AN:  Please Note; WARNING, this short fic contains implied SLASH and Strong Language.  Rated M/R.

This is Segment Three in my ongoing Prequel of Beauty in Perfection; Stand by Me.  It is just a group of short drabbles that bring together the characters featured in that fic.  Enjoy.  Blessings.  LL

Summary:  Draco . . . The Threaded Connections of our lives often take us to surprising places to encounter new experiences and people.

"    " indicates speech
'    ' indicates thoughts

Draco Comes to Number  4  Privet Drive . . .

Dudley Dursley stood in front of the counter at the food court at Surrey's newest mega mall, WestSurrey Center and frowned.  He then smirked and said to his friend in a joking voice, "Tell me again, D., why are we eating fast food again?"  Dudley was eyeing the cute little redhead behind the counter as he spoke.  He turned to his friend and smirked as he waited for an answer.

The tall silver blond young man standing next to him rolled his sterling eyes at the redhead behind the counter and then replied to his friend, "Because, D., I'm off to Neverland tomorrow and they don't have french fries there.  By the way, haven't I told you before not to call me D.?"

Dudley smirked again.

The redhead behind the counter looked at the two friends with confusion.  She decided to take control of the situation and asked, "Will this be for here or to go?"

Draco leaned forward resting his hands on the counter and gave her a beautiful smile and asked in his smoothest drawl, "I don't know, do you deliver?"

Her cheeks became as red as her hair as her large brown eyes stared at the blond Adonis before her.

Dudley laughed and playfully punched his friend as he looked at the girl's embarrassment.  He said, "Don't mind my friend, Draco, he is suffering from potential french fry withdrawal.  We will be eating here in the courtyard."

She nodded nervously and took their orders amidst much blushing and fumbling through her routine.

As they sat down in a corner booth D. said, "You shouldn't tease like that Dray.  You set that poor girl's heart in such a flutter that she couldn't focus.  It is plain to see that as long as you are around me the girls will never even see me."  He finished off his comment with a sad puppy dog look at his friend.

Draco grinned and bit into his french fry with gusto and said in reply, "Teasing, my friend, is fun.  Besides I have a hunch that when your true love comes along, she won't give me a second glance."

D. snorted at his friend and shook his head.  "Like that will ever happen," he said as he reached for his Pepsi.  He sighed and shook his head as he thought about girls.  One brief fling in his life was all he could count so far.  The future seemed extremely bleak to him.

Draco studied his friend's suddenly melancholy countenance and said, "D., I really mean that you know.  Come on man, we are only sixteen, chill and enjoy while you can."

D. finally came back to the present from his thoughts and nodded.  He took a bite of his hamburger and watched as Draco continued to eat his fries.  He was enjoying his own fries when he decided that he should tell Draco the latest news on Harry.  He cleared his throat in an effort to get Draco's attention from studying a black haired guy across the way. 

Draco didn't hear him.

D. turned and looked at the guy two tables over and then he shook his head.  He thought, 'Black messy hair . . . come on Dray admit it . . . '  He kicked his friend under the table to get his attention.

Sterling eyes turned to him with a glare.

D. smirked at Draco and said, "I just thought, that you should know that when Harry left for the Burrow the other day he left some of his personal things at the house."

Draco's brow rose at that information.  "What?  Is he coming back before he catches the train?"

D. shook his head.  "It looked like just some books and old homework.  The thing is,"  he said, "Harry usually takes everything when he leaves.  You know, strips his room completely."

Draco frowned down at his hamburger as he wondered what was going on with the-boy-who-lived.  This Watcher business was difficult during the summer.  It was hard enough that he had come to learn that his visions and training were focused directly to Harry Potter.  Keeping an eye on someone who was supposed to be your enemy was a tremendous task.  He sighed as he thought, 'Maybe it will be easier at Hogwarts.'

D. decided to continue, "I was thinking," he said, "that maybe you would like to come over to the house and take a look at it.  You know, see what is there.  Maybe you would understand something that I don't."

Draco arched a brow and asked, "What about your parents?"

D. shrugged and said, "Dad is out of town again and mum has her Garden Club thing this afternoon.  She probably won't be home until late because they do a covered dish thing.  She left me food in the fridge for later."  He arched a brow as he watched his friend think through the opportunity.

Finally, Draco nodded.  "We can go after I check out that Muggle shop that I like."

D. nodded and the two of them spent the rest of their eating time studying the people who passed by.  D. took note in the fact that when Draco saw someone who caught his eye, they always had black hair and the same body type of his cousin Harry.  He filed the information away for later.

D. shook his head once they were inside the house and asked, "Do you think he will ever get over you?  You are such a heart breaker, Dray."

Draco shrugged in response as he looked around at D's home.

D. said, "Harry's room is this way."  He led the way up the stairs and turned towards the end of the hall where the smallest bedroom was located.  He opened the door and then suddenly realized that Draco was staring at the locks on the door.  He shook his head and said, "Dad used to lock him  in.  He doesn't anymore because Lupin and a couple of other wizards threatened him at the beginning of the summer.  I think Dad leaves the locks on now just to remind Harry that he could still lock him in."

Draco nodded through his frown as he thought, 'Well . . . locks don't work on Harry anymore anyway.  Chill Dray,' he told himself.  He already knew enough about Harry's family to know that Harry hadn't been treated well by them.  He had been very surprised when he and D. had become friends through the intervention of his godfather, Severus Snape.  On the other hand, they both had something in common, making Harry's life miserable.  Draco knew he was just as guilty of that as Harry's family was.

Draco looked around the small room and then walked to Harry's desk.  He waved his hand over the items on the desk which included some old text books and souvenir bric-a-brac that came from Hogsmeade. 

"What was that?" D. asked his friend.

Draco looked up and answered, "I was checking for any charms he may have put on everything.  Very Gryffindor of him to not put a jinx on them for the person who touched them without permission."

D. arched his brow at that comment.

Draco turned back to the stack of books before him.  It was the usual, old class textbooks, the copy of the Quibbler that had featured his interview and some old quills.  Draco  picked up the Quibbler and studied the cover.

D. interrupted his thoughts by saying, "I read the interview.  You know, the one about Harry.  I even told mum to read it."

Draco nodded and then returned the magazine to the desk to continue on his search.  A frown crossed his face when he saw what was on the bottom of the stack.  Quidditch Through the Ages, by Kennilworthy Whisp.  He picked it up and then he sat on Harry's bed. "Why would he leave this here?"  His voice came out in a strained whisper as he studied the book in his hands.

"What do you mean?"  Dudley frowned at his friend and then at the book he held.

Draco looked up at his confused friend and replied, "Quidditch.  Harry loves quidditch.  Why would he leave a book that is about his life's passion here where he won't have it all term.  Maybe he plans to come back, but I doubt it.  This is the only thing that I really see that I don't understand why he left it here.  Everything else is just old text books and odds and ends of stuff he has."

D. asked, "Harry plays quidditch?"  He had read through parts of the book and wondered how someone could stay on a broom while making some of the moves that were illustrated in the book.

Draco nodded vaguely and said, as though in another world, "He was the youngest seeker in 100 years at Hogwarts during our first year."  He thought vaguely that he was quoting something but his mind didn't make the connection to what or where the idea of a quote came to him from.  He looked up to D. and continued, "Harry loves quidditch," he said again to emphasis the point.  He opened the book and pointed to the pages as he continued, "See how the pages are worn on the corners?  He has read this book many times.  Why would he suddenly decide to leave it here?"

D. shrugged.  He didn't have a clue.

Draco stood and looked around the room.  He walked to the wardrobe and opened it. Empty.  He began pulling drawers open - all empty.  It was as though the items on the desk had been left there with purpose . . .

D. felt surprise go through him as a dawning look of realization crossed Draco's face.

"Bugger," Draco whispered as his gaze went back to the desk.  He smirked. Then he laughed as he sat on the bed once more.

"What's so funny?"  D. was feeling confused by the quickly changing expressions on his friend's face.

Draco shook his head with a grin and asked, "Don't you see?"

D. arched his brows as he waited for his friend to tell him what the hell was going on.

Draco laughed once more and shook his head at his friend and said, "He left that stuff on purpose.  You were supposed to look through it and read it.  He wants you to know."  Draco's expression changed into a smirk as he whispered, "How very Slytherin of you, Potter."  His gaze did another turn around the small room.  This time it stopped at Harry's pillow.  For some unknown reason he reached out and picked it up.  Underneath it they found a single black phoenix feather.  Draco's brow rose.

D. reached for it.

"No," Draco said quickly as he stopped his friend's hand.  Draco did a magickal scan on the feather the same way he did the items on the desk.  He nodded to his friend and said, "It's Ok now. I just needed to check to make sure it isn't a portkey."

D. nodded.  He had used a portkey with Draco earlier this month and did not like the feeling of traveling by portkey.  He reached out and picked up the black feather.  It was as soft as silk.  His eyes went to Draco's sterling eyes and he said, "I think you should take this."  He held the feather out to Draco and waited for him to take it.

Draco arched a brow at his friend and looked down at the feather.  He knew that a phoenix feather could be very valuable, but that wasn't why he had an interest in it.  He slowly reached his hand out and watched as D. placed it in his hand.

A lightening bolt of expressive energy went up his arm from his hand and spread all throughout his body when the feather touched his sensitive palm.  Draco's eyes grew large and very round.  In his whole life, he had never experienced such a feeling - even when dealing with magic.  His eyes rose to D's, expressing their astounded surprise at the energy transference.

D. arched his brow at his friend and nodded.  "I guess it spoke to you?"  He didn't know how he knew, he just did.

Draco swallowed and nodded as his eyes fell to the black feather in his hand.  His fingers closed around its softness in an act of protection.  He asked himself, 'What now?' 

Piers Polkiss heard the sound of voices coming from D.'s backyard.  That answered the question in his mind of why D. hadn't answered the door bell.  Piers had told his mind not to 'go there' when he thought of D. alone with Draco.  He bit his lip and jerked his head to the back gate so that his friend Malcolm would understand.

He pushed the gate open just as D. laughed and roared, "Aww, Kat, you've got more in you than that!" 

Laughter sounded throughout the yard as Draco replied, "Slytherin's don't show . . . all of their cards at once . . . "

Piers stopped in his tracks when he saw Draco.  The blond Adonis was shirtless, showing off his well defined upper torso and an awesome tattoo on his shoulder blade depicting an ice dagger with a lightening bolt on the silver and gold hilt entwined with the head of a stag whose antlers carried small images of lilies upon each prong.   Piers' breath hitched at the beautiful sight before him.

D. did a drop and roll to avoid Draco and came up with an arched brow at his friend Piers when he noticed his presence.

Draco turned to see what had distracted D. from their playful sparring.

Piers vaguely heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him.

Malcolm was entranced.

Draco smirked and walked over to the round patio table and picked up his water and took a long drink.  He finished and then smirked at Piers once more as he said, "I figured you had moved on, Piers."  He allowed his sterling eyes to scan Malcolm as he spoke.

Piers bristled and hissed, "Fucking bitch . . . "  He made a move to lunge at Draco.

D. stepped between them and said firmly, "That is enough Piers.  Dray is here as my guest and I expect you to chill if you are going to be here, too."

Piers turned angry eyes to his friend and asked, "Why do you keep doing this D.?"  He could feel those sterling eyes on him as he asked D. his question.  He tried to ignore the powerful sensations he experienced from them.

Draco chuckled and said, "Perhaps he wants to join in, D.  You know, for the opportunity to get all sweaty before going off to Smeltings."

D. shook his head.

Draco smiled sweetly and tilted his head at his friend and said teasingly, "I won't hurt him."  He paused and raked his eyes over Piers once more and then continued, "Unless . . . he wants me to . . . of course."

D. rolled his eyes and said, "Dray . . . "

"Aw, cum on D. Let us have some last minute holiday fun."  He allowed his voice to vary its inflection to the point of D. finally glaring at him. 

Draco pouted.

"Fuck it, Kat." D. shook his head harshly and said, "As long as you promise me that you won't hurt him and he is agreeable."

Piers glared at D. "What," he asked, "makes you so sure that I won't hurt him?"  He turned his glare to Draco as he finished speaking.  They had not had the opportunity to spar in class, this would be their first time.

Draco made kissing noises at him.

Malcolm sat in a patio chair and watched the whole exchange between them completely mesmerized.

D. shook his head and finally said, "Ok, promise me, no death."  He threw a pointed look at Draco.

Draco smiled at his friend and took some more water and then nodded.  He walked into the middle of the yard and turned to Piers.  His held his hand up and crooked his finger at him, signaling that he was ready.

Piers glowered and pulled himself up to his full height and strode to the center of the yard and stood in stance to begin.

D. looked from Draco to Piers and sighed.  He knew that a confrontation was inevitable but he had not figured that it would happen in his backyard.  He said, "Begin now."

Draco had studied Piers in class.  That was the reason that he held back.  He knew that Piers always made the first move.  Today was no exception.  He smiled as he deflected the move and decided that he would allow this to continue until he was bored.  His sterling eyes watched for Piers' next move.

Piers moved in then stepped aside to throw Dray off.  He failed.  His grunt of pain and surprise filled the back yard.  He was sure that they had not covered that move in class.  He intensified his purpose.

Bodies slammed to the ground.

Grunts of exertion and pain filled the back yard as twilight set in.

D. stood and lit some yard torches to keep the darkness at bay.

Draco smiled at the effect.  It reminded him of home and Hogwarts.

Piers gritted his teeth as the flickering flames sent a flash of luminous light onto Draco's hair causing it to shimmer more then usual. He attacked with fierceness.

D. stood up from his chair as he noticed an increase in intensity of the duel.

Draco smiled wickedly as he deflected Piers' move at the same time as he took him down. 

This time Piers was ready for him and swept his leg out and around.

Draco found it necessary to go on the defensive once more.

Petunia Dursley chose that moment to arrive home.  She found two bruised and sweaty guys in heated combat in her well manicured back yard. She looked around at the scene before her unnoticed by the combatants and her son.  She inhaled sharply and said loudly, "Dudley!!!"

Dudley turned to see his mother standing within the light shining in the open doorway.  He inhaled sharply and turned to his friends. 

Draco had stopped when he heard the voice of parental authority.  The bad thing about that was that even though he had Piers in a hold, Piers didn't stop his side of the duel.

Piers flipped Draco and sat on his hips as he looked down into his sterling eyes with triumph.  He forced his body down fiercely as he smirked at the blond beneath him and then he leaned in close and whispered, "Just where you should be, bitch."  He tongue came out and licked Draco's jaw.

That was the last straw.  Fierceness became unleashed.  Draco forgot his promise to his friend and with a mighty feline roar, he flipped Piers and began hitting him with his fists once Piers was under the very angry Draconis Icekat Malfoy.

D. jumped into the fray to try to save both of his friends as Petunia began screaming; thus, drawing the attention of the neighbors.

Mrs. Busybody's husband from next door came through the gate to see what all of the yelling was about.  He was stunned to see three young men fighting in the Dursley's quiet back yard. He whistled sharply; finally succeeding in getting the attention of the combatants.  He glared at all of them, even when he realized that one of them was Dudley Dursley.  He turned and asked, "Are you alright, Petunia?"

Petunia Dursley's eyes went to her son who now stood between his friends.  She frowned.  He had acquired a split lip in his effort to break up the fight.  Her gaze landed on the young man to Dudley's right.  She frowned and asked, "Who are you?"

Draco nodded at her and answered, "Hello, Mrs. Dursley.  I'm Draco Malfoy.  I'm sorry about the shock you received.  We had promised D. that it would not get out of control.  Please don't be angry with him about this."

D. turned to his friend and shook his head.  "Dray, I could have stopped you sooner."  He looked at Piers who now sported a fat lip and black eye from Draco's fists.  He sighed and said, "You should not have done that, Piers."  He had seen what Piers had done to his friend and he was furious about it. 

Piers looked at Petunia Dursley and said, "I'm sorry about upsetting you ma'am."  He then turned to Draco and said, "This isn't over, yet."

Draco responded by arching a blond brow at him.

D. put his arm around Draco's shoulders and pulled him towards the house.  "Come on," he said, "you need to get cleaned up."  He looked at his mum and she nodded.

Malcolm left with Piers as Mr. Busybody turned to Petunia.  "Is everything under control, Petunia?"

She nodded.

"I'm sure Vernon will be very unhappy to hear about this when he gets home," he said.

Petunia met D.'s eyes and then turned to their neighbor and said, "Please let me take care of telling him.  He may not like hearing it from a neighbor instead of me."  She waited for him to respond.

Mr. Busybody looked from her to the two young men who had stopped just this side of the door.  He studied Dudley and then turned back to Petunia and nodded.  "If you say so, Petunia."

She nodded.

He turned and went through the gate.

Petunia turned to her son and arched a brow at him.

D. gave her a slight shrug and turned and led his limping friend into the house.  "Dray, why didn't you tell me he had got you so bad?"  He frowned as he led Draco to a kitchen chair and pulled it out for him to sit in.

Draco shook his head and replied, "Because then he would have known."  He hissed as Petunia put an ice pack on his eye.

Petunia began to pull an odd assortment of supplies out of the cupboard and line them up on the counter.  She then started placing them in a pot on the stove one ingredient at a time.

Draco's uninjured brow rose when he saw one of the ingredients she added.  Once everything was in the pot, she lowered the flame and turned to the sink to collect some water in a bowl.  She pulled a cloth out of a drawer and began to clean his cuts.  The pot began to boil.

Draco opened his mouth to say something . . .

Petunia said, "Dudley, keep an eye on the pot and stir it counter clockwise."

Dudley nodded and went to the stove.

Draco studied the woman who was taking care of him.

Petunia looked up at the clock and then said to D., "It is time to turn the flame off.  Then set it in the sink."

D. complied with his mum's instructions and then came back to the table to check up on Draco.

Petunia said to Draco, "That will take a while to cool, then we can put it on your cuts.  It will help them to heal faster. 

Draco nodded and then gave D. a look.  He inhaled and whispered to her, "I can cool it down."

Petunia's chin came up as she studied the young man before her.  Long minutes seemed to pass and then she stood and put the tincture into a bowl and brought it to Draco.

He looked up at her with questioning eyes.

She nodded.

He looked down at the bowl and placed his bruised and cut hands on either side of the bowl.  In just a few moments, the tincture was cool enough to use.

D. swallowed as he observed the interaction between his friend and his mum.  It raised questions in his mind; but mostly it raised a sense of comfort.  His mum was Ok with him being friends with a wizard. He sat and watched as she nursed his friend's injuries.

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Blanket Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. and all other characters within Potter World do not belong to me. No infringement is intended. I am making no money here; just having fun. Kudos and blessings to the literary genius JKR. This disclaimer is meant to be effective throughout this whole fic. Where mentioned it also includes Pepsi, India Spice Tea and the Psycho Ballistics Delta .68 and last but not least, the Clifford the Big Red Dog book series. Use of these names is solely for entertainment purposes and isn't an endorsement of the product. I am making no money from them either.