Just like Brothers

Chapter 8

"Wake up you blundering buffoons!" The potion teacher pounded on the door, impatience evident in his voice."

"Five more minutes, Mum." Draco Malfoy muttered rolling over and pulling the comforter over his head.

Harry, on the other hand, was quick to jump out of his bed and opened the door for the older man.

"We are leaving for Diagon Alley at the top of the hour, be downstairs or you will go to Hogwarts with nothing." Snape sneered.

"Yes, sir," Harry said hurriedly, flinching when the man reached forward to pull the door shut.

Harry rummaged through his trunk, finding a suitable outfit for the days excursions.

He stuffed a bag of coins he had from the last time he visited Gringotts bank into his pocket and reached for the door handle.

Looking behind him, Harry realized Draco was in fact still fast asleep.

"Malfoy! Get your arse up!" He yelled when this proved unsuccessful he shook the sleeping boy.

"Bloody Hell, Potter! I'm up!" The blond groaned, yelping in surprise when the raven-haired boy pushed him off the side of his bed.

"We're leaving for Diagon Alley soon, get ready," Harry explained, ignoring the dirty looks he was getting from the other boy.

Malfoy grumbled under his breath as he took clothes out of his trunk.

Harry looked in the mirror and tried to flatten his unruly hair before rushing downstairs.

He made a bowl of cereal and sat at the table, longing to turn on the telly, alas, Snape didn't permit television while eating, he claimed it was rude and mind-frying.
       
As Harry was pouring his second bowl, Draco came sulking down the stairs.

In the last two weeks, Harry had come to learn that Draco Malfoy was not a morning person.

He could never remember a time when Malfoy's hair wasn't slicked back at Hogwarts but since they've moved in Draco's hair had been wild, especially in the mornings.
      
Malfoy sat across from Harry, reaching for the box of cereal. They ate in silence, Draco's eyes occasionally drooping as his head slid off his propped up arm.

As Harry finished his breakfast he washed his bowl and put the kettle of water on the stove so Malfoy could have his tea before they left.

Tea in the morning was essential, it made the Blond more bearable throughout the day.
      
True to his word, Severus Snape had the teenagers out the door at exactly the top of the hour.

Malfoy looked much more presentable after 4 cups of tea and a significant amount of time in the bathroom.
       
Harry was nervous, to say the least, it was a week and a half before school started and with his luck, they were bound to run into some people from school. How would he explain wandering through Diagon Alley with the Potions Master and the Slytherin Prince? He would never hear the end of it.
      
The three walked down the street in relative silence, Draco and Harry were bickering about Quidditch at a volume where Snape was not likely to hear them.
     
"Obviously Slytherin is the superior team, Potter." Malfoy sneered, elbowing Harry in the ribs.
     
"Unlike your team, Gryffindor actually has talent." Harry retorted, elbowing Malfoy in return.
    
Soon it was a full out battle, seeing who could hit the other the hardest.

Suddenly the boys were frozen in place with an irritated Severus Snape looking down at them.
    
He released them from the spell and they quickly scrambled away from each other.
     
"What is the meaning of this." Snape drawled.
     
"Sorry Professor." The boys chorused.
      
"For your adolescent behavior, you two will scrub the house upon return, as of now, if I hear another word out of you, you will remain in the house for the rest of the holiday. Do I make myself clear?"
        
"Yes professor," the boys responded yet again, glances glued down at their feet.
        
The rest of the day went relatively smoothly, the boys got all their school supplies without a hitch.
        
"I am going to Knockturn Alley to retrieve ingredients for the upcoming school year, you two will stay in Diagon Alley and stay together, we will be leaving within the hour." Snape turned to face the boys, they nodded and he walked away.
     
The boys just stood in the middle of the street in awkward silence, watching as their guardian left them alone.

Draco Malfoy turned on his heel and walked down the street, not wanting to get in trouble, Harry followed.
      
They ended up at the animal store.

Electing on staying outside, Harry sat on a bench as Malfoy ventured inside.
      
"Harry!" a voice bellowed.

Harry's head snapped to look where the voice came from, he was not surprised to see a rather large man with long, bushy, brown hair.

"Hiya, Hagrid." Harry sighed as the bench significantly dropped beside him.
      
"Doing your school shopping are you, Harry?" Hagrid smiled.
       
"Yes, just about finished," Harry responded.
        
"Say, Harry, who are you here with?" Hagrid looked around but there was nobody in sight.
         
"Dumbledore hasn't told you?" Harry looked astonished.
         
"Told me what?" Hagrid asked in a defensive tone.
          
"Alright, but you can't tell anyone, not even Ron and Hermione know," Harry said.

"What's going on Harry?" Hagrid asked, concern beginning to crease his forehead.

"You can't tell anyone!" Harry repeated, seriously.

The half-giant nodded.

Harry took a deep breath, "I'm living with Snape and Malfoy now."
          
"Snape and Malfoy? Blimey, Harry, how'd that happen?" Hagrid asked, dumbfounded.
          
"I'm not really sure myself." Harry groaned, sinking down in his seat.
          
Malfoy came out of the store holding a cage that seemed to have a cat in it.
           
"Didn't peg you as a cat person, Malfoy." Harry snickered.

Draco just ignored the raven-headed boy.
          
"Malfoy." Hagrid nodded in greeting, not disguising the frown on his face.
           
"Rubeus." Draco nodded back.
            
"Well, I've oughta be off then, see you at Hogwarts, Harry, Malfoy." Hagrid got up and with one last smile at Harry walked away.

The two boys went off to get ice cream and as soon as they finished, Snape came inside and the three returned back to the potion master's house.

>•<

Later that night, Harry was watching the television as he finished the last of his homework while Malfoy read yet another book, his hand hung lazily stroking the grey cat he had brought home.

Harry lost count a few days back, but he believed that to be the 12th book Draco had read in the time he'd lived there. It really was like he was living with a male Hermione.

"What're you reading?" Harry asked putting down his quill, to his astonishment, Malfoy actually responded,
       
"Romeo and Juliet."

This was the first time the blond answered Harry's inquiries regarding his pastimes.
       
"Isn't that a muggle book?" Harry commented.
        
"It's Shakespeare, he was one of the most dignified Slytherin of his time. He wrote literature fit for royalty," Malfoy responded without looking up from his book. "However when it comes to literature, it does not matter if it comes from a muggle."
      
Harry's brows shot up but he decided not to comment on Malfoy's statement.
      
"I'm going to bed," Harry announced, flipping the telly off as he placed his work on his desk.

He got no verbal response from the other boy but Malfoy did turn on the lamp, signaling that it was ok if Harry shut off the light.
      
"Potter," Malfoy started.
       
"Yes," Harry replied, turning over to face the boy.
        
"What's your favorite novel?"
        
"Quidditch Through the Ages," Harry responded truthfully. He was never much into reading for pleasure.

He heard Draco sigh as he put up his book and turned off the light.

The boys' room fell silent and within minutes they were both fast asleep.