His Little Horntail

★ Chapter Two ★

Author Narration

Draco had planned to take a still-sniffling Harry back to his dorm and find some clothes for him, get some food and sleep, and then take him to Madame Pomfrey or Snape or someone who could get him back to normal. But of course with Harry around, nothing ever went to plan.

Mrs. Norris, Filch's awful cat, came prowling through the corridor, searching for anyone who was disobeying the rules. So as soon as Harry saw the angry-looking cat, he jumped out of Draco's arms and ruched over to pet the kitty.

Draco knew this couldn't go well. Mrs. Norris was notorious for hating kids, just like Filch. Plus, an angry cat and a three-year-old just don't mix. So you can imagine how surprised Draco was when he rushed over just to see Harry gently petting Mrs. Norris's head and the hateful old cat snuggling up to him and purring.

"Harry, be careful with that kitty," Draco warned. "She can be mean sometimes."

Harry turned and stared up at him with huge green eyes. "I wike cats."

Despite himself, a hint of a smile played on Draco's lips. "I can see that."

Draco let the two be for a few more minutes until Filch came up, huffing and puffing as always. "Where's my cat? What is that... child doing with my cat?!"

"Harry's harmless," Draco said loudly, causing the little boy to flinch and look up at Draco again. "He was just petting her."

"Oh," Filch muttered, sweeping past Draco with a grumble. "Well, boy, me and my cat have got to get going."

Out of nowhere Harry began to cry. "I-I'm sowwy... I didn't mean to howd you up... pwease don't hit me!"

Filch looked astonished. "I'm not going to hit you, boy. It's no trouble, really. We've just got to clean up the castle for Dumbledore, okay?"

Draco was surprised. Apparently, Filch did have at least one good bone in his body. Harry nodded up at Filch, who looked away and began to walk further down the corridor with Mrs. Norris close behind. Draco came over to Harry and the boy jumped into his arms, drying his tears on the hem of his own huge shirt. "Goo'bye, kitty," Harry called after the grumpy old caretaker.

"Okay, Harry, cover your ears really quick for me," Draco requested. Harry put his hands over his ears while Draco said the password to the Slytherin common room and walked inside. He tapped the little boy on the head gently to let him know that he was okay to uncover his ears.

"Wha' we doin' now?" Harry asked curiously.

"We're going to get you some clothes, maybe a bath, a snack, and then some sleep. That sound good?" Draco asked the boy.

Harry nodded. "Wha' kinda snack?"

"Whatever you want," Draco replied. Harry's jaw dropped.

"Weawwy?" he asked in amazement.

"Really," Draco laughed.

Draco took Harry up to the dormitories and into the huge prefect's bathroom. He started the faucet, got the water warm and called Harry over.

"Is this temperature okay?" Draco asked as Harry felt the water. Harry's eyes widened yet again to stare at Draco.

"I get wawm wata'?" he asked in disbelief.

"Of course you do, Harry," Draco assured him, gasping as the little one hugged him with such force he couldn't breathe. He hesitantly hugged him back, feeling tears soak through his shirt yet again.

"I neva' get wawm wata' at home," Harry told Draco quietly, pulling away at last.

Draco felt sadness stab at his heart. "You always get warm water with me. Okay?"

Harry beamed through the tears still falling from his eyes. "Otay."

When the giant tub was full, Draco helped Harry get undressed, feeling more grief stab at him as he saw the scars covering the little boy's torso and limbs. He noticed that Harry was looking uncomfortable once he was down to only his underwear, so he said, "You don't have to get all the way undressed in front of me if you don't want to, Harry." The boy immediately smiled as Draco turned around so he could fully undress, and then lifted him up and plopped him into the tub with eyes still closed.

"You covered?" he asked, eyes still tightly shut as he tried to face where Harry was.

"Uhuh," the little boy responded, allowing Draco to open his eyes once again.

Once Harry was fully clean, Draco closed his eyes and lifted him out of the tub again, making sure he was fully covered in a fluffy towel before looking again.

"Okay, Harry, let's go on an adventure!" Draco said to the boy, whose eyes immediately lit up.

"Where we goin'?" Harry asked, obediently clinging to Draco as he picked him up.

"It's a surprise," said Draco, taking the shortcut through the castle that allowed him to get there sooner. "Harry, this is the Room of Requirement. I want you to think of three things for me, okay?"

"What?" Harry asked.

"I want you to think of the pajamas that you want to wear tonight, the food that you want, and a toy that you want to help you sleep. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"Okay," Draco said, and opened the door.

Inside the room was a closet full of little boys pajamas, a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, and a little stuffed dragon.

"I'm sowwy," Harry said. "I couldn't fink of just one set of pajamas, so I thought I could choose from these."

"It's okay," Draco assured him. "Go choose!"

Harry jumped from Draco's arms and ran over to the closet, searching through all the pajamas to find the ones perfect for him. He ended up with an adorable set of green pajamas printed with black dragons.

"You really like dragons, huh?" Draco asked.

Harry giggled. It definitely wasn't the cutest thing that Draco had ever heard. Definitely. "Uhuh, they've a'ways been my fav'wite animal eben if they aren't real," Harry said.

Draco grinned. Oh, Harry would be delighted when he found out that dragons definitely did exist. "I see," he said with a smile.

Draco willingly turned his back while Harry put on his new pajamas. Then, the two shared the plate of cookies and Harry drank the milk. But of course, as soon as Harry got his hands on his (amazingly soft and plushy) new dragon toy, he was asleep in Draco's arms with his miniature thumb in his mouth.

Draco carried the little boy up back to his dormitory, where Blaise and the other boys were already asleep. He placed Harry on a toddler bed that had shown up next to his own (Draco suspected Blaise), tucked the boy in, and then went to sleep himself.