There were exactly two weeks until Draco and Harry would attend Hogwarts, and those two weeks did not pass kindly. The boys believed such misfortune began with Dudley complaining over breakfast on Draco's first morning at Privet Drive, but it actually started several hours earlier when Albus Dumbledore received urgent news.

The message inspired misfortune because the Headmaster had never received one quite like it – and there was nothing to be done. It was remarkable in itself how stumped for solutions Dumbledore was, though those weren't words Severus Snape would choose to describe the occurrence.

The silence, as they sat in Dumbledore's office at sunrise, dragged on until it became uncommonly awkward.

'We do...Nothing?' Severus stared.

'Precisely nothing.' Dumbledore nodded.

'Have you lost your mind?' The dark-haired man growled, rising from his chair.

'Perhaps, for a situation as rare and unique as this, it isn't a matter of where to interfere but rather knowing when to leave well enough alone,' Dumbledore said. 'Yes, we will do nothing – for now. I have a feeling these two weeks are far more crucial than we're yet to realise, Severus. Young and confused as they may be, Harry and Draco are exactly where needed at this point in their merging lives.'

Severus sank back into the chair, shaking his head yet resisting everything he wanted to say. He had questions, and didn't dare ask them in fear of answers. Dumbledore had made his decision and that's all there was to it. For now, Harry and Draco were on their own.

On their own, but not alone...

'But I don't want him here!' Dudley shouted, fat fist squishing a strip of bacon.

Harry rolled his eyes, but Draco was afraid to blink. Meeting his cousin Dudley was certainly memorable, if only for how gross and upsetting it was. The shouted lack of greeting was as appalling as Petunia denying the twins more than a slice of buttered bread each.

'I know, popkin,' Petunia tried to calm Dudley by tempting him with more food. She talked about how it would only be for two weeks and he wouldn't have to be in the same room as them for too long, and so on.

Harry and Draco glanced at Vernon. The man sat beside Dudley, beady eyes reading the newspaper in silence. Draco didn't know much about his uncle, but the way Harry constantly looked at the large man indicated it wasn't quite in Vernon's character to react so nonchalantly to having to sheltering a second magical nephew. Even Petunia gave her husband side glances and creased thin eyebrows in confusion.

Draco remained in the kitchen, backed against a counter to keep his distance from the Muggles. Harry cooked and served breakfast, which stirred unwelcome curiosity in Draco. Trying to make sense of the situation was the easiest distraction from how overwhelmed he felt inside.

'Are all Muggles like this?' he asked his brother, when Harry paused to boil water in a kettle. Draco cautiously watched the device, but it didn't match the marvel of learning what a fridge was when Harry asked him to get food from it earlier.

'Like what?' Harry glanced at the Dursleys.

'They're treating you like a house-elf.' The blond said, angrily crossing his arms. 'You're doing servant stuff.'

'What's a house-elf?' Harry poured hot liquid into a mug.

Draco stared at him, voice stuttering as he'd never had to explain something like that before.

Harry made coffee, carefully delivering it to Vernon – who continued reading the paper without uttering a word - and gave Draco an intrigued look.

'Its a...' Draco frowned, thinking. 'Its a small creature who serves wizards. They have to do whatever we tell them to.'

'They're slaves?' Harry's green eyes flashed with disapproval.

Draco nodded, ducking his head with shame. He thought of Dobby, who he'd tried to set free and failed; he wasn't a Malfoy, so it hadn't worked. Not knowing at the time, and feeling guilty for getting the elf in trouble, Draco instead tried to trick Lucius or Narcissa into freeing Dobby.

'Do all wizards have a house-elf?' Harry asked.

'I don't think so.' Draco sighed. 'Only rich ones.'

'Like the Malfoys?'

Draco yelped, jumping backwards when toast shot out of a silver device. Harry snatched and spread jam on the toast for Dudley, pressing his lips tightly together in attempt not to smile. Their cousin, however, roared with laughter. Draco clenched his fists, and Petunia immediately ushered Dudley into the next room. His arrival at Privet Drive had unsettled the Dursleys but their fear of magic remained.

Harry and Draco shared a look, and fled outside with the extra toast.

~ G ~ 

Days passed with routine and growing tension.

Draco, having kept to himself as much as possible, slowly got used to being in a Muggle house. He and Harry, without openly deciding to do so, developed an even exchange of information – Harry asked how the wizarding world worked, and Draco questioned what Muggle objects did. Electricity and television were the hardest to comprehend, but Draco kept trying. Harry enthusiastically pointed to plugs and electrical sockets, and patiently taught Draco to write with a pen.

With September approaching, the twins often stayed up at night reading textbooks in between Draco sharing knowledge of Quidditch and how unfair it was they can't have a broomstick in first year. His bitterness was increased by Lucius confiscating Draco's broom a month ago.

'I don't want to be behind everyone else,' Harry added, green gaze set on the pages of his Potions textbook. 'But how are we going to read all this in two weeks, and do chores?'

'I'm not doing chores!' Draco scowled. 'They can't make me. If they try, I'll threaten them with magic. Not really, of course, but they don't know any better.'

'What if it doesn't work?' Harry sighed. 'They'll lock us in the cupboard and take away our Hogwarts stuff. Isn't it better to keep our heads down?'

Draco's anger deflated. Self preservation was essential around Muggles like the Dursleys, and the boys had nowhere else to go. He glanced at his empty owl cage and slumped his shoulders, lowering blue eyes to the open Transfiguration book on his lap.

Hogwarts classes didn't seem as boring as Draco dreaded, but it was hard to focus when reading wasn't something he often made a habit of. Privet Drive restricted any possibility of entertainment - especially when the Dursleys insisted the twins remain out of sight. Tucked away in their bedroom, Harry and Draco tried to study and instead quizzed each other on favourite food or memories they wanted to share.

Draco usually kept to himself, being a naturally private person, but talking to Harry was easy; he rather enjoyed having someone who enjoyed listening to him. There were no wrong answers, unlike with the Malfoys who deemed every word from Draco's mouth to be the wrong answer.

'Hagrid told me what happened to our parents,' Harry said one night, standing to cross another day off the calendar. 'Voldemor-'

'Don't!' Draco hissed, tucking his sickly-pale sheet around himself. 'Don't say the name.'

'Sorry.' Harry huffed, dropping onto the bed and bouncing sideways. 'You-Know-Who just left us there, but Hagrid didn't mention you...'

'The Malfoys wouldn't say much.' Draco sighed, not wanting to go over it again. 'They stole me after the Dark Lord left, and hid the evidence. Our parents never told anyone they had twins so Hagrid probably didn't know.'

'Don't you think that's a bit odd?' Harry frowned. 'Them not telling anyone, I mean. What's bad about having twins?'

Draco shrugged, refusing to explore possibilities. Petunia, though she scolded them to go away when it was brought up, never denied their relation. Harry insisted she would have, if it too was a lie, and that was the best proof they had.

From then on, boys swore to never to lie to each other like everyone else had. That was the first time Draco felt he actually had a brother, but it only further complicated his own confusions and internal debates.

'We don't look the same.' Harry tilted his head at Draco, sprawling on his stomach to reach eye-level. 'Maybe if you messed your hair up a bit?'

'No.' Draco glared, instinctively flattening his hair with both hands. 'It's bad enough its changing colour, I'm not turning it into a mop too.'

Draco's identity issues didn't stop with learning his true heritage; his own appearance began to shift, which Narcissa warned him would. The Malfoys placed colouration charms on Draco so he'd resemble them, and they'd stopped casting those spells a month ago. His blue eyes were as vibrant as Harry's emerald ones, and Draco's hair faded from pale blond to a light shade of brown.

Glancing at Harry, who grabbed a random textbook to read, Draco tried to find inherit similarities between them. They grew up differently – about as different as two young wizards could, but they were always twins.

'We need a mirror,' Draco decided.

The Dursleys watched television downstairs, laughing noisily at some comedy show, making it safe for the boys to leave their bedroom. Harry shut the bathroom door just in case. They frowned at their reflections, nudging the other aside for a better view.

'Wow,' Harry whispered.

Side-by-side, comparing appearances, they took turns trying to match each others silly expressions. Their ears and chins were similar, yet faces shaped the same way. Harry, battling Draco's protests, ruffled his brother's hair and smiled at the result.

Their eyes, it turned out, were the biggest difference in their features.

'You're so blind,' Draco teased, wearing Harry's glasses. 'This is ridiculous – what if someone knocks them off? You should order magical contacts before school.'

'How?' Harry pushed his glasses back on, mindful of the tape holding them together.

'By owl, of course.' Draco rolled his eyes, raising hands to re-flatten his hair before changing his mind. His wavy locks were less embarrassing compared to Harry's hair sticking up in every direction.

'I'm glad we're going to Hogwarts together,' Harry said. 'And that we get to be brothers now, like we were supposed to.'

'Does Aunt Petunia have any pictures of our parents?' Draco asked, choosing his words to show acceptance of his blood family.

He wanted to believe he was coping well and taking everything at stride, but in his heart it was pure resignation. Draco was cast out and defeated, with no energy left to fight what he once believed was beneath him. The golden rule of living with the Dursleys was not to ask questions - the Malfoys loved that rule too. Harry and Draco concluded that it's how adults are.

If they wanted real answers, they'd have to figure it out themselves.

'No.' Harry frowned, leading back to their bedroom. 'Do you think we could find pictures – at Hogwarts, I mean? Do think they'd have records or something?'

'Probably.' Draco nodded, re-wrapping his sheet around himself like a pitiful cocoon. 'What do you think they were like? I know our father played Quidditch, but that's about it.'

'You know more than me,' Harry said, shrugging. 'I wonder who looks most like mum or dad, since we have different eyes and hair...Do you think there's books about that stuff too?'

'Why are you asking me? I don't know everything.' Draco rolled his eyes. 'Is there a library-?'

The boys turned to the window, interrupted by a flutter of ginger feathers. A screech owl landed on the open windowsill, prompting Hedwig to straighten on her desk-chair-perch. The snowy owl watched closely as Draco rushed to greet the smaller owl.

'Pep!' Draco detached a letter from Pepper's talon. 'You found me.'

'That's your owl?' Harry's interest in the new bird earned a sound of indignation from Hedwig.

'I sent him away before...' Draco ducked his head, scowling. 'Before the Malfoys kicked me out.'

Harry stroked Pepper's gingery feathers, and fetched Hedwig's water bowl for the tired little owl. Unfolding the letter, Draco braced himself before reading.

Draco,

Thanks for trusting me with the truth, I know it isn't easy. I never believed blood is all that makes family, so you're still my cousin no matter what.

I respect that you want to keep this quiet, but I also won't let their crimes go unpunished. I've only just begun my training as an Auror and don't have the authority to do much for you right now, but I'll keep trying. The Malfoys went to great lengths to keep all this out of the Daily Prophet, and have gone out of country until it blows over.

Having received this letter a day later than you'd sent it, I asked my mentor to discreetly look into the situation - we can trust him, I promise. He said you're staying with Muggle relatives and it's the best place for you right now. You've found your brother and I'm so happy for that. Stay safe – in a week you'll be at Hogwarts and things will get better. You've been through a lot, but you're not alone.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help. My parents and I are here for you and your brother if ever need be.

For now, hang in there and have fun at Hogwarts.

Tonks.

'Who's it from?' Harry wondered.

'I...' Draco kept his head bowed, fighting tears. He'd expected the worst and yet the only cousin he'd ever liked once again proved the Malfoys only know how to lie. 'My cousin. She just graduated from Hogwarts. I told her what happened.'

'What'd she say?' Harry took a step back when Draco turned away. 'Sorry, it's none of my business.'

'Who else do I have to tell?' Draco whispered, patting his owl.

The Malfoys owned an eagle and barn owl, which he was meant to use at Hogwarts, but while shopping for school supplies Narcissa was adamant Draco got his own pet. Pepper was bright orange and playful – a stark difference from other owls in store. Being the odd one out was exactly why Draco chose him. Lucius wasn't impressed, as usual. Narcissa, however, smiled and bought the owl for Draco.

Thinking back on that day, he wondered if they'd already decided then to kick him out.

Meeting Harry's attentive gaze, Draco was beginning to recognise what was real. It took him days to understand how much his life shifted from living at Malfoy Manor to the Muggle house of Privet Drive. He never realised how much he'd wanted a brother like Harry to talk to – someone who was also different and unfortunate.

And so he sat with Harry and told his twin everything.

They compared growing up in a magical mansion to a Muggle cupboard under the stairs, and came to the unsettling awareness that the contrasts between Dursleys and Malfoys were very few. They shared fears and hurt, then hugged until everything felt easier. They built bridges and found common ground unlike anything they'd known before.

Draco and Harry wanted to prepare themselves for Hogwarts with united determination that no matter what happened next – the lies will not become them. The boys would only seek truth, and never let anyone separate them again.

~ G ~ 

Meanwhile, Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall stared at the list of students due to start Hogwarts in a few days.

They expected a Potter boy each to their houses, though Dumbledore cautioned against making such assumptions. The Headmaster retained a hint in his gaze that perhaps he knew something of what to expect when term began – secrets which, as it so often was, he chose not to share.

'Here.' Minerva pointed. 'Harry James Potter and Draco Sirius Potter. Both boys had their names down at birth. Everything's in order.'

Severus glared at the names, resisting memories of the Marauders. Minerva was sympathetic to the situation, but he remained certain the Potter twins would arrive as arrogantly as James had. Harry had Lily's eyes, but it was far too hopeful for Severus to believe anything else could survive the Potter genes each boy possessed.

Minerva shook her head at his glare, in the same manner she'd express disapproval for a student's misbehaviour.

'Really, Severus, at least wait until they've walked through the door,' she muttered.

'I've no idea what you're referring to,' Severus said, crossing his arms. 'Surely you don't agree with the Headmaster?'

'To do nothing?' Minerva asked, narrowing her eyes and avoiding his. 'My agreement is not necessary.'

'So, no?' Severus raised an eyebrow. 'Very well, is there anything else required of us?'

'No.' She leaned back with a heavy sigh, shutting a thick book. 'Now, we wait...'

'Indeed,' he said bitterly. 'And I shall be in my room, downing firewhiskey or something equally potent.'

'Ever the Drama Queen.' Minerva rolled her eyes, as Severus sulked from the room.

She glanced back at the list, wariness stirring with memories of James and Sirius. The certainty remained that it was going to be an interesting year at Hogwarts, to say the least.