Hoping You'll See

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Chapter One: Heorte Bindan! (or, How Everything Starts)

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Two knocks on the door.

"Come in," a cultured voice says.

The door opens, and a boy steps through. "My Lord." He bows before the man sitting at the writing desk.

"What is it, Harry."

"I've come to tell you that the Malfoys are arriving. They're just beyond the gatehouse."

"Very good. Go back to what you should be doing." With a curt wave of a hand, the boy is dismissed.

When the boy is back in the kitchens, he lets out a great breath of air.

"Harry?" a gentle voice questions. Harry looks up at Remus, the man who raised him from babyhood. "Is something wrong?"

"The Malfoys are here. I fear I will be made to wait on Lord Malfoy the younger again. The last time they were here, he made me do every little thing for him. If I didn't do it fast enough, he would put magic on me."

"Did you tell our Lord? He has no right to do that. Not to a servant that isn't his, when he is in another's home."

"No, I never told. I feared young Lord Malfoy would insist to our Lord that I was lying."

Remus sighs. "If you are made to wait on him again, and he puts any magic on you, no matter how minor, you come to me. Our Lord would have no reason not to believe me. I've been here longer than he's been alive."

"Of course, Remus."

"For now..." Remus looks around, checking on the work of the other servants. "Go and sit with Hermione. Its not yet time for supper."

"Yes, Remus."

Hermione is Remus' wife of two years, and the only other servant of Harry's age. Being with child for the first time, she is not permitted to do anything more than sew clothes for the castle's various inhabitants.

Hermione is in a small room off the side of the Lady's closet. She is working on their Lord's costume for the masque he is giving. When she sees Harry she smiles and beckons him in. "Hello Harry."

Harry sits next to her and picks up a scrap of silk. "I wish I were of nobility, Hermione. Or at least not a servant."

"What has brought this on?"

"Lord Malfoy the younger."

"Ah." Hermione knows of Harry's intense disliking on the adolescent nobleman, but not why.

"I'm the only servant younger and smaller than him. He'll undoubtedly request my service again."

Hermione puts the waistcoat she is embroidering aside and turns to him. "He didn't hurt you in any way, did he?"

"He never once laid a hand on me. He only said some things that were inappropriate. That's all," Harry lies.

"I just want you to be safe."

"If anyone were to hear us they'd think I am but a child and you my mother," Harry teases.

"Come here." Hermione hugs Harry to her. "You are my brother in all but blood. I can't help but worry about you."

"I know, I know." Harry curls up on the bench, his head in Hermione's lap, as she returns to her sewing.

It is some time later when another servant enters the small room. "Wake up, boy," he demands, glaring at Harry. "Our Lord has sent directions for you." The servant, Peter, thrusts the folded parchment at Harry and stalks out.

When Harry had still been a child, Remus taught him his letters, but their Lord, being only three years older than Harry, took the boy on as a pet of types. He taught Harry Latin, Greek, Gaelic, and Welsh, along with mathematics, geography, and some magical theory. As he grew older, though, he lost interest in Harry, and the boy returned to his place as a servant.

Harry unfolds the paper and reads it. He groans and lets his head drop to the table.

"What is it?"

"Young Lord Malfoy has requested my service again, and our Lord has granted it. After supper, I will move into the servant's room adjoining their guest suite."

"How long are they staying?"

"A sennight."

"It could be longer. Their last visit they were here thrice that long." Hermione stands. "Come. Dusk has fallen. It is time for supper."

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Harry hates the way young Lord Malfoy just stares at him. He is putting the nobleman's clothes away while the nobleman is question sits on the bed. "Tell me, boy," he drawls. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen, my lord," Harry answers quickly and quietly.

"And how many girls have you bedded? I imagine it has been a lot. You don't seem to actually do anything around here."

"I have not bedded any girl, my lord."

"None? None at all?" Young Lord Malfoy sits up, incredulity on his face. "And why not?"

"If a girl is expected to enter her marriage bed untouched, then why shouldn't a man do the same?"

"You plan to wait until your marriage?" The nobleman falls back on his bed, laughter escaping him. "I hope you don't expect your wife to carry the same principles. Most servant girls don't wait for marriage to bed a man, and sometimes not even marriage can keep them out of other men's beds."

Harry stays silent, not wanting to provoke young Lord Malfoy.

"If you are so worried about the purity of your marriage bed, perhaps we should find out who exactly it is you should marry." Harry starts backing away when young Lord Malfoy pulls out his wand, but the boy isn't fast enough. "Heorte bindan!"¹ young Lord Malfoy shouts.

Harry falls immediately to the ground, violent spasms shaking his body. Young Lord Malfoy, seeing what is happening to Harry, rushes over to the bell pull that would summon a servant. Not five minutes later Remus hurries in. He goes to Harry's side, not sparing a glance at young Lord Malfoy.

"What has happened?"

"He just fell over and started doing that," the nobleman lies.

"I'll take him back to his room. Perhaps our mediwitch will know what's wrong." Remus lifts Harry, who is still twitching slightly. "I'm sorry this happened, my lord." Remus leaves through the servants' passage.

Back in the large room shared by the male servants, Remus sets Harry on his bed. He wipes a bit of sweat off the younger boy's brow with his handkerchief. The mediwitch, who isn't a servant per say, because she can perform magic, arrives minutes later. "What happened to him?"

"Young Lord Malfoy said he simply fell over with spasms, but I don't believe him."

The mediwitch runs her wand over Harry. "You're right not to. He's had a spell put on him. I'm not quite sure what it is. We'll just have to let it run it's course. It will end eventually. I'll report this to our Lord. He'll be most upset that this has been done to Harry." The mediwitch walks out.

Remus is changing Harry into his sleeping clothes when he notices something odd. A soft swelling across Harry's chest that hadn't been there before. Afraid of what he might see, Remus lifts Harry's shirt. Where there should be flat muscle, are breasts. Remus lifts Harry again and brings him to the room he shares with Hermione. Hermione is already there, reading before she prepares for bed.

"Remus? Is something wrong with Harry?" she questions, worrying about her friend.

"Young Lord Malfoy put some spell on him, and it's turned Harry into a girl. I can't leave his with the other male servants like this."

"Of course. Do all the others still think he is with young Lord Malfoy?"

"They do."

"Let Harry stay here tonight. If he is still like this when he wakes up, it will be quite a shock for him."

"You're right."

Hermione carefully dresses Harry in one of Remus' oversized shirts. Remus sleeps on the floor while Harry and Hermione remain in the bed.

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