Chapter Text
Once upon a time there were two kingdoms that had finally after generations of icy relations and on and off wars which came together in an agreement for peace to be sealed with the marriage of their two most prominent families. At the time of signing the treaty, King Albus knew that the older Lord Peverell, Charlus Potter, was not happy to marry his teenaged son off but was willing. King Gellert had requested this as a favor to Lord Brutus Malfoy as his son had fallen for an unsuitable bride.
The wedding was to happen a year and a day after Armistice but that winter plague swept through both kingdoms. The Potter family was down to just one older childless couple, the brother who abdicated his position to go pursue his dreams of research and his very wise wife. The Lord Malfoy succumbed as well, leaving Abraxas as a new lord. It was agreed that the wedding could be postponed, but not forgotten. The treaty was amended so that the next time a Potter & Malfoy were within 5 years of age of each other, they would be betrothed upon birth of the younger.
Years passed, and one summer night just a stroke before midnight, Lord James Charlus Potter and his wife, the exiled Lady Lily Jacinta Potter nee Evans had a small boy they named Henry James but called Harry. He was born too soon, but after he survived his first year, the betrothal was set as not one year prior in spring the Malfoy family welcomed a new boy, Draco Abraxas. A holiday was called for the day of the signing of the agreement between the two great houses. The two kingdoms celebrated with joy as this cemented the peace.
A schedule was set for the children to summer with each other for at least one week under the supervision of alternating vassal families. It was set to start the year that Draco turned 5 years old and was to last for 11 years, after which a wedding would follow the month of summer. It was determined by the Kings to be the best way to ensure the young boys grew to love and treasure each other.
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Henry Potter was a small and sickly child. After his parents died in an ambush by highwaymen after his second birthday he was given to his father’s trusted steward, Remus Lupin, and his custody assigned to the new Lord Sirius Black, his godfather. Lady Lily had also requested that her one trusted companion Master Snape be trusted with her child, but his grief was so great he left and was hired by the Malfoy house to tutor their son.
Steward Lupin acted as regent in good faith, but his duties took him from Henry for most of every day if not longer and Lord Black had only just assumed his title and was beholden to be at court for his first year and day. Remus found a small family, a governess, a tutor, and their son who was the same age as the young Lord. He had faith that this family who came with good recommendations from the King, could help close the gap of care his charge needed.
This was not to be. The Dursley family moved into a smaller family country house and urged the boy’s guardians that the change in location would be good and healthy for the child. They then took over the estate as if they were the rightful owners. Henry did get lessons in the required subjects but they were often harsh with him staggering away at then end of the day due to lashings and hunger.
The governess was instant that a proper child learn the value of labor and as such he was often in the kitchens and scullery from an hour before sunrise to noon. If he completed his allotment of chores he would be granted porridge and water and sent to lessons where he was taught with the gentleness of a drill sergeant by his tutor until well past nightfall. During this all, the young boy who was supposed to be his companion ran amuck and his misfortunes were blamed upon the young lord.
Henry looked forward to the week before Winter Solstice, as he was given it off and granted more food to eat and cared for by servants from the Black household in preparation for his visit to see his godfather. It was heaven compared to the rest of the year. The following travel and stay in the Black family townhouse in the capital city was always a joy. Sirius was fun and while he did quiz Henry on what he was learning, he made it a game and then took Henry to formal dinners and functions. The capital was always lovely blanketed in winter snow and the townhome was always cozy and filled with mysteries to seek. It made him hate the country house all the more.
After two weeks of pampering, he was sent back to the cold manor. To make up for lost time he was often given to the chamber maid and made to collect and clean bedpans in addition to the scullery work. It made his mornings start even earlier.
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“Mother, I don’t want to go to the Garden House for summer. I want to spend summer like we always do at the Silver Sea Palace with great Uncle Gellert.” Draco pouted at Narsissa.
“I’m sorry, darling dear, but you are bound by treaty to spend at least a month with the Greengrasses and young Lord Potter.” She sat in her solar with her boy in her lap who was now tearing up at the idea of having to spend so much time away from home. She knew it was for the best, Draco did like the Greengrass children and it would be the first time he’d meet his husband to be.
“I hate it. And I’m gonna hate Lord Potter.” He grumped.
“Now Draco, we do not hate those who do not deserve it.” Narsissa lightly scolded.
“He deserves it. He’s messing up my summer.”
“Please be nice to the poor boy. He will not know anyone, while you will not only know the Greengrass family, but also your companions shall be with you. From what I understand he will not have an entourage and has spent most of his childhood in a country manor as his parents are gone.” Draco stopped whining, “He will need your kindness and help as he will no doubt be lost.”
“Fine, but I’ll only be nice if he is nice.”
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Draco hated Henry Potter. The boy was small and weedy, and was so pale that he spent the first week sick with sun poisoning every summer. He was also picky and never ate the foods Draco liked. He was bookish and so meek it made Draco sick.
He was also beloved by all the servants and seemed to always say something to make Draco look stupid or mean. He wasn’t a snitch, but still Draco seemed to always get in trouble for Potter’s failures. It wasn’t his fault that Potter was too small to go riding, but tried anyhow. He was supposed to be scared of Lord Nott’s new war horse stallion.
The stupid boy not only insisted upon joining Draco and his friends, he rode the sable Andalusian bareback and had him doing jumps and races. From that day on the evil horse kept breaking out of the stables and followed Potter like a dog. At the end of the summer Lord Black ended up paying double Dullahan’s worth so he could stay with Potter.
Draco ended up getting in trouble for egging the “poor little child on” and not picking activities that were appropriate for his delicate betrothed. It was not fair, especially as that damned horse now followed his master to every summer fosterage, and Potter now used exercising Dulla as an excuse to vanish most days.
They were with the Moody family, a Peverell vassal, this summer and the crazy old lord insisted on teaching them combat. Draco had walked in confident and then spent the next two months frustrated. Potter was perfect with a bow while riding. Potter could match him in fencing after two weeks of training. Potter was just lucky in every strategy game, his tactics had no polish, but he seemed to always just manage to win more often than Draco.
It wasn’t fair that this stupid quiet mouse of a boy be better at things that Draco had been learning from his father and King Gellert.
___
It was the morning of the final summer. Draco was dressed in his finest robes and awaited Potter and Black at the port of the King’s summer residence, the Silver Sea Palace. The white stone castle rose above the soft white sands of the southern sea and the blue silver tiled roof sparkled like a beacon.
Finally, the dark ship arrived and Lord Black and Potter rode off the ship and as per tradition, gave gifts to the host. Draco could not look away from Potter. The winter had fixed the problems that plagued his betrothed. The weedy child was now lithe, still short, but seemed to just fit his elfin features, his hair was no longer a rats nest, but ebony curls that just made his ivory skin and verdant eyes glow. The soft sage doublet hugged his figure, and his leggings made the tight muscles of his long lean legs so evident.
Potter was finally a prize worth taking.
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“My dear Draco, are you ready to sign the final agreements?” King Gellert asked with a soft smile for his pseudo grandson. The boy smiled and look at the young Potter Lord with warmth.
“Yes, please.” He then took the other boy’s hand and kissed it quite gallantly. The young lord blushed quite fetchingly, but then an odd look came over him.
“Why?”
“What? What do you mean why?” Draco sputtered in the face of this almost whispered question.
“I mean, why are you now willing to marry me? You spent the last nine summers telling me I was worthless, ugly, and not befitting to be your husband. Why is it now you are being so kind and affectionate?” Henry’s voice did not get louder, but the silence in the grand ballroom made his voice carry. “Why are you now ready?”
“I mean, just look at you.. you.. you are perfect.” Draco gestured to Henry. Henry took a step back as if struck and looked away. Gellert closed his eyes and sighed.
“Is there anything else? Anything at all?” Henry’s voice had a tremble to it now and Gellert knew he would need to beg Albus for forgiveness, but he couldn’t doom this child to a sham of a relationship.
“What else is there?” Draco asked with pure puzzlement.
Henry looked at the king and bowed. “I’m sorry, your Royal Highness, I will sign the contract as I am honorbound to do so, but I beg of you to release me to my godfather until the day of matrimony. I fear I need to recover and prepare for this.”
“I.. I understand Lord Peverell, please enjoy your summer with your loved ones.” Henry took the quill from the table and scrawled his name in the required sections and left the room, followed by Lord Black.
“Draco… just sign it. It seems the ball is off as the guest of honor is no doubt leaving tonight.” Gellert looked at the poor boy who just looked dumbfounded as the grand doors slammed closed.
As they did a thunderclap shook the window panes and rain started lashing the glass.
_____
That night Henry booked passage on a small merchant ship going back home. Sirius had booked meetings and had negotiations to see to but understood how shaken Henry was by the superficial confession. As such, he would follow as soon as he was able, but needed to keep the ship they arrived with in port until the conclusion. Henry bid him to bring Dullahan home, and said he’d await his godfather in Peverell Castle as he would spend the time learning more from his regent and steward Remus.
As the ship left a surprise summer storm rolled in and Sirius prayed that his boy would be safe.
The next morning he was greeted by the King’s herald and called back to the palace.
He was told that as the storm turned into a cyclone. Then a dark shadow pulled the Lord from the ship in his night clothes and vanished. Then out of the waves the ship was crushed by a sea serpent. The only survivor perished after ensuring that the King’s Guard knew.
Sirius was gutted by this news.