“-then I closed my eyes and this strange sensation ran through me. Now, here I am,” Harry said finishing his story.

“It sounds as though he Apparated,” Draco said looking at his father.

“I agree. It appears he also did it unknowingly,” came Lucius Malfoy’s cold drawl from a chair by the fire.

Harry looked at the older Malfoy, brow furrowed.

“Apparation is a form of magical transportation that requires nothing but a wand, and proper training,” he explained, studying Harry with his icy gaze.

“Master?” squeaked the small creature called Dobby.

“What is it?” Lucius asked, irritated.

“Guest’s room is ready,” Dobby said, looking at his master in terror.

“I’ll show you dear,” Narcissa insisted, standing and glaring at the small creature. Harry stood and followed Mrs. Malfoy from the library.

“We’re delighted to have you here. Draco has told us so much about you. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. You are welcome here anytime,” she said sweetly as they reached the top of the grand staircase.

Harry followed close behind. He began thinking about the summer and how much better it would be staying with Draco instead of the Dursleys. Suddenly, Harry got a shock of fear. What would Snape do if he discovered Harry had disobeyed the instructions he was given? Snape despised it when people didn’t follow instructions. Harry was jarred from his thoughts as Mrs. Malfoy stopped and opened a large, dark wooden door.

“If there is something you don’t like about the room, I’ll send Dobby up to fix it,” she said exiting the room.

As the door closed with a quiet click, Harry’s eyes feasted upon the room. He now understood why Draco was so unimpressed with their quarters at Hogwarts.

“He’ll be receiving training?” Lucius Malfoy’s voice floated through the library door.

“Yes,” came the fearfully familiar drawl of a certain Potions Master. Harry and Draco stood in the hall, peeking through a crack in the doors, and straining to hear what the two men were discussing. Draco had come running to Harry after he’d seen Severus arrive.

“We want him to be ready. Dumbledore believes it is to protect him from the ‘Dark Side’. He’s been very watchful. I expect it has to do with the boy’s sorting, he fears Harry will be sucked into the Dark Arts,” Severus said, taking a sip of his fire whiskey, “The training will not start until July because I’ve already planned it out and I do not wish to change anything,”

“Do you plan to tell him everything?” Lucius asked.

“Not just yet--” Severus stopped, he was looking at the crack in the double doors. He caught a glimpse of one green eye and one gray eye before they both disappeared.

Harry and Draco were sprinting up the staircase and down the hall. They didn’t let up until they reached Draco’s room, with the door shut and locked safely behind them.

“What do you think he meant by ‘training’?” Draco wondered aloud, reclining on his bed.

“I thought he meant remedial Potions. He said something about training when we went to talk to Dumbledore. I just assumed that I was horrible potion maker,” Harry replied, settling himself into a chair.

“Well, whatever it is, you don’t even need to worry about it until July. I wouldn’t worry anyway. He’s probably just going to make it look like training. You won’t even have to work,” the blonde boy answered with a smirk.

“You’re probably right,” Harry said laughing off the situation.

There was a sudden ‘Pop’ and Dobby was standing by the door.

“Dinner is ready, young masters,” he said, his voice quaking. The elf lingered for a moment.

“Why are you still here?” Draco said glaring.

Dobby cowered slightly at Draco’s voice and was gone with another ‘Pop’.

“Why do you treat him so harshly?” Harry asked, picking at a thread on the arm of the chair.

“Well, you see, house-elves are lesser beings than wizards. They have less control over their abilities than we do, that’s why they’re not allowed wands,” he explained, already through the door, waiting for Harry to follow. Harry wasn’t sure he agreed with this but he bit his tongue to avoid discrepancy. He simply didn’t see how these creatures could be any less powerful than wizards; in his opinion, they seemed more powerful. Harry pulled himself from his thoughts as he and Draco entered the grand dining room. The table was set for five. Harry realized they were to be joined by Snape. He wasn’t sure how this made him feel. He wasn’t uncomfortable around his Head of House, but he feared what the man would do or say about his disobedience.

Draco took a seat and Harry took the one next to him. The adults soon joined them. Lucius sat at one end of the table, Narcissa, at the other, and Severus, across from the boys. The first course appeared on the table, just as it did at Hogwarts and the meal began.

It was quiet until Severus spoke, “How have your summers been? At least the week you’ve had of them,”

“ I’ve already run out of things to do. It gets quite boring around here,” Draco said, not looking up from his soup.

“What about you, Harry?” Snape asked looking across the table like a lion at its prey.

Harry blinked at being addressed by his first name by a teacher and then blurted out, “ImsorrysirIdidntmeantodisobeyou”. He had been thinking of apologizing but hadn’t expected to do it in front of everyone.

Severus looked at the boy in wonder and then went back to studying his soup.

Harry felt his cheeks burn red with embarrassment.

The remainder of the meal was spent with the adults talking about the latest article in the Daily Prophet and how Fudge had too much influence over the wizarding media. Harry and Draco discussed the coming year and the Quidditch team. Draco talked about how he would try out for Chaser due to the fact that the Slytherin team was now short one because one the previous Chasers was a Seventh year.

At the end of the evening, Lucius was still deep into conversation with Severus and it appeared neither would yield.

“I think it’s time you boys went to bed,” Narcissa said, pointing in the direction of the stairs.

The boys said goodnight to one another and parted ways for the night.

As Harry settled into his warm bed, he pondered the day’s events. He had magically transported himself to his best friend’s home, disobeyed direct orders, and most importantly, he would not be punished for it. Harry lulled himself to sleep, thinking of the weeks to come.

Approximately three weeks later. . .

“Potter! Get up!” the sallow skinned man bellowed. First Dobby was sent up to wake Harry before dawn and half an hour later the Potions Master himself was in Harry’s room attempting to rouse the sleeping boy.

“It’s not even light out yet,” he mumbled through his blanket.

“Exactly, we’re wasting early morning dark hours,” Severus said, exasperated. Frustrated with the boy, he tore the blankets from the bed. Harry curled up in a ball to prevent from freezing.

“Give me my bloody blanket back!” Harry yelled blindly groping around for his bedspread.

Severus then whacked Harry across the back of the head, “Don’t ever speak to me in that way again, or it will be the last thing to leave your lips”

“I wouldn’t have said it if you hadn’t taken my blanket,” Harry grumbled, finally putting his feet on the floor.

“You wouldn’t be in this position if you had gone to bed at respectable hour,” Severus huffed. Harry rolled his eyes before putting on his glasses. As Harry’s eyes adjusted, he noticed just how livid Snape was. He was completely unaffected. Weeks ago he would have scrambled from the room as fast as his feet could carry him, but now he was used to the man’s presence and was acclimated to his ways.

“Now, get dressed and be in the entrance hall in fifteen minutes,” Severus said, exiting the room with the slam of a door.

Harry pulled himself up and dressed as he was told but he was still fifteen minutes late to the entrance hall.

Severus sighed and rolled his eyes as Harry came down the stairs at an unnecessarily slow pace.

“Potter, I will not tolerate your less than acceptable behavior the way the Malfoys do. You will address me with the same respect as if we were in class,” Severus said once Harry had finally reached the bottom of the stairs. The boy shrugged and rolled his eyes at his professor.

Just as he had done in the boy’s room, Severus smacked Harry on the back of the head. Harry scowled at the older man and rubbed his head. As Severus raised his hand to strike the boy once more Harry spoke, “Yes, sir”

Severus lead the way with a triumphant smirk.