Tea at the Manor (H/D, G)
Title: Tea at the Manor
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: G (pre-slash)
Word Count: ~ 1600
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco (pre-slash), Ron, Hermione, Narcissa
Challenge: For pepper202's birthday prompts of "tea and crumpets." It also fits my GJ 100_prompts table #018 - "Laugh" and this month's harrylovesdraco prompt of, "Oh my God! The look on your face was priceless!"
Summary: Harry receives an invitation to tea.
Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for underage readers. Please observe the ratings, warnings, and age of legal consent for your country. The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
"What the?" Harry said in bewilderment.
Ron scooped the piece of parchment out of Harry's hand to read it. "Blimey!"
Hermione looked up. "That owl looks familiar. Who's the letter from?"
"Malfoy," Ron answered before Harry had a chance. "He's invited Harry over for tea."
"What?" asked a clearly shocked Hermione.
Harry elbowed Ron and scowled at him. "Actually, Narcissa Malfoy has invited me for tea," Harry explained, not sure if that was any better.
"I see," she answered.
"You do?" asked Ron and Harry together.
"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?"
"It is?" Ron asked, echoing Harry's thoughts. He couldn't think of much that would be less obvious.
Hermione huffed as she was prone to doing when explaining things to them. "She obviously wants to show her appreciation for you saving Draco's life."
"Do you think he even told her?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, it's not like Malfoy to admit something like that."
Hermione frowned. "Perhaps not, but I'm sure she would have found out by now. Perhaps Gregory's mother told her if Draco hadn't." She signalled towards the window. "I think it's waiting for a response, Harry."
"You're not going, are you?" Ron asked. "I mean, it could be a trap. Some Death Eater trick or something," he said, nodding confidently.
"Oh, Ronald, the war is over. Besides, Narcissa saved Harry's life. I hardly think any remaining Death Eaters - if there even are any - would want to help her. And Lucius is in prison, so what is there to worry about?"
"Malfoy," they responded in unison.
Hermione just rolled her eyes. "Answer the owl, Harry."
"I can't believe you're going!" Ron exclaimed for the three hundred and twenty second time, or so it seemed to Harry.
"Yes, Ron, I am," Harry huffed, fed up with explaining himself. "I told you that I don't think it's a trap. I think it's like Hermione said. She just wants to thank me."
"What if she wants something from you for saving your life?" Harry hadn't thought of that. Ron looked pleased with himself. "She might want you to get her old man out of Azkaban or something."
"Ha! Fat chance of that happening. I'll see him rot in there before I help the likes of Lucius Malfoy."
"She could Imperius you!"
"Remember me? Harry? Imperius doesn't work on me."
"Oh, yeah ... right. Well --"
"Look, Ron, I'll be fine. If she wants something from me, I might as well find out this way, right?"
"I suppose," he said, not sounding convinced at all, and looking worried as Harry stepped into the Floo.
"Mr. Potter?" the house-elf greeted Harry.
"Yes. I am here to see Mrs. Malfoy."
"She is telling Binky to take you to the sitting room with Master Malfoy."
Harry froze, visions of Lucius waving a wand, green light, then nothing. He gave his head a shake, realizing that, of course, the house-elf meant Draco. "Draco is here then?" he asked.
"Yes, I am," came the familiar drawl at the doorway, "although I hadn't realized we were on a first-name basis, Potter."
"No ... well ... we're not, I suppose. It's just ... well for a minute there ..."
"You'll be pleased to know that my father is still locked up in Azkaban. There will be no escape for him this time."
Good, Harry thought. "Right. Well ... I suppose I need to distinguish between you, so if you don't mind, I think I'll call you Draco from now on."
"This way, Potter," Draco smirked as he led the way. Harry didn't like the return of the arrogant, confident Draco. The last time he had seen Draco, Harry had just saved his life, and he much preferred to be the one with the upper hand. Perhaps showing up on his territory wasn't such a good idea after all.
"So your mother owled me --"
"Yes, well ... neither of us figured you would be inclined to accept the offer if I was the one making it."
"You wanted to invite me over?" Harry asked, confused.
"We both did, actually."
"Why?"
"To thank you, of course, my dear," Narcissa said as they entered the sitting room.
"Thank me? For what exactly?" Harry didn't know why, but he felt that if Draco hadn't wanted his mother to know he saved his life, he wasn't about to tell her.
"Honestly, Potter. For saving my life, twice. For getting rid of the Dark Lord. For testifying for both of us. For whatever other Gryffindor-induced actions we should be thankful to you for."
"Er ..."
"I is bringing the tea and crumpets now, madam," the house-elf squeaked, placing the tray on the sideboard.
Harry used the interruption to clear his head and formulate a response. Clearly Hermione had been right, and though he had hoped that was the reason, now he felt a bit ... well, strange about it all.
"Look, you have nothing to thank me for. In fact, the way I see it, we all helped each other out. Draco, you could have identified me when we were all captured, and you didn't. Mrs. Malfoy --"
"Call me Narcissa, dear."
Harry blinked. "Okay. Um ... Narcissa, you told Voldemort I was dead --"
"I didn't do that for you, you know."
"I know. You did it for your son, but you still saved my life. The way I see things, we just did what we had to do during the war. And we all already said thank you when it was done. All I did afterwards was what was right."
"Always a Gryffindor," Draco drawled, though it seemed filled with mirth rather than annoyance.
"Yeah, well, there's something to be said for Gryffindors."
"And Slytherins," Draco added.
"Slytherins too," Harry agreed. Draco looked sufficiently shocked.
"Mr Potter," Narcissa interjected.
"Call me Harry."
"Harry," she said as she smiled at him. "Perhaps there is something you could do for us?" Here it is. Ron was right. Shit! She's going to ask him to help Lucius.
"Mrs -- um, Narcissa," he said before she could say any more. "If this is about your husband, I'm sorry but --"
"Honestly, Potter - Harry," Draco interrupted. "Surely you don't think we'd have the nerve to ask you to help him, do you?" He looked at his mother, and Harry sensed that Draco didn't know what she was about to ask any more than Harry did, but that he was warning her not to ask for that.
"Well, he is your father."
"Yes, and my father" - he said the word with a hint of contempt - "wasn't exactly innocent, was he? He made serious errors in judgement, and we all nearly died because of it. No, Harry, we won't ask you to help him." Draco looked at him and Harry saw the sincerity in his eyes. "He always told me to be a man and deal with what life handed me. Well ... now he's going to have to deal with prison."
Harry was stunned into silence. Apparently the two Malfoys in front of him needed a moment to absorb what he had said as well.
"No, Harry," Narcissa interrupted the silence a few moments later, "what I wanted to ask you was ... well, perhaps you could help Draco here. You know, if people thought you accepted him ..." Her voice trailed off. He had visions of Rufus Scrimgeour asking him to be the Ministry's mascot, but then he looked up at the two people in front of him and smiled.
"I don't know what you are asking me for, but I already have told people what happened. Everyone knows that I do not hold Draco directly responsible for anything. I testified to that fact already."
"Yes, but ... if you were seen as friends --"
"What?!" Draco jumped up from his seat and bellowed at his mother. "Is this what you invited him over here for? To make ... friends with me? Honestly, mother, sometimes you --"
"Ahem," Harry interrupted. He looked from a livid Draco to a flustered Narcissa, grinning at the exchange. "As interesting a suggestion as this is, Narcissa, I do believe that Draco and I are capable of choosing our own friends. We are, after all, adults."
"Yes, well ... but ..." She sighed. "Very well, then."
As she made to leave the room, Draco glared at her. "We will discuss this later, Mother." She nodded curtly at Draco, smiled at Harry and left the room.
Harry got up and closed the door behind her, waited until she was out of earshot, then burst out laughing. "Oh my God! The look on your face was priceless!" he said. "Your mommy wants us to be friends, Drakey!" he said as he plunked himself down on the sofa next to Draco.
"Ha, ha. Very funny. Laugh it up, Potter."
Harry elbowed him. "Aw, c'mon, Draco, it was sweet. She just loves you, and wants your life to be easier than it has been." Harry grinned at Draco, completely serious. A sombre thought came over him just then. "You know, it would be nice to have a mother do silly things like that for me."
Draco looked taken aback, then chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose she has her moments."
"So, what do you say? Shall we try this friend thing again?" He held his hand out to Draco. "I may have been too quick to dismiss you in first year, and ... well ... we couldn't disappoint your mommy now, could we?"
"No," Draco said as he took Harry's hand, grinning, "we couldn't do that."
.
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: G (pre-slash)
Word Count: ~ 1600
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco (pre-slash), Ron, Hermione, Narcissa
Challenge: For pepper202's birthday prompts of "tea and crumpets." It also fits my GJ 100_prompts table #018 - "Laugh" and this month's harrylovesdraco prompt of, "Oh my God! The look on your face was priceless!"
Summary: Harry receives an invitation to tea.
Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for underage readers. Please observe the ratings, warnings, and age of legal consent for your country. The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
"What the?" Harry said in bewilderment.
Ron scooped the piece of parchment out of Harry's hand to read it. "Blimey!"
Hermione looked up. "That owl looks familiar. Who's the letter from?"
"Malfoy," Ron answered before Harry had a chance. "He's invited Harry over for tea."
"What?" asked a clearly shocked Hermione.
Harry elbowed Ron and scowled at him. "Actually, Narcissa Malfoy has invited me for tea," Harry explained, not sure if that was any better.
"I see," she answered.
"You do?" asked Ron and Harry together.
"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?"
"It is?" Ron asked, echoing Harry's thoughts. He couldn't think of much that would be less obvious.
Hermione huffed as she was prone to doing when explaining things to them. "She obviously wants to show her appreciation for you saving Draco's life."
"Do you think he even told her?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, it's not like Malfoy to admit something like that."
Hermione frowned. "Perhaps not, but I'm sure she would have found out by now. Perhaps Gregory's mother told her if Draco hadn't." She signalled towards the window. "I think it's waiting for a response, Harry."
"You're not going, are you?" Ron asked. "I mean, it could be a trap. Some Death Eater trick or something," he said, nodding confidently.
"Oh, Ronald, the war is over. Besides, Narcissa saved Harry's life. I hardly think any remaining Death Eaters - if there even are any - would want to help her. And Lucius is in prison, so what is there to worry about?"
"Malfoy," they responded in unison.
Hermione just rolled her eyes. "Answer the owl, Harry."
"I can't believe you're going!" Ron exclaimed for the three hundred and twenty second time, or so it seemed to Harry.
"Yes, Ron, I am," Harry huffed, fed up with explaining himself. "I told you that I don't think it's a trap. I think it's like Hermione said. She just wants to thank me."
"What if she wants something from you for saving your life?" Harry hadn't thought of that. Ron looked pleased with himself. "She might want you to get her old man out of Azkaban or something."
"Ha! Fat chance of that happening. I'll see him rot in there before I help the likes of Lucius Malfoy."
"She could Imperius you!"
"Remember me? Harry? Imperius doesn't work on me."
"Oh, yeah ... right. Well --"
"Look, Ron, I'll be fine. If she wants something from me, I might as well find out this way, right?"
"I suppose," he said, not sounding convinced at all, and looking worried as Harry stepped into the Floo.
"Mr. Potter?" the house-elf greeted Harry.
"Yes. I am here to see Mrs. Malfoy."
"She is telling Binky to take you to the sitting room with Master Malfoy."
Harry froze, visions of Lucius waving a wand, green light, then nothing. He gave his head a shake, realizing that, of course, the house-elf meant Draco. "Draco is here then?" he asked.
"Yes, I am," came the familiar drawl at the doorway, "although I hadn't realized we were on a first-name basis, Potter."
"No ... well ... we're not, I suppose. It's just ... well for a minute there ..."
"You'll be pleased to know that my father is still locked up in Azkaban. There will be no escape for him this time."
Good, Harry thought. "Right. Well ... I suppose I need to distinguish between you, so if you don't mind, I think I'll call you Draco from now on."
"This way, Potter," Draco smirked as he led the way. Harry didn't like the return of the arrogant, confident Draco. The last time he had seen Draco, Harry had just saved his life, and he much preferred to be the one with the upper hand. Perhaps showing up on his territory wasn't such a good idea after all.
"So your mother owled me --"
"Yes, well ... neither of us figured you would be inclined to accept the offer if I was the one making it."
"You wanted to invite me over?" Harry asked, confused.
"We both did, actually."
"Why?"
"To thank you, of course, my dear," Narcissa said as they entered the sitting room.
"Thank me? For what exactly?" Harry didn't know why, but he felt that if Draco hadn't wanted his mother to know he saved his life, he wasn't about to tell her.
"Honestly, Potter. For saving my life, twice. For getting rid of the Dark Lord. For testifying for both of us. For whatever other Gryffindor-induced actions we should be thankful to you for."
"Er ..."
"I is bringing the tea and crumpets now, madam," the house-elf squeaked, placing the tray on the sideboard.
Harry used the interruption to clear his head and formulate a response. Clearly Hermione had been right, and though he had hoped that was the reason, now he felt a bit ... well, strange about it all.
"Look, you have nothing to thank me for. In fact, the way I see it, we all helped each other out. Draco, you could have identified me when we were all captured, and you didn't. Mrs. Malfoy --"
"Call me Narcissa, dear."
Harry blinked. "Okay. Um ... Narcissa, you told Voldemort I was dead --"
"I didn't do that for you, you know."
"I know. You did it for your son, but you still saved my life. The way I see things, we just did what we had to do during the war. And we all already said thank you when it was done. All I did afterwards was what was right."
"Always a Gryffindor," Draco drawled, though it seemed filled with mirth rather than annoyance.
"Yeah, well, there's something to be said for Gryffindors."
"And Slytherins," Draco added.
"Slytherins too," Harry agreed. Draco looked sufficiently shocked.
"Mr Potter," Narcissa interjected.
"Call me Harry."
"Harry," she said as she smiled at him. "Perhaps there is something you could do for us?" Here it is. Ron was right. Shit! She's going to ask him to help Lucius.
"Mrs -- um, Narcissa," he said before she could say any more. "If this is about your husband, I'm sorry but --"
"Honestly, Potter - Harry," Draco interrupted. "Surely you don't think we'd have the nerve to ask you to help him, do you?" He looked at his mother, and Harry sensed that Draco didn't know what she was about to ask any more than Harry did, but that he was warning her not to ask for that.
"Well, he is your father."
"Yes, and my father" - he said the word with a hint of contempt - "wasn't exactly innocent, was he? He made serious errors in judgement, and we all nearly died because of it. No, Harry, we won't ask you to help him." Draco looked at him and Harry saw the sincerity in his eyes. "He always told me to be a man and deal with what life handed me. Well ... now he's going to have to deal with prison."
Harry was stunned into silence. Apparently the two Malfoys in front of him needed a moment to absorb what he had said as well.
"No, Harry," Narcissa interrupted the silence a few moments later, "what I wanted to ask you was ... well, perhaps you could help Draco here. You know, if people thought you accepted him ..." Her voice trailed off. He had visions of Rufus Scrimgeour asking him to be the Ministry's mascot, but then he looked up at the two people in front of him and smiled.
"I don't know what you are asking me for, but I already have told people what happened. Everyone knows that I do not hold Draco directly responsible for anything. I testified to that fact already."
"Yes, but ... if you were seen as friends --"
"What?!" Draco jumped up from his seat and bellowed at his mother. "Is this what you invited him over here for? To make ... friends with me? Honestly, mother, sometimes you --"
"Ahem," Harry interrupted. He looked from a livid Draco to a flustered Narcissa, grinning at the exchange. "As interesting a suggestion as this is, Narcissa, I do believe that Draco and I are capable of choosing our own friends. We are, after all, adults."
"Yes, well ... but ..." She sighed. "Very well, then."
As she made to leave the room, Draco glared at her. "We will discuss this later, Mother." She nodded curtly at Draco, smiled at Harry and left the room.
Harry got up and closed the door behind her, waited until she was out of earshot, then burst out laughing. "Oh my God! The look on your face was priceless!" he said. "Your mommy wants us to be friends, Drakey!" he said as he plunked himself down on the sofa next to Draco.
"Ha, ha. Very funny. Laugh it up, Potter."
Harry elbowed him. "Aw, c'mon, Draco, it was sweet. She just loves you, and wants your life to be easier than it has been." Harry grinned at Draco, completely serious. A sombre thought came over him just then. "You know, it would be nice to have a mother do silly things like that for me."
Draco looked taken aback, then chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose she has her moments."
"So, what do you say? Shall we try this friend thing again?" He held his hand out to Draco. "I may have been too quick to dismiss you in first year, and ... well ... we couldn't disappoint your mommy now, could we?"
"No," Draco said as he took Harry's hand, grinning, "we couldn't do that."
.