Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Easy as Falling	By : Lomonaaeren Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 31246 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I am making no money from this fanfic.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Thank you again for all the reviews!

Chapter Eleven—Foolproof Strategies

            “Malfoy!”

            Draco twitched and turned around, thoroughly distracted from the speech he’d been preparing. He felt his lips compress when he realized that Potter’s head was floating in the flames. He wanted to ask how Potter had managed to open the Floo when Draco had never given him permission to call, but then remembered that Potter had walked through the wards around the Manor. He sighed.

            “What?” he asked, leaning back and tapping his fingers on the table. “You might call me Draco, you know, now that we’re allies. And I’m a busy man.”

            “You looked like you were involved with a lot of paper to me,” Potter retorted. “And I want your advice about some of the pure-bloods that you said had some knowledge and could teach at Hogwarts.”

            Draco narrowed his eyes. “I haven’t thought much about that, although my adviser has found an adviser for you. What’s the hurry?”

            “I’m going to open Hogwarts soon,” Potter said, and his face looked skull-like and feral through the flames. “They don’t want me to do that, they want everyone to panic and run the other way in fear of the nasty Dark Lord, so I’m going to show them that that won’t happen, and I need professors.”

            Draco blinked another moment. Then he said, “If this is your response to Minister Tillipop’s article, then I can think of other moves that would benefit you more.”

            Potter had an impressive way of flaring his nostrils like a charging boar when he wanted to, Draco discovered a minute later. “But I don’t want to do something that benefits me,” Potter said, in a voice he probably thought was reasonable. “I want to do something that benefits Hogwarts, and the children who should learn other things than loyalty to the Ministry. Tillipop is undermining himself nicely right now. He doesn’t need my help.”

            Draco slammed his hand down on his table, reacting before he thought about it. Well, Potter did bring out his impulsive side, and he knew that Pansy and Rosenthal would approve of what he was about to say, if no one else did. “Then our alliance is at an end.”

            Potter’s cheeks flushed a little, visible even through the green color of the flames. “What? Why?”

            “Because I don’t accept allies who refuse to take responsibility for themselves,” Draco said evenly, watching Potter. “They’re far too reckless. They’re likely to end up costing their allies as well as designing their own downfall. And if they think there’s something pure about losing battles and making sacrifices, then they’re doubly dangerous. I thought you were past that stage in your life, Potter. If you’re not, this is farewell.”

            Potter lowered his head a little and thought. Draco had to admit that impressed him, because it was so much the opposite of what he had assumed Potter would do when Draco made his declaration. So he waited, and a second later, Potter raised hesitant eyes back to his face.

            “I’m sorry,” he said. “I realize now what it sounded like. And—this is going to take longer than I thought. Can I come through?”

            At least he asked permission this time, Draco thought, half-decided to say it aloud, and pushed the decision back again when he saw the imploring way Potter looked at him. “Yes,” he said, and leaned back in his chair to watch Harry Potter emerge from his Floo.

            He stumbled getting out of the hearth. Of course he did. Draco rolled his eyes and locked his hands behind his head.

            “You need to tell me why I should listen to you,” he told Potter, who had tilted his head back as if trying to make out all the gems in the clock above the fireplace.

            That got him what he wanted, Potter’s attention that was deep enough to make him feel like he was sitting in velvet. A second later, Potter nodded and walked over to sit down in the chair opposite Draco.

            “I’m sorry,” he repeated, which made Draco half-close his eyes. He didn’t want to be saddled with an ally that apologized all the time, either. A moment later, Potter seemed to pick up on that, and he clucked his tongue sharply at himself. “I should stop saying that, right?”

            “Yes,” Draco said simply, and waited.

            “Fine.” Potter nodded once more, gripped his own elbows as if that would help him, and launched himself. “It’s like this. I know the Ministry wants nothing more than to stop me. I want to show them they can’t. And I took over Hogwarts in the first place so that it would stay free of the Ministry. Its independence is my independence. If it’s open, then it’s the best answer I can make to Tillipop’s stupid tactic.”

            Ah. Draco leaned back in his chair and wished, for a second, that Pansy was here to hear this. She would at least have to admit the justification made sense, as Draco could also admit to himself it did.

            But if she was here, Potter’s attention would be divided between her and Draco, so on second thought Draco was just as glad she wasn’t. He shook his head and said, “I can understand why you think that, Potter, but as a matter of fact, you’re wrong.”

            Potter’s eyes shot to him and fastened on him like bats’ claws. When he smiled, it could have cut iron. “Mind explaining why?”

            “Because it can’t end there,” Draco said. “You can’t say that your influence just ends and begins with Hogwarts and that’s it. You’ve already given interviews that indicate otherwise.”

            “I did not,” Potter snapped, leaning forwards. “I know what I said, and I know the way Spivak took it, but it’s something I really believe. The Ministry either wants me dead or insane. They’re taking the simpler course first.”

            “You misunderstand me.” Draco put his fist under his chin and wondered for a moment if this was the way his father had felt, engaged in planning strategies for the Dark Lord. Perhaps not. He had been insane, and Draco continued to believe that Potter was not. “I mean that you can’t say that you don’t care about anything except Hogwarts. Your interviews show that you care about the political situation in the wizarding world and the way the Ministry thinks about threats.”

            “Only because they’re threatening Hogwarts,” Potter insisted.

            “If that was true, you wouldn’t have declared yourself Dark Lord,” Draco said quietly.

            Potter stared at him, and for a moment, a golden halo of magic seemed to surround him, sparks that orbited his face. Draco ignored the heavy pressure that settled on the back of his neck. Yes, yes, Potter commanded magic that could kill him. But once Draco had got used to that fact, it ceased to be interesting. He wanted to move on and think about something else now.

            “You think I wanted this?” Potter said. “That I had, what, some subconscious motive to become the next Voldemort?”

            Draco clamped his hands on the chair arms so he wouldn’t flinch. Potter would take that as a sign of weakness right now, and he might be the one to declare the end of their alliance. “No,” he said. “But you know that Dark Lord is a more wide-ranging title than Headmaster. Dumbledore engaged in lots of political acts, but a lot of them were to save the school, and everyone always believed that was his primary motive because he was content to call himself Headmaster. When he did something in the Ministry, he was usually wearing some other hat. But you—you picked up the iron crown, if you’ll forgive me for naming it that way, instantly. You went for the most powerful weapon that you had. You shouldn’t be surprised the Ministry is arming for war.”

            Potter half-bowed his head. This time, Draco had no idea what he was thinking. He suspected the best thing he could do right now was to sit still and let his words work their way through Potter’s head.

*

            Harry grimaced. Yes, he had thought that the title of Dark Lord would make them leave him and Hogwarts alone at first, but that illusion hadn’t lasted long. And he ought to have known better, when he’d seen the way the Ministry behaved in the second war with Voldemort and he’d spent four years there, trainee and Auror.

            So. Fine. He was the Dark Lord. What would that mean?

            I have people to protect. I have goals I want to accomplish.

            But more than that? He already knew it meant the end of his being an Auror. What else could it mean?

            Harry took a deep breath and looked up at Malfoy. He was waiting for Harry, sitting silent and sober, the way Harry had never thought he could when they were kids.

            Then again, he had never actually pictured himself sitting opposite from Malfoy in a serious strategy meeting, either.

            “I want to focus on the Lord part, maybe, and not think so much about the Dark for right now,” Harry began slowly. “And that means protecting people, and accomplishing my goals, and—and treating an assault on my allies or the people I’m protecting like it’s an assault on me. Keeping my word, and not breaking it.”

            Malfoy looked as though Harry had come up to him and punched him. His mouth was hanging open, his breathing short and sharp and stifled. Harry watched him and wondered if he had introduced too many changes all at once for Malfoy. Maybe he should have spoken in smaller words and helped him along with many excuses about why being compassionate and responsible was a good thing for their alliance.

            But, a minute later, Harry felt stupid. No, Malfoy was the one who had said that Harry had to think about being responsible for himself and his allies, right? That meant he would welcome Harry stepping up and considering himself a good Lord. Or at least thinking about what the title meant, Harry decided. Harry lifted up his head.

            “Well?” he demanded of Malfoy, who was still silent. “Do you think that’s a good plan, or is this the part where you threaten to abandon me again?”

            Malfoy shook his head and held up a hand. Harry understood what that meant. He fell silent himself. Malfoy needed the time to consider? Fine. Harry understood that. He just hoped that Malfoy would speak sometime in the next century.

            Malfoy finally cleared his throat and croaked out delicately, “I don’t—I think it’s a good plan, Potter, plenty good enough. I hadn’t expected you to plunge straight from reckless disregard into deciding that this was the right thing to do, but I can accept it. I just—was surprised, that’s all.”

            Harry settled back and examined him in silence, then nodded shortly. “Fine. Then you understand why I still want to know about any pure-blood professors that you’ve found. I have to take care of the students in Hogwarts and open the school again as soon as possible. To prove something to the Ministry, and to show that I take care of them the way I’ve promised.”

            Malfoy bowed his head for a second and thought. Harry hoped he was coming up with a list of names. He glanced at the table covered with parchment, but couldn’t make out anything that looked a list there.

            “Listen,” Malfoy said quietly. “I know something that may help.”

            “Yeah?” Harry faced him again. “If you don’t have names of professors, I’ll take that adviser you were talking about.”

            Malfoy lifted his head. “Rosenthal is going to kill me for this,” Harry heard him mutter, and Harry would have asked him who Rosenthal was, except he knew from the articles over the last few days that she advised Malfoy on his public campaign. Malfoy made a little wiping motion at his forehead, and continued. “I think—I think it’s time to become public about our alliance.”

            Harry blinked. “If it’ll put you in danger, then I don’t want to.”

            Malfoy paused and stared at him again. Harry wondered why perfectly innocent words that anyone could utter if they just tried had that effect on so many people. He sighed and said, “What?”

*

            I didn’t know that he had even that much caring for me.

            Now that he thought about it, though, Draco supposed that he should have. Potter wasn’t the political opponent a true Slytherin would have been, but neither was he someone who had all his schoolboy prejudices intact, or he couldn’t have worked with Draco in the first place. And if Potter meant what he said, about being a Lord who protected his subjects from danger as best he could…

            Draco might be one of them.

            His face turned hot with what he knew was excitement rather than embarrassment, although God knew how Potter was interpreting it. Draco cleared his throat and said, “I think you—misunderstand me. We shouldn’t come out as people working closely. Rather, I’ll make it clear that I don’t fear you, that I’m probably the only person who could be Minister and not fear you. I’ll spread the propaganda that someone has to deal with the Dark Lord who threatens the wizarding world, and better someone who could be in charge of the Ministry soon. And then we can start appearing together.”

            “As reluctant allies, not close ones,” Potter said, watching him now with a calmer, deeper expression than Draco had seen him wear so far.

            Draco nodded. “Exactly. There will be a lot of people who will see it as a ploy for the Minister’s seat, which of course it is. But since I’m already running, and since Minister Tillipop just committed political suicide by releasing your records—”

            “That would be the problem with your plan,” Potter interrupted, his face sharpening again. “I don’t think he did that. He’s convinced more people that I’m mental than ever. Why would that destroy him?”

            Draco clucked his tongue. “Think about it, Potter. Sure, there will probably be a reaction against you as the first reaction. But what happens once other people, especially Ministry officials, start thinking about the secrets they’ve confided in their own Mind-Healers? Tillipop’s released a dangerous weapon. Now everyone has to worry about looking mental, or paying enormous bribes to keep their secrets safe.”

            Potter’s face clearly slowly. “I wasn’t thinking, I reckon,” he muttered. “I just thought that, since it was me, they would go along with it the way they did when the Prophet declared me mental in fifth year. No one else seemed worried that they’d be called a Dark wizard or a liar for claiming Voldemort was back. Because I’m different from other people.”

            Draco nodded. “But this isn’t the war, and Tillipop’s done something desperate that he shouldn’t have, because he fears your popularity. It’s your popularity that we’re going to take advantage of.”

            “While also presenting this image of me as the threatening Dark Lord?” Potter raised his eyebrows skeptically.

            Draco had to smile. “There’s no reason that we can’t use two contradictory impressions, is there? Given that most Prophet readers seem to forget what’s printed there from one day to the next.”

            Potter snorted. “I thought we were trying to appeal to the slightly smarter people.”

            “True enough.” Draco hesitated one more time, and then continued. “We’ll present you as the dangerous new Dark Lord when I’m treating with you, but you can give more interviews, too, like the one you gave to Spivak. There’s going to be people brave enough to come, especially once we manage to establish you as the source of a potential threat. But a Dark Lord who’s willing to negotiate.”

            Potter nodded slowly as he thought that over. “All right. You make me look sane, I’ll make you look brave.”

            “And respected,” Draco had to add. That was one of the reasons he had taken up the run for Minister in the first place, although a minor one. “No one else can fulfill the role that I can. No one else would dare.”

            Potter smiled and looked right back at him. “No, they wouldn’t.”

            Draco licked his lips. His mouth was crawling with saliva, and he wanted to reach out and touch Potter’s face, the lips those words had come from.

            And you’re thinking about things that you shouldn’t, at least not until your alliance is well-established and the election is secure, murmured a voice in the back of his head.

            Draco blinked and jerked his head back. Right. First things first. “Fine. Let me introduce you to your adviser.”

            Potter blinked. “They’d be willing to come over here at this time of the afternoon?”

            “I think I can safely say that Briseis Ladon is willing to do anything for some prestige,” Draco said dryly. He registered the look on Potter’s face, and added, “Don’t worry. She will do the work that’s set in front of her, especially once we explain the strategy we want. It’s just that she wouldn’t want to work for someone who was little-known. She’d want them to be popular as soon as possible.”

            Potter nodded. “Okay.” He waited to speak again until Draco had stood up and started to advance towards the fireplace. “And, Malfoy?”

            Draco cocked his head, looking back.

            Potter’s face was entirely sober as he tilted his head back to meet Draco’s eyes. “Thank you.”

            Draco felt the wave of heat sweep over him again, but once more it was excitement, not embarrassment, and that made it easier to nod, say, “You’re welcome,” and face the hearth with the feeling that fire burned beneath the surface of his skin.

            This was going to be fun.

*

            SP777: Oh, Harry’s not really cool and calculated, but he might be able to appear that way for just long enough.

            And thanks. I just assumed you didn’t read S/H/D stories, but I’m pleased that you like the ones I have. Love, Free as Air, is indeed based on lots of observation of my parrot.

            alexkdp: Don’t worry. They’ll be together more often from now on.
- 10
- 11
- 12
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Easy as Falling