Draco arrived back at Hogwarts just as the sun was beginning its downward motion against the sky and headed straight for the library. If he was right, then he knew where a certain spell he was looking for could be found. He turned into the section of books set aside for scrying, the art of magic where one searched for something. He’d looked this magic up in the summer of his Second Year at the Manor, but Hogwarts had a larger amount of books than Malfoy Manor did. Of course, scrying was completely “light” magic and a more commonly known form of abstract magic, so that was almost expected.
Normally, scrying was done with a mirror or the surface of a pond or lake as long as the water was still. There was normally no incantation as the magic was abstract, formed more from thoughts than words. One touched the tip of the wand to the surface and thought of who or what you were trying to find, and if the magic worked you could see who or what it was you were looking for.
But Draco remembered that there was a spell that he’d found and remembered vaguely, as if it was interesting but not something that he had cared a whole lot about so hadn’t bothered to memorize it or work with it. Even though scrying was abstract, there was an incantation or two that used elements of scrying in them. The spell that he wanted to use to complete Harry’s present was one of these.
Pulling out a large tome from the shelf, he flipped through the index. Nope, not this one. Move on to the next one.
Fifteen books later, Draco found the spell he was looking for. He checked the book out of the library and made his way down to his rooms, greeting Medusa with the password and an inquiry about her continued good health.
Harry was nowhere to be found. Good. He could do the spell now and wrap the present before Harry got back, and be done with it. Carefully, Draco removed the mirror from its casing and placed it on the table near the fireplace. He then turned to the book and read through the passage about the spell a few times to make sure he understood the information correctly. Then he began.
His wand curved up in an arch and down to touch the middle of the mirror’s reflective surface as he spoke:
“Homo Dignitatis Animatus Vivae Picturatus Morti Videre. ”
Chapter 21: The Name of a Malfoy
Harry finished folding his best school robes and placed them on top of Draco’s wrapped present. That should be enough padding, he thought, as he closed the lid of his trunk. This was it. He’d already been to the last class before Christmas break, and had finished packing. Tomorrow he would leave Hogwarts with everyone who normally left and would ride the train back to London from where he and Draco, and probably Lucius Malfoy as well, would all be going to Malfoy Manor. It was surprising people hadn’t made a lot of fuss, but that was probably because no one really knew. Heck, the only people who knew that he and Draco were “together”, if one could call them that, were his friends, the staff at Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy, Draco, and himself of course.
It was amazing they’d kept it a secret for so long so why was he so surprised that no one made a big commotion about his living arrangements for Christmas break? After all, it wasn’t as if he had much of a real choice in the matter. He’d likely wake up in Malfoy Manor with Draco even if he went to sleep in Hogwarts. And it wasn’t like he would be turned over to Voldemort upon stepping into the house because of the whole Veriae bond thing…So why was it such a big deal to him? Why was he so nervous about this?
Needless to say, sleep did not come easily to Harry that night, although it did eventually overtake him.
The next day went almost completely as Harry had envisioned it. He rode with Ron and Hermione, who were also going home to visit their families, on the train ride back to London. He then hung back while the rest of the students were getting off the train, and saw that while Draco was walking ahead with his Slytherin cronies (Or were they his friends? Harry didn’t know.), Lucius seemed to be taking his own time to leave the station. For once Harry was glad that the Malfoys were almost predictable Slytherins as he discretely followed the two Malfoys to a…limo…
Its insides revealed that it only looked like a limo charmed to look like a lavish stretch limo, but in truth it was a carriage like the ones at Hogwarts. The ride to Malfoy Manor was another few hours and neither Malfoy seemed inclined to talk, yet the silence was more companionable than forced or harsh. When Harry got out of the carriage, the first thing he noticed were the four, translucent, white horses which had pulled the carriage. He would have to find out what species they were…maybe ask Hagrid when he got back.
The next thing he noticed was the house. And he wondered why he didn’t notice the house first when he did get the full view of it.
Describe any fairy-tale castle and you have Malfoy Manor Harry was reminded of the castle that he’d seen once in a muggle Disney movie when he was very young. He’d been locked in the cupboard for a few days but he’d thought it was worth it to see “Beauty and the Beast” even a little bit of it, when his uncle and aunt had let Dudley watch it. And now he stood at the doorway to a recreation of the Beast’s enchanted castle before the spell was broken. Yet…there were some differences Harry could see.
The carriage stopped at the middle of a driveway of sorts…but made of a white stone not pavement. To walk to the front door you passed by four statues, two of the Roman god Mars and two of the Roman goddess Athena. Then you got to a large black iron gateway that was engraved with the image of Saturn. It opened into what looked like a huge garden, covered in snow, and Harry could only wonder what it looked like in spring. They continued forward to the front door and Harry looked up in awe at the better view of the house from its front step. Gargoyles leered down at him from its heights and owlery (if Harry’s guesses were any good). Two carved sphinxes sat just over the eves of the door and seemed to hold a watchful expression. So real was that expression that Harry wondered if they were truly watching him.
The doors were ebony and lined in steel and iron and as Lucius approached them they opened by themselves, as if knowing the presence of their master. A House Elf immediately appeared at Lucius’ side that he ignored completely except to let it take his outer cloak.
“I trust you can situate Harry in your wing, Draco.” Lucius said, “And give him a tour of the Manor. I have a few things to look after.”
“Yes Father.”
And Lucius left, leaving Harry and Draco alone in the foyer.
Harry was too busy looking around to notice. The foyer was built on the idea of crystal, with statues of Venus hewn from a violet crystal on either side of the doorway.
“My grandfather was into Roman ideals.” Draco mused, seeing where Harry was looking. “He chose to redo the foyer and front hall, as well as some of the outside of the Manor. When we get into different wings of the Manor, you’ll see different themes according to who spent most of their time there.”
Draco spoke as if that was what Harry had been thinking of, but Harry had simply been admiring the art. The foyer opened up onto the Great Hall which lead to one of four ballrooms, and three sitting rooms, a breakfast room, the large dining room, and the kitchens (though Draco didn’t show Harry since those were for the House Elves). This was all on the first floor.
On the second floor were three breakfast rooms, two more sitting rooms, two tea rooms, the red library (red because the upholstery was decked in blood red velvet), Lucius’ study (which Draco didn’t show Harry as Lucius was in there apparently) and Lucius’s personal library (another no show as that could only be entered through Lucius’ study), the large billiard room, and the small dining room. Harry didn’t bother pointing out that this “small” dining room could have fit more than three of the Dursley’s dining rooms…
The third floor was split into two wings, one of which was Lucius’ and one of which had been Narcissa’s. These held bedrooms and the like, which Draco passed over rather quickly, but Harry still had time to wonder what one person would do with two bathrooms of their own, a sitting room of their own, a bedroom of their own, and a dressing room of their own.
The fourth floor held Draco’s rooms, a guest suite, the blue library, and the smaller billiard room. Draco didn’t go near his rooms because they’d be coming back that way anyway.
The fifth floor was all guest rooms and the sixth floor was the owlery as Harry had guessed. Apparently there were other towers and such but they got cold in the winter so Draco didn’t feel like walking up to their tops. Although he did say that in the summer they were nice and cool, and one had a beautiful view of the fields, stable, the lake, and the back gardens.
Draco had asked if Harry actually wanted to see the north and south dungeons, four wine cellars, and three torture chambers, but Harry had quickly declined.
They returned to Draco’s wing and found that their trunks had been placed in Draco’s room. This wing was furnished by Lucius himself, apparently, after Draco’s birth, and Harry could see where the elder Malfoy had gotten his inspiration.
It did fit Draco, Harry mused. Lucius had concentrated on ivory, with dragons and serpents of every culture adorning the doorways of the rooms. The walls varied from dark shades of green to rich forest colors. But what really got Harry’s attention was Draco’s bed. It was a work of art, it really was: a huge king-sized bed (or maybe bigger if that was possible) with black ivory posts rising a few feet above it, though it wasn’t a canopy bed. On the top of each post was a carved head of Anubis, and these carvings wore a small snake around their necks like a necklace. Their eyes, emeralds, seemed to glitter in the light. The sheets were black silk, edged in gold.
“We’ll have to share.” Draco commented, also looking at the bed.
“It looks like there’s enough room.” Harry had to say honestly.
“Well, needless to say, this is my room.” Draco said after a moment. “Yours should be right through…” he walked over to a seemingly empty wall on the right side of his room and began to walk down it with his hand on the wall. At one place it actually went through the wall. “Right here. Come on.”
And Draco walked through the wall. Harry realized that this shouldn’t be fazing him after all he did this to get into the train station every year, but the nonchalance at which Draco just walked through the wall…oh well.
The room they entered looked somewhat like the other guest rooms at Malfoy Manor. It had a bleached wooden floor (oak maybe…Harry didn’t know floorings that well) and blue drapery on the numerous windows in the room. The bedding was also blue. The ceiling was painted to look like a cloudy sky but Draco told him that if it was snowing or raining outside the illusion spell would kick in so it would seem to be snowing or raining in the room. At Harry’s question, Draco also explained that the House Elves had just set up a portal between his room and this one so they didn’t have to walk across the entire floor to go between the two rooms.
There was a small pop behind the two boys which announced the arrival of a House Elf.
“Master Lucius sent me to tell Master Draco that the Parkinsons are hosting the Christmas party this year,” it said in a squeaky voice.
Draco didn’t look pleased at this announcement. “Thank you, you may go,” he told the elf in clipped tones.
“What party is this?” Harry asked curiously.
“Well, every year someone in—” Draco seemed to fish around for the right words, “-our circle hosts a Christmas party. It’s all show and a big waste of time really, just to see who can outdo everyone else. And it’s the Parkinsons’ turn this year.”
“Not a good thing I take it.”
“Exactly. And here I thought I had a week or so free from her presence.”
Harry flopped on the bed. “Pansy can’t be that bad.”
The look Draco gave him could have melted iron. “You have no idea.”
Harry looked at the ceiling for a minute before a thought came to him. “I don’t have to go to this thing, do I?”
“Not unless you want to go as my significant other.” Draco replied, a sarcastic smile forming “Because that’s the only way you’d be invited.”
“Ah…good. Then I won’t have to worry about where I packed my dress robes.”
Harry wondered exactly what he could really do with both Malfoys out of the house. He supposed they didn’t care that he was left there because the House Elves would make sure that nothing was out of its proper place when they got back, but he still wasn’t comfortable with it. He began walking back to his room to find something to do. He didn’t get very far.
“Left riff-raff alone in the house did they? My son will never understand proper decorum,” a snide voice on his right spoke.
