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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
- 14
- 15
- 16
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! I have to say special thanks go to Jokes for stepping in and helping me to get this looking so pretty! You rock my socks!

Chapter Fifteen – A Time for Thought and a Time for Action

Of course, that night Draco dreamed for the first time in nearly three years. And it wasn’t surprising that the focal point of his dream was Harry Potter. In a sick, pathetic sort of way, it made sense. If Draco was honest with himself, his first wet dream at the tender age of twelve had involved a male who looked unsurprisingly like Potter. So, perhaps he’d been denying that attraction while they were schoolmates, but the way the other man’s face had looked before they started their chess game and conversation the night before had opened up something inside him.

When the sunlight struck his face in the morning, the blond was forced to hold in a sigh. While he was aware of what –or whom– he’d dreamt of the night before, it didn’t mean that his sleep had been restful. So, he cracked his eyes open slowly, not really looking forward to the day ahead. Granger was coming over after breakfast, and he had Harry to deal with. Merlin, he didn’t want to get up.

“Master Draco, Mistress Narcissa is asking you to be coming with Manky to her rooms now,” Manky, Narcissa’s personal elf, said in her high-pitched voice.

“Did she say what she wanted, Manky?” he asked, sitting up to lean against the many pillows on his bed.

“No, Master Draco, Mistress is only telling Manky to be asking you to her rooms,” she answered, pulling on her overly large ears with a look of utter despair on her face.

“It’s fine, Manky. Tell Mother I shall be there in a few minutes, and find Dippy now.”

“Yes, Master Draco,” the elf answered promptly, before Disapparating quietly. Before Draco had gotten completely out of bed, Dippy was standing before him.

“How is Dippy to be helping Master Draco?” his personal house-elf asked, curtseying politely.

“Dippy, I need you to pick out acceptable robes for today while I take a shower. When you are done with that, I wish for you to find Harry and ask him to meet me in the breakfast room.”

“Yes, Master Draco,” the elf squeaked before running over to his wardrobe. As he headed for his en-suite bathroom, Draco realised how long of a day it was going to be if he was already tired. He could only hope that his mother would forgive him for his delaying tactics.

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

Harry looked up as he heard his best friend come through the door of the parlour he was currently ensconced in. “Hey, Hermione,” he said, trying for friendly and feeling that he’d missed the mark by a mile. The frown on her face let him know that she wasn’t fooled. “How was it, being back home with your parents?”

“It’s strange, but Mum and Dad are going to go down to their old practice to see how things are. Their accounts and everything are in order with Barclays’, so I don’t foresee any issues with opening back up. It’s just getting their patients to return that might be the tricky part,” Hermione answered, allowing him to relax in her presence a little. It was nice to talk about normal, regular things, even the reopening of her parents’ dental practice. “So, are you going to tell me what happened between you and Malfoy last night? I was sure that he’d be here with you when I returned.”

“’Mione, what did you and Narcissa talk about yesterday when Draco was showing me upstairs?” He watched as his friend’s teasing smile dropped quickly and knew he was onto something.

“She told me about the debt of honour that Malfoy owes you,” she answered carefully, appearing to weigh every word before it came out of her mouth, unlike Ron.

Harry frowned as he thought about his other supposed best friend. Nothing good was coming to mind, and he knew that things were going to get bad when Ron found out about Bill coming over to the Manor to help Lucius Malfoy, especially if Fleur and Hermione were over here as well. He was forced to admit that everything was getting to be a bit much right then and he desperately wanted to go back to bed. “Stop frowning; you’ll get more lines before your time. Look, Harry, I told her that you wouldn’t take well to having your life dictated to you again. Did he fully explain it to you?”

“He told me that he has to shelter me here,” he answered morosely. “I knew he didn’t really want to do it when the offer was made, but I didn’t know that he had to allow me to stay with him while I needed it.”

“Oh, Harry, are you really hung up on that?” She gave him a sad smile. “I know how you feel about him. Of course I do, when we’ve already discussed that, but that’s not the only reason he allowed his mother to offer the invitation.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s something that he should tell you, preferably when he’s worked it out himself.” He decided to let her dodge answering him totally, realising that he wasn’t going to get much else from his friend on that topic. “Has he told you the other part?”

“You mean where he either has to marry me or help me find some bird or bloke to marry that won’t embarrass three old pureblood families, or his family will lose all the magic and honour the Malfoys possess? Yes, he has. So, I either have to consider marrying a person I’m not sure still doesn’t hate me or some person I hardly know, or I force Draco and Narcissa into being Squibs.”

“Is that what you got from the entire situation?”

“Isn’t that all there is to consider, Hermione?” he asked. His voice rose with every word. “I’m not sure what else there is for me to get from it! I don’t know how he feels, and I don’t want to be forced into some horrible, loveless arranged marriage like he nearly had with one of the Greengrass girls!”

“I know you fancy him, but did he tell you that you had to make up your mind right away?”

“No, he said that I could take all the time that I needed and wanted, but that he had to offer assistance or suffer the consequences. I didn’t speak up for his family just to get them out of Azkaban so they can become Squibs. That would be horribly cruel!”

“I hate to say this, as he used to be the worse prat alive, but it sounds as if he’s been rather reasonable about his part to play in all of this,” Hermione answered, tugging on a few strands of her frizzy hair in obvious frustration. “Let’s look at this objectively, shall we? You’re a guest in his home. It doesn’t really matter how you came to be a guest –you are now. He’s already fulfilled one condition of the debt.”

“All right, I’ll give you that,” he said, crossing his arms against his chest. He still had a headache from sleeping ill. Not even the Headache Remedy that Draco had been so kind to get for him had done anything but take the edge of the migraine away. “What should I do about the second part of the debt?”

“To be honest, I think if he had a say, he’d make you a Malfoy,” she said with a small smile. “Why let someone else have the honour of being your spouse when he can keep that all to himself, hm?”

“So, instead of being some pawn in a war between old men, I’m now some piece of arse to fight over?”

“Oh, really, Harry, you’re just being stupid now,” Hermione said heatedly. “Has he given you your potions yet?”

“No, he said he had to get some ingredients for them, so he hasn’t had a chance to begin brewing any of them.”

“Well, it’s lucky for him that I managed to convince Madame Pomfrey to give me a few from Professor Slughorn’s additions to her stock, now isn’t it?” She gave him a sly smile as she dug through her handy evening bag that she’d expanded for their Horcrux hunt. “Here we are,” she shouted gleefully as she held up three potion vials. “Take the Strengthening Potion first. Otherwise, you’ll sick up, and they’ll do you no good that way.”

Harry nodded, drank the potion and made a face at the taste. “No one has yet to tell me why all potions, aside from Pepper-Ups, taste so disgusting. I used to think it was just Snape’s way of getting back at having to brew potions for ungrateful students, but now I’m starting to reconsider.”

Hermione laughed, handing him the second, which he eyed warily. Its orange colour was very unsettling. “That’s the Organ Regenerator. It should help repair the damage to your liver and kidneys.” He hastily drank it, pulling yet another face when he’d finished it. “And this third is the modified Draught of Peace that Healer Sharpe recommended.” She gave him the opalescent potion and he sniffed it warily. “I know that it smells like nothing, but Poppy told me that it tastes like vanilla cordial.”

“She’s Poppy now, is she?” Harry teased, taking the last potion and nodding. “Ah, yes, it does, and probably a good idea to take that last. All I can taste is vanilla and cinnamon, which is better than the taste of Ron’s socks that the others reminded me of.”

His friend laughed, sitting back comfortably in the chaise across from his couch. “I’ve brought you a few more days’ worth, so that should help Malfoy until he gets things set up to brew properly.”

Harry, feeling at ease finally, sat back against the couch and smiled. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that.”

“So, have you heard from Bill and Fleur again since yesterday?”

“Yeah, they’ll be coming after lunch today to take the Wizard’s Oaths and get a feel for Narcissa and Draco,” he said. “Narcissa told Draco that Healer Jacobi is coming today to get Lucius settled and then he wants to talk to me.”

“That might be a good idea,” Hermione mused. “I did talk to Poppy about Healer Jacobi, you know, checking up on his character and the like. She said that he’s a very respected, but selective family Healer. He’s worked with the Malfoy family since Abraxas Malfoy.”

“So, he’s loyal to the family?”

“That’s what I got from it. That means you don’t have to worry about what you say to him. He’s not going to betray your trust, seeing as you’re practically a Malfoy already.”

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

Draco took a deep breath as he moved away from the door of the parlour where Harry and Granger continued chatting. He’d worried about the other man since meeting him at breakfast. Harry had been unusually quiet and refused to look at him. He knew that telling Harry about the details of the debt of honour had been the right thing to do and that the sooner he did it, the better off they’d all be all around, but that didn’t mean that it made their already complicated relationship any easier to deal with.

After hearing the way that Granger handled the other man just as well as Harry had handled her at the hospital, Draco felt a little better about the way things would go. Her reluctant compliment had brought a brief flush to his face, but he had been forced to admire her insight regarding the situation. And Harry’s passionate outburst about feelings gave Draco a little food for thought.

There is something going on between the two of us that we cannot ignore, he mused to himself. Besides that, Granger is right that I would rather have Harry as my spouse than to give him away to some stupid, undeserving person. There’s no one good enough to honour all three houses better than a match between us. Draco smiled as he remembered the conversation he had with his mother the other day. I wonder if I could convince him just on the fact that a match between our families has been made in similar circumstances a few generations back…

He was surprised when the door opened and he was face to face with the bushy-haired witch. “I should have known you’d be eavesdropping,” she said flatly.

“It is my home, Granger, and I may be wherever I wish,” he responded in kind.

“Of course, Malfoy.” He could feel her brown eyes boring holes into his head as they stood before one another. “If it’s any consolation to you, he just needs some time to process everything, but he’s not going to let anything bad happen to your family.”

“I never thought he would,” Draco snarled.

“There’s no need to get nasty with me,” she snapped back furiously. “In fact, I would think that you’d be more inclined to be nicer to me, since I’m trying to help your pointy arse.”

“I’ll have you know that my arse is not-”

She held up a hand to cut him off. “Please, don’t finish that sentence.” She gave a great sigh. “Look, Malfoy, you need my help, and I’m willing to give it. Not only because I think you need it, which you do, but because I think that this will be good for Harry. Now, as you probably heard, I brought over a few days’ worth of potions for Harry, but I don’t know what your father will be taking, and I’m sure that Healer Jacobi would be better equipped to issue his potions in any case. When do you think you’ll be able to brew up fresher doses?”

“I’ll be starting tomorrow, if everything goes well today,” he said, mulling over what she’d said. “I’ve sent Dippy to get some of the supplies, and when Mother has Father settled in, I shall be able to get the rest of the ingredients. After that, we can begin brewing.”

“Why don’t you just make up a list of what you’re missing and I’ll go get them after Bill and Fleur leave? That way, when I return, we can start brewing everything in one go. I’m sure that that will be more convenient all around.”

He paused in thought, looking at the girl appreciatively. Evidently, in the year and a half since he’d really been at school with her, he’d forgotten about her unwavering loyalty to logic somehow. “Actually, that’s a good idea, Granger. Besides, it allows you to leave the Manor a bit more.”

She blushed a bit. “Well, there is that,” she said. “Now, where is your lab?”

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

Narcissa let out a long sigh as she and Healer Jacobi maneuvered the unconscious body of her husband past the gates of the Manor and up the large gravel walk. The fight she’d just come from had made her very tired. Evidently, Healer Mindwillow was “unsure” that Lucius would be safe for transporting back to his home while he was under the miscast spell’s effects. However, Jacobi had lived up to his reputation by saying that Lucius would be safer at home, with people who cared about him, than in a cold hospital where the Healers worried more about their names than doing their jobs.

It had taken both Narcissa and Healer Jacobi speaking to the floor’s head Healer to get their case heard and Mindwillow’s decision overturned. While they’d been waiting for Healer Coletrain to fill out the paperwork, Narcissa had returned to the Manor to tell Draco what was going on and to see what had happened the night before between her son and Harry. Healer Jacobi had offered to stay at the hospital while she did so, and the Malfoy matriarch’s opinion of the Healer had risen to greater heights.

“Narcissa,” Jacobi said as they made the long trek up the drive to the Manor’s front doors, “I want to do a full scan of Lucius when we have him settled. I attempted to do so at St. Mungo’s, but Healer Mindwillow was adamant about his care being the best that he could receive at the hospital.”

“Do you think that something may have happened to Lucius while we were away?” she asked.

“It is possible, as much as I hate speaking ill of those in my profession.”

“Healer Sharpe as already told Draco that she thinks Healer Mindwillow is less than satisfactory at his position.”

“Yes, well, that’s putting it mildly.” The Healer ran a hand through his short brown hair as they stopped in front of the door. “You’ll agree to it then?”

“Whatever you need to do to make my husband well again, do it, Jacobi.” As they entered the Manor, they were greeted by the sight of Draco discussing something with Hermione Granger just outside one of the parlours. “Draco, is there something wrong?”

“No, Mother, there’s nothing wrong. I was just going to show Granger to my potions lab,” her son said carefully, eyeing the still form of his father. “It can wait, of course, if you need me.”

“No, Draco, continue as you were.” Narcissa waved a negligible hand in the direction of the two teenagers. “How is Harry this afternoon?”

“Confused,” Hermione said quietly. Narcissa turned her blue eyes to pin the girl to the spot. “He’s not sure how to take all the information that’s been dumped on him lately.”

“And how are you two dealing with this?”

“I’ve explained that Harry needs time to process what’s going on before he can make a decision that will affect the rest of his life to Draco, and we were going to begin working on the potions prescribed to him,” Hermione offered.

“Hm, yes, I think that that is the best we can do for now,” Narcissa said, feeling extremely tired of everything.

“May I see the prescriptions given to Mr. Potter at the hospital, young Draco?” Jacobi asked, stepping forward.

“Of course, Jacobi,” Draco said, searching through his robes. He frowned and looked over at the girl. “I think I’ve left them in my lab. Granger, would you be willing to stay with Harry while Jacobi and I go to get them? I’ll take you there later.”

“Certainly, Draco,” the girl said with an uncertain smile. “As if you had to ask me.”

Just as Draco and Jacobi started to climb up the stairs to the second floor, a knock sounded on the front door. Dippy answered the door before turning around to face the group in the foyer. “Master Draco, there be a Mister and Missus Wheezy here for you.”

“Bill and Fleur,” Hermione said with a gasp. “I didn’t think they’d be so early.”

“Bugger all,” Draco muttered, drawing Narcissa’s attention to him. When she levelled him with a cool stare, the tips of his ears turned a bright red. “Sorry, Mother, I just wasn’t expecting them at this time.”

“That is no excuse to use vulgar language, Draco,” Narcissa said coldly. “Jacobi, please escort Lucius up to his room. We shall all convene upstairs once we’re available.”

“Of course, Narcissa,” the Healer said, before following Manky and Tizzy upstairs with his patient.

“Now, Draco, you and Hermione shall go and greet our guests.”

“What are you going to do, Mother?” Draco asked, still blushing from the chastising he’d received.

“Why, darling, I am going to be in the parlour with Harry. Now, off you go.” When the two teens headed towards the door, she went into the room they’d been leaving when she returned home. She found Harry curled up on the window seat, staring out at the stormy weather. “Hello, Harry.”

He spun around quickly, trying to bury the look of utter despair he’d been wearing. Narcissa chose to ignore it as she took a seat near the young man. “Um, hello, Mrs. Malfoy,” he whispered hoarsely. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said that the boy had been crying, but that couldn’t be the case. This was the same boy that had walked proudly up to the Dark Lord and offered himself up to protect his friends, family, and even his enemies from the maniac.

“I am assuming that you are still thinking over what Draco told you last night,” she said, choosing to put aside her suspicions for later.

“Yes,” he answered in a dead voice.

“Harry, whatever you decide, the world shall still respect you, and you are not responsible for what happens to Draco, Lucius and I.”

“Except that I am,” he continued in that dead voice she knew she’d come to hate if forced to listen to it much longer. “If I refuse Draco’s help, you’ll all be Squibs.”

“That is not yours to worry about,” she said gently, taking the distraught teen’s hand in her own small, cool grasp. “I want you to think about what I am about to say, and then we shall drop the conversation for now, as I am certain that you’ve been thinking about nothing else since last night. When Draco spoke to you last night, how did you feel? Were you resentful for more magical interference in your life? Or did you feel angry about the fact that you and Draco seemed to have no choice in the matter?” He opened his mouth and she gave him a slight smile. “I do not want you to answer me right now. I just wish for you to think about your answer. We can discuss this tomorrow, if you would like; however, Dippy has alerted the house to the fact that Mr. Weasley and his wife have arrived.”

The door opened up to reveal Draco peeking around the corner. “Mother, Weasley is insisting that I show him Harry right away. He seems to think we’re hiding him from the world.”

“Harry, do you feel up to seeing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley?” Narcissa asked gently.

“Of course,” he answered, sounding stronger now than he had previously.

Yes, Harry, take your time and think about what I’ve said. I know that you shall make the right decision after you have time to really consider what you find distasteful about the entire situation. And when the time is right, Draco shall have what he truly wants.

TBC

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Here But For the Grace of Merlin