls looking for him. He couldn't believe how over the top Sirius had been acting. Well, he could. Maybe his father had put him up to it. He would not be surprised if the master prankers were in top form today, surrounded by the nobility of Europe, who were ripe for torment.

"-of course not. The issue will be dealt with immediately, my lord."

Harry stopped suddenly and stared at the door next to him. He recognized Lucius Malfoy's voice immediately but the tone the man spoke in was completely new. Harry had never heard the man sound of deferential to anyone, nor call them 'my lord'!

Something fucky was going on.

"Excellent. Your father would be proud of you." A soft baritone voice responded.

"Thank you, my lord." Lucius replied and Harry heard him head towards the door. He looked in a panic for a spot to hide when the door opened and Lucius Malfoy stared at him. An indescribable expression gracing his face.

"Potter," he said tersely, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Er- have you seen Draco? I saw him heading this way and I just thought he might be with you and I guess he's not so I will continue to search for him and could you please stop giving me that look?" Harry rambled, Lucius Malfoy had always had an ability to unsettle him in a way that few could.

Malfoy's eyebrow was inching its way further into his hairline and Harry began to fear that it would be lost forever when a small snort broke the silence.

"I assume this is a friend of your son?" A dark-haired man exited the room and Harry felt his mouth go dry. Slender and tall with thick black hair, cupid bow lips, cheekbones you could shave with, and unsettling red eyes. He was beautiful.

Harry and the mystery man stared at one another quietly until Lucius coughed, bringing attention back to him. "He is. May I introduce you to Lord Thomas Slytherin? My Lord, this is Harry Potter. . . his father is an auror and member of the Wizengamot." Lucius' lips were pursed in distaste, even though Harry was Draco's friend it did not mean that he cared for the boy or his family.

Harry stared blankly at the newly discovered Slytherin heir. Ever since the papers had come forth with news of his existence the wizarding world had been hungering to know more but only received glimpses, rumours and poorly lit photographs that did not do the man justice.

Harry bowed low, "It is an honor to meet you, my lord."

A small smile sat on Lord Slytherin's handsome face when Harry rose, "It is my pleasure Mister Potter, but I must be off. I do hope you find your friend." Lord Slytherin inclined his head to the Malfoy patriarch, "Lucius," and walked towards the reception area. Harry watched him go, the man moved so fluidly that he almost looked supernatural. He wanted to know more about the man who would be King.

Lucius Malfoy turned to Harry, "If you do find my son before me, please inform him that I wish to speak to him."

"Of course," Harry nodded, his eyes still on Thomas Slytherin's back, "Is Lady Malfoy attending today's function?"

"Yes. Why?" Lucius asked tersely, eager to be away.

"If you see her before I do, I suggest warning her that Sirius is in attendance and has already displayed his gift for theatrics and is likely to continue to do so." Lucius frowned briefly, nodded to Harry and walked in the direction of Lord Slytherin.

Thomas Slytherin. The first time he had heard the name had been from the Daily Prophet. A new member of the nobility. Not one of the Sacred 27 but with his bloodline they were likely willing to bring him in as the 28th member. Harry had even heard rumours that Lord Slytherin was being considered for the long empty throne of wizarding Britain. He was immensely powerful, spoke parseltongue, wore the locket of Salazar Slytherin and, supposedly, knew the location of the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry and Draco had spent one term searching Hogwarts for that damned chamber. They had no luck in finding it but they did manage to find the Room of Hidden Things, which had certainly been advantageous over the years.

Maybe Lord Slytherin would reveal the Chamber to cement his claim as heir. Not that he needed it with the parseltongue. . .

With his heritage and his talent for magic Thomas Slytherin would likely claim the throne after receiving the blessing of the nobility during conclave. Harry knew that the nobles were incapable on agreeing that anyone could be better then them in any respect which was one of the reasons no one had taken the throne after the Queen's Death, but the founders of Hogwarts were revered by the Sacred 27.

Only the Smiths' had been able to claim lineage to one of the Founders with a cup that once belonged to Helga Hufflepuff. Although, they had not actually allowed anyone to see it since the passing of Hepzibah Smith. Rumor was that it had been discovered as a forgery which caused the old witch to die from shock. Draco had supposedly heard Zacharias Smith whispering to Hannah Abbot that Hepzibah had been murdered and the cup stolen many years ago. Harry found it unlikely but not impossible. He didn't know which story was worth believing but he honestly did not care too much. Hufflepuff was the least important founder as it was.

"Harry?" His father's voice rang out down the hall, interrupting his musings, "What are you doing down here?"

"Looking for Draco. Sirius scared him off." He answered nonchalantly. Harry had grown used to people saying that he looked like his father but in recent years it had fallen off a bit as grey began to streak through James' hair and the stress of being head auror began to etch lines into his handsome face. A curse scar on his right cheek, given to him by a dark wizard in the height of battle, was also another way to discern between the two men. His mother said he would end up like Moody if he wasn't too careful.

"Ah. . . You do know Sirius only acts like that around Draco because Draco gives such an extreme reaction to his antics." James said, a small smile on his lips.

"Sirius declared, rather loudly in the reception area, that you were afraid of how big his. . . package was and that's why you're with mum and not him," early on in his Hogwarts career Harry had been unwilling to get involved with the drama, but the moment you become best friends with Draco Malfoy and a muggleborn in Gryffindor all bets are off. Now, Harry enjoyed stirring the pot by loudly declaring the truth. It was so much better then lies.

James' eyes almost bugged out and his lips twitched slightly, signs indicative of him holding in laughter, "Oh, did he?"

"Indeed. Now everyone out there knows that you are afraid of his girth. I wonder what the French wizards in attendance must think. Head auror Potter afraid of the big Black dick?" Harry heard the words coming out of his mouth before he could even think to stop himself. He really was spending too much time this summer with his father and his friends. He would be a stereotypical Gryffindor by the time September rolled around. Not a good thing for a Slytherin to be.

James looked at him, his eyes shining, "Harry. . . That was beautiful! I'm so proud!"

Harry blanched as his father approached, arms outstretched, "I. . . I need to go and find Draco." He turned on his heel and bolted down the hall before his father could hug him.

Slytherin was sitting at one of the head tables of the dining area, surrounded with various nobles, Lucius Malfoy across from him and a variety of French witches and wizards near him. Harry tried not to glare at the group. They used their hereditary advantage of being purebloods to keep half-bloods and muggleborns down in their rightful place.

An older man with fuzzy white hair leaned close to the Slytherin heir, "Lord Slytherin, if you were to take ze throne of Britain would you be keeping the interests of purebloods high in your. . ." the man searched for the word, "In your priority?"

"Bien sûr. I must ensure that our traditions are kept safe and secure against any unwanted outside influences. It will be a chance to restore Britain's values in light of recent changes within her fair society. The Wizengamot has been granted too much power as of late and I-"

Harry yanked out the extendable ear and reeled it back in. Of course, the man was just another bloody pureblood. He had been so swept away with all the other's with the idea of an actual king that Harry had forgotten that he was a half-blood. That his mother was a muggleborn as was one of his friends. He felt betrayed by Thomas Slytherin but he didn't know why he had belived that the man would be anything other then what he was. A spoiled pureblood bent on subjugating others.

He shoved the disillusioned ear back in his pocket with an angry frown.

"Harry? Are you feeling well?" His father asked from nearby.

"I'm fine." He ran his hand through his hair, "The dinner is almost done. I'm going to head outside and get some fresh air." He bowed to the others at the table and left through the veranda doors towards the roaring bonfire's where people would likely get drunk and dance in a few hours.

The flames of the bonfire painted the surrounding area in a palette of orange and yellow, making the once innocent looking hedge creatures menacing and dark. It suited the celebration, after tonight the days would begin to darken again as would the wizarding world it seemed.

If Slytherin took the throne he would be able to enforce his fundamentalist views much more effectively then the conservative members of the Sacred 27 had been able to in recent years since they had been butting heads with the Wizengamot.

Harry stared at the flickering flames, the news of Slytherin's heir believing what he did was ultimately unsurprising, but he had hoped that the man would have been more forward thinking.

Thomas Slytherin was just another pureblood with a pretty face and no brains. If only he had been born a half-blood or muggleborn, then he would know how horrible his views really were.

Unfortunately, Gringott's had confirmed that he was a direct descendant of Slytherin, it was highly unlikely that he was an imposter. Harry could think of no one who could fool the goblins. He was still shrouded in mystery. No one really knew where he came from. Some suspected he was an American, but Harry found that unlikely.

If he ended up visiting Regulus over the summer he would ask to have a look into the Black family library, maybe there was something in there. Harry smiled at the thought of Regulus Black. . . he had found solace in the serenity that was Sirius' younger brother. He was most things that Sirius was not. When he had been sorted into Slytherin, to his father and godfathers shock, Regulus had sent him a letter congratulating him and offering aid if he needed help in navigating Slytherin, seeing as he came from a family of Gryffindor's. They had become fast friends to Sirius' annoyance.

Harry considered his friendship with Regulus, the greatest prank the universe had ever pulled on Sirius. Outside of Sirius being named Sirius. He had seemed to roll with that one.

The gravel crunched as someone approached, having lived with Draco for the last six years he knew it wasn't him, Harry turned and was greeted to the sight of Thomas Slytherin approaching the bonfire. Had the man seen the disillusioned ear and was coming to silence him? Slytherin didn't speak or look at him, he didn't even seem to notice Harry observing every aspect of him.

Hands that carried some callouses, indicative of either manual labour or potion making; a gold ring with a black stone inset on his right ring finger, an indiscernible crest etched into it; well concealed wand holster strapped to his forearm, he was ready for a fight at any time, Harry could respect that. What continued to draw his attention was the small glints of gold that would briefly shine from the inside of his robes; it was surely Slytherin's locket.

"Are you done gawking?" Slytherin slowly turned his gaze to Harry, the piercing red eyes now staring into Harry's green ones.

"If you don't like some silent staring I feel I should warn you about when you take the throne. There might be people who yell as well as stare," Harry snapped.

Slytherin blinked, it was obvious no one had spoken to him like that for a while, "You feel comfortable enough with your place in society that you have no fear in insulting your future monarch. I am impressed."

"Should I have something to fear?" Harry approached the man until he was within arm reach, "Will you begin a reign of terror and punish all of those you deem below you?" Maybe he shouldn't have been drinking all that wine during dinner, "Will you execute me for disagreeing with you?"

Slytherin cocked his head to the side, his eyes traveling up Harry's body, a smile forming on his handsome face, "I think I could imagine some other punishment for you other than death."

Heat bloomed in Harry's cheeks at the insinuation, his eyes darting away from Slytherin's unsettling gaze.

"I am curious of why you think I would disagree with so many. . ." Slytherin moved closer and slid his arm around Harry's waist, their bodies pressed awkwardly close, "You know nothing of me and my beliefs. We only met a few hours ago," Thomas whispered into his ear, "You stared at me like you had seen the face of god just a bit ago and now you look at me like I am the scum of the earth. What could I have done to warrant such a change in a few short hours."

Harry couldn't tell where the heat was coming from; the fire, Slytherin or his own body. Why was Lord Slytherin holding onto him like this and why didn't he push him away? He felt Slytherin's hand move along his hip and Harry bit his lip. What was the man doing?

"Ah what do we have here?" He withdrew and Harry saw the disillusioned outline of Weasley twin's extendable ears.

Slytherin cast a silent finite on the ears and considered them for a moment before looking at Harry, "Clever. Did you make these?"

"No," He looked away, this was the first time he had been caught using them. If anyone found out how he got his information he would be in trouble. Slytherin house thought he was a master at eavesdropping charms and ward breaking.

"Pity." He slid them into his pocket, "Have a pleasant evening Harry Potter. Maybe later I can change your mind about me." Slytherin brushed the back of his hand against Harry's cheek and walked away.

Harry watched the man walk back into the palace, uncertainty twisting in his gut.

AN: This was part of the tomarry secret santa on tumblr. Gifted to haganenoheichou on tumblr!