Harry Potter and the Potions Apprentice

Mumimeanjudy: haha! Yes well I was going more for the metaphor of returning home then the technical aspect of who owns the soil. Lol but thanks for the info!

AN: I tend to start things out slowly so don’t be frustrated if you don’t see anything romantic, sexy etc. happening just yet. You have to remember that realistically there is a fine line between hate and love, now we just have to wait until Draco and Harry cross it. Enjoy

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Chapter 2: The Apprentice

“It’s so nice of you to join us Draco.” Severus glared irritably at his nephew, missing the days when such glares were taken to heart.

Harry's eyes landed on Draco Malfoy for the first time in four years, and he felt every cell and fiber in his being sit up and take uninhibited notice. First came the shock, and then came the ever present anger, which sizzled out like water on fire and then surprisingly came a tinge of jealousy.

There was something very distinctive about the Slytherin and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was wearing his hair vaguely longer so that a few strands that had escaped a quick ponytail fell around his face in feathered strands to his shoulders, or that he had grown at least half a foot taller. Puberty had been kind to the once leggy blonde, filling him out so that he wasn’t all bony knobs any longer. There was a reserved smile upon his lips that seemed so cocky and aware that it brought back visions of the once incorrigible boy who knew that he would always get his way. Now he was the man…who knew he would always get his way. His eyes were so intensely grey they reminded Harry of a wolf’s predatory gaze.

His body was athletically compact and lean, a testament to a youth playing Quiditch, hidden behind clothes that were perfectly tailored and cost quite a pretty penny by the look of things. Harry felt, once again, overshadowed by the mere presence of Draco Lucius Malfoy.

“Well, Harry Potter. It’s so good to see the long travel hasn’t muddled your brains.” Harry then realized how intently he’d been staring and steered his questioning gaze towards Snape.

“Yes well. Potter, meet my Potions Apprentice, who will be taking over permanently starting next year. Draco…you’re late.”

“My deepest and most sincere apologies Headmaster. I was working on a potion and lost track of time. It will not happen again.” Draco strode forward and placed his hands on the back of Harry’s chair. “But it’s not like…Mr. Potter and I need introductions.”

“Indeed.” Harry whispered and looked towards his new headmaster. “It would seem there are many changes here that I didn’t think to inquire about. If you don’t mind it’s been a long trip.” Harry glanced towards Malfoy and shuddered. Being cordial towards both snakes was going to be a challenge.

~*~

They walked in silence down a familiar hall, neither boys wanting to initiate a conversation first. So much had happened between them and even though at the end of the war, when Harry had stood as a witness at the Malfoy’s trial, freeing them from the most heinous of the crimes against them (although he was powerless over some of the misdeeds Lucius Malfoy had knowingly and with great glee performed for Voldemort), as well as when he had returned Malfoy’s wand with the unspoken order to use it wisely, there still seemed to be an undercurrent of distrust. Harry had often wondered how everything might have turned out if he had accepted Malfoy’s hand first year, or requested Slytherin instead of Gryffindor…but such musings were pointless and decided against continuing down that train of thought.

“Do you need the grand tour Mr. Potter or do you remember it well enough?” the question though slightly snide held no malicious tone to it, which did slightly surprise Harry. The castle, after it’s almost complete destruction, looked surprisingly the same as it did before. He of course felt a few more protection spells weaved throughout the castle that were much stronger then before but overall it was…home.

“After it was rebuilt were there any major changes?” Harry inquired, thinking it best not to reply to the former snake’s rude tone.

“Of course, Potter. Snape thought it best to seal off some of the secret passageways for good. Only the ones that were to easily accessible were completely sealed. Don’t want Potter wannabes sneaking off for a bit of adventure.” Draco stated haughtily as they wound their way through corridors, trying not to take notice at the lack of response from his companion at the jibe. “Professor McGonagall wasn’t exactly sure where to put you, but a special arrangement has been made. It seems the castle was all to willing to oblige…naturally.”

“What do you mean?” Harry couldn’t help but be curious. This new watered down version of Malfoy, though not as much of a git as he once was, still managed to rile him up inside. But he had promised himself that old prejudices just weren’t worth his time anymore. If he wanted to call Hogwarts his home again, he would need to reconcile past differences. This meant he would ignore, to the best of his ability, one poncy git, Draco Malfoy.

“It means that when McGonagall decided to make a room for you that was fitting of your excellent status, the castle and its inhabitants were only to happy to oblige in order to make what was once a mediocre room, befitting that of a first year dormitory, into something even I’m jealous of.” Draco murmured. It wasn’t that he was angry, his room was…satisfactory by his lofty terms but while he was passing by on his way to the dungeons, there was what looked to be some very diligent house elves yelling at each other in an excited manner and he couldn’t help but sneak a look.

McGonagall was directing each elf, making sure the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was going to be as comfortable as possible. It was complete pandemonium. House elves were excitedly running into each other as each tried to make themselves helpful in some way, while McGonagall transfigured what was once what appeared to be a bathroom the size of a broom closet into something that would equal that of a prefects bathroom, complete with an ornate tub that could easily fit three comfortably.

Draco had come to terms with the idea of Potter working in close quarters with him but the fact that so much trouble was being taken to make a room for the git was a blow. His room was at least a quarter smaller and his bathroom definitely didn’t have a king sized tub for languid bathing fun. But this was Harry Potter, savior and all around boy wonder. He would have to just deal with the favoritism. Besides he wasn’t so thick that he didn’t realize how the staff and some of his student’s parents viewed Severus and himself. Some were still convinced they were Death Eaters and that allowing them into any authoritative position was mad. He was on thin ice, and if anyone knew how to survive such it was a Slytherin.

“Here we are. Dinner is at 5. We take our meals in the special staffing area when there are no students on the grounds. A house elf will show you the way. Now that we’ve had such a lovely reunion, I bid thee adu.” Draco turned around swiftly, hoping to keep contact with Potter to a minimum this year. All he needed was to let one wrong word slip and their tenuous collegiate relationship would come crashing down.

“Draco…” Draco stalled, he had barley took two steps before a name…his name called out in a voice that had never spoken it before. “I’m not here to make you uncomfortable. If you are so inclined to act cold, as you have, then we should not even speak to one another but I think that would only make matters worse. You hate me, I know this and there will forever be a part of me that hates you just as much for everything that has happened here, but I don’t want either of us to continue where we left off, as enemies. I’m tired…” the voice trailed off, and Draco couldn’t help but turn slightly in order to look behind him. Potter wasn’t even looking at him. In fact he was halfway through his door way. “I think it best we start over. If this is not satisfactory to you, then do as you will.” With that the door closed on Draco and all those feelings of inadequacy and jealousy that Harry Potter inspired in him.

~*~

Harry collapsed onto the door, his head connecting painfully with the grooved wood. That was the most difficult thing he had had to do in four years. Even his breakups were never this nausea inducing. How was he ever to make amends and start afresh when old wounds were wearing him down? Barely glancing at the furnishings around him, Harry headed straight to the window and opened it wide. The castle grounds were as beautiful as ever, although the last time he had seen them they had still bore the savage markings of battle. Trees and flowers, which had been uprooted and trampled, were now resplendent under the obvious care of professor Sprout. The castle was completely rebuilt and the only sign of the devastation of the war was the large monument dedicated to all that had died, which circled Dumbledore’s re-established white tomb.

As soon as he was able he would have to go and pay his respects. “Hello Harry.” The voice was familiar, old, wise and eternally amused. Harry spun around and for the first time looked at his surroundings. The room, though spacious was modestly furnished, although everything that he could see was of high quality, with only the essentials, in Gryffindor colors of course. There was a king sized four-poster, his trunk, a night table, a wardrobe, a spacious desk, two comfy chairs, and a painting filled with the friendly face of Albus Dumbledore above the mantle of a gently crackling fireplace.

“Dumbledore.” Harry breathed, walking away from the window. The portrait housed another cozy room lit by what looked like a happily roaring fire of which Dumbledore was seated before, casually sipping tea from delicate china. “What are you doing here?”

“I requested Headmaster Snape to set up a portrait here… How have you been my boy?” Dumbledore set the cup down with a click, looking as if it was only natural to be talking from a portrait.

“Fine, I guess. I don’t know why I wasn’t told about Snape…before I left that is. Everyone had plenty of opportunities…” Harry sat down himself, gazing up at a face he had refused to look upon in the past four years. He thought of Dumbledore often but knew it would be too painful to look upon him so soon after everything that had happened. “How many of them knew?”

“Don’t blame them Harry. You were in a fragile state as it was. There was no love lost between Severus and yourself, everyone knew. But once you learned the truth, how did you feel? I’m sure you were confused to say the least.”

Harry glanced down at his hand, unconsciously rubbing the white outlines on the back that had refused to heal. It was true that after learning about Snape’s double, even triple, life before had confounded Harry as if someone had hit him hard with a Confucius spell. The undying love for his mother, which had never been returned, tied Snape to the Order, to Dumbledore and to the protection of Harry, saving his black and greasy soul from Voldemort’s clutches. It was difficult to merge the cankerous potions professor that he had once knew with the one who had risked everything simply because he had fallen in love with a muggleborn witch.

“I…I honestly don’t know. I can only hope that everything can start over. I don’t want to make the same mistakes again.” Dumbledore nodded, a small smile hidden beneath his beard. It was time for his own mistakes to be made right as well.

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AN: I am my own beta so don't hate if I miss something. ps. just let me know if its heinous and I'll change it.