his fingers began w, almost as if by their own will, on the ihe silver paper ame off easily and drao was faed with a small white box. opening the lid his eyes widened. carefully he lifted the himes from the box ahem for a moment. he’d been looking at these for years, ever sine his first visit to hogsmead with the other students. of ourse, in publi he had a reputation to maintai just go in and buy them unless he was goio someohat wouldhe ase.
in the box uhe harms was a small e messy but legible ords:
happy christmas drao, from harry
how did harry know? somehured out that he wahe himes. no one else had figured it out in how ma somehow harry had. harry had put that muh thought into it…suddenly his own gift to harry didn’t seem so inappropriate any more.
harry looked up fruration essay as drao walked into his room. in his hands the boy held a thi ed in dark red paper, almost a wine olor.
“happy christmas harry” drao murmured, holdi to harry. when harry took it the other boy left the room a harry blinking in astohe gift. drao had atually gotten him one?
harry put down his quill and all thoughts about the metamorphosis of reptilian so fly out of his head. carefully he began to undo the paper and revealed…a mirror?
he looked at it for a mi saw he mirror. hmm…not a normal mirror then. what was drao—
the surfae of the mirror seemed to swirl and harry found himself looking at…drao. he ould see drao shiftis that he hadn’t bothered opening off his bed and telling a house elf somethiaining to them. he looked as if his mind wasn’t really on what he was doing. so this was draht now?
harry thought for a moment. did this mirror show him anyone? harry as sooopped thinking about drae faded. how about ron?
the image swirled and he ould see ron sitting in the middle of his family while they were opes.
hermione?
&ing lunh, the remaiill strewn arouable and a book (harry assumed it eh page.
harry frow as the image faded. it was ool and all, but oint really? he doubted drao would have given him a gift on a whim so there must be a point to it other than the obvious one.
the mirror showed people…erson dido be alive…
uhoughts of sirius and his pareo his head. the image swirled ahey were smiling up at him. they weren’t moviher pitures had, but they were still there, standing against a grey bakground.
harry heard a small yelp before drah the wall looking slightly shaken. “harry, the bond’s going razy. are you okay?”
harry smiled as the image faded and he looked up at drao. “thank you drao.”
drao shifted minutely, as if slightly embarrassed. “you’re welome…and thanks for the himes too…”
there and the same house elf from the day before appeared is rge eyes sought out harry. “master luius is otter is wanting to iives fht, sir,” it squeaked out unsurely.
harry bhe dursleys…here? death eater or not, if the dursleys atually ame to malfoy manor, luius malfoy would kill them befot to the maihough it would be rather fuheir expressions at his urrent living arras… no it would be better not to ihem.
drao and harry walked into the dining re o night to see that luius was not the oing for them. harry almost ran into drao as he stopped dead right ihe door.
&her.” harry heard him say. mother? harry looked around drao’s shoulder to see that narissa malfoy was standing a little tht of luius.
“hello drao dear.” her voie was sikly sweet. as drao moved into the room, she saw harry behind him. “and harry too. i didn’t kaying here.” a quik look at luius whih harry did not like ainued. “if i’d known i would have bought you a present too.”
& worry about it, mrs. malfed to get out, notiihat seemed t off the two male malfoys. something was wrong here and harry wasn’t quite sure what yet.
& the most pleasant of affairs, even though an outsider would not have ko be wathing somehow. harry rised at how well all of the malfoy family ould at, as it was obvious that narissa’s visit ed by the other two. yet, they ainstakingly ordial to eah other. he was very happy when dinner was over and drao asked if harry and he ould be exused from the table.
“oh of ourse dears, run along.” narissa said with one of her smiles that o reah her eyes.
drao seemed to ignore harry after they left the room and harry ould tell this was not a good night for questioed some answers he would have to find out himself. drao had long siowards their rooms and harry heard the sraping aihat meawo malf up from the table. he invisibility loak now.
harry slipped ihe aloves far from the dave silent thanks to whihever malfoy it was that liked dark orners and had made this partiur hall with many of them.
luius and he hall a few mier, her saying a w as pleasant as they had a few minutes ago when he