Blood and Choice

3 -- Preparations

When the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the platform, Harry felt very alone. The four other Gryffindors who were staying were all third-years, and friends with each other, and laughed and jostled one another as they started back to the castle. At the steps, one of them paused.

"You coming, Potter?" he called uncertainly.

Harry shook his head. "I'll be staying with my dad," he said. "The tower's all yours."

The boy's eyes widened. "Oh," he said. "Well, er, thanks."

As they moved towards the road, he heard them laughing nervously and trading low comments. Sighing, Harry started his own walk -- not on the road up to the castle, but on a narrow footpath that curved around closer to the forest and Hagrid's hut. This would be a good time to gather greens.

By the time Harry entered the castle, a collection of holly and pine branches floating behind him, he felt quite cheery. He'd stopped to see Hagrid, and in lieu of inedible biscuits had been given a small drink of cream and honey and whisky, the former two making the latter tolerable. Snow speckled his hair and his bounty of greens, and for the first time in his memory, he didn't have glasses to fog when he came inside, so he could see how the melting flakes glittered by candlelight.

"Well, don't you look festive!" called a cheery voice, and Harry looked up to see Remus Lupin standing by the stairs. "Does Hagrid have you assisting?"

Harry gestured back at the greens as he joined him. "I'm bringing these down to the dungeons. Father said I could."

"Ah." Remus's smile twisted. "Good luck with that. I'd offer a hand, but...."

Harry looked back at the holly. "I think it's better if I do it."

"Probably. And I am not welcome there, as I recall."

Harry, surprised by the comment, shrugged. "You seemed welcome enough last week, and we're not hiding life-or-death secrets from you anymore. I still wouldn't leave you alone--" He stopped, and sighed. "Except I promised that I'd bring any guests straight to my room, didn't I?"

"I assumed he meant--" Remus stopped. "Yes," he agreed. "I may not even qualify for that."

Harry sighed. "I should find out."

"It's not urgent." Remus stepped back. "Will you come for tea, tomorrow?"

Harry blinked. "At our usual time? Why wouldn't I? Unless, I mean, you'd rather do something else."

"No, I'd love to see you. Since your schedule has changed, however, I thought I should confirm."

"Well, it's not like I'm more busy without lessons!" The fir branches tilted, and Harry renewed the floating charm. "So, yeah, I'll see you then." He grinned. "And tonight at dinner, I expect!"

"Yes, of course. Enjoy decorating!"

For what felt like the hundredth time, Harry stepped back from the mantel and surveyed the greens. This time, at last, there was nothing that he felt needed to be turned, or pulled out an inch, or angled forward. They were perfect. The red holly berries added a balanced, but not too regular, touch of red. He began adding the little straw stars that he had found in Hogsmeade. They seemed like something Severus would like more than glittery ones.

He had just finished coaxing more holly into a sturdy ring about the base of the lamp when the door opened behind him. He looked back to see Severus watching, his face tightly neutral.

"What do you think?" Harry asked, trying not to sound anxious. Severus stepped forward, and Harry moved back to let him study the greens that spilled down above the fireplace -- from this angle, he could see that they were a little thicker in the middle on the left than elsewhere -- and the red, green, and white candles that Harry had moved into the place of the usual uncolored beeswax ones on the side table. Harry had carefully avoided any gold.

"Red?"

"It's traditional. And it sets off the green best."

His father's mouth twitched. "Yes, it does." After a deep breath in, he nodded. "It is tolerable -- the ensemble, that is. I have no objection." He looked over at the remaining fir branches. "Will there be more?"

"No, that's mostly for my room."

"I see."

"Because Draco will visit, I hope. I mean, I wouldn't bother with my bedroom otherwise."

"Hello, Harry!" Remus said brightly, ushering Harry into his room. A small table was set for tea, with two cups and a plate of biscuits. "How did the decorating go?"

Harry shrugged and took the seat Remus indicated. From both, he noticed, one could see the door and the window. "All right, I suppose. It looks pretty."

"Mm. And yet you don't sound pleased. How is your father reacting?"

"Oh, he's tolerating it," Harry said gloomily.

"Tolerating?"

"Well, he says he doesn't mind, but sometimes I see him staring at the mantel and looking sort of-- I don't know. Put out? I think he considers it an invasion. It's like I rearranged his workroom."

"Oh, surely not that bad!"

With a smile, Harry acknowledged the truth of that. "All right. But not good." He sighed. "And I haven't had Draco over, yet, but I know it won't be half fancy enough for him."

"Ah." Remus poured the tea and frowned slightly as he considered this. "But he has the rest of the school to please him."

Harry shook his head. "It's not like home, though. I think he finds it all slightly vulgar. And I expect Slytherin isn't decorated at all."

"Hm. That's possible."

"And he's talked about Christmas dinner with his family, and all the things he usually has, and I bet I could get Dobby to make them, but--" Harry stopped and had to swallow. He could get Dobby to make them! "Do you think Dumbledore would let me do that?"

"Change the menu for Christmas dinner, or have a private dinner with Draco?"

"Oh! I hadn't thought of a private dinner!"

Remus shook his head. "No. He might, possibly, after appeals from both of you, allow you and your father to have a private dinner, but not you and Draco Malfoy."

"With my father?"

"No. It is not family once you add him to the mix."

Harry sat back with a huff. "And even if we could, then I'm back to the problem of Severus wanting things simple, and Draco wanting them elaborate."

"What about a second dinner late in the evening?" Remus winced. "On second thought, no. You'll all still be waddling from the first one."

Harry, after vainly trying to imagine Severus waddling, burst out laughing. "And you?" he asked.

"Christmas Eve is the full moon," Remus said wryly. "I'll just be waking up to totter into bed."

Harry winced. That was a horrible way to spend Christmas. "Oh!" he exclaimed, straightening in his chair.

"What?"

"Let's have dinner on Boxing Day. You, me, Draco, and Dad. Dumbledore shouldn't mind that, and I can have Dobby make Malfoy things--"

"Your father might have things he would like as well." Remus hesitated. "I would like mushroom soup, to be honest. Peppery mushroom soup with sour cream."

"All right. A menu of our favorites. And I'll tell Dad he can put up with one afternoon of fussy decorations."

Remus cocked his head. "Or perhaps you could take Draco off someplace fancier after the meal. Tell him gifts are delayed until evening."

"You just want to get my dad alone."

Remus rolled his eyes. "No, Harry. Getting him alone is simple -- I do so frequently. I want to get your dad fed and tipsy until his paranoia wanes, and then get him alone."

Harry laughed. "Well, the best of luck on that!"

"Nothing is likely to come of it."

"Still. You have my blessing, you know."

"I do?" Remus looked unaccountably wary.

"Of course."

"I ... I hadn't known." Remus opened his mouth, as if to say something more, but then shut it again.

Harry didn't know what to say. He looked out the window. A light snow was falling.

"I wonder if I could get the Room of Requirement to turn into something fancy for Draco's Christmas? Of course, then there'd be no way to have his presents waiting."

"Mm. A pity."

Remus poured more tea, his eyes focused elsewhere. Harry added sugar and let him think. Finally, he looked up, his eyes glinting with mischief. "The castle has a plethora of unused rooms. Perhaps we could claim two for the holidays -- one for the dinner, to be decorated sedately, and one for Draco, to be slathered in crystal and gilt. If you asked politely, I expect that the headmaster would allow that."

"It would be difficult to decorate the way Draco would like."

"I'll help you with the transfiguration, and I expect Hagrid would be delighted to provide an extra tree." Remus smiled. "I'm sure we can create a model of elegant excess."

"Oh, brilliant! I think this could work!" Harry bounced in his seat. "Would you do some shopping for me? Oh--" His enthusiasm ebbed. "It's probably not safe for you now."

"Not entirely, but I do plan to do more shopping regardless. Professor McGonagall has agreed to accompany me."

"Well, good."

"What would you like?"

"Um, bubble soap? Apparently there's a magical sort with pictures."

Remus laughed. "Yes. Do you want seasonal ones?"

"If you can find some Draco might like."

"Oh -- for Draco?" Remus traced the rim of his teacup. "Very well. I can see that. Comforting?"

"Exactly." Harry hesitated. "My bubbles reminded him...."

"Ah. Yes, I would be happy to get him something that is not mood-altering."

Harry grinned. "Well, if he wanted mine, I'd just make him some." Which, he thought, might not be a bad idea. He could give him a little of both sorts. Maybe Dean would like some too. If he had thought of it earlier, he could have put some in Olivia's post rod -- although, on second thought, he wasn't sure she knew about the bubble soap.

"Decide by tonight if you want anything else," Remus said. "Now, what about timing?"

Harry thought quickly. "We have four days, right?"

"And any help from me will need to be tomorrow."

"Ouch. We should start now, then!"

"Well, finish your tea, and then we'll talk to Professor Dumbledore."

"Maybe I should ask Severus first."

"It wouldn't hurt to secure the rooms beforehand. You can ask your father when you fetch him for dinner, which the headmaster will have you do, no doubt."

"Okay. And then we can talk to Hagrid after dinner."

"Exactly."

"Except I'll need to nab Draco while he's accessible. He's been sulking in Slytherin, and I can't get in there."

"I'll make the request of Hagrid, then, while you catch Draco. A large tree, I expect?"

"If we can, although I'll have to see the room."

Remus waved that off. "I can manage short term wizardspace, if Professor Dumbledore tells the castle to cooperate."

Harry thought about how he might advance this to Draco. Draco might feel slighted by being pushed to Boxing Day, but surely he would understand Dumbledore's insistence on dinner attendance, and that Christmas morning was for his father.

"What if I spent the morning with Draco?" he mused aloud.

"Excuse me?"

"The morning. I think that would work better. And then we could meet the two of you for dinner, and afterwards...." Harry belatedly remembered Lupin's comment about getting his father alone, which perhaps wasn't entirely in jest. "Well, I'll take him off flying, if the weather's good, or something. It will work out."

"I think that sounds fine," Remus assured him. "Yes. More natural, really, than presents after dinner."

"Exactly."

"You want to what?" Severus drew himself up indignantly. Harry tried not to tense.

"I want to have dinner on Boxing Day with you and Remus and Draco."

His father's lip curled with scorn. "I no longer object to Remus, but I hardly feel inclined to invite him over for holidays."

"And I didn't ask you to," Harry shot back. "It's my dinner. I am inviting the three of you, is that clear?"

Severus leaned forward intimidatingly. "Your dinner in my rooms?"

"No," Harry said, meeting his glare with one as fierce. "My dinner in a room that the headmaster is graciously allowing me to use for that purpose."

"Ah." Severus sat back, his momentary surprise vanishing into cool politeness. "I would be delighted to attend, of course."

"Thank you." Harry took a long breath. "Is there anything in particular that you would like on the menu?"

Severus scowled. "You have asked enough," he said, and Harry covered how that hurt with a shrug.

"Whatever," he said, and pushed up from the sofa. "I'll see you at dinner -- I'm going to find Draco." He wouldn't, he knew. Draco would emerge from Slytherin as late as possible, as he had every day since lessons ended.

After dinner, Harry followed Remus up to the room Dumbledore had found for them, which turned out to be on the first floor. His father had looked sour when he said he would be spending the evening working on a project with Remus, but he had not objected.

"How did it go with Draco?" Remus asked, as he opened the door to their destination. It was a mid-sized classroom, empty except for rows of desks with attached chairs.

Harry shrugged. "He agreed graciously. So graciously that I think he doesn't care, really. It's another thing to endure."

Remus laughed. "I know the sort of response you mean. I knew Mrs. Potter had finally started to like me when her manners stopped being exemplary." He looked around. "We should get rid of the desks first, I think."

"Isn't this too big?"

"The headmaster is going to stop by later and divide it into two rooms. You don't need your own entrance, do you?"

Harry thought about that. "No," he said finally. "Coming in through the dining room would be fine."

"Very good. Call your house elf, then."

Harry snorted. "He's not my house elf, you know."

Remus waved that off. "Your favorite house elf, then. See how the meaning of 'your' changes?"

Harry grinned. "Yeah. Much better." He cleared his throat. "Dobby!"

With a sharp crack, the elf appeared in front of them.

"Harry Potter, sir!" he said delightedly, his ears quivering with joy. "Dobby is glad to be called, after so long. What does Harry Potter wish from Dobby?"

"Hi, Dobby," Harry said cheerfully. "I'd like to have a dinner party here. Could you move the furniture somewhere else? Someplace in the castle where it won't be in the way, but will be okay for a week or two."

"Yes, of course, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby answered. "Dobby is happy to be helping in any way!" Moving his head from side to side, and then turning, he appraised the room. "Dobby thinks Harry Potter will be wanting the room cleaned as well?"

"Exactly," Harry said, relieved.

With a bow, Dobby reached out to touch two of the desks, and then vanished, taking the desks with him. Harry shook his head.

"It amazes me that they can do that," he said.

"Yes. Amazing creat--" Remus stopped himself. "Beings," he corrected, with an abashed smile.

"Right."

Dobby re-appeared with three other house-elves to help him, and within minutes, the desks and chairs were gone, and the floor and windows gleamed. His helpers vanished, and Dobby stepped forward.

"What is Dobby to be doing next, Harry Potter?"

Harry looked around at the spotless room. "Well, we'll need a carpet and table and chairs," he said, "but that should probably wait until Professor Dumbledore divides the room. There's something else I'll want later, though." Despite feeling awkward, he smiled at the way Dobby's ears pricked up. "Um, the dinner is a special Christmas dinner, but on Boxing Day, because it's private. We'll want some special dishes."

Dobby clasped his hands. "Kitchen elves is being honored to cook special foods!" he exclaimed.

"That's what I'd hoped," Harry said. "But, um, one of the guests will be Draco Malfoy. Do you remember how Christmas dinner for the Malfoys was cooked? I'd like a few dishes from that."

Dobby's huge eyes bulged a little more, and his ears sank. "Harry Potter should not be eating dinner with Malfoys, sir! They is dangerous, bad, bad wizards!"

Harry sighed. "Dobby, you know Draco's father is in prison, right? He got caught when Voldemort sent him to attack me last year."

Dobby's ears flattened back, but he nodded.

"Well, Draco decided that he didn't want to join Voldemort. And he helped me rescue my father from him." Harry watched one ear come up, and decided that Dobby was considering this. "We've become friends, really, and he seems to be trying to be nicer to people. But his mother told him that he can't come home unless he agrees to serve Voldemort."

Dobby frowned. "Mistress Malfoy is never wanting her child away."

"That's sort of what my dad said -- that she was either bluffing or warning him off. But anyway, he has to stay here, and he's unhappy about it, and it seems rough for him to be unhappy because he's started to do the right thing. I'd like to make it more pleasant for him."

Dobby sighed, but nodded. "Dobby will help the kitchen elves with Malfoy dishes," he agreed. "Dobby will not even give them wrong directions."

Harry grinned. "Thanks, Dobby," he said. "I know the Malfoys were awful to you, and I appreciate that."

Dumbledore came by a little later and divided the room into two. The inner room looked too small and dark at first, but he raised the walls by at least a meter and then brought the ceiling up to a higher center in a curving vault, and then charmed walls and ceiling -- except for the blond wood ribs of the vault -- to a smooth white. By the time the old wizard left, after adding a grate and setting a cheery fire burning, Harry was beginning to be able to picture the room as a place for Draco.

"What first?" Remus asked. "I think the fireplace should look a little fancier, don't you?" At Harry's nod, he changed the stone and wood to white marble shot with grey and blue.

"Excellent!" Harry said. "Um, could we add a window? I mean, I know this is an interior room, but something that looks like a window?"

Remus cocked his head to the side. "I'm afraid I don't have the skill and power needed to connect it to a real view; for that, you would need Professor Dumbledore back."

"What about a sort of a ... I don't know, look? A vague impression that it's snowing?

Remus smiled and tapped his wand against the wall, then gestured up in a high arch. A beautiful tall window with an arched top appeared beyond the stroke. Behind the glass, the space was blizzard grey, with white dots falling in the front.

Harry tried not to frown. "That's really impressive but--"

"Not impressive enough?"

"Sorry." Harry studied it. "Maybe if you frosted the glass a little?"

That helped. So did adding a diffuse blue light from above, and a gold one from the side. It still didn't look like real snow falling in a real garden if you focused directly on it, but in the background, it gave the feeling of snow, which was as much as Harry had hoped for, and more than he had expected.

"Is it time for a carpet and furniture?" Remus asked.

Harry nodded. "Well, a carpet anyway. It's more Christmassy to sit on the floor, isn't it?"

"For a Malfoy?"

Harry made a face. "Draco will sit on the floor if it's just me. Easier to get to the tree, that way. He likes presents; I can tell."

"And are you indulging him in that?"

Harry could sympathize with the disapproval in Remus's tone, but he still felt slightly insulted.

"Not too much," he said. "I mean, I expect he'd get dozens of presents at home, but I won't do that -- it would remind me too much of Dudley." He pushed a lock of hair back behind one ear. "I did buy him two, though," he admitted, "and except for my father, everyone else gets just one. But one is a present that his mother usually gets him, and it will still be less than he's used to."

"He's told you about family presents?"

"While we were shopping."

"Ah. I suppose that makes sense."

"He said she always gets him formal robes for the next year." To Harry's relief, Remus had relaxed. "The other one is a potions book." He didn't mention that he would be including some bubble soap with that; Remus was still a professor.

They met again the next morning, after breakfast. Hagrid had brought in a magnificent tree and few branches of greens, and they had Dobby bring a low table that could be reached from the floor, and two small wingback chairs which they set out of the way in a corner, placing them to provide a view of the tree and the fire. Other than the low cherry wood table, light chair legs, and the gilded wood curls at the front of the arms of the chairs, everything was white.

"This looks really good," Harry said. "Tree next? It should be decorated all in white and gold."

Remus chuckled. "Are you sure he wouldn't rather have black and silver?"

"He said," Harry replied with mock haughtiness, "that for Christmas, the manor is decorated all in white and gold." He grinned at Remus. "Though I don't think I'd have believed him a year ago."

"It does sound inappropriately pure," Remus agreed, plucking a needle from the greens and transfiguring it into a crystal icicle. "How's this?"

"Perfect! Let's do lots. Show me?"

"I'm glad you're here," Harry said later. The tree glittered almost everywhere, by now. "Thanks for helping."

"I'm rather enjoying it," Remus confessed. He hesitated. "I think you must be as well." He looked away from Harry, as if searching for a place to hang the next icicle. "Unless you're rather closer to Draco than you admit."

Harry bristled. "I'm very close to him," he retorted. "I'm very close to Ron too, and to Hermione -- probably closer than when she was my girlfriend. I don't understand why people undervalue friendship so much."

Remus smiled in an odd sort of way. "You've never done anything like this for Ron or Hermione, though."

"I didn't need to. They could go home if they wanted to."

"But they stayed for you."

"Right. So something here was worth it to them."

"Ah."

"I don't want him to regret it."

"As you told Dobby."

"Did you think I'd lie to him?"

With a sigh, Remus looked away. "Sometimes I don't know what to think of you."

Harry hung the gold ball he had been moving back in its original spot. "What do you mean?"

Remus still didn't look at him. "You always seem happy to see me," he said, his voice tight, "but...."

"But what?" Harry demanded.

"I heard the password for your rooms," Remus confessed. "That day when Severus brought me down to talk, and we had lunch...."

"Oh." Harry heated. He hoped that hadn't made things too awkward between Remus and Severus. "That was mine, actually."

"Yes." Remus met his eyes. "So your father said."

"What?" Harry twitched back. "Is he trying to cause-- Look, that was ages ago!"

"Ages?"

"Before you knew he was my father. And he was in the hospital wing, and I was frantically worried, and you bulled your way into his rooms and tried to stay...."

"That!" Remus let out a quick breath. "Oh. And then you kept it...?"

"Well, you know how passwords are," Harry said. "They stop meaning anything."

"Hm. Yes, I remember Alice Longbottom saying 'higgledy-piggledy' with perfect dignity." Remus smiled slightly. "And I expect it was a matter of some pride to him that you cared enough to be angry."

"He should have told you--"

"We heard you and Draco. The conversation was cut short."

Harry thought about that for a moment, and then nodded. He took a deep breath. "Even then," he said, "you mattered. It was driving me round the twist when he said not to talk to you, and then you said not to be alone with you. You're always welcome in our rooms."

"Always?" Remus challenged, but with a smile.

"Okay. As long as it doesn't upset him."

"Thank you."

"Have you been worrying about that all week?"

"Off and on." Remus picked up a bough from the heap by the door. "Mantel next?"