A Mother's Love (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Part 17

Panting, Harry can sum up his entire day as exhausting. During the summer, his aunt did increase his training to exercising first, running five laps around the house, and then casting over and over the spells, he learned since the beginning.

The alarm rings relieving Harry of his training session. Standing up straight, he turns to head out of the training room. Grabbing the white towel on the rack, he wipes the excess sweat off his lean neck and over his sweat-dripping muscular back. He grew five inches over the summer and with the training, gained a fit figure. He is 5'11 and feeling great with his magical core growing.

Walking to his room and straight in the shower he feels relieved with the cool water washing on his skin. His hair grew but remained wild and untameable. Even with a sticking spell, the hair sticks out. 

Grabbing a grey hoodie with black pants, he walks down into the living room and over to his favorite seat. Lifting the book off the seat before his butt sinks into it. Opening the book, he continues reading more about parselmagic. His stepmother wanted him to learn a bit more control over his snake speaking and how to use the snake magic.

"Harry! Where..oh of course. You are here. How did training go?" His stepmother walks in and Harry glances over to the clock seeing it is four o'clock in the afternoon. As usual.

"Good. Finally got to master Lumos maxima spell."

"Wonderful. And the blasting charm?"

"Nearly took down the entire wall."

"Wow, you are almost as strong as I was when I was your age. I am so proud.  I want to inform you that the minister has invited us to a dinner tonight. Dress formally and be ready at 6."

"Alright." He smiles following his stepmother's head to her study. He never went to the west wing where his aunt's chambers are. Tilting his head, he chooses to explore tomorrow night. He returns to reading.

When it turned to 5:30 p.m. he placed the bookmark on his page and went upstairs to change. A suit was already placed on the bed and smiles changing. He wears a button-up white shirt under a black jacket and a long black tie. Black straight pants and black polished shoes. he brushed his hair and slipped his wand into his sleeve.

He walks out and meets his stepmother at the top of the stairs. She looks at him and he quickly notices the tears brimming. Stepping closer, he wipes the tears away concerned about her.

"Everything alright mom?"

"Yes. You just look so much like your father and your mother." Harry knows it is tough for Hazel losing her friends. She told him all the adventures she and J, as she called his father, did. The flower crowns she and his mother made. "Now, remember to stand straight, don't be afraid to look people in the eye, and be a gentleman."

"I know. You made sure it was imprinted into my memory since I was five."

"I am sorry if you feel like I am pushing you. It is a habit and tradition in the family to always teach the young early so they can turn out to be great later on." Harry offers his arm and his stepmother accepts it smiling.

They apparate away with Hazel doing the apparating. Harry has yet to learn and Hazel told him he is still too young to do such magic. They make it to a mansion and walk into the brightly lit house.

"Ms. Blackwood and Mr. Potter? I do not know you were invited." A man walks over beaming at them.

"Harry this is the minister of magic and Harry is my ward. I took him in after what happened."

"Oh yes, Albus did inform everyone that Harry here was taken in by a magical family. Yes, well welcome to my home. Please enjoy." they nod and walk further not breaking their arms link.

"Hazel, glad you can make it." Harry subconsciously stiffens hearing Malfoy's senior voice. He set his gaze on the family and on a tall Draco. He is lean and handsome sending Harry's heart to beat faster.

"Lucius, Narcissa, Draco. My lord, you have grown so much." Hazel smiles at the family and at the grown lad. "Yes, we wouldn't miss a party such as this one."

"Harry, I bet you don't remember me." Narcissa walks over and he smiles at her.

"I would never forget aunt Narcissa. You look lovely."

"Oh, you are charming and so grown up. How about you and Draco go spend some time together while us adults talk."

"Of course mother." Draco walks off and Harry nods his head in a respectful bye excusing himself.

"You clean up nice Harry." Draco leads them to a wall to talk handing him a glass of fire whiskey from the smell of it.

"You do too. How is summer going?" Harry asks looking slightly up at Draco. He sure grew.

"Boring. Not much going on. Did you hear that Sirius Black has been freed from Azkaban?"

"I did not hear about that. When was he freed?" Draco's eyes widen at him.

"You serious? Aunt Hazel helped his case and gave him a trial. That is why there is this party. Father told me the minister is going to be upgrading her job to being in the inner circle of the ministry."

"She did not tell me." Harry looks toward his stepmother. He watches her smile at everyone but looking closely, he sees her shoulders are perked up a bit. She is tense and prepared to be attacked. "Does she seem tense to you?"

"She does now that I see from here. You know not many things are known about her. My father usually speaks rumors about her but I still do not fully get her. What is her secret?" Draco and Harry stared at the witch standing in the exact spot and looking around. 

She is wearing a long elegant red dress with a rhinestone collar and belt hugging her slim curves. Harry notices she always wears red. It is rare to see her wearing another color. What is the significance of the red? 

"Oh, I know that look." Harry turns to look at Draco.

"What look?"

"That determined gleam in your eye. You always get it when you begin planning something. What is it?" Harry did not know he has a gleam in his eyes.

"The way you said that sound like you have been stalking me Malfoy." He narrows his eyes calculating the boy beside him.

"I am not a stalker Potter-Blackwood." Harry hums nodding pulling a smirk on his lips. "I am not!"

"Okay. Calm down." he grins as Draco glares at him. "...stalker!"

"Why you!" Harry laughs walking to his stepmother before Draco can strangle him. He smirks over his shoulder at the pouting blonde.