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Here But For the Grace of Merlin	By : makochan0217 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 21620 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 13
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling. We make nothing from this piece of fanfiction, and suing would be pointless, unless you like lint and bad skin!

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Warnings: Angst, OOC, DH spoilers (minus Epilogue), language, violence, self-harm, drinking, slash, smut, non-con, BDSM

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Publishing, and Warner Bros and some other stupid companies. I make nothing from this piece of fanfiction, and suing would be pointless, unless you like lint and bad skin!

Author’s Notes: Thanks go to my reviewers! You guys rock! Cauldron cakes for all! But Jamie, I think you deserve a chocolate mousse for keeping me sane these past few weeks! *love* By the way, this is the longest chapter to date. I’m kinda proud of myself for that.

Chapter Twelve – Dirty, Scheming Slytherins

Draco led Harry to the suite of rooms directly next to his own. “This would have been the rooms any sibling I’d had would have occupied,” he said as he helped the dark-haired wizard on through to the luxurious bed.

“Merlin’s beard, can you say ‘ostentatious’?” Harry muttered, shaking his head as he sat on the down bedding of the king-sized, medieval-styled poster bed. The room itself was in shades of mahogany, cream and emerald green. Truthfully, this suite of rooms had always reminded Draco of a forest, but seeing the Boy Who Lived amongst the green bedding, he realized this suite was practically made for Harry Potter.

“I’m surprised that you can, truthfully,” Draco retorted as he leaned against the doorframe, carefully watching his new houseguest for any changes. “But, I suppose with the company that you and Granger kept in the lion house, you had to learn to use small words to be understood.”

“Two words, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle,” Harry shot back teasingly. And his grin died as Draco flinched at the reminder. ‘Crabbe might not have been a friend, per se, but the way he died…’

“You’ve made your point.” The blond cleared his throat before beginning again. “Do you really think it wise to leave Granger and my mother together?”

“I don’t think that either of them is going to attack the other, if that’s what you mean.”

“No, not exactly,” Draco said, moving from the wall and approaching the seated man. “What I mean is that I don’t trust them not to plot and plan the rest of your life for you.”

Harry sighed, closing his eyes as he turned his head up towards the bed’s canopy. Draco took a minute to admire the man’s pale throat while he wasn’t being watched by those bright eyes. “My life…” he scoffed. “It has already been plotted out and planned for me by more people than I want to even think about – Voldemort, Dumbledore, Molly Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and even to some extent, Snape. What are two more people who surround me, yeah?” Suddenly, Draco was faced with Harry’s green, green eyes, burning darkly with some sort of unreadable look. “Besides, I’m sure you’re used to that yourself, right?”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Draco answered uncomfortably after a few moments of reflection. “My life was set in stone from before birth. I would know all the right families and only associate with children my own age that my parents approved of. I would go to either Hogwarts or Durmstrang, be top of my class and Head Boy. Marry a beautiful and well-behaved pureblood witch. Then, finally, I’d have two children – an heir and a spare, my father told me – to continue on the family name.” He snarled in distaste. “I suppose my father never took into account that I actually detest females for the most part.”

“R-really?” Harry’s voice sounded… hopeful. “I was rather fooled, you know,” he said after Draco refused to answer his rather crass question. “I mean… you and Parkinson… you seemed… close, back at school.”

“You mean like you and Granger?”

“Oh, yeah,” Harry said lamely, and Draco could only be delighted by the very pronounced blush on the other man’s face. “I could see how that would be awkward…”

“There was a marriage contract,” Draco offered. “With the Greengrass family… They have two daughters. Daphne was in our year, slightly pretty, vaguely intelligent and easy to get along with, and Astoria, her younger sister, who is all that and more.”

“Oh…”

Draco had to fight back the chance to crow when he saw the look of shock and jealousy on the former Gryffindor’s face. It only added to what he already suspected, but was flattering all the same. The fact that the only person to reject him completely in his entire life was now beside himself with confusion, attraction, jealousy, and indecision was a balm to Draco’s tattered ego. “Not that it matters now, of course, since they’ve withdrawn the contract.”

“Well, that’s… unfortunate, I suppose, from a political standpoint.”

“Hardly,” Draco drawled. “I would have had to actually copulate with the Slytherin equivalent to Lavender Brown, if we’d married. Astoria and Daphne were sluts.”

“Lav wasn’t that bad,” the Gryffindor said, valiantly trying to come to the aid of his stupid former housemate, who was a bit of a slag.

“Potter, while Brown was with Weasley,” Draco shuddered at the thought, “the silly bint was sleeping with Michael Corner in Ravenclaw, Wayne Hopkins in Hufflepuff, and Blaise Zabini in Slytherin.” Harry made a few noises that sounded like he was struggling not to choke on his own tongue. “Oh, please, don’t tell me you didn’t know, Potter. Those are only the ones from our year. She was a busy, busy girl in sixth and seventh years. Brown, aside from the Greengrass girls and my dear Pansy, was the easiest piece of arse in the entire school.”

“She… she never…”

“Oh, you bought her whole ‘I’m just a sweet, stupid, Divinations obsessed Gryffindork’ routine?” Draco smiled viciously at the other boy’s distress. “Don’t worry, Harry. I’m sure Won-won has gotten over her.”

Harry snorted, face going a spectacular shade of crimson before letting loose a delectable laugh. “Oh, Merlin, I remember that. She was so… And he was… Oh…”

Draco relaxed as he watched Harry collapse into a fit of laughter for the third time in his presence. ‘Perhaps I should tease him more about his stupid Gryffindork friends. He seems to take it rather well when it’s just the two of us.’ Harry was still chuckling, wiping tears away from his wide green eyes, completely at ease. ‘If only school had been like this,’ he thought wistfully before shutting that train of thought down immediately. One did not dwell on the past. It was done and over with. Only sentimental Hufflepuffs whined about wanting to go back in time and make things ‘better’. Slytherins dealt with reality and moved on. However, if there was one thing that Draco regretted, it was having missed seeing Harry like this before now.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Please, sit, Miss Granger,” Narcissa said, waving a hand delicately at the antique furniture in the small study she’d led the girl. She’d wisely remembered that the normal parlour where she received guests would be too traumatic for the Gryffindor woman, as that was where her sister had tortured the girl.

“If you don’t mind, I’d rather not,” Granger said, trying her best to be polite.

‘It’s nice to see that even Muggles can raise their children with proper manners. It is a shame that the Weasleys haven’t managed to do so,’ Narcissa thought snidely. “While I understand that you are uncomfortable in my home, it is considered rude to refuse refreshment from your hostess.”

“Oh, I… I wasn’t…. I mean…”

“Miss Granger,” Narcissa interrupted gently. “I would appreciate it if you would please sit and have tea with me. I have no idea how long the boys will be, and there are some things that I would like to discuss with you while we are alone and away from nosy strangers.”

“Yes, of course,” the girl replied quietly, sitting on the edge of the seat across from Narcissa. While she appeared anything but comfortable, at least she was sitting down like proper decorum dictated. When Narcissa called a house-elf to bring the refreshments, the young woman scrunched up her face, but remained silent.

“Have you ever had proper High Tea?” Narcissa asked once they were sipping idly at their cups.

“Yes, my grandmother used to have it twice a year, during the summer. She taught me about proper etiquette as well for fun, after we’d watched a drama on the telly. I was fascinated, and Grandmother was only too happy to show me how to behave.”

Narcissa gave her an approving look. “That is very good. I’m sure that you will put those manners to good use at all of the banquets that will be held when May appears.”

“I suppose so. I hadn’t thought of it like that. I’ve been…”

“In Australia. Yes, I’ve heard. And how did you find it?” Narcissa asked, nibbling delicately on a chocolate dipped biscuit.

“Oh, it’s absolutely lovely there. The beaches are so different from any here in England, or even on the Continent. I’m rather taken with the Great Barrier Reef.” The girl seemed to come alive when she was imparting all the information she’d gathered while on her extended vacation, and as she spoke, she relaxed more and more. This had been Narcissa’s point in bringing up the topic.

After twenty minutes, the girl shook her head and looked around the room, blushing fiercely. “I’m sorry. I monopolized the conversation, and you said that you wanted to speak with me.”

The blonde woman couldn’t help but give her young company a small, but sincere smile. “That’s quite all right, Miss Granger. I do wish to speak with you about something important. However, it is imperative that you relaxed beforehand. This is not going to be a pleasant conversation.”

“I’m not going to just abandon Harry here with you,” the girl said tersely.

Narcissa couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at her company’s indignation. “I haven’t suggested that you do so, nor would I,” she said seriously. “Miss Granger, I fear you misunderstand me. I admit that I find most Muggleborns to be crude, vulgar, and overbearing; however, you’ve proven yourself to be an invaluable ally to Harry. More so than Mr. Weasley and his family, even.” Narcissa set her teacup on the table between them, looking at the girl in her big brown eyes levelly. “While loyalty is not something that is toted heavily in Slytherin House at Hogwarts, or even in most of the older pureblood families, it is cherished when earned.

“Mr. Potter is, perhaps, one of the few people that I have met without genuine malice. Even his attack on Draco was not unprovoked.” She shook her head ruefully at the sharp intake of breath from the girl opposite. “My son knew exactly what a Cruciatus would do, and he was foolish enough to attempt it on an enemy that has bested him at nearly every turn for years. That was not a smart thing to do, and he will carry a reminder of that for the rest of his life, which, Merlin willing, will be long and prosperous.

“However, it is not Draco that we were speaking of. It is Harry. When I first met him, I was not impressed. He was skinny, short, underfed, appallingly attired, not groomed, and in the company of Weasleys.” Narcissa smiled fondly at the memory. “Looking back, I was quite rude to a rather important person, and I should not have been. However, that is neither here nor there. Mr. Potter has saved my son’s life twice now, and Draco owes him the life-debts that go along with that.”

“What about the one that Harry owes you when you lied to V-Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest?” Narcissa raised an eyebrow, trying to speculate as to why the girl would have stuttered over a name the woman knew the younger had used without repercussion a year before. That was, after all, how they’d been captured by the Dark Lord’s vile Snatchers. Either the girl wasn’t as whole as she appeared, and that was perfectly logical as it wasn’t even a year after the war, or she was frightened of being back at Malfoy Manor. Again, something completely understandable, but this hesitance struck Narcissa as something out of character that would need to be analyzed at a later time. Now, she had to deal with the conversation they were having.

“To be honest, I had no intention of collecting on it.” Narcissa sighed. “It’s rather un-Slytherin of me, to be sure, but I was only grateful that my son was alive and unharmed. Everything else was secondary. The fact that Harry felt it necessary to speak on my behalf at our trial, and therefore keeping me from a lifetime of Azkaban or execution, negated any magical binding for my lie.”

“But, if that’s the case, then Malfoy would only owe Harry one life-debt, since he lied to you and Mr. Malfoy when we were caught last year.”

“Hm, yes, that is true, but it’s a little more complicated than that, Miss Granger.” Narcissa refilled their teacups and called for more biscuits upon discovering that she and her guest had eaten the whole tray. “Draco actually owes Harry, not only the two life-debts, but a debt of honour as well.”

“How is that?”

“When Harry saved Draco in the Room of Requirement, he canceled out any debt owed when Draco lied last Easter. However, by speaking on his behalf, and so eloquently, I might add, created another debt.” Narcissa sipped her tea and tried to think of how to phrase the next part of the problem. “The crux,” she watched as the girl flinched at the use of that word, “of the problem is that Harry did not only speak on Draco’s behalf. As I have said, speaking for me, he canceled the debt he accrued in the Forest at the Final Battle. By speaking for Lucius, a sworn enemy who has tried multiple times, unrepentantly, to kill him, he created an even larger debt than even with my son. However, since Lucius is in no condition to repay the life-debt through his own intentions, it has passed on to the head of the family.”

“To Malfoy,” Granger said in a low voice.

“Precisely, and since he is head of the family, and the person responsible for two life-debts to the same person, it has become a debt of honor.”

“What would he have to do to repay it?”

“He must shelter Harry in his home and make him like family.”

“And?” She watched as the brunette raised an eyebrow, obviously suspicious.

‘I do believe that I could actually learn to like this girl,’ Narcissa thought gleefully. ‘For a Muggleborn Gryffindor, she is showing a rather Slytherin-like cunning. Oh, yes, this is wonderful.’ She took a sip of tea before answering, using one of Lucius’s tactics to gather her thoughts properly. “If possible, he must make Harry family. If it is not possible in matrimony, then he must endeavor to assist Harry in making a beneficial alliance.”

“So, you’re telling me that Malfoy either has to marry Harry into the Malfoy family or help him make a good marriage?”

“Precisely,” Narcissa said smugly. ‘In this case, I’m quite certain as to which option it will be for Draco.’

“Harry’s never going to agree to this,” the young woman said promptly. “He’s had too many people trying to run his life so far. He’s never had an opportunity to actually live his own life.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Then what do you have planned?” Narcissa gave the girl an innocent and questioning look, which was responded to with an undignified snort. “Oh, please, you’re Slytherins. You’ve always got plans.”

“That is true,” Narcissa answered truthfully. “Miss Granger, I refuse to believe that you have not noticed the… mutual attraction between my son and Harry.”

“Anyone with eyes has seen it.”

“I would like you to help me encourage it.”

She watched as the young woman’s eye flickered as she thought before nodding. “How?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry beamed up at the canopy of his bead, feeling light and free. It was the first time in… well… ever that he felt the chains and scars from his childhood and the war retreat far enough that he could actually relax. And the fact that he was able to do so in Draco’s presence was divine; at least, for the moment anyway.

He could hear the other boy’s footsteps get closer, and a shiver ran down his spine. He had no clue what was going to happen, and he was… frightened, truthfully, of what the Slytherin might be thinking. He realized that he was completely at Draco’s mercy, which, he had to admit, was very limited.

However, before either boy could do or say anything more, a tapping on the bedroom’s window caught their attention. “What’s that?” Harry whispered.

“It appears to be an owl,” Draco answered, stalking over to the window to let the creature in. One look was all it took for Harry to recognize the pretty barn owl. It was Etienne, Fleur’s owl, which meant the letter was from Bill. Draco tried to take the letter from the winged creature’s talons and was rewarded with a sharp beak to his fingers. “Ghastly beast,” he sneered before sticking his fingers in his mouth to suck off the blood the bird had drawn.

Harry had to drag his eyes from the sight of the stately blond with his long digits in his very tempting mouth before he could breathe properly. ‘I’m going to bloody die of arousal if I don’t pay attention to what’s going around.’ He shook his head to clear it. ‘Right… Etienne… Letter… Bill… Do not pay attention to Draco sucking his fingers. Do not imagine what it would be like to have those luscious lips wrapped around my cock…’ He blushed deeply before removing the letter from the owl, who hooted gently as he did so.

“Thanks, Etienne,” he whispered shakily, petting the bird and he tried to read the letter and avoid Draco’s inquisitive look. “It’s from Bill.”

“What does Weasley say?” Miraculously, Draco had managed to say Bill’s family name without sneering. It must have just been Ron or the family in general that Draco hated, or was it the fact that Draco felt guilty about the whole Greyback incident at the end of sixth year. “Potter,” Draco snapped, making Harry come back from his thoughts viciously. “What. Does. Weasley. Say?”

Gathering his courage, Harry decided it would be better if he just read Bill’s letter out loud. “Dear Harry….”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco took a sharp breath as Harry read the letter out loud. To read personal correspondence to him like that showed a great deal of trust, trust that Draco wasn’t sure he deserved, but was delighted to find that Harry had in him. Closing his eyes for a moment, he allowed himself to hear what the other boy was saying while trying not to tremble with this new revelation.

“Dear Harry,

I must admit that I was shocked to hear from you after so long. Mum and the others told me what happened after the trials were over during the summer. I was surprised that you decided to leave the Burrow, but I can’t say that I blame you. If anyone deserved some quiet time to adjust to what Voldemort’s defeat meant, it was you. Too bad Ron, Mum and Gin don’t get that, but we all can’t be as smart as me and Fleur, yeah? I’m sure that they’ll come around, eventually, so don’t let it get you down. You’re family, no matter what stupid things happen. Just remember that.

You know, I heard what happened at Malfoy Manor, and I was there at the trial for the Malfoys, so I’m aware of Lucius Malfoy’s condition. What has me stumped is that you’re asking me to actually help the man who could have killed my sister. To be honest, I don’t want to do it. I know that you said that Draco Malfoy and his mother saved you during the end of the war, and I believe you, but Lucius Malfoy spent a long time tormenting my family and a lot of others. I’ll speak plainly. He deserves what’s happened to him.

You don’t owe the Malfoy family anything, Harry. Remember that. You’ve already given them more than they deserve by speaking up for them and allowing them to return to their home, instead of sentences in Azkaban.

If you’re really serious about this, I’ll consider it, but I know what happened between you, Gin and Ron at the hospital. Besides, being in Malfoy Manor creeps me out. I don’t want to be there alone. Not without some reassurances that the Malfoys won’t do something to me if I can’t cure Lucius.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Your big brother,

Bill

P.S. Harry, you should have come to us when you were feeling so down, chér. I would have helped you and smacked some sense into my youngest brother-in-law and Ginny. With all my heart ~ Fleur”

“Fleur?” Draco asked when Harry was done speaking. “Delacour?”

“Yeah, she and Bill got married back before seventh year. It was at the wedding that Death Eaters attacked. Ron, Hermione and I barely got out in time. It sucked that her wedding dress was so dirty after a beautiful ceremony and reception.”

For a minute, Draco found it hard to breathe. He was pinning the hope of healing his father on a man who Draco was ultimately responsible for scarring for life and who’s wedding to a beautiful part-Veela had been ruined by the Dark Lord. He couldn’t even blame the eldest Weasley son for not wanting to do so. He had no reason. And yet, from the tone of his letter, it sounded like if Harry could convince him, Bill Weasley would do just that. It was then that he truly realized that he’d never fully understand Gryffindors.

“So, should we reply back?” Harry asked, bringing Draco’s attention back to the dark-haired wizard.

“I want my father healed, but I understand Weasley’s reluctance,” Draco said. “Is there some way to convince him that we mean him no harm?”

“Well…” Harry started before moving back to sit on the luxurious bedding that matched his eyes. “If there was a way to make him feel safe here, he’d do it. Maybe we could let him bring George and Charlie?”

“Absolutely not,” Draco retorted. “I understand having the eldest Weasley son here, but not three of them. And certainly not the Weasel.”

“There is a reason I didn’t mention him, Draco. That would be suicide for us all to let Ron into the Manor,” Harry snapped back. “Besides, I don’t want to hear the whole Weasel-Ferret argument while Bill’s here to cure Lucius. It’s stupid and childish and I wish you both would just drop it.”

Draco blushed furiously in embarrassment. Here he was, Lord Malfoy, being chastised about childishness by Harry Potter, King of the Gryffindors. His ancestors were probably rolling over in their graves as they spoke. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“You’re forgiven, I guess,” Harry said with a sigh. “Okay, so, no other Weasleys but Bill. Got it. How about if I let him know that Hermione and I will both be here to watch all parties?”

“That might be a start,” Draco mused. “I have a suggestion, one that would be beneficial to all parties.”

“I’m listening.”

“Well, have you heard of a Wizard’s Oath?”

“No, is it like an Unbreakable Vow?”

“Not quite,” Draco answered, feeling ill as he remembered how his mother had wrangled into such a vow with Severus to protect him during their sixth year at Hogwarts. “While breaking the Unbreakable Vow ends in death, if one breaks a Wizard’s Oath, you only lose your magic.”

“So, you’d be a Squib?”

“Exactly.”

“So, you’re willing to bet your magic on making peace with Bill Weasley?”

“If it cures my father, then yes.”

Harry looked at him for a long time, green eyes narrowed in thought. “Alright, I guess that might convince him, but I won’t just make you and Narcissa swear an oath. He’ll have to do it too.”

Draco drew in a sharp breath. “You mean you’d make Weasley give an oath not to attack any of us?”

“Of course, Draco,” Harry said with a tone that implied “don’t be stupid”. “I’m a guest in your home, by invitation of your mother,” the last part was said a little bitterly and Draco frowned, “and I don’t want anything to happen to either of you because I brought Bill here and then bound you helpless. It’s only fair that he’d take the same oath, seeing as how both families have been feuding for Merlin knows how long.”

“Four centuries,” Draco answered automatically, making the Gryffindor blink and then laugh.

“Alright,” he said after he’d calmed down a bit. “That’s a bit long, I’ll admit, but if you both, as the heirs of the families involved in the dispute, can agree to behave, shouldn’t that make the feud die?”

“Actually, yes, it would.” He eyed Harry carefully and realized that he’d allowed Severus’s opinion of the green-eyed man taint his own. “You’ve certainly been around Granger too long if you’re able to make leaps of logic like that.”

“I’ll have you know that the Sorting Hat said that I had a fine mind and would do well in Ravenclaw,” Harry defended himself.

“I can see how that would be true, now anyway.” Draco smirked. “You’d also make an excellent Hufflepuff as well.”

Harry stood up and walked over until he was in Draco’s personal space. “The Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin originally.”

“What?” Draco shouted. “But you’re the paragon of Gryffindor. Any fool can see that.”

“Yeah, well, why do you think it took so long for the Hat to decide Gryffindor? I begged it to put me anywhere but Slytherin.”

“Why?” Draco was stunned. ‘You would have made an excellent Slytherin, Harry, and then maybe Snape wouldn’t have tortured you so badly at school. And we could have been friends so much sooner…’

“It’s probably because I met the most obnoxious blond twit who was rude, spoilt, cruel, and reminded me of my useless Muggle cousin when I first entered the Wizarding world. All he could say was how he was looking forward to going to Hogwarts and being Sorted into Slytherin, as he insulted the first friend I ever made. Not to mention that the next time I met him, he insulted the first friend I’d made my own age and then proceeded to try and steal my sweets on the train.”

Draco flushed, realizing what a prat he must have come off as in his first two meetings with the scared young Harry. “And after you rejected my hand in friendship, I tortured you, Weasley and Granger for the next six years.”

“Right in one, Draco.”

The blond sighed in defeat. “I apologize for that, Harry.”

“It’s over and done with, Draco. We were young, and you were only behaving how you were raised to be. I can see that now.” Harry stuck out his hand with an impish smile. “We can be friends now.”

“You’re right,” Draco answered, grasping Harry’s hand tightly. ‘And hopefully more.’

TBC

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Here But For the Grace of Merlin