Stolen by a Superhero by Captn-Fedora

Proud

“Draco! Harry!”

Two sets of footsteps came barrelling down the spiral staircase, their suitcases thudding behind them as both boys, laughing, plowed into the kitchen wall. Narcissa smiled from where she stood at the island, a warm cup of morning tea in her hands. She felt Lucius’ chest vibrate in amusement from where it was pressed into her back and she glanced up, admiring the smile on his face.

She looked back to her boys a moment later, watching as Draco winced under the weight of his luggage. “You know, if you didn’t insist on bringing so many shoes and extra cauldron sets it’d be much lighter.” Harry teased, taking the case from the taller of the two. “Hey-That’s mine!” Harry laughed, “So stop complaining and carry it to the door.” Draco huffed and walked away, leaving a protesting Harry holding both of their trunks.

Narcissa watched as her son’s smirk melted into a soft smile, “Morning, Mum, morning, dad.” He grabbed a cup of tea, his favourite mug with a dragon wrapped around the handle. Harry had gifted it to him for his birthday in one of the more recent years, she couldn’t quite remember which.

Harry let the two trunks hit the floor with a loud clunk and a muttered “Sorry.” He stopped and stretched out his arms far, letting his shoulders pop after the heavy weight. Lucius removed his arms from around her waist and Narcissa watched him fill a fourth mug for Harry who smiled in thanks.

“Morning mum.” Narcissa smiled, her heart full. Harry rarely referred to Lucius or her as such, which made her cherish when it happened even more. “Good morning, Harry. Did you boys sleep well?” She knew they hadn’t slept much at all, their voices and laughter carrying throughout the manor well into the night.

Harry ducked his head and sipped his tea, hiding his blush and transferring the attention back to Draco. He looked every bit of the Slytherin he hoped to be, a mischievous glimmer brightening his eyes and his hair carefully slicked back. Narcissa didn’t think she would ever be able to find the right words, never be able to show just how proud of him she was.

Her son was everything she had hoped for and more. He was kind, respectful, thoughtful, and had a hunger for learning. He was polite and followed instruction well, was independent but not unable to ask for help. He was a good friend to Harry, a teacher and a brother.

She was not any less proud Harry, the boy she had been quick to call her second son. What was once a terrified and terribly thin child grew quickly into a young man. Harry was more helpful around the house than any boy Narcissa had ever heard of, always quick to clean up after himself and finish the few chores he and Draco were assigned. He would do everything she or Lucius asked of him, without the added sarcasm of Draco, and more.

That being said, he was still only a child. He spent the days laughing with Draco, running up and down the halls when they thought they weren’t being watched and sneaking into each other's bedroom far past their bedtimes. He broke rules and cups and bones, Narcissa had lost count of how many times the poor boy had to be taken to St.Mungo’s for falling off his broom or- still in the earlier days -reverting back to his past eating habits.

When she looked back to her boys, both with wide grins and their excitement tangible, she knew she wouldn’t have traded this life for any other.

Harry had woken up at seven sharp, somehow feeling well rested after only sleeping for three hours at the most. He figured it was his anticipation, the day he had been eagerly awaiting since the first time Draco told him about it- his first day at Hogwarts.

Of course, it would be far from the first time either he or Draco had stepped foot in the castle, but still it was special. Harry didn’t know quite how to explain the difference, but he could feel it and knew his brother did, too.

For as long as Harry had been with the Malfoy’s the two of them had stayed at Hogwarts for the summers. Severus’ private quarters had stretched and formed a new room before they had even arrived that first morning in July, the blue walls covered in glowing stars and fitted with two small beds could have only been created for his (honory) nephews.

Harry smiled as he thought of the day. Even after living with the Malfoy’s for five years, magic never ceased to amaze him. He suspected that was part of what was so special about going to Hogwarts for the first time as a proper student. He was excited to learn, to be able to use the wand he kept proudly on his bedside table. But there was still something else, some weird magic all of its own that made this time special.

Harry snuck out of Draco’s room easily, the task having become one they each had mastered years ago after spending countless nights in each other's rooms. He suspected Narcissa and Lucius knew, but they had never said anything on the matter and Harry appreciated that.

As he pushed open the door to his own room he smiled, the same marble H hanging above his bed that had marked it as his all those years ago. Harry hadn’t known what to do when Draco- his father’s hand on his shoulder the only thing keeping him from jumping out of his shoes -had turned the gift-wrapped door handle, revealing the large, furnished bedroom across from Draco’s own.

“It’s for you, Harry! You’re going to be my brother!” He’d never had his own room before, let alone one so big. As much as he had been grateful, the tall bed and vast room overwhelmed him and sent him hiding under Draco’s bed on more nights than he’d like to admit.

That week, as long and exhausting as it had been, still felt like yesterday to Harry. He remembered the potions he had to take every morning and night (and how upset he had been when Lucius had told him that no, it wouldn’t heal his lightning scar) and how funny he had thought his formal robes were, but so happy they didn’t itch.

They had spent so many hours at the Ministry that week, Harry watching with large, fearful eyes as the Wizengamot declared the Dursleys unfit guardians. At the time, he hadn’t truly understood much. The fear, confusion, and bubbling hope had left little room for paying attention to the funny old man with the long beard or why Lucius and Severus were trying just as hard to send him away as they worked to keep Harry.

He still had the clipping from the Prophet above his desk, protected in the silver frame Narcissa had put it in after it had wrinkled under his pillow. Harry watched it as it cycled through: The pride in Lucius’ smirk as he shook Mrs.Bones’ hand firmly and held up half of the adoption form, still wet with ink. Narcissa held the other half and was smiling down at a young Draco who was trying to stand as composed as his father while also having a short arm wrapped around his new brother.

Much like with magic, Harry didn’t think he would stop finding awe in his family.

When Draco woke up that morning he cursed himself and his well prepared brother who had spent the past month slowly and neatly readying his luggage. His own school books were already stacked in the trunk, laying open on the floor in his walk-in closet but he had yet to decide what else to bring.

Of course he knew his robes- school robes, thick winter robes, a set of dress robes, and his favourite potion-brewing robe for when his and Harry’s already scheduled one-on-ones (or one-on-twos, he supposed) with uncle Sev -but other than the obvious he was at a loss.

His mother had already placed an undetectable extension charm on his trunk, knowing her son was as materialistic as he was sentimental. She had offered the same to Harry but of course he had declined, “All of my personal items are already split between my room here and the one in Severus’ quarters. And if I ever do get homesick I’ll just borrow some of his things, he’d hardly notice if I took it anyway.”
Draco had let out an indignant huff, rolling his eyes while they joked at his expense. Later, though, he had cherished the sentiment. Harry had told him several times over the years how he would always feel safe as long as he had Draco by his side, as long as he knew his family supported him it wouldn’t matter where he was.

It was something of a sort of pride that Draco felt whenever he heard his brother say those things. It made him feel like the hero he had thought himself to be at seven all over again. He may have been less than two months older, a fact he was sure to never let Harry forget, but he had always felt like such an older brother to him.

Once he started to get older he realized how much of that stemmed from just how protective he was over Harry. Of course Draco knew Harry was the same age (well, 56 days younger but still) but there was some part of him that would never stop seeing his brother as the skinny little boy who snuck into his room to sleep under his bed after a nightmare.

He hadn’t really understood it at the time, and even as he shoved the photo album of him and Harry into his trunk he wasn’t sure he fully understood the extent to how those muggles had hurt Harry. Over the years he had pieced together what he thought was most of it- the starvation and unwarranted beatings, Harry’s weird fear-comfort relationship with small spaces. But even knowing what had happened, Draco knew that he’d never understand what Harry had gone through, not really. Not in the same ways.

Draco remembered how hard he had tried to convince his parents or uncle Sev to tell him what happened, to make him understand why Harry froze and flinched whenever someone raised their voice or if Draco got even a little upset with him. He had begged his mum to tell him what was wrong, “Why are you crying, mum? It’s alright.”

Still, Draco had felt forced into the role of protector. He knew he didn’t need to be, Harry would be perfectly fine with their parents and Severus looking out for him, but made Draco feel needed. Like he was spending his life doing something worthy, protecting his brother. He knew it was a silly concept, knew he was only 11 and just beginning to start his life. But it made him feel good about himself, proud to see how far Harry had come.

Really, he thought to himself as he started to sort through his shoes, he should be begging Harry to help pack rather than sift through memories like a Hufflepuff. Exasperated, Draco let out a huff and ‘neatly shoved’ three pairs of formal flats, his quidditch boots, winter boots, and two casual sets of shoes into his enlarged trunk. He stood with a shrug, assuring himself he’d need them all anyway.

With the same indecision of his mother, the rest of his belongings were packed in a similar fashion and soon enough Draco had shut and locked his luggage, keeping to himself that he had had to all but jump on it to force it shut.

The two of them finally dressed and, Draco’s hair stuck to his head with a copious amount of Sleekeazy’s, ready to leave their bedrooms at coincidentally the same time, he greeted Harry with a yawn. “Did you manage to fit your entire bedroom into that trunk or are you planning on stealing the extra space in mine?” Harry teased, exaggeratedly stretching his neck to peer into Draco’s room. “Piss off. At least I have things to bring.”

Before Harry could reply, they were racing each other to the kitchen at the sound of their names. Draco, an embarrassing five steps behind and stumbling due to the weight of what actually was almost his entire bedroom, was quite grateful when Harry took his luggage.

Narcissa served the boys blueberry pancakes and herself and Lucius fried eggs. Unlike most days, they were quiet as they ate, all of them thinking too much about their eventful day. Once the old grandfather clock finally ticc’ed to ten o’clock, Draco helped his father to carry their trunks out to the front gate, where they would soon apparate. It took only a few minutes for Harry and their mother to finish tidying the dining room before they joined them, each holding an owl’s cage.

“Well, boys, are you ready?” Draco and Harry shared a grin before nodding and, with the telling pull of apparition, vanished from the grounds of the manor.

Severus sighed as he stared out into the school’s empty grounds, the setting sun before him painting the sky shades of pink. The children would be arriving in Hogsmeade within the hour, his peaceful, silent summer in the castle gone. Not that it had been at all silent or very peaceful in the past few years.

Not only did he allow his godsons to spend their summers with him (a choice he could never quite decide his stance on) but they had gotten him a cat. A cat, of all things. Lucius had ignored the tear-inducing scowl Severus had responded with, a Malfoy smirk resting clear on his face. He had tried to pawn the thing off on Minerva but she refused with an excuse of ‘too many new duties as headmistress to care for a cat’. She hardly tried to hide her amusement at his new predicament.

Self-soothing, Severus had told himself that the cat wouldn’t like him much anyway. He was far from affectionate and would likely forget to feed the thing, too absorbed in brewing or grading.
But, regardless of the ability to roam the castle, Billywig (the boys had named it and Severus was only grateful the nine year olds hadn’t come up with worse) found himself sleeping Severus’ chest each morning.

On another level, he appreciated it, the source of life that the wretched creature brought. After years of spending his summers entertaining two rambunctious boys, the calmness of a home without them seemed unsettling. Though their shared bedroom door stayed closed, the reminders of them weren’t so hidden.

Severus would find their books still on the coffee table, a missing sock between the cushions months into the school year. The occasional dark haired boy would remind him of Harry or a well placed sarcastic retort of Draco. He figured it didn’t help that he kept their photos on the mantle, family Christmas portraits and the one of Harry’s adoption. He’d saved several drawings as well, his favourite hidden in his bedroom desk drawer.

Obviously a young child’s drawing, it was of a stick-man family. Two tall, “blonde’s” were on one side of the paper, only the red lips differentiating Narcissa from her husband. There was an equally yellow-haired little boy and a smaller, boy with a red bolt covering most of his face in the middle. And, on the right, there was a mass of black, only a small un-coloured white space for the face.

It wasn’t the art that loved so much as the labeling underneath. “Mum” and “Dad” had been written over with “Narcissa” and “Lucius”, “Draco” and “Me” scribbled under the children. Below the rendition of himself, was, instead of his name, “BatMan”.

Severus smiled as remembered the hug Harry had given him that night so long ago. The too-thin, too-scared boy suddenly melding into his robes, “Thank you for finding me, Batman.” It had been the first sign of affection Harry had shown besides Draco. The first real sign of him trusting one of the new prominent adults in his young life.

Amongst the feelings of shock, confusion, anger, and apprehension, pride had engulfed him. Pride for himself for having helped a child, not having let Harry suffer as he once had. Pride for his godson for, even in the short period, having taken in Harry so easily and showing him it would be okay. Pride for Harry himself, proud the boy had stayed strong at his relatives and that he was finding a home- a family that would love him.

In the distance he watched the thestrals appearing, carriages full of returning students not far behind. Severus feared for Harry and Draco as they would start school. As they had all known, “Malfoy’s Adopt Harry Potter- The Boy Who Lived” had taken the wizarding world by storm. Within mere hours, it seemed the entire world had learned of the well-known, ex-death eater family taking in one Harry Potter.

At least half of them had sent owls to the Ministry, to the Prophet, to the Malfoy’s and Harry himself. They demanded Harry be returned to his relatives, given to the Weasley’s , the Lovegood’s, the Longbottom’s, the Bones’- any half well-respected family was deemed a better fit.They threatened to sue and take Lucius to court over the matters, even after the Wizengamot declared it a closed case.
Some, lost in the mountains of hate-fueled scrolls, sent their sympathy for Harry. They gave their gratitude for rescuing the boy who lived, saviour of the wizarding world. Even fewer thanked them for getting Dumbledore removed from the school, past alumni and parents who never felt he truly cared for the students, too casual about letting them be in harm's way.

He worried, still, for how his treatment would affect them. The student’s had quickly deemed him “the most feared professor at Hogwarts” and “bat of the dungeons”, warning first years to keep away from the deputy headmaster at all costs.

Severus quite liked the reputation he had built around himself, finding dark amusement in his students’ fear, but he himself feared how Draco and Harry would react. They knew he was far from ever becoming the nicest wizard alive and were used to his snarky comments and stern rules.

But the both of them relied on praise and approval. Draco had rarely gone a day since birth without one of his parents doting on his every action, a strong wall of self-confidence crumbling on the few occasions it wasn’t there. And Harry was still suffering from the hands and words of his abusive relatives, their scarring ridicules ever present on his soul.

Unless he planned on breaking them (and severing their trust in him), Severus could hardly insult their work. He ignored the distress blooming low in his stomach, pushing off how his actions affected any of his students for another time.

“Severus, the students are beginning to arrive.” Minerva spoke suddenly from behind him. He hummed in response, turning away from the ledge to face her as she continued. “This year will be eventful, don’t you agree?” “I hope you hadn’t planned on having any peace for, at least, the next seven years.”

“Oh,” Severus smirked, striding toward the great hall, “Slytherin will be continuing our winning streak.”

While Harry had seen the castle countless times, Hogwarts seemed much more magical as it slowly appeared from where the first years arrived in boats. Draco was sat next to him of course, their (hopefully) new friends, Blaise and Teddy, with them.

The Hogwarts Express had been equally as magical. It had taken much longer than Harry had believed it to but every minute was worth it. He and Draco had found a compartment in the middle to share, stowing their trunks below the seats and their owls next to them.

For the first hour, they snacked on candy from the trolley and theorized about their classes and professors. In all the time they’d stayed at Hogwarts, they hadn’t seen any one other than the MediWitch and glimpses of the headmistress.

After they had filled up on chocolate, they started to wander the train. Harry didn’t think he’d ever been more pleased that Draco was as extroverted as he was. He let his brother lead the conversations, smiling and introducing himself when he should and stopping him from being too rude.

They had met some people Harry thought could be promising friends. Blaise Zambini, Teddy Nott, Susan Bones, and Stephen Cornfoot. Harry had liked Hermione Granger’s palpable eagerness, seeing himself in the way she was so obviously amazed by magic. Draco had scoffed at her, “Bloody Ravenclaws”.

Like Susan, they had recognized Ronald’s last name from the stories of work their father brought home. Harry had managed to turn Draco away before he’d noticed and started sprouting unnecessary insults. No matter how hard Harry tried, there were some things he couldn’t make his brother accept. One day, he’d thought, he won’t pay so much attention to blood.

The rest of the journey had passed by uneventfully- well, aside from the Granger girl asking if they’d found a toad anywhere -and their compartment had been joined by Zambini and Nott. When the train finally slowed to a halt, Harry had stood on his toes to see past the hoards of students exiting.

“Did you forget what the place looked like in our year of absence?” Harry swatted at his brother’s teasing, “Shut up, Dray. I’m just excited.” He looked back and smirked, “Not that you would know what that’s like- being so emotionless and all.” He ducked, laughing, to avoid the returning smack.

A big, tall man called Hagrid greeted them as all the first years poured out of the train, his voice louder than the engine as it restarted itself. “Right then! First years! This way please!” He led them to the start of the black lake and directed them, “no more than four”, to pair up in the tiny boats waiting for them.

“Draco,” Harry whispered as he and Teddy held the boat steady for Blaise, “Is he looking at me funny or is it just me?” He nodded toward Hagrid who had been watching him closely since they disembarked. Draco glanced up and frowned, it turning upward into a smirk as he spoke, “A bit, yeah. But you’d better get used to it, chosen one.”

The ride across the lake was beautiful. The castle was silhouetted by the smallest sliver left of the earlier sunset, the windows candle lit from the inside. It was relatively quiet considering the amount of children first seeing the school, chattering on in awe, and Harry enjoyed listening to the waves as they licked the boats.

Hagrid led them up the grand stairs and to the large, wooden double doors. It was only a few short steps after that they were standing outside the great hall, headmistress Minerva McGonagall standing before them all, “Welcome to Hogwarts.”

Harry tuned her out as she explained the four houses and sorting process, he’d memorized it all years ago, and instead took the moment to calm himself. While he knew (or at least was pretty sure he knew) that his family wouldn’t hate him if he were sorted into anything but Slytherin, it was still a fear he had, however irrational he knew it to be.

He took one last deep breath as McGonagall pushed open the heavy doors, revealing the packed great hall. They were ushered inside, past the long tables of older students to where all the first years hoarded in front of an old hat.

The headmistress stood next to it and cleared her throat as she unraveled a long scroll, “Abbot, Hannah!” Harry watched as the hat seemed to be thinking, a moment passed before- “Hufflepuff!”

The minutes passed in an odd mix of too slow and not slow enough. As much as he enjoyed watching his year mates be sorted, Harry was anxious for his own. They were coming up to the M’s any second now and he watched his brother stand up a little taller, readying himself to be deemed a Slytherin officially.

“Malfoy, Draco!” Draco turned and grinned at him before pushing past the small amount of students in his way. Harry had to hide a laugh at how confident his brother looked, all but swaggering up to the three legged stool. Just as suspected, the hat hardly even touched the gel in Draco’s hair before yelling out, “Slytherin!”

Harry smiled and watched Draco find his seat easily at his new house table. Inside, he was tearing himself apart. There were still a dozen names to go before his own and he could do nothing to ensure his place next to Draco. He watched as Teddy took a place near Draco and then as the name Patil was called.

He would be any second now, there couldn’t be too many last names that started with P. Harry took another calming breath, wiping his palms on his robes. It’ll be fine, he told himself, they won’t care as long as I’m not in Gryffindor- and I won’t be a Gryffindor. Patil was called again, this time sorted into Gryffindor.

“Potter, Harry!”

The room went silent and Harry licked his lips. He glanced up and found that his eyes met Severus’. Batman nodded, the movement so subtle he doubted anyone else would’ve noticed, but it gave Harry the confidence he needed. He nodded back, or maybe to himself, and lifted his head as he made the final steps toward the stool. McGonagal smiled at him and placed the old hat on his head.

“Well, what do we have here?” Harry jumped as the hat spoke in his mind rather than with actual words. “A thirst for knowledge, pride” It hummed loudly, thinking. “A strong mind, aching to prove yourself.” Harry jumped again as it suddenly yelled out to the hall, “Ah ha! Better be… Slytherin!”

Harry grinned and had to force himself not run to the green clothed table. As Draco welcomed him, he glanced up to Batman again and smiled.

When the sorting had ended McGonagall said a few words to start the term and then, after a snap of her fingers, the tables were filled with food of all sorts. Harry had gotten used to full plates of rich food and home, but this was more than he could’ve ever imagined. He laughed as he teased Draco and their new friends, all of them eating more than they should have and topping it off with extra dessert before, once again, McGongall stood.

This time she bid them goodnight and good luck and sent them on their way to their common rooms. A prefect called Gemma Farley jumped to her feet at the words, grinning as she led the ‘little snakes’ to their common room.

Harry and Draco were particularly eager to see where the entrance was and what the inside would look like. It was one of the one things Severus had never let them do during the summer, “While I’m sure the both of you will one day make sufficient Slytherins, today you are not. And no, tomorrow you cannot enter, either.”

When Farley finally stopped, three flights of steps below the ground floor, Draco huffed. “It’s a wall, Harry, a bloody wall. Out of all the places we checked-” Harry laughed and followed as they were led into the large, stone room.

There were several charcoal gray couches and matching chairs spread around an engraved, marble fireplace. A chess table and a wall of bookcases lined on a wall, another was taken up by thick glass blocks that gave way into the black lake. Gemma took only a few minutes explaining the rules- these Harry and Draco knew well from their summers -before taking the girls down their dorm and letting Damian Perriss show the boys’ theirs.

Down a few more spiral steps was theri dormitory, another stone room accentuated by emerald green. Six four poster beds filled most of the space, the same gray and green from the common room colouring the curtains, duvets, rug, and the scarves that laid on their bedside tables. Harry smiled as he saw Hedwig already perched near a bed and went to pet her.
Like the rest of his dorm mates, Harry found himself half asleep the moment he had seen the soft beds. He took a few minutes to place his shoes under his bed and hang up his robe neatly before bidding the last three awake boys goodnight. In the bed next to him, Draco hummed, already half asleep with Billywig curled up at his feet.

As Harry laid under the heavy, emerald blanket, listening to the bubbling of the lake, he couldn’t help but to smile. Six years ago he never would’ve expected this would be his life- to have a loving brother, two parents, and to have been rescued by Batman, not to mention the magic! He sighed peacefully and closed his eyes, proud of how far he’d come. Proud of his family.

Harry Potter was very pleased with his life.

fin.