Chapter Text
This is my AU to help you understand, I apologise if it is long and complicated!
Horace Malfoy, later known as Horace Somnusson, was born in 1977 as the eldest son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. From birth, however, he was marked as different: he was a squib. Lucius, fearful that a non-magical child would tarnish the Malfoy family name and compromise his standing as a pureblood, insisted that Horace remain hidden from the wizarding world. Only the Malfoy and Black families were aware of his existence, and for three years he lived entirely in secrecy before Draco’s birth, when Lucius publicly announced Draco as his “first son” and heir. Horace’s early years were a mixture of isolation and careful observation; when he began to experience prophetic dreams around the age of six, Lucius’s patience wore thin. Fearing that Horace’s strangeness might influence Draco or be discovered by others, he prevented the brothers from seeing each other. By the time Horace was eight, Lucius had enough and demanded that he be sent away. This led Narcissa to reconnect with her sister Andromeda, and Horace was taken in by Andromeda and Ted Tonks, who renamed him Somnusson to protect his identity. Under their care, Horace found a measure of stability and love, forming a deep, sibling-like bond with his cousin Nymphadora, who had none of her own siblings and called him her brother. Despite the challenges of sending letters through the loop once Horace arrived at Miss Peregrine’s home, he and Tonks maintained correspondence that sustained their connection.
From a young age, Horace’s dreams were a source of both enjoyment and torment. When someone touched his bare skin, he experienced visions of that person’s past, traumatic experiences, or even glimpses of their possible futures. These dreams were initially incoherent and overwhelming, which led Horace to wear gloves almost constantly. Only people he trusted and had repeated contact with — like Enoch or Ms. Peregrine — could touch him without triggering chaotic visions, and even then the dreams would be coherent and manageable. The intensity of his dreams was closely tied to his emotional state, andhe often withdrew from others to avoid seeing something horrifying about their lives or futures. During his time at Miss Peregrine’s, Horace’s relationships with the other children remained largely consistent with canon; he was gentle, considerate, and often quietly observant. Bronwyn occasionally reminded him of Nymphadora, a connection that brought both warmth and nostalgia, while the younger children, like Claire and Olive, adored him for his playful and imaginative nature, whether that meant playing elaborate tea parties or making intricate dresses for their dolls. Hugh, by contrast, had a sour streak and occasionally assumed that Horace considered himself too sophisticated and mature for games, though Horace’s care and attention were never condescending, merely thoughtful.Horace’s bond with Enoch developed gradually but strongly. Enoch, whose peculiarity allowed him resurrect dead things and give life to inanimate objects but also the ability to sense life itself — blood flow, heartbeats, pulses — was particularly attuned to Horace’s fragile emotional state. He craved touch as a grounding mechanism, and it became essential to Horace’s recovery after nightmares. Unlike Horace, Enoch could perceive the rhythms of life without direct contact, though touch helped his abilities and comforted those around him. Their relationship was built on trust and patience, beginning with brief accidental touches that triggered incoherent visions for Horace, moving to tentative hand-holding, and eventually deep emotional intimacy. After nightmares, Horace would always cling to Enoch, lying in his arms and letting the steady pulse beneath his fingers anchor him to the present. Enoch became both his emotional anchor and physical refuge, a constant presence that allowed Horace to navigate the terrifying clarity of his dreams. Their relationship was not merely romantic; it was a reliance that balanced fear with care, trauma with tenderness, and vulnerability with unwavering trust.
Claire, revealed as Enoch’s biological sister, also became central to Horace’s life in the loop. She shared her brother’s pale eyes and sharp features, but bore the burden of a second mouth and a hunger resulting from their father’s experimental work. Horace treated Claire as a little sister or even a daughter figure, protective and nurturing, helping her navigate her peculiar challenges while also providing emotional support. Together, Horace, Enoch, and Claire formed a close-knit triangle: Horace protected both siblings and offered comfort; Enoch provided grounding and life-sense; Claire contributed reassurance and familial connection, strengthening the sense of found family that defined Horace’s life in the loop. Ms. Peregrine herself became a maternal figure for Horace, her presence reminiscent of Andromeda’s care, guiding him through the chaos of his dreams and helping him integrate into the community of peculiars.
Horace’s life in the loop was marked by moments of vulnerability and trust, whether in quiet afternoons spent lying on the grass with Enoch holding his hand, or in small acts of play and care with the younger children, mending ripped dresses or reading with Millard in the library and studying rare plants with Fiona. The safety of the loop allowed him to explore both his emotional and peculiar identities in ways impossible under Lucius’s control. While his dreams continued to show glimpses of trauma, loss, or the lives of others — including fleeting images of Hogwarts, Draco’s face, Enoch at Platform 9¾, or the flash of Nymphadora’s pink hair — Horace no longer faced these visions alone. The physical and emotional closeness of Enoch, the protective bond with Claire, and the nurturing guidance of Ms. Peregrine created a safe network for Horace to process and endure the intensity of his powers. In this space, the fears of his early life — secrecy, rejection, isolation — were softened by the warmth of chosen family, the grounding heartbeat of a loved one, and the playful, trusting affection of children who adored him.