Harry rolled over onto his side as he dreamed of a lit birthday cake with his parents smiling faces and laughter surrounding him. He felt someone nudging him and pulling him away from the pleasant dream that could have been a memory for all he knew.

'Dobby is to wake Harry Potter sir.' The elf nudged him again.

'Another five minutes.' Harry groaned as his dream started to slip away even while he turned away from the house-elf again.

Dobby nodded and turned only to reappear into Draco's bedroom. The elf frowned at the memory of having to do this many times over, back when he had served the Malfoy family. He hadn't forgotten the tricks to getting the blonde boy up, but Dobby also remembered how much of a morning person Draco could be...not.

'Young Malfoy sir is to wake up now.' Dobby said. He nudged Draco just as he had Harry; he wondered if anything would be different, but the hand that swung his way and caught him on the side of the face proved otherwise. Dobby yelped shrilly as he fell to the floor even though Draco still barely noticed.
'Go away, elf.' came the grunted reply to accompany the contact.

'You is to get up.' Dobby said again. He scrambled to his feet and kept his distance but was determined to wake the boy if for nothing other than payback; he knew he couldn’t be punished this time.

--

Harry groaned when Dobby nudged him again several minutes later but his dream was already gone so he decided to get up. Yawning, he sat upright and noticed the relief in Dobby's expression as well as posture, although the elf was rubbing his arm as though his entire body ached. Harry remembered Draco's trained behavior towards the elf but was too tired to deal with it right now, although he mentally promised Dobby that he would.

Yawning again, Harry left his room after he'd changed his clothes and almost bumped into Draco as he too exited his bedroom. After they muttered incoherent words and frowned some more, the blonde boy moved past the other and they made their way downstairs for breakfast. As expected, Dobby was already there, but so was Snape. The dark-clothed man sat at the end of the table with a copy of the Daily Prophet placed in front of him in which he read casually.

'Good morning.' He greeted them once they stepped into the room but only received a language of grunts and groans in return. The man was entirely amused that the boys were simply so tired.

'I assume neither of you received a required length of rest the previous night?' Snape inquired although he knew it was true. Of course, he didn't know why...he was oblivious to the fact that Harry had been rethinking things involving his birthday in enjoyment, while Draco pondered his entire relationship with his parents and the nature of his upbringing.

'Nnnn.' Harry slumped his head forward and rested his forehead against his arms atop the table. Draco stifled another yawn and reached for his fork and didn't even care about the state of his tousled hair.

Snape chuckled lightly and remembered the last time they'd been like that, at about the age of five or six, when they had been so sure that they could stay up until midnight but had passed out in exhaustion by 11:30pm. The morning result was quite the same. Although back then, being younger, the boys had simply gone back to bed, whereas the two teens slowly started to wake properly once they began eating their breakfast and sipping their juice.

'I am required in my study.' Snape rose from the table shortly after and gave each boy a lingering glance before he walked away, leaving them to their thoughts and mood.

After they'd had their fill of pancakes, the boys rose and made their way into the living room where they lounged about for a moment and just waited for their sleepiness to subside.

'You know, you shouldn't be so mean to Dobby,' Harry frowned. He finally decided to bring up the topic now that he didn't feel so much like a zombie. 'It's just his job and your father was cruel to him'.

'Shut up, Potter,' Draco snarled with the mentioning of his father. 'The elf should be used to it, it's a slave!'

'Your father is violent and cruel,' Harry scowled. 'And you're just pathetic.' He stood and walked away. He heard Draco mutter angrily behind him and Harry was prepared to grab his wand in defense if he had to.

'Pathetic?' Draco reached for his wand. 'Pathetic?' He repeated and rose from his seat just as Harry turned to face him with his own wand gripped in his hand. After assessing the situation, Draco lowered his wand slightly and just scowled even deeper.

'And you think you're any better, eh Scarhead?' He retorted angrily. Hadn't he just been thinking last night that his upbringing wasn't as he had thought it to be? Add house-elf mistreatment to the list. Although it may be true, Draco hated Harry for being the one to point it out in his face.

'I'm better than you,' Harry frowned but noticed the lowering of the wand. 'At least I don't bully people just because I feel like it. And I don't look up to a Death Eater.' He added, having learnt of the term mere weeks previous to their odd arrival in this make-believe world of weirdness.

Draco clenched his wand tighter in his hand. And yet, he still hesitated in firing a hex because he wasn't sure how this Snape would react to having his living room demolished in the process of their duel.

'Famous Harry Potter; do you honestly believe you're so flawless? That you could do no wrong?' Draco bit back. 'You didn't even do anything worth making you legendary! Your filthy mudblood mother did. And besides...it's because of me you're even on the Quidditch team!'

Harry ground his teeth at Draco's comment about his mother and now realized why Draco was yet to aim a spell at him.

'Shut up, Malfoy!' He snapped. 'Don't say that about my mother. And so what about the team? I'm still a better Seeker than you'll ever be'.

'Ha! Not bloody likely.' Draco snorted angrily.

'Oh yeah?' Harry deepened his frown.

Draco glared at him for a moment and then lowered his wand further. 'Prove it.' He sneered arrogantly and crossed his arms, now feeling rather confident as he ignored the fact that Harry had certainly beaten him last year during their first game; he blamed that on the rouge bludger that had been chasing Potter.

'What?' Harry looked startled for a moment.

'Get your broom, Potter,' Draco rolled his eyes. 'And prove it'.

'Fine!' He snapped and shoved past the taller blonde. Harry headed upstairs to his room where he grabbed his Nimbus 2000 along with a snitch he'd discovered lying about previously.

He met Draco downstairs and outside where the Slytherin boy was already a few feet above the ground on his own Nimbus 2001.

'Consider this a rematch from last year.' Draco called over to him as they hovered many feet apart. Their glares barely ceased with the refreshed feeling of being in the air once again; it was something they had both been deprived of lately but hadn't paid much attention until now.

'So you want to lose again?' Harry couldn't help but mock in return; that comment about his mother wasn't going to be forgiven.

'Hardly. This will be a real test of talent. I'll prove I'm the best Seeker.' Draco rolled his eyes and noticed the snitch in Harry's hand.

Each boy might be competitive and prepared to play dangerously to fight out who was indeed best; however, neither could deny how pleased they were to have their brooms and be able to soar through the air again.

'Still think you can catch me, Potter?' Draco threw over his shoulder as he swooped towards the snitch. It was a very different game compared to one played under supervision in the Quidditch pitch, because of the unlimited grounds, trees and many other obstacles, as well as their vast space surrounding them in each direction. It was only then that the boys both realized and appreciated the large lawns of Prince Manor.

Snape made his way outside towards the back of the Manor. He had finally caught a break in his work in which he could spend a moment outdoors. He glanced over the lawn but was startled when two blurs flew through the air and after a moment he came to realize it was Harry and Draco on their brooms. He was surprised – not to see them playing or using foolishness in their loops and such, but instead by the fierceness of their game play.

Snape stood there and watched for a moment. He noticed the golden snitch they were both tied for in reaching; each arm shoved the other away while trying to capture the prize.

There was no warning when they both aimed towards one side and then crashed into a tree with a tangle of twigs, leaves and limbs. The snitch hit a branch and fell to the ground weakly, not yet captured.

Snape rushed over to check on his sons in concern; he saw each boy shove the other off as they stood and examined their brooms. Draco and Harry were unaware of the man as they were more relieved that each of their brooms was okay and still in one piece, along with their bones.

'Idiot children, what were you thinking?' Snape scowled and they glanced at him as though wondering who he was for a moment. He noticed the expressions they wore, for his concerned tone was something they had not been expecting. That was the final straw.

'Inside. Now.' Snape ordered and pointed towards the house while he swished his wand so their brooms flew themselves back to their owners’ room. 'We are going to have a little talk.' He added and eyed the boys as they sullenly walked past him, their heads ducked while rubbing elbows and arms which were no doubt bruised from their impact.

As he ignored the ranting and hurried whispers from the teens, Snape followed them inside the house. He was unsurprised to find that Dobby had once again disappeared, no doubt cleaning someplace or else searching for discarded clothing which the elf could request to own and wear.

'Sit.' Snape directed and each boy sat as far as they could from the other upon a sofa in the living room, their backs to the family portrait hanging on the wall behind them.

'Sorry.' Harry mumbled as he rubbed his arm.

'Yeah.' Draco added and ducked his head lightly, although his annoyance was still quite clear.

'This little attitude has been prolonged far enough.' Snape sat in an armchair across from them and studied the expression of each son and yet again noticed the differences from the ones he'd raised.

'I am displeased to notice that it appears as though you are each two entirely different boys,' He told them and watched as they glanced at each other, looking caught and unsure. 'I demand an explanation as to what has caused this to occur'.

'Nothing.' Draco replied. He always beat Harry in recovering and came up with excuses as though it was sworn truth; of course, the Slytherin was far more acclimated to lying than Harry and felt far less guilt in doing so.

'I have considered that this is merely a phrase,' Snape stated aloud. 'Perhaps a teenage-related change. However, I do not believe in such uncertainty. Do not lie to me; I am surely no fool...something had occurred in my absence that day. Do tell.'

'No, it's really nothing,' Harry insisted. 'We just had a disagreement.'

'Yeah.' Draco nodded.

'And why don't I believe that?' Snape narrowed his eyes. He knew they were lying and yet he was unable to think of any other possible scenarios that could cause this, or a reason for them to hide it from him. Unless he really was overreacting?

'Well, it's the truth.' Draco scowled expertly and crossed his arms. Harry glanced at him and caught on. The raven-haired boy tried to look annoyed that Snape was questioning them rather than being surprised that it had taken Snape this long to catch onto their behavior; surely he hadn't been ignoring it up until now? Since when would he pass up such a chance?

'Hm.' Snape said with an inaudible sigh. He wasn't sure what else to say since they were steadfastly not confiding in him. What had changed? Or...what had gone wrong?

'Is this, perhaps, a rebellion to the fact that I remain in my office for lengthy periods of the day?' Snape inquired. He didn't realize that this was the one aspect which they were actually relieved about.

'I understand we have discussed this numerous times in the past; my constant absence has caused many issues which are no fault but my own .' Snape admitted. 'However, such behavior will not be tolerated. I work from home to provide for our lives and if you wished to see me, it would have been a simple matter of knocking'.

Draco and Harry straightened to look at each other, alarmed that there was a minor flaw in their “perfect world” here – that while they may have a family and home...apparently their “father” was still seemingly absent. However, it did provide them with an excellent excuse for their rivalry.

'Well, it's still not fair.' Draco huffed and Harry once again caught on and nodded in agreement. He pushed his glasses higher on his nose and lowered his head as if in sadness, when in reality he was merely disappointed that even here he still couldn't get the perfect family situation he dreamed of.

'It is time for lunch,' Snape sighed. 'I assure you that this matter will once again be thoroughly discussed, but at a later date'.

And how awkward that will be, thought Harry.

'No!' He insisted and jumped upright while Draco did the same, although mostly as a reflexive response to Harry's sudden action. 'It's okay really, we'll try...We're just a little...um...'

'We, ah, miss you sometimes.' Draco added in and withheld a grimace at voicing such words to anyone. Although given the situation, it seemed to fit.

'I see.' Snape nodded. 'Then I shall attempt to make further appearances.' He said, but still narrowed his eyes at them. But it fit perfectly with how they were acting, or at least the moods associated with it – the competitiveness and constant deflecting of each other's rightful place on occasions.

'Right.' Draco said and Harry merely nodded. And that was when Dobby popped into view; always with such strange timings.

'I suggest that you each prepare some lunch,' Snape said to the boys as he paused in the doorway. 'You could each do with more meat on your bones.' He added and glanced down at the elf while the teens blushed at his comment.

'Dobby, perhaps would like to assist me?' He asked. 'I have a task which could certainly benefit from the opinion of a house-elf.'

'Dobby is honored sir!' The elf grinned. 'Dobby is happy to help Master Snape sir.’

'Honestly,' Draco shook his head as Snape and Dobby left the room, disappearing down a set of stairs. 'Dobby is living it up, here'.

'Yeah,' Harry sighed. 'This place certainly suits him the most'.

'And way to go, Scarhead...getting us caught like that!' Draco shoved him lightly.

'Hey!' Harry shoved back and retaliated with his own arguments the entire way to the kitchen. They may have agreed on a truce previously, but their rivalry continued to step in and cause more trouble, which made things even more difficult for them to manage. Although neither boy could truly comprehend that perhaps getting along could see them leaving the place...Or perhaps, something was going to give them a reason to want to stay?