Disclaimer – Nothing but the plot is mine

This is a challenge set to me by TutelaTwin that I couldn’t resist and seeing I’m just so stuck with Forgive at the moment I thought, why not!

Not sure I can stick to all of the conditions (I’ve already half changed number two from a bet to a dare) but I’ll do my best.

Anyway, hopefully this might help with my writers block but one way or another I’d love to know what you think.

1)Harry is something unusual, can be creature, but cannot be veela, vampyre, elf of any variety, or anything else commonly written.

2)A contest/bet is made that puts Harry/Draco alone together for at least a week. Can include other groups, but must be in crosshouse pairings. Could be school organized, as interhouse relations, or could be organized by students over a break. Must be totally isolated except for chance encounters.

3)It is a Harry/Draco love or best friend/brother type relationship. Either works for me, as long as it reads well. But if it is lovers, then I request at least one explicit scene, unless you really can’t write them, in which case, I’ll understand.

4)Fatherly Severus, once he sees how the boys have bonded. Can be one of the boys’ real father or Draco’s godfather, but not both, and neither is necessary. But he must be a father figure to both of them.

5)Narcissa is a loving mother kept mostly out of Draco’s life by Lucius since Draco was a small child.

6)Blindfolds must be involved at least once. I’ll leave it up to you how.

Both boys must be blindfolded at the same time though. (Just because I’m evil, I think. And that’s a mental image I like.)

7)Albus is either ignorant, or allowing him to control his life for a while, and does not object to pairing the two up, but was not involved in it. He can either be grandparental figure, or aloof, but cannot be overly conniving. He cannot know how much the Dursleys abuse Harry, at the beginning of the story, anyway. He can find out during the story if you wish, but it isn’t necessary. Good!Albus.

8)At least one kiss between the boys must be included, no matter what relationship it turns out to be.

9)Harry has a major phobia related to one of Draco’s gifts. Draco’s gifts must also be unusual, no magical creature inheritance. Must be mental or magical gifting.

10)I want Sirius to be alive, because he’s my favorite character, so I guess it’ll be either up to fifth book or AU. If AU, it cannot be a different school, adoption, or non-magic fic.

Harry Potter and the Ancient Race

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Chapter 1 - Afraid

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‘Albus, you must do something.’ Molly insisted, her voice slightly shrill. ‘He’s been in there for three days. Nothing we say or do seems to make any difference. Not even Sirius can get through the ward he has up.’

The elderly wizard sighed. He’d brought Harry back to Grimmauld Place the night before his sixteenth birthday, far earlier than the previous year, in an effort to bring the young man out of the funk he’d fallen into after the mess at the Ministry of Magic. His godfather had almost fallen through the veil and even though all his friends had been released from the hospital wing within the week Harry’s heart was still heavy with guilt.

He blamed himself for not learning occlumency correctly, for putting his friends in danger, and most of all, for letting the Dark Lord trick him in the first place.

‘You need to get in there, Albus. Something could have happened. He could have….’ Sirius trailed off as he ran a hand trough his long black hair. ‘Just break down that bloody ward.’ He snapped as the others in the room watched him in concern. His godson’s continuing refusal to see or speak to anyone was causing him great distress and he spent hours sitting on the floor outside Harry’s room begging for the young man to let him in.

Everyone in the house had tried. Well, almost everyone. Draco Malfoy sat quietly in the shadows in the corner. Brought to the Order at the request of his mother as she’d fled to France after his father’s incarceration, it had taken over a month before most of the Weasleys would even speak to him and even now Ron would shoot glares of loathing at him from across the room.

‘Maybe you should just leave him alone.’ He said suddenly. All eyes turned on him and Draco struggled not to shift under the intense gazes.

‘You’d like that wouldn’t you, ferret?’ Ron snarled. ‘For Harry just to stay locked up alone until he starved to death. You said you were going to kill him yourself if I remember correctly.’

‘Ron!’ Hermione exclaimed.

‘I was wrong.’ Draco said quietly.

‘Look this isn’t getting us anywhere.’ Remus cut in. ‘Albus, can you please just try and get in there, at least so that we can tell if he’s okay.’

‘He hasn’t even opened his birthday presents.’ Ginny pouted causing Draco to snort softly and look down at his hands.

‘Shut up, ferret.’ Ron snarled.

‘Hush your mouth, Ronald Weasley.’ Molly scolded as Albus nodded and rose from the kitchen table.

‘I’ll see what I can do.’ The elderly wizard promised as he shuffled towards the door.

‘It won’t work.’ Draco mumbled, silenced only as the glares turned on him again.

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An hour later the man returned and it was quite clear he had made no further progress than anyone else and even clearer that he was now quite concerned. They’d all listened from the kitchen as he’d at first pleaded with Harry to open the door before finally resorting to a litany of spells which by the sound of it had absolutely no effect whatsoever.

‘I’m sorry, Molly. I cannot remove that ward he has up any more than you can. I don’t know what magic he’s used but I can’t break it.’ Albus said sadly.

‘I told you.’ Draco said simply.

‘You try and do any better then, ferret.’ Ron snarled. ‘Or are you just good at shooting your mouth off.’

Draco raised an eyebrow. ‘Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.’

‘We’ll at least I tried and he spoke back to me. I bet it’s better than you could do?’

The eyebrow remained raised as thin arms folded over his chest. ‘You are his best friend, Weasel. I would hope that if anyone could get a response from him, you could. Otherwise why the hell else would you all keep trying.’

Ron leapt off his chair. ‘I dare you to do any better. You bloody sit here all day, telling everyone what they’re doing wrong like some bloody god. You damn well do better. I bet you couldn’t even get a single sound out of him.’

The tension in the room was palpable, even Molly staying quiet as she clearly agreed with her son. After several minutes of anxious silence Draco rose from his chair, his grey eyes glinting darkly. ‘Be careful what you wish for, Weasel.’ He whispered before stalking swiftly from the room.

‘Ron, you shouldn’t have said that.’ Hermione said softly, taking his hands and tugging him back into the seat. ‘I know you’re just worried but it’s hard enough having him here without making it even worse.’

‘Ron’s right, Hermione.’ Ginny cut in. ‘Malfoy’s been sitting here for three days telling us we’re wrong. It’s about time he put either put up or shut up.’

‘Where do they all learn these muggle expressions?’ Arthur asked curiously but any reply was cut off at the ominous creak of a door upstairs.

The large group exchanged incredulous glances before as one bolting for the door and hurtling noisily up the staircase, just in time to see the edge of Malfoy’s robes disappearing into Harry’s room and the door shutting firmly behind them.

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Draco slipped silently up the staircase and down the corridor to the room he knew the Boy-Who-Lived had been hiding in for the last three days. Standing outside he lifted a hand to knock but simply shook his head and sighed. ‘I don’t know why they won’t just leave you alone, Potter.’ He murmured before turning to walk away…just before he felt the wards drop and the door clicked and creaked open loudly.

Draco glanced back to the staircase, hesitating a moment as he heard the noisy sound of running footsteps before pushing the door open and stepping into the dark room as the door closed sharply behind him.

He felt the wards go up again as he looked around. There was a single candle burning on a dresser in one corner, its thin wick barely giving out enough light to show the dresser’s dark wood paneling and casting shadows all about the room. He looked along every wall, barely able to see and unable to find the object of all the concern, and raised his wand. ‘Lum..’

‘Don’t, please.’

Harry’s voice stole out of the shadows before he could finish the charm and he squinted in the darkness to make out the huddled figure in the corner.

‘Potter?’ Draco asked hesitantly, moving cautiously towards him.

Harry shrank even further into the shadows. ‘Don’t come any closer.’ He pleaded, Draco frowning at the husky tone. It was if he’d been screaming.

‘Potter, are you alright? Everyone is really worried. You should let them in.’

The figure shifted slightly. ‘I thought you wanted them to leave me alone.’

Draco sighed unsure of what to do now. He glanced at a chair several feet away and moved to sit down. Hesitant to speak for several minutes he finally jumped in. ‘What’s wrong, Potter? Why did you let me in? Why me?’

Harry sucked in a deep breath. ‘Because I need your help.’ He murmured huskily and Draco could guess just how much it had taken for the other boy to admit that.

‘What do you need help with?’ He asked curiously.

‘I need you to help me get out of here.’

The Slytherin frowned. ‘Get out of here? But your safe here.’

‘I won’t be soon.’ Harry said cryptically.

Draco frowned even more deeply. ‘Why wouldn’t you be safe, and why choose me of all people?’

Harry shifted slightly. ‘Because out of everyone here, I believe you to be the only one who might not be afraid of me.’ He said in a small voice.

Draco snorted. ‘They’re your family, Potter, why would they be scared of you?’

Harry didn’t answer him just moving slightly away from the corner and turning to face the other boy as the candle on the dresser suddenly flared.

‘Sweet mother of Merlin.’ Draco breathed incredulously.

The Boy-Who-Lived had all but transformed. His black hair glinted with red, the green eyes blazed above an aquiline nose and the highest cheekbones Draco had ever seen, and the skin that could be seen had paled till it almost looked blue. This colour seemed far less unusual as first thought however as it complimented the shiny sapphire scales that covered the entire right side of Harry’s cheek and neck.

Harry shifted again and Draco automatically shrank back in the chair.

‘I see I was wrong.’ Harry whispered. ‘I trust you can keep this to yourself.’ He added moving away again.

‘No!’ Draco cried, leaning forward again. ‘I’m sorry. It was just a bit of a shock.’

Harry snorted sadly. ‘Shock, my arse. I’m a monster.’

‘No.’ Draco’s response was instant ‘Don’t say that.’

‘Look at me! I…I don’t even know what happened. I went to bed and I woke up like this.’

‘You don’t know?’ Draco’s voice held a trace of curiosity.

Harry shook his head slowly, his eyes wary in the dim light.

‘You’re a Draconian, Harry.’ Draco explained, not even realizing he had used Harry’s first name. They’re very rare and very old. No one has seen or heard of one for almost four hundred years. I assume you received your inheritance as you came of age.’

‘Inheritance? Are you saying my mother or father were this…Draconian? Surely someone would have said something. I though you said there hadn’t been any for hundreds of years. How can no one have known?’

‘Calm down.’ The Slytherin said soothingly as Harry’s eyes flashed in fear and anger. ‘Draconian blood usually skips generations, no one knows when it will show up. It’s likely your parents may not have even known.’

Draco watched as the Boy-Who-Lived swallowed convulsively and shifted from side to side before standing. The Slytherin’s eyes widening as he took in the sheer size of someone who had previously been the scrawniest kid in sixth year. How he’d managed to hide in the corner when Draco had first come in he didn’t know. He was now more that a head taller that the blond with long limbs, broad shoulders and a narrow waist.

‘I need to know.’ Harry said suddenly. I have to know how…’ Harry trailed off as he looked down at his new form before closing his eyes and looking away.

Draco rose uncertainly and stepped forward making an aborted movement to touch the other boy. ‘I don’t know what to do.’

‘Help me.’ Harry whispered. ‘Help me find out the truth.’

‘But what of your friends? I’m sure they could help you. Black is going nuts down stairs.’

Harry shook his head. ‘No. I can’t let them see me like this. I can’t let anyone see me like this.’

‘They won’t care.’

Harry looked back, his green eyes suspiciously bright. ‘I care. Please, please help me get out of here.’

Draco found himself unable to look away and unable to stop himself from nodding. ‘I’ll help.’ He whispered.

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‘What the bloody hell happened?’

‘What took so long?’

‘Where’s Harry?’

‘Is he okay?’

Draco took a step backwards as he was bombarded with questions the minute he came into view at the top of the stairs. Personally he’d been surprised that no one had still been standing outside the door ready to barge in a soon as it opened but he guessed they gave up eventually.

He arched an eyebrow as he continued down the steps through the gathered group and into the kitchen. ‘We talked…for a while. He’s still in his room and yes, he’s okay…or he would be if you just left him alone.’ He finished pouring himself a cup of tea.

Ron threw him a glare and stormed out of the room with Hermione, Ginny and Sirius in pursuit.

‘Draco?’

The Slytherin glanced up to see his Head of House and the Headmaster looking at him in curiosity. ‘Yes?’

‘Was he alright? Really?’ Dumbledore asked.

Draco shrugged and gave a little sigh. ‘For the most part.’ He murmured, looking away. He knew from personal experience just how much both men could find out just by looking you in the eye.

‘Draco?’ The potions master reached out to grasp his chin but Draco stepped back and out of reach. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I have a headache. I might go and lay down for a while.’ He added turning on his heel and hurrying from the room before anyone could stop him.

‘Something’s wrong, Albus.’ Snape murmured softly so the rest of the Weasleys couldn’t hear. ‘I can feel it.’

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Draco edged out of the window and onto the broom, trying not to fall. It was pitch black and Draco could barely see his hand in front of his face let alone being concerned any muggles on the street might be able to see him. He’d managed to ignore the rest of the house for the entirety of the next day, feigning illness. Not that it was all that hard, they really didn’t want to see him anyway. It had taken several hours of planning and decisions, as well an in-depth discussion with a house elf before he finalized his plan, writing it out neatly before sneaking down to Harry’s room. He had to wait for almost half an hour before the other two thirds of the golden trio stopped trying to get Harry to open his door and went down to have dinner. He then crept closer and after a quick glance around slipped the note under the door before hurrying back to his room.

He’d waited until it was well and truly dark and all noise in the house had ceased before he’d pulled his broom out of the closet and opened the window. There was no use trying to sneak Harry out of his room; Black had taken to sleeping in front of the door for the last two nights just in case Harry snuck out to use the bathroom during the night.

After a last glance around the room to check he had anything of importance and he’d mounted the broom and pushed off the ledge. It took some very careful maneuvering through the darkness up over the roof and down the other side of the house till he found the open window with the candle in it Harry had left to guide him. He hovered next to the window ledge and waited a moment. ‘Potter?’ He whispered.

‘I’m here.’ Harry’s husky voice drifted from a few steps away and moments later the boy stepped into view, cloaked in dark fabric with just his face uncovered. It still stunned Draco for a few moments at the sheer wild beauty of it.

‘Are you ready to go?’ He said finally.

Harry swallowed and nodded. Moving the candle to the nearby dresser and lifting the hood till it covered his face. Draco shifted forward on the broom as Harry carefully climbed out the window and onto the broom behind him. It struggled for a moment with their combined weight before settling and Draco carefully steered it away from the house. He felt Harry’s arms go around his waist and the bigger, warmer body holding onto his tightly and it made him feel surprisingly safe.

‘Okay there, Potter?’ He asked softly as they headed higher and towards the north.

He felt Harry just nod against his shoulder and they flew in silence for several minutes before the Boy-Who-Lived finally spoke.

‘Thank you, Malfoy.’

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Would love to know what you think?

Regards,

Mione