Homeless - Drarry

Chapter 6 – Home

Harry was gone when Draco got up, but Shadow and Gus were in his bed, sleeping right next to him. He didn't want to know what that meant. Shadow had been comforting him last night, too. He didn't want the krup to bond with him, too. Gus, however, sought his immediate attention as soon as he woke up. Shadow watched protectively. Draco wondered if he was just watching him for Harry.

"Alright... maybe we can find some lunch downstairs?"

Gus and Shadow jumped up and wagged their forked tails, excitedly. Draco led them down to the kitchen and opened the icebox door. There were several plates inside of dinners that Draco hadn't eaten. He felt guilty wasting the food, so he took out two plates and went to the stove. He had watched Harry and the cooks at the bar cook, so he just poured them into a pan and turned it on. Not too hard, he thought as he stirred it. When it was all hot, he turned off the pan and brought it to the table.

Kreacher appeared, and Gus and Shadow barked loudly at the noise. "Master Draco! What are you doing? I make you lunch!"

"Sorry, I just made the plates that Harry left for me," he said.

"But... but Master Draco doesn't have to! You is too noble! Master is a Black and doesn't have to cook! Kreacher will make him food!"

"Sorry, Kreacher. I'm not an important anything anymore. I lost everything. I don't have a home or a galleon to my name. I've been sleeping on the muggle streets. I'm not deserving of any special service."

"But you is one of the sacred twenty-eight! A pureblood!"

"Kreacher, that doesn't matter to me anymore."

"No! But... but you're a Malfoy and a Black! The last of your name!"

"Yes... and I'm going to be the last one. My family name will die with me. There's nothing you can do to stop that, Kreacher. I'm a muggle, now. No one is going to want me, and I can't provide for a family. My family deserves to end for what they have done."

Kreacher's big eyes started watering, and he ran away crying. He felt a little guilty, but the elf needed a wake-up call. He was vermin in the eyes of everyone else and didn't deserve to be treated like a saint by him. He poured the food onto a plate and picked at it. The krups were at his side, eagerly watching him. Shadow was whining and clawing at his leg. His pup was sitting and waiting patiently.

"Nuh nah, Shadow. Behave. I'm not Potter. You see your brother is sitting quietly," he said to the pup.

Shadow, like he understood, sat down and stopped whining. He tilted his head.

Draco laughed. "Well, you are cute, aren't ya? And you listened." He picked a piece of roast beef and gave some to both of them. "Now, shush. Let me eat, and you'll get more." They did and he finished his meal. He gave them their treat and took his plate and stuff to the sink. He frowned and knew that Potter could clean them with a spell, but he didn't want to leave a mess.

Draco found the cleaning supplies under the sink. He washed and dried the dishes and then figured out where they went in the cupboards. Then he looked at the counter. Spells only cleaned so much, and he pulled out a strong stripping detergent to really get the grease and dust off. Working at the pub, he had learned what chemicals were the best and got to scrubbing, getting decades of oil and dust out off the counters, cupboard doors and sink.

He didn't stop there and cleaned the insides of the cupboards, too, and put the stuff back. It looked ten times better and smelled great. He wiped down the table with a wood cleaner and then the chairs and bench, too. He then pulled out a broom and called for the krups to get their toys out from under the table and chairs. They actually listened, and then both sat in the doorway to the den, watching him sweep, mop and then get down to scrub the floor with the stripper.

It took a while, but he cleaned the whole floor, even getting under the icebox and stove. It looked brand new. Draco smiled and put the supplies away. He was glad that he could do something for Harry, after everything he had done for him. He remembered that Harry had been trying to bring the house up to standard, but it was an ongoing process, and Harry worked long hours, six days a week.

He stood in the doorway. The krups were beneath him and wagging their tails. "Looks better, doesn't it?" They yipped in affirmation, then started running back and forth to the patio door in the den. They looked back at him encouragingly. "You want me to go outside?" They barked happily again and turned into a circle, excitedly. "Sure, let's see Potter's garden."

He walked outside and knew immediately that Harry had quite a few charms on the yard to expand it. Impressive, but it was much larger than it should be. Flowers lined the area directly outside the door and other annuals. There were a few plants that he recognized as magical, but they weren't invasive or dangerous. He smiled at the large garden that even had a vegetable and berry section, too.

Potter was getting a little behind on upkeep. Draco spotted a few weeds and old leaves in the garden beds. He cleared them out and trimmed a few plants as the krups played in the yard with each other and explored. They even pulled sticks out for him and took them to the rubbish pile that was building. Draco thanked them as he manicured each plant. Seven years of Herbology has taught him enough skills to prune correctly. He located a watering can with a Refill Charm on it and watered the beds.

It was a definite improvement. He didn't make too many changes. Potter seemed to enjoy gardening, but again, he worked and had been helping him, instead of taking care of his hobbies. Draco was considering locating a bin, when he heard an unnatural squeak. He turned and both krups were sitting and staring at him expectantly. They both had squeaker toys in their mouths, which they squeaked, again.

"You want to play?" he asked, and they jumped up and moved closer, squeaking.

He bent down and tugged the toys out, and they started jumping up and down, watching the toys excitedly. Gus was even whining for it, like they had been waiting to play all day. Potter must do this normally, but Draco wound back and threw the toys as far as he could. They tore off through the grass, found them and brought them back. They looked so happy that he was playing with them that Draco knew he wasn't stopping anytime soon.

He threw the toys for them to fetch and then started fake throwing them to trick them, but the krups didn't miss a thing. He practiced throwing to them, and they never let it drop. He felt so elated, because he could feel how happy Gus was. He petted them and played tug-o-war and even picked them up a few times for licks and kisses. He never wanted to leave. It felt like... home.

***

Harry flooed into the den and could sense that there was something different. It smelled different. He was trying to identify the smell, when Hermione came out of the floo right behind him.

"Is that lemon cleaner?" Hermione asked, quicker than him.

"Maybe?" Harry said and walked over to the kitchen. His mouth dropped. "What the hell?"

Hermione came over and gasped, "Wow. It looks amazing! Malfoy did this? I thought you said that he didn't have a wand."

"He doesn't." Harry gingerly stepped on the floor and opened the doors to the now organized cleaning cupboard. "He used the stuff Molly had got for us all those years ago."

"Right, when we couldn't use magic. Wow... he scrubbed... everything," she said, mystified. "Did he do this... today?"

"Yeah. It's amazing, but it was dirty when I left," Harry gasped, opening the cleaned and sorted cupboards.

"Then he did all this today by hand? Impressive," Hermione complimented.

"Yeah, he was a busser and cleaner at the pub where he used to work."

"Don't bring that up, please. Dosing a muggle with Veritaserum is highly illegal," she chastised.

"He deserved it. He was trying to... if Draco hadn't gotten that call out."

"Well, he's still in muggle lockup. He obviously told them quite a bit, thanks to you."

"Good. But where is Draco... wait, where are the krups?" he said, wondering why his furry companion wasn't mobbing him. He felt their bond, and Shadow was very happy right now, and not far anyway.

"Oh! Yeah, where are they? They always greet you," she said, worriedly.

Harry cast a Homenum Revelio spell, but Draco wasn't upstairs. "He's not up there. But I can feel Shadow."

"Huh? Maybe Kreacher knows?"

"Kreacher?"

Pop! Kreacher appeared, crying his eyes out. "Harry! Master Draco... he's...."

"What?! What happened, Kreacher! Is Draco okay?" Harry said, kneeling down in front of him.

"No! He's not okay!"

"Did he leave?" Harry asked, panicked.

Kreacher wailed. "No! He... said... he said that...."

"What?" Harry said, worriedly.

"He said that being a pureblood doesn't matter anymore!"

Harry's mouth dropped and Hermione gasped, "He did?"

"He said... he said that his family names deserve to die! He's going to be the last Black and Malfoy! Oh, Harry! It's terrible!"

Harry hugged him and shared a look with Hermione. "It's okay, Kreacher. He's just upset."

"But he's a noble... he said that he's a muggle! How can that be? Cissy's son can't be a muggle!"

"Kreacher... he just can't use magic right now. We are trying to get his rights back."

"Master Draco will be a wizard?"

"Hopefully, soon, but it's a long... process. Kreacher, Draco was arrested and was told he couldn't do magic anymore. He's been living as a muggle for the last year. We are trying to help him, and... give him a place to stay."

"Master Draco said that he didn't have a home."

"That's why he's here."

"This can be his home! He's a Black, too. This is his home!"

Harry grimaced. Kreacher had come a long way, but the fact that he, a non-Black, owned the Black homestead was still a sore spot for Kreacher. "Kreacher, I want Draco to stay, but it has to be his choice. I have no problem with Draco staying here... making this place his home, but he has to accept it... us. He has to believe he belongs here, for it to be his home."

"Kreacher will make him want to stay!"

"You can't make him feel something. Just... give him some time, okay? He's still recovering from what happened to him. So, ease up? Don't make him feel guilty for what happened, okay?"

"Kreacher will make him feel welcome! I'll put more flowers in his room!"

"No! Stop touching my flowers!" Harry growled, and Kreacher pouted and disappeared. "Merlin's saggy butt... he touches my plants one more time...." But Harry stopped as he looked out the patio door. He saw a pile of clippings and crumpling leaves.

"Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe... he's outside?" he said and walked to the door. The flowers had been watered, and the beds looked weeded and trimmed. He paused in awe and smiled a little fondly. The garden and kitchen were his places.

"I don't see him," Hermione said, as the yard went behind the house, where they couldn't see. But she noted the rubbish pile. "He's cleaned your precious garden, too."

"Yeah, it looks great, "he said, and then went to the back of the den and ripped open the old, thick curtains that unleash a ton of dust that made them cough, but through the dirty window, he could see him.

Draco was playing with both Shadow and Gus. He threw the squeak toys, and the pups fetched them. They didn't let it go easy as he tried to wrestle it from both of them. They were happy to tug back until he wrested it from them and then hide them behind his back. Gus and Shadow jumped happily onto his legs, trying to get it. Draco pretended like he didn't have them and would fake throw them. Gus and Shadow would run a few feet and come back, more desperate for the toys.

But after another fake out, they charged and fully jumped into Draco's chest and knocking him to the ground. They started licking him like crazy, and Draco was laughing and petting them, trying half-heartedly to get him to stop. Harry had tears in his eyes just watching him with them. It was so... perfect... loving. Merlin, he could feel Shadow's happiness and contentment. This was how it was supposed to be.

"You're in love with him," Hermione suddenly exclaimed.

Harry coughed, as Hermione had abruptly snapped him back to reality. "Wh-What?"

"You're staring at him with that same look in your eye as you do when Shadow is on you. I know that look. Your I'm-fucking-happy-look. Whenever you fly, crack a case, see Ron and I together that is the look on your face. You're in love with Malfoy, aren't you?"

"I... I... well..." he stammered, as he glanced back out to Draco, now giving belly rubs to the krups. He thought how much he liked being with Draco. How despite losing everything, he survived and didn't become bitter. He wanted to come home every day and see Draco. He wanted a family and partner of his own.

"Harry? You really didn't notice?" she asked.

"I did... just not... but you're right. He's all I think about now."

"I'm happy for you, both. I don't even need to talk to Malfoy to know that he's changed."

"He has, but it doesn't mean that he feels the same way for me, Hermione."

She took his hand and pushed his head to look back out the window as Draco, sitting in the grass, hugged the pups and kissed them. "He's playing with your companion, Harry."

Harry swallowed hard, feeling the emotions from Shadow.

"Harry, you been bonded to Shadow for a while, now. You understand that familiars don't do that. Even if you think it is one-sided, they know how you both feel. If they have doubly-bonded with you and him, then it's for certain. Malfoy loves you, too."

More tears fell. Harry was scared, though, despite this revelation. "I don't know if it's enough. You heard what Kreacher said, and I've heard him say it, too. He doesn't think he deserves to be here or with me."

"Harry... just talk to him. Take it slow, convince him to stay and don't let him walk away."

He nodded and took a deep breath. He wiped his tears away. "Okay... stay in here. I'll go talk to him. Thank him."

"I'll start dinner. I can send a message for Ron to come over, too. Just stay outside for a while and talk... about your feelings and your familiars. I'll take care of everything."

Harry nodded and steadied himself. "Okay."

He walked outside and walked toward Draco.

***

Shadow spotted Harry first and bound across the yard, jumping into Potter's open arms, wiggling excitedly. Gus ran halfway, turned back around, jumped on his leg before heading back to Potter, and then stopping and turning to look at him, just like he had done to get him to go outside. Draco smiled and walked over to Potter, who was kissing Shadow and baby-talking him. Gus ran back to him and hopped up on his back legs, encouraging Draco to pick him up, too.

Draco obliged, taking him up to his chest and letting Gus lick him more. He had gotten used to dog kisses. Potter came over to him, smiling.

"Draco," he said, his eyes on him and only him.

Draco swallowed and said, "Hey, Harry. I... wanted to... thank you... for all your help. It was something I could do."

"The kitchen looks wonderful, Draco. Beautiful, actually. It doesn't even feel like the same kitchen. Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome. I didn't change your garden, just... pruned it a bit."

"It's perfect, too. You didn't have to do all this."

"No, but I wanted to. It's important to you, and you're working so much and helping me."

"You are more important to me than my garden, Draco."

Draco blushed and didn't know what to say to that.

"Shadow is very happy. Thank you for playing with him."

I can't tell you the emotions I feel from him."

"Feel?"

"Yeah, you can feel your bond with your familiar. It took me a while. You sometimes don't need words to communicate with them, but it takes a bit. They will understand you too."

"Yeah, I asked them to get their toys out of the kitchen, and they did."

Harry laughed. "What good puppies!" Shadow licked him as he squirmed in his arms, and Harry set him back down on the ground. Draco let Gus down, too, and the krups started to play and tussled with each other.

"Shadow's been with me all day. I assumed you told him to watch me."

"I didn't, but I'm sure that he knows that I worry about you. They can feel our emotions, too."

Draco nodded and looked uncertainly at the krups.

"Let me show you," Harry said and sat down unceremoniously on the ground. Draco followed, crossing his legs under him. "Come here, boys!" And the krups came to their laps. "Good boys. So, Draco, I'm assuming you've felt the bond, at least Gus's love for you? Can you feel it now?"

Draco looked at Gus, who turned to stare at him as though knowing what he was doing. He nodded.

"You can find that connection no matter where you are. You can call your familiar and talk to him. Tell him to go bring you something."

Gus tilted his head, and Draco focused and asked him to get his squeaker toy. He quickly ran over, grabbed it and came back. "Good boy!"

"See? And they pick up on other things, like when you are sad, scared and upset without words."

Draco nodded, remembering last night when both pups were with him on the couch.

"Now, try to ask Shadow to get something," Potter commanded.

Draco grimaced, confused, but Shadow listened, got a loose stick in the grass, and returned. Harry smiled and rubbed his krup.

"Harry? Why did he listen to me? He's... your companion."

"I think he bonded to you, too," Harry said, quietly. "Maybe not as strong as mine, but the bond is there. I can still feel Gus, too."

"Harry..." Draco was feeling a little panicked. "I didn't mean to...."

"We already had this conversation. Krups bond with who they trust. They trust you and so do I."

Draco could feel the krups happiness grow, as though they know what they were talking about. But he couldn't help but feel nervous. He didn't trust what he was feeling. How Harry made him feel safe and that he felt like he was finally home. Harry couldn't feel the same. Gus crawled into his lap to refocus his thoughts.

"Thank you for everything you did today, Draco, but you don't owe me anything. I like having you here. I like coming home to someone to talk to. I can't tell you how happy I am, now."

Draco smiled and there were tears in his eyes. He liked being here. He enjoyed talking to Harry. Sitting in the grass with Harry and krups was so... peaceful. But he still was a criminal. A Death Eater. Penniless and without a future. Harry needed someone worthy. Gus whined, trying to pull him back from his spiral.

"Harry... I like being here, but I don't belong here."

"Yes, you do, Draco. You can make this your home. You can start a new life. Start over."

"You can't just start over. No one will forget or forgive what I've done."

"Draco... I forgave you. Others will, too. It was rough after the war. Just give people a chance. Please don't think that it's hopeless."

Draco frowned, but didn't answer, but Gus hopped into his lap, again. He stood up, holding Gus, for comfort. This conversation was making him uneasy. Harry got up, too, and walked with him toward the door. He vanished the clippings pile for him and looked at the garden.

"It does look beautiful, Draco. Thank you."

"It wasn't a big deal. It was a small way to thank you."

"It meant a lot to me," Harry whispered and met his eyes. They stared until Draco looked away. "I need to warn you... Hermione is here."

Draco looked to him, surprised. His eyes glanced at the door. "Granger...."

"Or Hermione. I invited her over to help with your... case."

"Case?"

"Yeah... getting your rights and stuff back. You don't deserve to live like this."

"Harry... I...."

"Come on. She knows what she is doing. She started dinner. Ron's coming over, too."

Draco grimaced. These were Harry's friends, his family. He couldn't offend them. He followed Harry inside, and Gus kept trying to lick him.

"Harry?" Granger called coming into the den. "I just put the chicken baking and there's a casserole, too." She eyed Draco, though. He petted Gus, who was getting frantic in his arms.

"Sounds good," Harry responded, and Shadow went over to Granger.

"Hey, Shadow."

Draco let Gus down, too, so he could see her. Granger probably came over often, usually.

"Gus, you look so happy," she said, petting him, too, but looked back to him.

He avoided her eyes, and just looked at the floor. She came over, and he resisted the urge to cower. Gus came and settled between his legs, almost uncertain of where the danger was.

"Hello, Draco," she said, and he looked at her, surprised.

"Hi, Gr-Hermione. I'm... sorry... for... umm... everything...."

"Thank you. Apology accepted. Harry told me that your accounts were seized?"

He nodded, uncertainly.

"Well, you weren't ordered to pay restitution, so they can't really do that. I think I can get the seizure lifted, but unless you want to come to the Ministry, I need you to sign some authorization forms, so I can act on your behalf."

"You... don't have to do this. I was an asshole to you," he said, watching her carefully.

"Yes, but you aren't anymore, and the Ministry had no right to do what they did. Here, go ahead and read it over. It does give me considerable power over your affairs, and you can rescind it at any time."

Draco took the parchment forms from her, and it was essentially a power of attorney. He signed and Harry witnessed.

"I'll be able to cut through all this nonsense, quickly. I also had these made by our muggle-relations office. They're real and in the system. I just used your Ministry photo."

She handed him a muggle passport, some papers and a bank card. "An ID, proof of educational level and a bank account already opened for you. I put fifty pounds in it, and if muggles want to deposit your earnings, you can use this. Harry can explain it to you."

Draco's mouth opened. "Thank you... I...."

"It wasn't a problem, Draco. It was easy, and I'm sorry that they didn't do that for you. They risked a breach of secrecy just letting you out with no papers or guidance. But I'm impressed that you handled yourself without it. I'm convinced Ron would just die of starvation."

Draco smiled slightly. "This means a lot. It was rough without... papers. Thank you."

She nodded. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm... sorry... about what happened to you. Harry told me," Draco whispered.

"He did?" she said, surprised.

Harry grimaced, "He asked about Ron... how different he was."

"Oh... yeah. Ron's on the mend. He took it hard, as I had almost died, too. I miscarried. I miss going out on raids, but he was never able to handle me going out after that. And I didn't want to be in that situation, again. Thank you, though. It means a lot... coming from you."

He nodded. "I hate how I treated you, Hermione, and I'm not... like that anymore. Trust me, after seeing what my father truly was, I never thought that way, again. I never wanted to hurt anyone," he whispered, and Gus whimpered beneath him.

"I believe you. I remember how scared you were at your home... when we were captured. You were a prisoner there, too, weren't you?"

He nodded. "I couldn't kill Dumbledore. He tortured me... a lot for that."

"I'm sorry," she said, and Gus was shaking.

"Thank you. I know it was a terrible experience... what you went through, but I'm glad... that you were with Theo, in the end."

She tensed up and stared at him, wide-eyed. Harry and krups froze. Draco was feeling guilty for bringing it up, but she said, "Well, I wasn't there, exactly. He told me to run... I did... and he was dueling them when I escaped."

Draco nodded. He knew Theo was a nervous wreck after Greyback was done with him. "He was fighting back, though. Thank you, for giving him the courage to do that."

Granger's hand went to her mouth as she understood his meaning.

"I never could directly oppose my father. I could only do little things, but we were trapped. We never had a choice," Draco murmured.

She flinched and Draco thought he said the wrong thing, again but Hermione came over and hugged him, tightly. He hugged her back as she started to cry. He tried to comfort her as Harry looked on, startled.

"Theo... he said... he said that too. He said, 'We had no choice. We couldn't say no.' Theo was crying and said that even when he did do what Voldemort wanted, he still tortured him... and worst," she whispered, almost sobbing, and pulled back to look at him. "That was what you went through, too, wasn't it?"

He swallowed hard. "Theo had it worst."

She nodded. "He said that his father wouldn't just torture me... but he'd also was going to...you know. But Theo said that he wouldn't let it happen to me. What he went through."

Draco's eyes watered. "I'm glad he saved you. I know what they did to Theo... he was never the same. Dead inside. You've always been amazing. I was just jealous of you, growing up. I would have done anything to protect you from that, too. Theo was a smart, quiet kid, too, and they broke him."

Hermione gasped and stared into his eyes, with tears in her eyes. "Theo... he took my hand and said... well stuttered... that he was going to help me escape, that... he just wanted me to remember him. That someone knew and believed that he wasn't a Death Eater. Theo made me promise I wouldn't forget it. I mean... he was shaking so bad and desperate for me to understand. He was so... scared."

She hugged him, again. "I cleared his name. I made sure people knew he was a hero. I never thought... that he meant it wasn't just him. He was talking about you, too."

Draco had to hold back tears. "I didn't go through what Theo did. But yes, I wasn't given a choice. I didn't ask for this. Voldemort branded me and then sent me on that suicide mission. He made sure I knew that he would kill me if I failed. My mum and dad would die, too. I didn't want to do any of it, I swear."

Hermione nodded and didn't let go of him, and he was glad for it. Salazar, if there was one person who understood the pure terror he had lived through, it was her, albeit through Theo. He knew that she was always going to be his friend, now. Honestly, if things had been different, they probably would have been best friends in school.

The floo suddenly roared, and Weasley came out. Hermione looked at him, but hadn't fully let go.

"Hey... all..." Ron said and looked at them.

Draco wanted to extract himself from Hermione, but she hadn't let go. She turned back to face them, as though sensing he was afraid. She hugged him again, in front of her husband.

"Alright, I know Malfoy's not a git anymore, but I'm not hugging him," Ron muttered.

Harry laughed, and Hermione finally let go to give her husband a look.

Ron put up his hands in surrender. "Umm... please no, Hermione. Can't we just... like shake hands?"

Harry laughed and Draco smiled. Hermione came over and hugged Ron. He held her for a long time, and she pulled him out of the room, into the library, shutting the door.

"Well, that went well," Harry said and walked over to him. "That was nice... what you said."

"She deserved an apology."

"Yeah. And some closure. She didn't completely understand why Theo saved her. She's probably in there with Ron talking about it. It hurt them a lot."

"I'm sorry," Draco said, worried.

"No, I meant... what happened. That, while a painful reminder, was... helpful and kind. So, thank you."

Draco nodded. "Thanks for getting these, too. I can go look for a job."

"Just give it a bit, okay? Hermione will certainly raise hell for you, now. But getting your magic back might take a while."

Draco stared at him. "Thank you, Harry."

"You deserve it back. You paid for whatever you think you deserve. It's time for you to come back to the rest of the world."

Draco met his eyes and nodded. He wanted it. He wanted to come back. He wanted friends like Hermione and Ron, and he wanted Harry. To have a home and a family that loved him. He just had to decide if he was going to accept it.