Eridanus stared at himself in the mirror, straightening out his cloak as he draped it over his shoulders, clasping it in the front. He ran a hand down his black shirt once, making sure the cloth was crisp and perfect, nodding once he deemed himself presentable. He exited his rather large room – although Eridanus could care less about that – and made his way down to the foyer of the Malfoy Manor, where his guardians and cousin were already waiting for him.

"Are you ready?" Lucius asked as he stood with Draco by his side, both of their hands clasped in front of them. They were each wearing attire similar to Eridanus', his and Draco's being almost identical - the only difference being that Eridanus was wearing a cloak over top of his clothes while Draco wore a blazer.

Eridanus nodded once as he walked towards the two blondes, his shoulders straight and pulled back, just as they always were.

Once Eridanus was close enough, Lucius put one hand on his shoulder, holding out his other arm as Draco took it upon himself to latch his hand onto his father's arm. Eridanus sucked in a breath before his world was suddenly twisting and with a loud pop, they landed where the Quidditch World Cup was to be held.

They walked across the field where a massive crowd resided. They made their way to their tent, one of the many that was already set up. The Malfoys and Lestrange kept their usual impassive expressions on yet, on the inside, Eridanus was feeling an inordinate amount of excitement, having never been to an event this large or spectacular before. He was still a tad nervous, however, as he wasn't used to being surrounded by such a large group of people. His point was proven when some careless wizard stepped on his foot in their rush and Draco had to hold Eridanus back from punching the man.

"That dirty half-breed isn't worth your time, Eri." Draco muttered into his cousin's ear as he kept his arms around his back until he stopped struggling. Eridanus did so a few moments later as he realized that his cousin was right, he shouldn't waste his time on people below him.

Lucius watched the scene between his nephew and son carefully, nodding with a slight curve to his lips, pleased, as Eridanus backed down. They would have to work on his people skills before he attended Hogwarts.

Without another word shared between the trio, they entered the tent that they would be staying in for the night. Although, Eridanus doubted that they would actually be staying there as it was a lot more likely that they would simply head home instead.

Eridanus looked around the tent in interest. It was a lot bigger on the inside than it appeared from the outside - as many wizarding tents were. There were three separate entrances that lead into rooms, that Eridanus assumed were theirs. There was a large emerald sofa and a matching pair of arm chairs across from it in the middle of the room. There was also another entranceway which looked as if it connected to the kitchen and dining room. All in all, the tent was only a tiny percent of the size of the manor yet Eridanus felt much more at home in the smaller space.

"Alright, boys," Lucius Malfoy's calm voice broke the silence as he turned to face his son and nephew. Eridanus' back straightened and he stood to attention, listening intently to every word said by his guardian. "You have an hour to settle yourselves in, then we'll head to our seats and meet up with the minister."

Eridanus nodded and with a slight bow towards the elder Malfoy, he went into his room, not all that surprised when he noticed that it was identical to the one back at the manor. He supposed that Lucius assumed he liked the setup and replicated it for him.

Eridanus sighed softly as he sat down on his bed, finally allowing himself to relax as he hunched his back and rolled his shoulders. The boy, however, didn't get to relax for long as there was a knock on his door before it opened to reveal Draco standing there with an excited grin on his face. Eridanus let out a breath and relaxed once more, having straightened himself out assuming that Lucius had been at the door. Draco closed the door behind him before going over and sitting himself next to Eridanus.

"Are you excited?" Draco asked, his voice neutral yet Eridanus could see the child-like excitement in his eyes.

Eridanus' lips twitched up slightly but otherwise his face remained impassive. He shrugged slightly, looking away from his cousin. "Yeah," he commented quietly, "I suppose I am. I've never really watched a Quidditch match before."

"Really?" Draco asked, appalled by the confession. "That's crazy, you'll definitely have to watch my matches this year. Especially us beating the Gryffindors." He stated smugly, a smirk resting upon his face.

Eridanus nodded in agreement with his cousin although he didn't really care all that much. He'd still go anyway, to support his family.

The time passed quickly with Eridanus and Draco exchanging light conversation between them, mostly about Quidditch and the upcoming match.

There was another knock on the door before it was opened slightly to reveal a composed Lucius. "Come on boys, the match is due to start soon."

Eridanus, having quickly straightened himself out once Lucius appeared, nodded and stood up along with Draco, the two following behind the older man out of their tent and towards the pitch.

The crowd of people they had to walk through was large as everyone was heading towards the pitch and Eridanus, along with the help of Draco, was able to restrain himself from hexing anyone who brushed my him. He was really going to have to increase his tolerance for people if he planned to attend Hogwarts in the fall with any success.

Eridanus was immensely relieved once they made it to a people free zone as they climbed the steps towards their seats.

"Blimey Dad, how far up ARE we?" Eridanus heard an unfamiliar voice whine.

Him, along his uncle and cousin stopped in their tracks, looking up to see a family of redheads and a few brunettes. Amongst them, Eridanus spotted Harry Potter, quickly able to recognize him with his lightning bolt scar and the circular, wire-rimmed glasses. He could only assume that the redheads were the hated Weasleys that his family, especially Draco, loved to complain about. They were also fairly recognizable as not many wizards had hair as bright as theirs. Eridanus quickly scanned the older male, teenage boy and girl and was unable to identify them.

"Well put it this way, if it rains...you'll be the first to know." Lucius spoke with a smirk, an identical one appearing on Draco's face whereas Eridanus remained impassive, unsure how he felt about this situation. Instead, he stared at the famous Harry Potter, noting how angered he seemed by the presence of the Malfoys.

"Father, Eridanus and I are in the minister's box, by personal invitation of Cornelius Fudge himself." Draco bragged, slightly puffing out his chest to make himself seem superior.

Eridanus wanted to laugh at how ridiculous Draco looked and how childish he was acting. Yet, he kept it in and noticed how the brunette girl was holding onto both Harry's and one of the Weasley's arms, as if she were holding them back from attacking the Malfoys down below.

However, Draco's comment also brought some attention towards him by Harry, not having noticed Eridanus before and curious on who he was. The others, obviously knew who he was as he was slightly famous amongst the wizarding community due to who his mother was. Eridanus was used to the stares but that didn't make him any less frustrated with everyone's eyes on him.

"Don't boast, Draco." Lucius brought everyone's eyes back to him, knowing how uncomfortable Eridanus was with all the attention on him. "There's no need with these people. Do enjoy yourself won't you. While you can." He finished with a smirk, walking away.

Draco sneered up at the group before going after his father, Eridanus following close behind but not without another look up towards Harry, finding him already looking at the boy. Neither knowing that they were both as equally curious about each other.

When Eridanus caught up to the Malfoys, they were at their seats, giving them a perfect view of the pitch. Eridanus sat next to a grumbling Draco - who was complaining about their run-in with Harry Potter and his friends - just as fireworks went off and balloons flew into the air, meaning the ceremonies had begun. Eridanus watched entranced, having never witnessed something so spectacular before. It was truly a show.

Five green and white figures flew through the air on their brooms, leaving a colored trail behind them. A glittering leprechaun appeared in the sky, dancing as the crowd cheered loudly. Eridanus recognized them as the Irish team.

Then the Bulgarians came out, five red figures, one of them performing a stunt on his broom as he flew by. One of them appeared on the large screen and as soon as he did the crowd began to chant 'Krum, Krum, Krum'.

Eridanus deduced that he was Viktor Krum that Draco spoke of, being very fond of the Quidditch player. He waved to the crowd, causing them to chant and scream even louder and Eridanus had to admit that he was almost tempted to scream along with them, simply for the fun of it. However, he knew he could never lose his composure in front of so many people. So instead, he allowed a small smile to take place upon his face.

"Good evening!" The announcer bellowed, having cast a sonorous charm on himself so that he could be heard over the roaring crowd. "It gives me great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to the final of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup. Let the match begin!"

And with that, they were off.

It was about halfway into the match when Eridanus excused himself to go to the bathroom. He had tried to hold it, not wanting to miss a second of the match, however, it seemed as if it was never going to end so Eridanus assumed that it would be alright to miss a few minutes.

Lucius had let him go with barely a glance at the boy and Eridanus quickly made his way out of the stands in search of a loo. It didn't take him long to find one as there were many scattered across the grounds. He quickly did his business and walked out of the bathroom, only to have someone almost run into him.

Eridanus glared at the boy who had stumbled as he righted himself, quickly taking in the boys features as he did so. He was fairly good looking with shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes and a slightly tan complexion, most likely due to the summer sun. Eridanus was also a few inches taller than the boy as he was eye level with the top of his head.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" The boy exclaimed sincerely as he looked up apologetically at Eridanus, who didn't reply and simply stared at the other boy before turning around and heading back towards his seat.

"Wait!" The boy shouted as he ran after the Lestrange. "I know this isn't the best way to meet someone but I'm Dorian Karstark." The boy, now known as Dorian, introduced himself.

"Eridanus Lestrange," Eridanus introduced himself hesitantly, if Dorian hadn't recognized who he was by his appearance, he was sure to recognize his name. So he kept walking in hopes that Dorian would stop following him once he realized who Eridanus was. Yet, to the Lestrange's surprise, he didn't.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Eridanus. I have to get going now but I hope I'll see you around." And with one final smile, Dorian walked away leaving Eridanus surprised that the boy hadn't said anything about his name. That had never happened before and Eridanus had to admit that he liked how the boy had overlooked the rumours and scandal about his family.

However, Eridanus shook the encounter off and went back towards his seat. It was unlikely that him and Dorian would ever speak again so there was no point in thinking about him. Instead, he simply sat back down and watched the rest of the Quidditch match, although his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the strange boy.

There was a loud commotion going on the grounds of the Quidditch World Cup and Eridanus knew what was causing it, or rather who was causing it. He had been told of the plan, Voldemort wanting him there in case something went wrong. Draco had already been brought back to the Manor while Eridanus was still on the grounds, watching while everyone ran away in terror as a group of masked wizards walked around hexing anyone who was in sight.

Eridanus turned his head and watched as Harry Potter came running towards where Eridanus was standing, yet he seemed unaware that the boy was there. Eridanus stepped to the side as Harry came hurtling by, the two boys narrowly missing each other. Normally, Eridanus would snap at him for being so clumsy however, considering what was going on, he let it slide with a simple, "Watch it, Potter."

That seemed to make Harry finally realize that he had almost collided with the curly haired boy and he slightly blushed in embarrassment. Yet he didn't apologize as Eridanus assumed he would, he simply stared at the other boy in surprise.

"Eridanus?" He asked hesitantly, recalling the name that Draco had called the other boy.

Eridanus sneered at Harry as he said his first name, unused to others besides his family calling him that. "That's Lestrange to you." He snarled, almost laughing at the surprised look that took over Harry's face at his tone.

"Right...Lestrange," Harry replied cautiously, the name sounding familiar to his ears yet he couldn't quite figure out why.

Eridanus rolled his eyes slightly in annoyance yet didn't reply and simply turned around and prepared to walk away.

"Wait!" The boy who lived called out in a panic. Eridanus, curious as to what the other boy wanted, turned back around with his left brow raised. This slightly distracted Harry as he always wondered how people were able to do that.

"Yes?" Eridanus asked, bringing Harry out of his trance of curiosity. He blushed lightly and shook his head, getting himself back on track.

"Do you know what's going on?" He asked as he had a slight inkling that Eridanus may somehow be connected to the current commotion.

Eridanus scoffed in surprise but tried to mask it. "Why on earth would you think that I would know what's happening?"  

Harry shrugged simply as if the answer was obvious, replying with "I don't know, I just assumed that since you're close to the Malfoy's, you would know."

The curly haired boy rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Well then maybe you should stop assuming things." With that and a swish of his cloak, Eridanus left and Harry, thankfully, didn't call him back this time.

Eridanus stood next to Lucius in the forest near the Quidditch pitch, their shoulders brushing as they looked up into the night sky. What caught their attention was a large ghostly skull with a snake crawling out of it, and they knew just who caused.

The older, yet shorter, man looked at the boy to his left, his eyes quickly looking over him as he made sure that Eridanus was injury free. Once discovering that the boy was merely exhausted from all the work he did, he cleared his throat, causing said boy to look over at his uncle.

"You did well today, Eridanus, saving many of our own. I know our Lord would be proud."

Eridanus stiffened at the praise and nodded in appreciation, even if he felt as though he may pass out at any moment. Doing what he did took a large toll on the body and Eridanus knew that he would be sleeping the next day away.

Lucius noticed that the young boy began swaying on his feet and put his pale hand on Eridanus' shoulder to help steady him.

"I think we should get going now," The Malfoy man announced and with only a nod of affirmation from Eridanus, he apparated them both back to the Manor.

Surprisingly, Narcissa and Draco were still up and waiting for them, looking the same as they sat nervously on the couch with their hands in their laps. Both heads shot up when a popping sound was heard, and they let out identical breaths of relief once seeing that both men were okay.

Narcissa stayed seated, no matter how much she wanted to go and check if her nephew was okay as she knew that Voldemort didn't like Eridanus being coddled. He often said that it was good for the boy to experience a little pain and that it would help him grow stronger.

Draco, however, ran up to his cousin and allowed him to put his arm around the blond's shoulder, letting Lucius let go of his shoulder.

"Draco," Lucius announced and he knew already what his father was going to say, having to aid his cousin often. "Take Eridanus up to his room and get him ready for bed. I assume that he is quite tired after today's events."

"Yes, father." Draco nodded his head obediently and began the slow trek upstairs. Although Eridanus was slightly taller than him, he was much thinner, looking like he had never eaten a proper meal in his life. Due to their large fortune however, that was impossible. Eridanus was simply always under a lot of stress and therefore his body reminded one of a toothpick.

It took a bit longer than expected to bring the boy up to his room as he kept teetering on consciousness, which made his weight on Draco that much more. They finally made it though and with a little bit of struggle, Draco was able to place his cousin onto his own bed.

Since Eridanus was basically unconscious, Draco knew there was no way he could get him into sleepwear. So Draco let him be, as he knew that Eridanus wouldn't be happy if Draco had undressed him, and simply tucked him in instead.

Draco couldn't even imagine the pain that Eridanus was constantly put through and he felt bad, wishing that there was some way that he could help him. And in the blonde's eyes, when he put him to bed and helped make sure that Eridanus was comfortable, he was doing that.

Once done, Draco leaned down to give him a kiss on the forehead, something he only did when putting him to sleep as he knew he'd be teased relentlessly for showing affection. He then whispered softly, "Good night, Eri."

And although Eridanus was half asleep, he still knew what Draco had done for him and smiled at how much his cousin actually cared. "Good night, Draco."

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AHH I'm SO sorry for the long wait but here's the next chapter!! I really hope you all are enjoying this story as much as I am and feel free to give me any critiques, suggestions and even predictions on what may happen!

And for anyone wondering, yes I did republish this chapter with what was going to be the next chapter but I didnt want the chapters to be so short so here you go! I hope you enjoy the new parts :)

How do you guys feel about Eridanus so far? Likes, dislikes, how you think he'll be at Hogwarts, how he and harry interact, his and draco's relationship, his and lucius' relationship, his problem with people? I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts!