Imaginary

"Rawr!" A chibi Draco yelled. He was in his muggle park with his parents. It was a beautiful day, bright blue sky and not a cloud in sight. The breeze that came through every so often made the blazing sun bearable.

Draco, at the moment, was having fun jumping onto his father's shoulders.

"Got you, father."

Lucius laughed lightly, so only he and his son could hear, and grabbed his young son off his shoulders. "So you did Draco." He said to his son while turning his son around to face him and setting him on the ground.

"Now, are you ready to leave? We've been here for hours and you're mother and I wish to get home. Plus, I do believe Severus will be wondering where we are." Lucius added with a chuckle.

"But father," Draco whined, well as close to a whine a Malfoy can get. "I want to stay and play some more." He said.

Lucius looked at his son for a while then looked up to his wife. Said women was walking toward the pair.

"Are you ready to leave yet darling?" She asked her son as she took her spot next to her husband.

"No," Lucius sighed as he said the word. "Our son wishes to stay a while longer." He looked at his wife as if asking what to do.

"Please, Mother." Draco asked Narcissa with big silver eyes. His hands folded together.

"Alright Draco, you may. But you must be home before dark and if anything happens call us. Alright?" Narcissa told her son sternly while answering her husband's silent question.

"I will! Thank you mother!" He said quickly as he turned to run back to his playground. He turned around to look at his parents and waved at them while smiling. Then he turned back the the playground so he wouldn't run into it.

Draco felt that he was a very lucky seven-year-old. His parents let him stay at the park by himself (Though he believed it was because they lived in the mansion across the street which only witches or wizard could see), they actually built him this park for his sixth birthday, and he was a wizard-in -training.

Draco dashed to his favorite place in the whole playground, the tunnel under the white dragon slide. He loved this tunnel; it was his very own hiding place. He slowed when he got to the white dragon in the center of the park. He got down on his hands and knees and crawled into the dragon pouch.

The tunnel was quite big since the slide itself was at least twenty feet yards long. He made a turn in the tunnel and stopped. There, in front of him, was a black haired boy who was crying quietly.

At first he was going to tell the boy off. What gave him the right to be in HIS tunnel? But something stopped him, he didn't know what but something inside of him told him to look again.

He looked over the crying brunette, what he saw was something he didn't expect. This kid, this boy, had overly large clothes, so large the neck line of the shirt was falling off his shoulder. Showing off something Draco knew the boy wasn't proud of.

On the boys arm were bruises, some the size of apples some the size of fingerprints. There were also cuts that ran down his whole arm or little ones that when in different directions. Some of these cuts were still bleeding one being the long one running down his small arm.

"Hello." Draco said as he crawled the short way to the boy. The raven gasped and lifted his head to look at Draco. Tears were still streaming down his face but there was terror in his eyes, like he did something wrong.

"I-I'm s-sorry." He squeaked. "I-I'll leave."

The raven tried to crawl away and his overly big shirt fell down off both of his shoulders, exposing his chest. There was a long gash running from one side of his chest to the other side of his stomach. It looked to be stitched together quickly and roughly and it was also still bleeding.

He boy grabbed his… shirt and tried to crawl away again.

"Hey, wait." Draco grabbed the top of his arm to stop him and stop him he did. The raven gasped out in pain and fell forward. This time the boy practically screamed. Draco noticed that he was biting his lip to keep from screaming.

The boy started to shake and covered himself with his arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The boy practically sobbed out over and over again. It dawned on Draco that the boy was talking to him.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I won't hurt you." He told the boy softly not knowing what else to do. He didn't know what kind of monster who would do this to a child. He knew his father used to be a death eater but even they finished children off quickly, not wanting a child to suffer.

The boy didn't stop shaking or apologizing to Draco in the least. The seven-year-old tried to figure out what to do. He decided on what he would do, he would do what his mother did to him when he was sad.

He crawled slowly over to the boy, so not to scare him, and wrapped his arms around him. He felt the boy flinch when he touched him but didn't do anything further. Draco rocked him back and forth and told him it was alright.

Draco could have been rocking him for hours without even knowing it but something told him to help this boy. Maybe it was because he was young, maybe it was because he was hurt badly, but all Draco knew was something said he had to protect this nameless boy. It was something the seven-year-old never felt before.

Finally the raven stopped crying. Draco unwrapped his arms from the boy and sat back.

"Are you alright now?" Draco asked the raven. 'Nice Draco, of course he's not alright.' But the boy nodded regardless.

"I'm Draco." He introduced himself. The raven just looked at him. Draco sat there for a while hoping that the boy would get the hint and tell him his name. But as he waited he noticed that the raven wouldn't get the hint. Draco sighed softly.

"What's your name?" He asked. The boy looked at him with big, wide eyes.

"H-Harry, I'm Harry." The raven said timidly. Draco nodded and smiled softly.

"Hello Harry, whatcha doing here all alone?" He asked genuinely confused. Harry looked at Draco with scared eyes, he didn't want to answer. Luckily, Draco figured that.

"Well Harry, would you like to stay and play with me?" Harry's eyes grew large.

"Y-you wanna p-play? W-with ME?" Harry asked, shock in his voice. Draco nodded.

"Well yea, that's if you want to." Harry shook his head at Draco's question. Draco almost visibly deflated.

"N-no it's not that, I'd love to." Draco beamed.

"Well then come on. What would you like to play?"

"N-no I mean… you're not scared to play with me?" Harry asked with aw in his voice, completely ignoring Draco's question. Draco's face twisted into confusion.

"Whatcha mean? Why would I be scared to play with you?" He questioned. Harry looked down like he did something bad.

"W-well my cousin likes to bully anyone who's nice to me. S-so e-everyone stays away." He said in a guilty voice. Draco looked at him like he was crazy.

"Why would that keep me from playing with you?" Harry's head snapped up and he whined in pain as he strained his bruised neck.

"H-he's the really big one that pushes kids off the playground." Harry said feeling guilty.

"Well don't worry." Draco said with an encouraging voice. "He can't bully me here. One my father would stop him, and two this is my playground." Draco puffed out his chest. Harry looked at Draco with a confused face.

"T-this is y-your playground?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Yep!" Draco nodded happily. "My mother and father built this for my sixth birthday!" He said proudly.

"W-wow." Harry stuttered then found the floor of the tunnel very interesting. "I-i'm sorry I play in your park." Draco wanted to laugh.

"It's alright. My mother said I shouldn't be greedy and let other kids play here, too." Draco explained as he leaned back onto his hands.

"T-thank you." Harry told the other. Draco looked at him questioningly. "F-for letting me play here. T-this place is my alone place. M-my cousin can't get in here" Draco smiled at the other boy.

"You're welcome! It's good somebody loves my park just as much as I do." There was a small silence where the two didn't have anything to say.

Draco thought it was strange. He was used to these because he was a Malfoy and he was raised like this. No child this young should be able to sit still for more than twenty seconds yet this boy had no problem with it. Plus, his speech wasn't that of a small child. Other then the stuttering at the beginning he could speak fine.

Draco looked over Harry wounds again and mentally sighed. 'He must have had to grow up fast. I know I had to but I'm a Malfoy it comes with the name. Poor boy.' He thought.

"How old are you?" Draco asked aloud. Harry jumped at the sudden speaking but answered.

"S-six." Harry said. Draco nodded again.

"I'm seven." He answered Harry's unspoken question. Harry nodded once.

"S-so i-if this is y-your park y-you must live in that b-big house across the s-street." Harry said quietly and making himself smaller as he curled into a ball. Draco thought what he was doing was strange but it dawned on him that Harry could see his mansion.

"You can see that?" Draco asked. Harry nodded again but since his head was in between his knees it looked like his body shook.

"I t-told someone a-about it a-and they called me c-crazy and pushed me." Harry practically whispered.

Draco was in a state of shock. He was thrilled; this meant Harry was a wizard! So maybe he could start playing with Harry then his house elves. Harry would be a lot more fun to play with anyway.

"Yes, Harry, I live there with my mother and father." He told Harry who was now rolled up into a ball. Harry gasped and lifted his head slightly to peek at Draco.

"Y-you do?" He asked, scared. "Y-you're not just making fun of me?" He whimpered. Draco shook his head.

"Yes, I do live there." He said in a soft voice. "But you mustn't tell anyone, Harry." He said and he got closer to the boy and patted his head.

"W-why?" Draco didn't know how to answer that.

"Well…" Draco thought for a moment. "Well because you're special. Not many people can see my house and other people will get angry if you see it and they don't." He said to Harry. Obviously Harry didn't know he was a wizard. He didn't know why Harry didn't know but he was sure those wounds on him had something to do with it.

"Harry?" Draco asked. Harry made a squeak to show he heard Draco. "Would you like to be my friend?"

Harry shot up out of his ball so fast Draco heard his spine crack and luckily Draco had to learn fencing because if he was in the same spot a second ago Harry head would have collided with his.

This time when Harry moved he did scream. Not loud, like a normal child, a quiet almost silent scream. He moved to quickly and Draco saw some more of his cuts bleeding. The one that was 'stitched' together was bleeding some, too.

"H-hey, are you okay?" Draco asked. The boy whimpered and nodded. Even though they both knew he wasn't okay. When Harry's blinding pain faded a bit he looked up at Draco.

"Y-you want m-me to be your friend?" Harry asked. He couldn't believe it. Draco smiled, for what felt like the hundredth time, and nodded.

"Do you want to be?" Draco asked, getting impatient. Harry nodded quickly.

"Y-yes."

"Well then Harry, you're my new friend." He told the raven with pride. Harry beamed when he said that.

"W-what do you want me to call you?" Harry asked, still timid of Draco.

"Whatever you want." Draco shrugged. "Draco is fine though." Harry nodded.

"D-Drayko." Harry tried once. Draco almost laughed. This is what a normal six-year-old is supposed to sound like.

"Dr-a-co." He said slowly.

"D-Dr-ay-ko." Harry tried and failed once again. This time Draco did laugh, softly so Harry couldn't hear.

"C-can I just c-call you D-dray?" Harry questioned. Draco liked that idea.

"Of course." He told his new friend. Harry's eyes shined happily when Draco answered but they soon turned into fear.

"BOY! WHERE ARE YOU?" A loud voice boomed into the tunnel. Harry scrambled to get his shirt back on his shoulders. He bumped his cuts and bruises many times and he whimpered but he didn't stop moving.

"I-I'm sorry Dray, I have to go." He said moving to crawl out of the tunnel.

"Can you meet me here tomorrow?" He asked crawling after Harry.

"I-I don't know. I'll try Dray; tomorrow's my aunt's tea day so…" Harry trailed off.

"BOY! HURRY UP!" The voice screamed again. Harry crawled faster and soon the end of the tunnel came into view.

"T-thank you, Dray. Today was nice. I-i hope I can see you soon." Harry practically breathed out in one breath and he scrambled out of the tunnel.

"I hope I can see you soon, too Harry." Draco yelled out but Harry was gone before he could finish the first word. Draco was smart, thanks to his father and godfather, and he knew that that voice was most likely the reason behind all of those scars on Harry's body.

Draco sat there for a moment, thinking. After a while he got out of the tunnel and headed for home. It was getting late anyway.

Draco stepped in to the foyer of his home and a house elf appeared just as he shut the door.

"Hello young master, do you wish for anything at this time?" It questioned as it took of Draco's shoes.

"Not right now, thank you." He said, the elf then snapped his fingers and it was gone. Draco didn't know why his mother made him be polite to house elves but she did and he always obeyed his mother. He shivered, whether he liked it or not.

He walked out of the large foyer and to the ground floor library, his mother loved to read. She could be there, and if not he could finish his homework his godfather gave him.

As he walked extravagant things were hanging on the wall, useless tables, which cost a fortune, were pushed against the wall. The carpet was a deep green and was the most lavish of its kind. Malfoy's never did anything half way.

He stopped in front of a pair of intricate doors with snakes carved into them. He pushed open one door to look inside.

There were no lights on but the library fireplace was lit and the flicker of flames was enough for Draco to see.

His mother was sitting on a black leather chair reading a book. She looked up to Draco when she heard the door close.

Narcissa smiled at her son as he walked over to her. She put her book down on the table next to her and her cup of butter beer rattled a bit.

Draco sat in front of his mother on his knees, facing her, and put his head on her lap. Narcissa ran her fingers through his hair.

"Hello, Draco." She said quietly.

"Hello, Mother." He replied, almost just as quiet. She hummed a bit as she kept running her fingers through his hair. For a while they said nothing at all as Narcissa sat there petting her son.

"How was the rest of your day, darling?" She asked after a while.

"It was nice." He said, answering his mother.

"Did you do anything interesting?" Narcissa pried. Usually her son didn't do this after being at his park. He was always wound up.

"I met a new friend. He can see the mansion." Draco softly told his mother.

Narcissa smiled even though her son could not see her. She knew this would happen. Even a Malfoy child would get lonely with no one to play with and only adults around.

"Oh?" Narcissa asked, interested. "And dose this friend of yours have a name?"

"Harry, his name is Harry." Narcissa wanted to laugh. Of course her son would have an imaginary friend the same name as the-boy-who-lived. He was just like his father. But there was no way the great Harry Potter would be in Little Whinging.

"Well I hope Blaze doesn't get jealous of this new friend of yours." Narcissa told her son.

"Blaze is never over. So he doesn't have anything to be jealous of." Draco mumbled. Narcissa gave her son a stern look.

"Don't mumble, Draco Malfoy. If you with to say something say it clearly." She chided her son.

"Yes mother." He said as he moved his face so his mouth wouldn't be facing her leg.

"Are you going to see him tomorrow?" She asked as she kept stroking his hair.

"I asked him if he could come play but…" Draco trailed off. He knew he might be reprehended but he didn't think it was prudent to tell his mother what Harry looked like. She might not want him near Harry, what with all his scars.

"But…?" His mother continued. Luckily she wanted to know the ending part of his sentence more than telling him off for not finishing it.

"He said he might not be able to. If it's alright with you and father I'd like to go tomorrow, just in case. Is that alright mother?" He looked up to Narcissa with pleading eyes. She smiled warmly at her son.

"Of course, it's alright with me Draco. Make sure your father and Severus say it's okay, too. You don't want extra schooling from him, do you?" There was a hint of humor in Narcissa's voice but Draco didn't notice.

"No, I do not." He said with a sigh as he sat his head back down. Narcissa started to comb his hair again, not knowing when she stopped. They sat there in a comfortable silence for a few minutes again.

They were interrupted by the library door opening. They both looked over to the door to see Lucius walking in. Draco smiled softly and put his head back on his mother's lap. Her fingers started up again automatically.

Lucius stopped when he turned from closing the library door. He knew his wife was in here but he did not know that his son came home. Regardless he walked over to where both were sitting and kissed the top of his wife's head.

He sat down on the arm of the chair and placed his hand on top of his wives on Draco's head.

"Hello, Draco." He said softly but with a stern undertone.

"Hello, father." Was his son's reply.

"How was the rest of your day at the park?" He repeated his wife's question. Narcissa smiled to her husband.

"It was nice father" He replied.

"He met a new friend today." Narcissa said. 'Imaginary.' She mouthed to Lucius. He nodded, understanding. He was wondering when his son would create one. The boy was all alone with muggle children that stayed away from him.

"Ahhh." He breathed. "Dose this friend have a name?" Directing his question toward his son.

"Harry." Was Draco's short answer. Lucius looked over to his wife who was beaming. He laughed inside and let out a small smile, he was proud of his son.

Even though creating an imaginary friend was not a Malfoy thing to do at least it was one of power. 'The-boy-who-lived huh?' He thought to himself.

"I'm proud of you son." Draco looked up to his father and mother.

"Why?" He asked his eyes full of curiosity. His father very rarely told him he was proud of him.

"For making your first friend and not one we introduced to you." He said after his wife lightly elbowed him. Draco was still confused but he nodded anyway and laid his head back down.

They all sat there comfortably in silence. Draco, with his head on his mother lap, his parent's hands in his hair. Narcissa, her head on her husband's shoulder his head on top of hers.

No one in the world would have pictured the Malfoy family like this, not even those related to said family would have guessed. The only one privileged enough to know this secret was Severus Snape; Draco's godfather.

The world believed the Malfoy's were cold, even to each other. They believed the Malfoy's, or those destined to become a Malfoy, were born with stone cold faces, that they never cried or complained because they always got what they wanted. They were cold inside and out.

This was not true, though. Lucius contemplated this as he and his small family sat in silence. He knew this time of peace was a mirage and that Voldemort was not truly gone. He would have to take his place as a death eater once again soon as Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts.

He wanted this, the silence with his family, allowing emotions to show on their faces. He wants to hold his family and not care about a threat from Voldemort or having his wife or son be petrified for not following the old bastard.

Lucius sighed internally again. 'Stupid father, why did you have to drag me into this mess?' He thought to himself and to his father who was in the pits of hell, killed by Voldemort.

There was a knock at the door that made Draco jump slightly because he was dozing off. Both of his parents felt it but said nothing.

"Come." Lucius said to the nameless person on the other side of the door. He did not move from his position from his family, though. It was either a house elf or Severus. No man would dare knock on his door in fear of being hexed.

The door opened revealing Severus Snape. Severus blinked twice when he saw the family but that was it. It was uncommon for the Malfoy's to be like this but not unusual, well to him. He closed the door quickly then turned back to the family.

Two of the three family members beamed at him one only smiled softly.

"Hello Severus. To what do we have the honor?" Narcissa said jokingly. He chuckled lightly but walked over to the family none the less. He sat down on the lush rush less than a meter away from the family.

"Hello Narcissa, Lucius, Draco." He nodded and smiled to each of them.

"Hello Sev." Draco said from his mother's lap as he kept beaming at his godfather.

"Is there a reason for your visit Severus? Or did you just want company?" Lucius teased lightly, enough for Severus and Narcissa to catch on but not his son. Hogwarts was still in session, for another week or so, and Severus did not enjoy the company of his students or his fellow teachers. So every night he came to the Malfoy manor.

"While the company is nice," He said with a chuckle. "I actually came with news on the potion you and Narcissa ask for." He explained to Lucius.

"Mother, Father, you asked for a potion?" He questioned his parents. Both looked down to him and both smiled.

"Yes, we did Draco." Narcissa answered his son. "We'll tell you later but right now why don't you go work on that homework your godfather gave you." She suggested.

Draco knew this 'suggestion' was more like telling him to leave. He got up from his mother's lap and stood up. He kissed his mother's head and hugged his father.

"Well then, if you'll excuse me." He said. Manors were pounded into his head for as long as he could remember. He walked towards the double doors and stopped to hug his godfather.

"I'll see you in a little bit, alright Draco." His godfather said to him.

"Okay Sev." He answered back.

He opened one of the two doors and walked out. He felt his family's eyes on him but all he did was shut he overly large door. Once it was shut he sighed and walked toward the staircase.

When he got to the circular room with the silver and marble staircase he started to walk up the steps sluggishly.

He had no idea why but he felt tired and his parents weren't there to scold him for his posture. He slowly walked up the circular staircase for three flights the turned left into his wing of the Manor.

Slytherin colors were plastered everywhere in the halls. Magic snakes on the walls moved about and the silver orbs lit up as he moved about.

He passed ten doors before he got to the one he wanted. He pushed the door open and there was a king size bed with a silver canopy. A big white stuffed dragon, which was maybe seven meters high, sat in front of his bed next to his window that was just as high.

Many white dragon stuffed animals were scattered about his room some that moved and some that didn't. He walked toward his bed and got under his blankets.

"I'll do my homework later." He mumbled to himself as he started to fall asleep. Surprisingly the only this he thought of as he fell into the land of dreams was the color emerald.

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