Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. Shame though, I'd have millions…
A/N- while scanning over some stories to read on ff, this idea came to me, and I decided to write it, of course. Not something I usually do, but here it is.
"Professor, the Dursley's would never let him stay, you know that." Harry said beginning to grow red in the face out of anger with the old man's stubbornness.
"I know that, Harry, but after a little persuasion, I think you would have found that Vernon and Petunia were a bit more lenient after I described the situation to them." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled the way they always did when things were going his way.
Harry growled under his breath, "you know we don't get along." He was going to say anything and everything until the headmaster agreed with him.
"I'm aware of that, but I figured, the more friends you have now, the less enemies you have later, right?" Dumbledore grabbed a silver dish full of candies out of one of the drawers in his desk and pushed it towards Harry, indicating for him to take one or two.
Harry denied the candies, but instead began arguing more, "Professor, I don't want him there." He said bluntly.
Dumbledore sighed, "Harry, I know your feelings towards Mr. Malfoy are, some what," he paused, "uneasy. But try, if you will, to put yourself in his shoes, both your parents gone, and nowhere to go."
Harry rolled his eyes, "that is pretty much what I have been through, sir."
"Your house, being under my protection, is the safest place for Mr. Malfoy to go this summer. His father is in Azkaban, and his mother is missing. He has no relatives that aren't out to try and kill him, and with all his friend's parents being Death Eaters, their homes aren't safe. Do you understand my situation?"
Angry and frustrated, Harry nodded, "I suppose. He won't like it though."
Dumbledore smiled, "he wasn't too keen on the situation either, but he has agreed, somewhat reluctantly. I just want you to try and be on your best behavior." Harry stood and walked to the door before Dumbledore called out to him again, "please, Harry, I'm counting on you."
"A whole summer with Malfoy?" Said Ron as he and Harry were packing up their things for the train that would leave that afternoon, "Has Dumbledore gone completely mental?"
Harry shrugged and dumped his schoolbooks into his bag in a heap, "I don't know. He said Voldemort's out to get him because he turned on them." (A/N- alright, in here Draco accepted Dumbledore's proposal to turn to the good side…just because.)
Ron shook his head, "between him and Snape, I can't tell which on is more evil."
"Well, it's going to be a long horrible summer." Harry said snapping his trunk shut, "I bet he and Dudley will get along wonderfully, I mean they both love tormenting me." He and Ron cracked equal smiles and headed to the door to find Hermione.
"You will write, won't you?" Hermione asked given Harry and Ron good-bye hugs. They stood at Platform Nine and Three Quarters in the midst of the crowd of people, muggles and witches and wizards alike. Malfoy stood a few feet away looking angry and sulky. The Dursley's hadn't even gotten out of the car and were parked a block away.
"Yeah I will, I promise." Harry smiled as Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Granger pulled their children away. He stood there alone for a moment, hoping Draco wouldn't be there when he turned around but instead decide to run away and leave Harry be. But once most of the crowed had departed, Harry turned and saw Draco, sitting on his trunk, his arms folded across his chest and glaring at Harry.
Harry sighed and muttered, "let's get this over with then." He began wheeling his trunk down the street, Draco close behind him. "Let's just get this straight," he said as they got closer and closer to the car, and the Dursley's heads could be seen from inside. "I don't want you anywhere near me during the day, and I don't want you hanging out around anywhere that I am, got it?"
Draco purposely kicked the back of Harry's trunk sending it onto its side, "Wouldn't dream of it, Potter." He sneered at the other boy who bent down to pick up his possessions.
After both trunks were fit rather tightly into the trunk, the two boys were squeezed into the back seat with Dudley, who looked rather green and sweaty. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia didn't speak one word to the two boys. Draco thought this was rather odd, his mother, at least, always asked him how his year went. He figured, however, that the less the muggles talk to him this summer the better, so he stuck to just staring out of the window beside him.
Harry was squeezed in between Draco and Dudley because he didn't want to be any closer to the strange new wizard as was possible. Harry didn't mind so much, it gave him a reason to hit Draco in the ribs every time they turned a corner. For a moment even, he thought it would be very fun if he and Draco ganged up on Dudley this summer and gave a bit of a scare. This idea was quickly dismissed when he remembered doing things with Draco wouldn't be fun, and he hated him.
The car pulled to a stop in front of the same house Harry went back to every summer. Everything looked exactly the same, not that he had expected it to change or anything. Uncle Vernon quickly got the luggage out of the trunk, almost as if their contents were full of nasty liquid about to spill all over.
Draco angrily grabbed his trunk and stood waiting for Harry to get his. He may hate the boy, but he was brought up with some manners, and knew it wasn't good to just invite yourself into someone's home. Once Harry had his stuff wheeling towards the door, he followed.
"I'll show you to the guest room." Harry grumbled once in the door. But Uncle Vernon stopped him suddenly.
"I don't think so, he is staying in your room. He's your guest after all."
"My room?" Harry asked incredulously, "he can't stay there, it's barely big enough for me, let alone-"
"Are you going to argue about this with me?" Uncle Vernon yelled. Harry shut up and grumbled for Draco to follow him up the stairs.
Draco had never seen a room like this one before. His room at the manner was very large, with stonewalls and dark curtains, and very little furniture. This room, however, was small and cramped, and bright. As Draco looked around, he even thought it was rather inviting.
"I don't have a king sized bed for you your highness," Harry said sarcastically, "you'll have to just deal with the floor."
"It's a good thing you don't have that, it wouldn't fit inside this linen closet." Draco retorted, "now, be so kind as to show me where your real room is." He grinned evilly at Harry.
"Very funny, Malfoy." Harry said and dropped his stuff at the foot of his bed, "I suppose you'll need a blanket? Unless people with no souls don't get cold."
Draco opened the closet and peered inside for a look, it was about the size of his bath tube, "Yes, we do actually get cold every now and then." He said paying no mind to Harry's insult.
Suddenly Uncle Vernon entered the room and closed the door behind him. He turned to look at both of the boys, "now listen here, boy," he said his beady eyes focused on Draco, "we have certain rules that you must obey, or you'll be out of here quicker than you can say out, do you understand?" Draco made a noise in his throat that sounded much like a held in laugh, as if to challenge the older man to throw him out.
"Petunia and I allow no use of," he paused and lowered his voice, "of what you people do in this house."
Draco stared blankly at Vernon, "you mean magic?" he said dully.
Vernon's face flushed purple, "Secondly, you are never to mention that word around anyone here. If any of the neighbors heard such nonsense, we would be the laughing stock of the country club for sure."
"What's so wrong with saying magic?" Draco asked still staring blankly ahead at the now dark red-faced Vernon. Harry knew he was showing him who was the boss.
"Finally, there are to be no questions asked." Vernon said, his lips twitching with anger, "Petunia and I will not answer any stupid questions you have." He straightened up a little more, "you are to act normal here. Do you got it?"
Draco shrugged, "sure."
Vernon snorted and turned to Harry, "brush your hair, boy. You look like one of those homeless freaks." And with that left the room slamming the door shut behind him.
Draco snorted out a laugh, "homeless freak." He laughed at Harry.
Harry shrugged, "get used to being insulted as well, Malfoy, this isn't exactly heaven."
Draco stopped laughing, "I never imagined it to be." He said quietly, but Harry thought he noticed something change in Draco's eyes, they seemed to dim a bit with sadness.
"I'll, I'll get you that blanket." Harry said breaking the awkward silence and exited the room.
Draco lay down on the bed and groaned, "How do you sleep like this?" He yelled through the open door. A small squeal outside of the door made him sit up. He made his way to the doorway just in time to see the fat bottom of Dudley disappear into his room. Suddenly Draco's face lit up again and a grin crossed his face. Looking to see that Harry was busy at the other end of the hallway, he crept towards Dudley's room.
He found a long handled feather duster sitting on a table just next to Dudley's door and grabbed it. Then took hold of the doorknob and threw the door open. Dudley was sitting at his desk at the computer and turned when he heard the door fling open. Draco flung out his arm towards Dudley, the handle of the duster gripped tightly in his outstretched hand, like holding a wand, "Diffendo!" he yelled saying the first spell coming to mind. Dudley screamed and toppled off his chair, the computer's cord was wrapped around his ankle and the whole thing was pulled down with him landing with a load crash on the floor.
Draco doubled over with laughter; he never imagined he could have this much fun at Harry's house. Harry was first at the doorway, a stack of blankets in his arms. And closely behind him, Petunia and Vernon ran into the room to see what happened. Petunia gave a little scream and ran to Dudley. Vernon rounded on Draco and Harry. Harry's face went pale at his uncle's face, and Draco couldn't stop laughing. Vernon grabbed each boy by the backs of their hair and half dragged half pulled them into Harry's room.
He threw the two roughly into the room and then glared angrily at them, "that little prank will cost you both supper." He yelled and slammed the door shut, making the place rattle slightly.
Draco was still chuckling softly and rubbing the back of his head, "did you see him? I really got him good."
Harry smiled, "I just wish I would have been there to see it all. I think he wet himself." The two laughed for a moment and then realized what they were doing and quickly stopped. "Here's your blankets, and pillow." Harry said thrusting the fabrics into Draco's arms.
"I'll set up after I have something to eat, I haven't had anything since lunch time." Draco said and dropped the stuff onto the floor and headed to the door.
"Vernon said no dinner." Harry said quickly.
"Yeah, my father says a lot of things he doesn't mean, what's the difference?" Draco shrugged and left the room towards the kitchen.
Harry shook his head, it would be only a matter of time before Uncle Vernon got him and escorted him back to the room. His uncle meant business when he was mad. And as if on queue, Uncle Vernon appeared at the door with his hand clenched tightly onto Draco's shirt and threw the boy inside yet again. "Stay in here!" he yelled and slammed the door again, only this time they heard it lock on the opposite side.
"How dare he!" Draco narrowed his eyes and kicked the door rather hard as if to protest.
"Unlike your dad," Harry said sitting down on his bed, "my uncle means the things he says, and he'll see to it that it's done."
"If my father were here." Draco whispered angrily, "of course, I suppose I have you to thank for that one, Potter." He snapped turning to Harry.
Harry glared at him, "he was a Death Eater, he would have been caught in the end, or killed, and you should be thanking me. Voldemort would have been all over him if he weren't in Azkaban."
Draco began setting up his little bed on the floor far away from Harry's, "It's your fault I'm here." He said
Harry couldn't believe how childish he was being, "I never made your mom leave you."
"She didn't leave me," Draco said angrily, "she's in hiding, which is where she should be."
"I don't think my mom would have done that if I was in that situation."
"What exactly are you saying, Potter? That your dead mother is a better nurturer than mine?"
"Forget it." Harry said and rolled over on his bed to face the wall, away from Draco.
Draco lay down as well on his makeshift bed and stared at the ceiling before he drifted into sleep. It seemed to him only a few minutes had passed when there was a loud rapping at the door, "one minute, Dad." He said groggily and rolled over.
"Get up!" the voice outside of the door yelled and then a lock turned and then the noise was gone.
"That wasn't your dad, Malfoy. It's Petunia."
Draco bolted up when he heard Harry's voice forgetting for a second where he was. He yawned and looked around the room. Harry was pulling on a new shirt, his hair a mess, "nice hair, Potter," he yawned, "you should keep it that way."
Harry rolled his eyes, "breakfast is ready." He said and then left the room.
Draco stood and pulled a new set of clothes out of his trunk. He quickly put on his pants and then pulled off his shirt and paused, looking into the mirror that hung on the closet door. Deep scars scattered his pale skin. He stood staring at each line for a second before the door opened and Harry walked in. "Knocking would be good." Draco yelled and pulled his shirt over his torso quickly.
"What were you doing?" Harry asked looking awkwardly at Draco. "What were you looking at?"
"Nothing," Draco said and pushed passed Harry, "can't a person look at himself in the mirror every now and then?"
A/N- So, how did you all like it? Please report!