(2) The Other Potter (D. Malfoy)

Chapter One

A/N: I won't be writing up all of Harry's time in Mystic Falls, because the opening of Goblet of Fire is long enough with the Quidditch World cup, but I will be doing a couple of chapters covering a couple of days of his stay.

....

Harry is as tired as he looks. He and Daisy have talked at length about the time zone differences because they have called and texted one another in the past and they have had to work around the time zones. So he knew to be prepared for this visit. It's 2 in the morning here, but it was 7 back home. He has been awake all night so he could sleep here to make up the difference. Daisy looks exhausted too and she is. She yawns into her hand and ruffles her hair as she heads towards her bed. Harry sets his bag down on the 'camp bed'. But it is more than the 'camp bed' that Grayson said it was. It looks like a proper bed. Set up against the wall in Daisy's bedroom. Directly across from her own bed. And whilst she does have a larger, double bed, he is a little jealous, but he doesn't hold it against her. It's her home after all and he is a guest here and that's fine. Harry zips open his bag to fish out his pjs for the night.

"How did Petunia take this?" She asks as she rubs her nose and slips off her slippers, sitting on the edge of her bed. Harry snorts a little and glances at her.

"She was angry but she's also scared of Magnolia" He admits as he leans up. "Worried that denying her would mean she gets cursed" Daisy snorts a little and then pulls a face of agreement. She would not put it past Magnolia to do that.

"She lost her entire family because of that bigotry" Daisy mumbles with a frown. "I don't think I could ever hate my family enough to turn my back like that..."

"That's because you're a good person, Daisy" Harry assures her softly and then holds out his pjs in silent question as to where he can change. Daisy points across the room.

"There's a bathroom through there" She offers for him. Harry heads into Daisy's en-suite as she rests her cheek on her knee, bringing it up to rest on. She's just as tired as he is and wants to sleep so badly.

.....

Daisy pulls her hair back to tie it up for the night, wrapping the locks in her black and yellow scrunchie as she waits for Harry to change. They likely won't have much time tonight as they are both tired and will both want to be energised enough to actually do things when they wake in. Daisy has so many plans for them. She has her entire home to show him. People for him to meet. Harry leaves the bathroom, having changed into his pjs for the night. He wears a rather surprised look on his face though.

"You have your own bathroom?" He asks her, she hums and nods.

"There are three" She answers. "The master one, a 'family' one and then mine" She motions to the door and then realises that Harry didn't live like this growing up. He had nothing in comparison. She glances at him, her eyes saddening. It's the first time she's felt sorry for him since their first year. Because it is easy to ignore when she isn't witness to it.

"It's okay, Daze" He assures her with a soft smile as he sits on his bed. He knows she feels bad enough about the way things played out for him. That he ended up in the 'bad' home. That he suffered whilst she was pampered. At least in her mind. Daisy slides off of her bed and crosses the room to sit next to him.

"I wish it had been different" She admits and he nods.

"I know" He assures her. Her and Magnolia fighting to get him here is more than enough for him. To know that he has them both fighting for him. To have this whole family behind him. And now with Sirius too. It's more than he's ever had. "It doesn't matter anymore" He adds and gives her a warm smile. "I have you all now" She nods and nudges him slightly.

"Goodnight, Harry" She whispers softly as she pushes herself to her feet to go back to her own bed.

"Goodnight, Daisy" He counters, shuffling back onto the bed to tuck himself under the blankets. Goldfish stretches out on the bed to get comfy alongside Daisy. Daisy then reaches over and turns off the lamp on her bedside table, descending the room into darkness.

.......

He is at her side, setting a number of items on the counter as she finishes her make-up. She's allotted him some space in her bathroom for the duration of his stay and that is what he is doing now. Setting them out for ease of use. She wants him to feel at home here. That he can think of this as his second home. Daisy drops her lipgloss into her makeup bag and leans back from the mirror.

"Plans for today?" Harry asks her.

"We're going to have lunch at the Grill" She answers as she checks her watch. "But, before we do anything, there is someone I want you to meet" She answers. "Meet me out back when you're ready" She gives him a smile as she leaves the bathroom. Harry stares after her as he tries to come up with who it is that she could possibly want to introduce him to so quickly.

....

Daisy stands in the garden waiting for Harry though she is feeling slightly nervous. Because as excited as she is about this, she is worried too. Pickle is a snake, sure, but he is a very large, very unique snake and whilst she knows that, just like her, Harry can talk to snakes, he isn't exactly their biggest fan following the basilisk two years ago. That didn't change the way Daisy feels about snakes, but as she has been around them her whole life, it's different for her than for Harry. Introducing him to Pickle is going to go one of two ways. He'll like and accept the snake or he will shy away in disgust. Of course, she is hoping that it will be the first option.

"Daze" Harry states behind her as he joins her. She hums a little and turns to him. "You said you wanted me to meet someone"

"You remember that I told you that I had a snake" She starts and he nods.

"Pickle, right?"

"Yeah, I want you to meet him," She tells him, bouncing on her toes a little.

"You're nervous about me meeting your snake?" He questions and gives her a look that is basically saying that that's a silly thing for her to worry about.

"He's not...exactly normal" She admits. "But it's okay. Pickle won't hurt you" She assures him. He gives her a look because that is a weird thing to say but Daisy just smirks at him. She has been purposely vague regarding Pickle for the last three years for this exact moment. She held off hoping that one day Harry would be here, standing outside of the shed about to meet her best friend. Goldfish meows from the backdoor behind them. Daisy unlocks the shed and then pulls open the door for her and Harry to head inside.

.....

Inside the shed, Daisy pulls the door shut behind them as Harry looks around the inside of the 'shed', but shed feels like sure a wrong word. He was expecting maybe a shelf with a tank on it. Set up for a snake, but the whole shed interior is the tank. There are logs and branches and greenery everywhere. It's like stepping into a mini-rainforest in a backyard in Mystic Falls. There is even a mist waterfall against the far wall. There is a huge black snake curled up under a hollow rock, but being curled up makes him look smaller than he actually is.

"Pickle" Daisy greets softly, waking the snake up. He lifts his head and then for a snake, seems to smile. Slithering towards them and showing his full size.

"Ss'nice to meet you" Pickle greets and Harry lets out a breath and turns to Daisy who is smiling at him brightly, hugging to his arm. He was expecting a tiny little thing, she knows. A normal ordinary snake, but Pickle is no ordinary snake.

"He's...." Harry starts and then lets out a breath. "I've never heard of a snake getting...." He stops and then shakes his head. "What type is he?"

"Incredibly deadly viper" She answers and Harry gives her an alarmed look. "He's harmless" She argues and moves to the snake. "You know what muggles are like with naming things....they get bitten one time and it's all incredibly deadly this.... death-inducing that" She mumbles and crouches in front of the snake. "I've known Pickle since I was brought here and Magnolia had him a long time before that" She turns to look at Harry. "And never has he harmed anyone...." Harry lets out a breath and moves closer. "He's a good boy" She assures him. Harry smiles softly and crouches next to her.

"Okay," He agrees and reaches out towards the snake. Choosing to trust Daisy here. "Nice to meet you too," He tells Pickle who pushes up his head into Harry's palm. Daisy relaxes with acceptance. She was really worried about Harry liking Pickle.