Misguided Intentions

Harry and Draco didn't know what to expect when they got on the train at Hogsmeade that crisp Monday morning. They knew there were supposed to be going 'home' with someone, but Dumbledore never did tell them after all who they would be. The only good thing bout the trip back was that the day before they had won the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff yesterday putting them another 50 points ahead of Slytherin House. If all went well, and they took the final few games of the season, the House Cup would be Gryffindor's this year without problem.

Due to the large group they were forced to split off into 2 compartments, 4 in, 3 in another. Harry, Draco, Remus now occupied one of the cabins, whilst James, Lily, Sirius and Peter the other. Overall it wasn't too bad, it actually gave Remus and Harry a chance to talk to Draco alone which he sort of had wanted.

They had already been on the train for bout an hour now, it was just past midday and Harry heard the familiar cry of the sweets trolley approaching.

"What do you guys want off the trolley?" Harry said making a mental list. When the lady stopped after a few minutes, Harry paid up 11 sickles and 4 knuts for a bunch of Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and some other sweets he wanted, and for the next half hour they indulged themselves while replaying yesterday's match.

"Couldn't believe it when Gorroc got actually thrown out of the game this time. Good break for us that was." Remus said through a Pumpkin Pasted mouthful.

Harry nodded. "I know, was almost too good to be true. He's a darn good keeper he is. Threw out nearly half the quaffles Draco tried to pitch in." he said gagging as he bit into a pepper flavoured bean. "Ugg, pepper!" he said spitting it out.

Draco and Remus laughed. "Serves you right, you know to avoid the grey ones by now Harry!" Draco said. "What really got me though was when Harvey got actually told off by Sierra for that call near the end. I still cant believe he said that!" Draco said laughing again.

"I thought I was going to drop off the broomstick when he said it at that. I've never heard Harvey curse like that! Dont blame him though, that cad Forster did aim right for Harvey's girlfriend and she was in the stands, deliberately too mind you. Hufflepuffs might be mildmannered on the ground but whew, in the air....." Remus said shaking his head.

"Oh everyone knows it's cause Harvey stole Correnda from Forster is why. Still, bad form taking it out on the watchers." Harry said nodding and grabbing up a Cauldron Cake now. "Anyway, what are your plans for the hols Moony?" he said.

"Oh, I dont know really. I might head up to London for a bit and visit the British Museum, I hear they have a really good display of mummies and things from Egypt in now. Always liked those sort of things, getting a glimpse into the past like that." he said oblivious actually of the glance between Harry and Draco as he said that.

"Yeah, I know you mean Moony." Draco said trying to hide a small grin. "No plans to see...." he began but was cut off by the door suddenly sliding open in a hurry.

"Remus hide me!" a panicked voice said as a flurry of black robes half slid under the lower luggage rack.

"Sev? What in the world...?" Remus began but the door slid open a second time now causing him to look up quickly.

"Allright, where is he? Where is the little traitor?" Lucius Malfoy said through clenched teeth.

Remus stood up and faced Lucius, a dark look on his face. "What do you want Malfoy? Only the three of us are here, so sod off."

"I saw him come down this car Lupin, he's here somewhere, I know it. And when I find him..." Lucius said threateningly.

"You'll do what Malfoy? Curse him? Kill him?" Harry said standing up now as well. Whatever was going on didn't sound good, and if it involved Lucius Malfoy that was usually an understatement.

"He may as well wish I had killed him when I get my hands on him!" Lucius said in an icy tone.

"Get out Malfoy, before I make you leave." Remus said keeping his voice low, which anyone who knew Remus Lupin meant that he was in defense mode...or wolf mode. And that was dangerous for the person who was the recipient of the lowered voice.

"He'll come here, I know he'll run to his little lover boy. You tell him from me that it wasn't an offer, it was a command. Tell him that he's got till the end of the holidays, and when we get back I best have the answer I want." Lucius said with a sneer, then turned on his heel and headed back out slamming shut the door behind him hard enough to shatter the glass pane.

Remus whispered a quick "arcunus repairus" spell to fix the glass, then opened the door carefully and peeked out, making sure Lucius Malfoy was well and truely gone. After a second he closed the door and sat back down, a very angry look on his face.

"Come on out Sev, he's gone." Remus said thickly, and Severus scrambled out from underneath the luggage rack and sat down next to Remus.

He didn't talk right off, he could tell Remus was shaking he was so angry, and finally when he could take the silence no longer he meekly asked, "Your...your not mad at me are you Remus?"

Remus blinked in surprize, and shook his head. "Oh Merlin no love! I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at that annoying, obnoxious prat Malfoy. What was he going on about anyway Sev? What did he mean?" he said now a bit more gently and took Sev's hand in his.

Severus began shaking then and a strange look came into his eyes, a lost helpless kind of look which made Remus slide over to him and take him gently in his arms. "Oh Remy it's...it's awful! He...he..." Severus began but his voice didn't seem to want to say what was the problem.

"It's allright Severus, take your time. We wont be getting to the platform for a while yet. Malfoy's nothing but a berk, even worse than that." Harry said patting Severus's arm now comfortingly.

"Yeah, I'm actually inclined to agree with you Harry. The more I see of Lucius Malfoy, the less I like him." Draco said causing Harry to look over at him sharply.

"Your serious? You really dont like Malfoy?" he said searching Draco's eyes now as if trying to find that Draco was lying to him.

Draco nodded slowly. "Yeah Harry, I dont. I think he's horrible, that he'll always be horrible actually. I just wish I'd seen it sooner, could have saved me alot of problems if you know what I mean." he said softly and gazed into Harry's eyes. *I could have been friends with you since first year Harry if I had only knew the truth of how my father really is...we could have been so much more now....* Draco's thoughts began to say, but were interrupted by Harry.

"I do know what you mean Dray, and for once I agree with you on that. There's so much that could have been different back then. But...it's never to late to start you know...." Harry said giving Draco a small smile, which Draco gratefully returned.

"Your right Harry, it's never too late." he said, then turned back to Remus and Severus. "Are you allright now Severus? Can you talk bout it?" he said gently.

Severus sniffed back some tears and nodded his head. "I guess so. I'm sorry I took you by surprize everyone, I just didn't want him to catch me. He's really angry with me because....because..." it was clear that he still was having trouble discussing it, and a look of pure fear came into his eyes again.

"It's allright love, you dont have to tell us if you dont want to..." Remus said kissing Severus's forehead now.

"No, I have to Remy, so you know. Lucius..he...he told me that...that You-Know-Who told my...father that...I'm to be recruited at the next...next meeting. If...if I refuse to go with...Lucius..." he said in a voice that was half a whisper now.

"Sev you cant..." Remus began but was cut off.

"No Remus...if I dont go with Lucius and...and take...you know...then...Lucius is under orders to...make me go. By any..means...necessary if..if need be. I have to...give him my answer...by the end of the hols..." he said in a soft yet horror filled voice.

"Oh gods love...no...you just cant do it. It's...well...well you just cant take the mark!" Remus said in a mixtured tone of voice. He wanted to kill Malfoy, kill Severus's father, Voldemort and the entire death eater cult, whilst wanting desperately to protect and keep his Severus safe from all of this. Either way, it seemed a very lost cause.

"I dont want to Remy, you know I dont! I'm not evil like them! I hate You-Know-Who, I hate being a Slytherin...and most of all I hate Lucius Malfoy!" Severus said half sighing and half frustrated, a new round of tears showing fresh on his face.

"Dont worry my love, we'll come up with something I swear it. No matter what happens, we'll get through this allright?" Remus said softly pulling Severus back into his arms, the one place Severus wished he could be forever.

"He's right Severus, we'll help too." Draco said suddenly then indicating himself and Harry. "Malfoy wont win, we wont let him win. Somehow we'll come up with something right Harry?" he said turning to Harry now.

Harry had been surprized at the determination in Draco's voice. Draco was going to go against his own father? Was this the same Draco Malfoy who said they couldn't change or create a 'future' of their own liking? Somehow if he hadn't heard the words for himself, he doubted he would have believed it, but since he had heard them, he had little choice.

"Right Draco, we'll do what we can. Malfoy cant get away with this, somehow there's got to be a way to save you Severus. Trust us allright?" he said turning now to Severus. It actually hurt Harry that Severus seemed in so much pain at the moment from what he knew he might have to do.

Severus nodded back to Harry with a grateful look in his eyes. "Thank you Harry. Thank you everyone, I do believe and trust you all. Just...promise me not to tell anyone else?" he said almost pleadingly.

Remus chuckled, relieving the tension in the air. "That is something you dont have to worry bout Sev, I can assure you. I love James, Peter and Sirius like brothers, but there are some things you just dont tell them...this being one of them." he said gazing up.

Severus, Harry and Draco grinned at that as well, that was the truth statement of the year. "Oh that does remind me...have you two noticed something a bit extraordinary between two certain dormmates lately?" Harry said mischievously.

"Hmm? Oh strange? No...dont think I have...what do you mean Harry?" Remus said furrowing his brow in thought.

"Well unless I'm wrong on this, and I doubt it..our dear Mr. Padfoot has an interesting secret he's keeping. One that should make you happy Dray." Harry said, his brown eyes twinkling as he turned to Draco now.

Draco raised an eyebrow at him and smirked, "Oh? And what could possibly make me that happy Flyer?"

"Just the fact that Padfoot seems completely taken with a certain oh...studious Gryffindor who is in 7th year as well...who happens to like playing chess amongst other things..." Harry said grinning even broadly now as recognition flittered across Draco's face.

"No, honestly? You dont mean..." he said but Remus cut him off finishing the sentence.

"Peter? Oh good gods, are you sure Harry?" Remus said actually in surprize.

Harry nodded and laughed. "Very sure Moony. Though I'm sorry to say poor Peter doesn't even know it, and I feel bad he's still so stuck on me...but Sirius and Peter said they're getting together during the hols so..." he said leaving things up in the air.

"So maybe something will happen you think eh?" Remus said grinning sweetly now.

"I think that's great though Remus, that get's Black off our backs at anyrate. And hopefully Peter off yours Harry." Severus said now thoughtfully.

"The Express will be arriving at Platform 9 3/4's in 15 minutes. Please gather all your belongings and change out of your school attire. I repeat, the Express will be arriving in 15 minutes."

"Well, time sure does fly when you're having fun!" Remus said jovially and started to gather up his things. Suddenly he got a thought however. "Sev?"

"Yeah Remy?"

"You're not going back to your parents house this holiday are you?" he said actually worried now.

Severus shook his head. "No thank Merlin. My cousin said she'd take me in instead, my parents are still in Greece or something so I"m being spared. I doubt my father will return until I...well...until I go back to school and have to um..." he said sighing again.

"Which cousin is it?" Remus said.

"Oh, Ryanna. She's the one I was telling you that hates my parents. My mum is her mum's sister, and she hates You-Know-Who. Luckily my father cant say anything or it would blow his 'cover' with his Ministry job." he said.

"Well, I was thinking....do you think...she'd mind terribly if...if you spent the holiday with someone else instead of with her?" Remus said hesitantly.

Severus looked at Remus shocked for a moment, then a smile transformed his face. "No, not at all really. Actually she has a boyfriend who's in America and she secretly told me she'd rather go there this holiday, but her parents made her stay at home because of me. My aunt and uncle are very nice, they hate my parents so much I can do whatever I want really, so no..they wouldn't mind at all! But...well..where were...where would I go?" he said now questioningly.

"Well...that is...would you like to come stay at my house instead? My parents wouldn't mind either. I sort of allready told them about you and well...they'd love to meet you Sev I"m sure. And well....there's something very important I need to talk to you about...." Remus said softly.

"You two can talk later...the trains pulling in now. Come on, let's get off first so we can avoid Malfoy eh? Besides, I want to say goodbye to the rest of the gang!" Harry said impatiently now. He suddenly had a very good feeling of exactly what Remus was going to tell Severus, and personally he thought it was about time for it.

Grabbing his things up and practically dragging everyone else out, the 4 of them stepped out onto the platform and waited off to the side for the rest of the group. Spotting them quickly they all went over and in a midst of hugs and hurried goodbyes, everyone headed out in pairs through the magical barrier. James and Lily first, Sirius and Peter second, Remus and Severus third, and Harry and Draco last.

On the outside parents milled everywhere. James was off to spend the holiday with the Evan's since he really didn't want to go home to an empty house. Harry saw Severus pull Remus over to a pretty girl who was practically beaming and dancing when she found out Remus was taking Severus with him, and Peter and Sirius's parents scooped them both up and out before anyone could even say anything.

All that left now was...

"Oi! Harry! Draco darling! Over here!" a woman's voice filtered out from just beyond the number 10 platform. Harry and Draco looked over and saw a small yet rather pretty blonde haired woman round her 40's waving at them, a smiling man with short blonde/brown hair by her side. The picked up their bags then and headed over, only to be caught up in giant hugs by the two people.

"Um..mum? Dad?" Draco said a bit embarrassed by the show of affections. "It's err...great to see you..." he said fumbling for words now. He'd never been hugged by his real parents in his whole life before, and this was a very odd sensation for him.

"Oh dont fuss so! Let us see you, you've grown so much since we last saw you! And look at you Harry, even taller then our Draco!" the woman said beaming and taking him into a hug now too.

"Er...yeah..nice to see you too Mrs. Malloy." Harry said back embarrassed as well.

"Oh come on Aelana you're smothering the boys! Here, put your bags on the trolley and we'll head out to the car, it's parked just outside. We'll talk in the car boys." the man said helping the boys with their luggage.

They didn't speak till they got everything into the car, and finally were on their way to where the boys still didn't know.

"Well, sorry bout all that, but we did have to keep up appearances you know." the woman, Aelana said turning round to face the boys in the back seat. Just like Arthur Weasley had done with his Ford Angelica in the future, this man had altered the car to be big and spacious inside while appearing normal to the muggles outside.

"It's allright, just was a surprize is all." Harry said smiling back at her now.

"Well then, let's get on with the introductions. I'm Aelana as you know, and this is my husband Alemni Harroby. Though for now of course, it's Malloy." she said smiling at Draco now.

"Er...how did you know who to look for though? Professor Dumbledore never even told us who to look for..." Draco said now a bit uncomfortable with how nice this woman was treating him even if it was for 'pretend'.

"That is so Albus for you eh Aelana? Think's but forgets to explain sometimes." Alemni said chuckling. "Runs in the family you know boys, I get that all the time."

"Family? Er...what do you mean?" Harry said puzzled.

"Oi! Dont tell me he sent you to us and didn't even tell you who we are? I swear that man will be the death of me one day, mark my words Alemni!" the woman said throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Albus Dumbledore boys, is my granddad...and a better grand you couldn't find even if he is a bit coy sometimes." she said laughing now.

"Dumbledore has children? But...you look so young!" Draco said shocked now.

Aelana laughed again and nodded. "I'm actually 55 but dont tell anyone allright? Grandda would kill me if he knew I was using muggle treatments to keep me younger looking." she said with a grin. "Anyway boys, for the next fortnight you'll be staying at our home as you know. Grandda told me you live near Buckingham Draco which is convenient really since we live just outside of there in Maid's Moreton. Nice little place really, lots of trees and fresh air for you boys." she said smiling again at them both.

"I know Maid's Moreton, been there before. It's pretty, you'll like it Harry." Draco said now giving him a nod.

"I"m sure I will." Harry said smiling back at Draco, catching a look from him that suddenly made him almost blush.

"There's only one draw back boys...er...and we are sorry bout this but..." Aelana said now glancing at Alemni for a moment who nodded back in assurance. "Well the fact of the matter is we only have a small bungalow as it were now, since our children have already left home we've taken in a few rooms...so you'll have to share a room if that's allright."

Harry and Draco looked a bit surprized, they hadn't expected this at all. "Er, sure it's no bother really. We share a dorm room at school so it's just like the same thing." Harry said quickly.

"Harry's right, it's not a problem for us. We're just glad to be able to leave the school for a bit. Thank you for that Mr and Mrs. Harroby." Draco said.

Harry looked at Draco in a surprize yet again, Draco was actually glad to be leaving the school and thanking the Harroby's? A part of Harry began to feel a bit strange then, almost happy that Draco was being this way. "Yes, thank you very much for taking us in." Harry said back now smiling.

"You're welcome, but please just call us Aelana and Alemni allright? Mr and Mrs Harroby sounds just too formal for my tastes!" Aelana said with a grin.

The rest of the trip to Maid's Moreton was uneventful really. Harry and Draco told the Harroby's pretty much the truth, since Aelana made it quite clear Dumbledore had told them some of the circumstances behind who they really were. They made plans for some of the days of the holiday to visit places of interest, but over all the boys were pretty much free to do as they pleased as long as they stayed out of trouble. Harry and Draco assured them both they wouldn't be any trouble at all, and they would do their part to help whenever possible.

It was almost 8 o'clock at night before they reached the village, and Aelana decided rather then cook anything that late they'd stop and eat at a local fish resturant. Harry and Draco had fried fish with these huge chips on the side and glasses of lemonade, while Aelana and Alemni order some perch and trout for themselves along with some jacket pototoes instead of chips. Dinner wasn't bad though a bit greasy for Draco's usual tastes, but he ate everything without any untoward comments, for which Harry was glad to see. By the time they got home it was almost 10 o'clock and both the boys were given a quick tour of the bungalow before settling in.

The Harroby's apparently seemed to enjoy living 'muggle' style, though Harry nor Draco could figure out why, but there was every 'modern' convience in the house that there could be. A colour telly was in the lounge, though it took up half the corner it was in it seemed being that it was nothing more then a huge brown panelled square box set on the floor with the picture window right in the middle. The also had an 'entertainment' area with a record player, and an 8 track player on it, not to mention music of all sorts ranging from most of the late 60's muggle singers like the Beatles, to a few select and almost hidden wizarding groups like the Magettes and the Bewitched Times Mages group Harry had been hearing round the younger set at Hogwarts.

The kitchen was quite 'modern' as well, having an electric fridgerator that had the doors side by side instead of the freezer being ontop. A shiny white gas cooker was over near a split steel sink, a drainboard right off to the side with dishes still in it. They had no washer or dryer, opting to use the one in the village once a week to meet up with the locals and catch up on the latest gossips they told the boys. A pile of muggle and wizarding newspapers filled a countertop, and Aelana said she used them as compost for her garden, though niether Harry nor Draco had yet been able to see a garden yet, but were assured it was a very nice one and round in the back.

Over all the bungelow was cozy and quaint. The boys room was oak panelled with wood floors as nearly the whole house was. The Harroby's liked the 'country' look as they called it, having seen it during a trip to old Boston in America 15 years ago, and redecorated their whole house in that old fashioned genre, down to even the natural wood furniture. A few throw rugs here and there were bout all the carpeting the house had to offer. Harry and Draco were atleast grateful they had indoor plumbing atleast and not outhouses, and Draco was quite facinated with the electricity concept having never really seen it before.

There was a blazing fire in the fireplace, although the house did have thankfully central heating they were told so they wouldn't freeze during the night. They're beds had warm duvets on them in blue, and not a house-elf apparently even lived in the house. They truely did live the 'muggle' way doing everything for themselves, perhaps Harry wondred if that was the secret to why they appeared so youthful.

After brushing their teeth and getting into their pyjama's, both boys were nearly wiped out in tiredness. They were settled in by Aelana who gave them each a kiss on the forehead goodnight to the boys surprize, and turned the light out closing the door. The only thing that did stay on was a small light over in one of the electrical outlets that acted as a type of nightlight incase the boys had to get up during the night for any reason.

"Harry?" Draco said softly as Harry was pressing up his pillow the way he liked it.

"Yeah Draco?" he said finally satisfied and closing his eyes.

"I just wanted to tell you that...well that I"m glad you're here with me that's all." Draco said closing his own eyes now and hopeful for an answer from Harry.

"I"m glad you're here too Draco.....we'll have fun together this holiday..." Harry said back yawning and half sleep now.

Draco didn't respond for a few minutes, just listened to the sounds of the nighttime air. "Yeah Harry...we will...." he said then let sleep finally take hold of him, a smile on his face in the darkened room showing everything he was feeling.

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