The House-Whisperer

A Growing Menagerie of Homeless Creatures

'What now, Harry Potter?' Draco drawled nonchalantly, arching an eyebrow as Harry let go of him. They had landed in his sitting room. Harry heard Rufus bark in happiness as he scampered up from the kitchen.

'You do up your shirt and we remove your dog collar.' He paused, appraising Draco. 'Unless you want to keep it on, off course.'

'Would you like that, Potter?' Draco stepped closer to Harry again so they were nearly touching. His eye-contact challenging.

Harry turned away, cursing his beating heart.

'I see,' said Draco. 'Intimidated by my sort.'

Harry turned back around sharply. 'And what is your sort exactly, Draco Black? Do you refer to your general arrogance or your mistaken pure-blood sense of supremacy?'

'My sexuality...' he faltered at having the wind knocked out of his sails.

'I don't give two hoots about your sexuality, unless you try to use it to gain an advantage or some such other nonsense.' He turned away and strode towards the door to let the dog in. Rufus was followed quickly by Siri, the two were never far apart.

'You have a dog? And a cat?'

Rufus rushed around him and then leapt up at Harry.

'Down, boy!' Harry barked, harsher than usual because he was annoyed with Draco. Rufus whined slightly and sat down in front of Harry looking up in adoration. Harry immediately felt guilty and muttered 'good boy' before leaning down to scratch the top of Rufus's head. He promptly rolled over onto his back for a tummy rub. Siri wound himself against Harry's legs, eager for attention too. 'Three cats. This is Siri, there's Lily and Minnie around somewhere, though you might not see much of Minnie as she's rather flinchy. And then there's Tuppence.'

'What's Tuppen...'

The raven swept in and landed on Harry's shoulder.

Draco snorted, 'Only you! Quite the menagerie! How did this all happen?'

Harry was pleased to see he actually done his shirt up. 'Long story for another time. Welcome to Grimmauld Place.'

'So, this is the famous House of Black. I'm surprised, mother always said the place was a décor abomination. This is actually quite tasteful.'

'No, this is the House of Potter, if we must have such self-centred names for things.' But Harry could feel the house was unsettled, he touched the wall nearest the door. Feeling it, soothing it. It was perturbed, there was a Black back in the house, it wasn't sure who he was and where its loyalties should lie.

'What are you doing, Potter? You did something similar at the Manor, have you some sort of wall fetish?'

'Something like that.'

'You're a closed book, Potter.'

'That too. I'll show you to your room.'

'My room?'

'Do you have somewhere else to be?'

'Oh.' And Draco sat down rather rapidly on the edge of one of the large blue sofas, all bravado gone.

'Hmmm...' Harry watched him closely. 'Perhaps a cup of tea first before you move on.'

There was a flicker of fear in Draco's face as Harry's words hit home.

Harry called, 'Krestur!'

The old elf appeared beside him, 'yes, Master Harry?'

'Would you be kind enough to get us both a cup of tea. This is Draco was-Malfoy-now-Black, he'll be staying with us for a bit until he gets himself sorted.'

'Of course, Master Harry. I is coming back straight away.' He looked at Draco and gave a slight smirk.

'You have a house-elf too?'

'Another long-story.'

'It would appear I'm in for a few of those, Potter. Is anything ever straight-forward with you?'

'Invariably not ... are you going to be okay?' Krestur reappeared with a tray and they both waited while he served them tea. Harry took the opportunity to study Draco. In many ways he was exactly as Harry had last seen him at school some three and a half years earlier. Still tall, slender, pointy at the edges in both attitude and looks. His hair was slightly longer, waving over his ears and at the nape of his neck. Not long, just more relaxed.

'Have I finally escaped from it all...' he said when Krestur had left.

'Yes, and it was probably for the best, seeing what your mother had in store for you. I can't quite believe your mother was advocating rape.'

'Normal for Malfoys,' he said quietly. 'My father's favourite form of punishment was the Cruciatus Curse. You nearly get used to the torture after a while.'

'Merlin, Draco!'

'Yeah, so even living with you, Potter, is better than staying in that shithole.'

'Well, that definitely puts it off the scale of badness, then.' And Harry smiled for the first time since he'd been in Draco's company.

They were silent for a while, Draco lost in thought while Harry scratched Siri behind the ear and Rufus curled up on his feet. Neither animals had gone near the stranger, wary of the bristling atmosphere.

Draco sighed deeply, 'I haven't got anything though. Nothing, just what I'm wearing...'

'...I wouldn't be so sure about that...'

'...I don't even know if I can get to my bank account now and I'll need some other clothes, I'm not even wearing boxers and these trousers are for clubs, not lounging round in. To be honest, I just got them to wind mother up, they're bloody uncomfortable.'

'I see ... have you eaten yet?'

'No.'

'Bedroom or food first?'

Draco waggled his eyebrows, 'always the bedroom with you, Potter.'

'My name is Harry and there's no need for the flirty bullshit. If you're trying to get a rise out of me using your sexuality, it won't work.' He got up and marched towards the door, Rufus and Siri following close on his heels. 'And if you think you can get me into bed using insincerity, that won't work either.'

'Wait!'

But Harry didn't wait, so Draco hurried after him as he went up to the second floor of the house. 'I'm on the floor below if you need me. There's no one else here at the moment, therefore, the bathroom on this floor is all yours for the time being. There's another floor above and then the attic. I believe Ulysses is already settled in the Owlery up there. There is a dining room-cum-library next to the sitting room, which I barely use for meals unless the house is full but help yourself to books, and the kitchen, the figurative heart of this house, is basement level. This will be your room for as long as you stay here.'

He pushed open the door into a totally cream bedroom and heard Draco gasp. Then the man pushed past him to the bed, 'oh Merlin, how...'

'Luckily your mother didn't specify how Izzie should get rid of your clothes. I gave her permission to bring them here.'

'How did she even know?'

'Have you not even questioned what I was doing in your bedroom tonight, how I got there and why?'

'Izzie...' he whispered, in awe.

There was a loud 'CRACK!' beside them and the House Elf appeared as if called. She had a big grin on her face and was clutching one of his socks in one hand and a study book in the other.

'IZZIE?'

'Izzie is a free-elf, Master Draco, Izzie is free.' She held up his sock, shaking it in glee before throwing herself into Draco's arms. 'Mistress Narcissa is giving Izzie a sock and now Izzie is a free elf.' Came the muffled voice buried against Draco's shirt. 'Now, Izzie is staying with you and looking after you always.'

'But mother would never knowingly give...' Draco looked at Harry quizzically.

Harry smirked, it had been a last-minute decision to put the sock in one of Draco's books, he didn't believe the same trick would work twice. 'Come and find me in the kitchen when you're ready.'