blood & curses [tomarry]

1. fourteen years later

The scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express gleamed brightly in the sun. It was a warm day for September, and students and parents alike had shed jackets and outer robes as they milled about the platform.

Hadrian looked at over at the crowd, frowning slightly.

"Where is he?" he muttered to himself, adjusting the silver prefects badge he had pinned to his Hogwarts robes.

"Draco will be here on time, Harry. Don't worry," his mother said, looking up at him.

"I know. He's just so late! And please, it's Hadrian, mum. I've told you a million times."

His mother smiled at him.

"Oh, you'll always be my little Harry. Indulge your mother, won't you?"

Hadrian rolled his eyes, but didn't argue further. If his mother insisted on calling him by that infantile nickname, he supposed he would have to let her. Even if "Harry" was a stupid name. His father never used it.

"Look, there he is," his mum said, and pointed towards the entrance to the platform. Sure enough, there was Draco with his mother and father behind him.

Hadrian grinned. He couldn't wait to see his best friend. True, they had visited each other over the summer, but it felt like ages since then. And Hadrian was excited for the school year to start. After all, he was a prefect this year.

The smile on Lily's face turned strained. Harry could understand why - after all, she was a muggleborn, and the Malfoys had never quite approved of her and his father's relationship. Still, his father and Mr. Malfoy were old friends, and they managed to be polite.

Draco looked around the platform before spotting Hadrian, and waving madly when he did. He turned and said something to his parents, before making his way over to where he was waiting.

"Hadrian! How was your last week of summer?" Draco asked, grinning at him."Boring," he admitted. "I did some studying, but father's been gone preparing for the school year, of course, so I haven't been in the potions lab at all.

"Only you would complain about that, Hadrian," Draco said with a grin.

Hadrian shrugged, before turning his attention to Draco's parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, a pleasure to see you again," he said, with a pureblood's manners. His father had been careful to instill them in him. Etiquette was more important for him because of his mixed heritage.

Mrs. Malfoy graced him with a smile, and Mr. Malfoy nodded slightly.

They ignored his mother, as usual, and she ignored them right back. Hadrian overlooked any awkwardness with practice, and he was sure Draco did the same. They were friends, and neither would let their parents or politics get in the way.

"I'm so proud of you for making prefect, Hadrian. Have a good term. I love you," she said.

"Love you too, mum," he replied, hugging her briefly before pulling away, pulling his trunk as he boarded the train.

He and Draco went to their usual compartment, the one they had shared since first year. It already had inhabitants; Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, and Theodore Nott.

Blaise was lounging, his eyes closed, and Theo had a book, but Pansy had been waiting for them.

"Draco, Hadrian! I was worried you'd miss the train."

Draco snorted.

"Of course not. We weren't even that late, Pansy. Oh, do stop your fussing," he said, as she stood up to hug him. "We just saw each other last month."