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Harco Empire	By : Toddy Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 34430 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or films. I do not make any money from the writing of this story, just enjoyment.

Chapter List
- 206
- 207
- 208
[Note: “x-x” = speech & ‘x-x’ = thoughts & *x-x* = telepathy & #x-x# Parseltongue]
~~~ HOTELIERS ~~~
Only when Lollobrigida had been taken outside the wards did Draco cause the bubble to explode. They left the groaning witch where she was. When they looked quarter of an hour later she had gone. However there floated in that place a howler shouting obscenities and promising retribution on Dumbledorians all and sundry.
“Thanks for saving me Draco. It was you, wasn’t it?”
“Yes! I had one of Harry’s premonitions and acted on it. So you could say it was the Spirit looking after you, not me.”
“Then I’ll say some extra ‘Hail Mary’s’ next Sunday as a thank you.”
The seers took it in the light-hearted way that Blaise said it.
“Nice to know you’re getting them too, Lover.”
“Quite an experience isn’t it. I feel quite humble.” Then Draco chuffed: “Listen to me, A Malfoy, saying that he feels humble. What is Magicdom coming to?”
That only increased the laughter. However, the seers could feel Draco’s internal awed amazement.
Blaise turned serious: “Would you mind if I asked Bertie to help me sort out the estate’s finances. I don’t think they are too rosy.”
“If he agrees, we have no reservations. He looks after our finances efficiently.”
“Thanks.”
“What makes you think that your property’s not too well off?”
“On the library desk I briefly saw a Gringotts’ letter saying that we were overdrawn by an horrific amount. More than the shop’s worth at least. However, that was a couple of years old, so maybe things have improved.”
Astoria chuckled: “Maybe you should have let your mother have it after all.”
For a few seconds Blaise looked aghast, then he saw the twinkle in her eye and chuckled with her: “Served the old baggage right, wouldn’t it?”
H: *He’s lucky to have known his mother. I have only dim memories.*
D: *Maybe if you had a mother like his, you would be glad of dim memories.*
H: *How so?*
D: *Has no-one told you?*
H: *Not really!*
D: *I won’t go into the gory details but, that last year before the battle was when Blaise and his mother finally split up. I never quite got the hang of all of it; it had been on and off since he started at Hogwarts. As you know she has an insatiable thirst for new husbands. Blaise’s father had passed away by then, but his will hadn’t been changed in her favour. From what I gather she tried her feminine wiles on Blaise. Incest is disgusting and mother/son almost beyond the pale. However that didn’t work. Blaise was still interested in Justin and was appalled at his mother’s advances. That failing she tried to murder him, but he suspected what she might do and foiled the attempts. The last straw was when she found out about him and Justin and tried blackmail. That was when he appealed to Uncle Niccolo and was taken in by them.*
H: *Not quite the Story Uncle Niccolo told.*
D: *No that was the cleaned up version to preserve family pride.*
Harry sighed: *That all makes sense now. I know what I felt about my guardians then.*
“Okay you four. I bet you’re discussing me. No secrets remember? I am a Dumbledorian after all.”
Harry smiled sympathetically: “Sorry Blaise, I was just learning about your mother and why you hate her. You have my sympathy, my guardians were like that. However they changed and we are friends now. I see that your mother hasn’t changed. As Draco said a couple of months ago ‘No forgiveness without contrition’.”
“But it still hurts when I see her. Thinking of what might have been.”
“Tell me?” said Draco: “It still hurts when I think of my father, despite what he did to me.”
“Shall I get the firewhisky out? Then you can sob quietly over your drinks.”
“Hmm … What Tor?”
“You three were becoming maudlin. We’ve just won another battle. We should be celebrating.”
Blaise smiled wanly: “You lead the celebrations. I want to be quiet for a bit.”
“I’m in that mood too,” agreed Harry and Draco nodded.
“Got it. We’ll go and be the charming hostesses then, C’mon Ginny.” Astoria went with Ginny, leaving the three males sitting ruminating in a corner. Blaise did call an elf, but it was glasses of wine that fuelled their cogitations.
“Tell me, Draco. Why did you and Tor collapse after making the portal? I thought you’d sorted that loss of thaumic energy out.”
“Although it’s near the equinox we’re not quite there now. That’s when the veil is the thinnest and the travel thaums at their most receptive. Secondly we were working at the absolute distance limit of their range. Had your villa been on the other side of the island we would have had to have a staging post. Like El Altogranja or L’Étang de Gétorac. If it was earlier in the month we wouldn’t have been able to do it at all.”
“That’s another debt I owe you then.”
“No, it isn’t.” Harry looked mutinous: “As you said earlier, you’re a Dumbledorian. Our society has abrogated those particular pure-blood traditions. We support each other without occurring debts in that way. The good of one member is the good of us all.”
“Sorry. Ingrained pure-blood cussedness, I suppose.”
Draco smiled: “I’m still getting used to it as well, Zappem.” He lifted his glass: “Here’s to everlasting cooperation!”
“HERE’S TO EVERLASTING COOPERATION” the other two replied.
Their sober mood did not last overlong because the Smiling-ones turned up.
“Nice little fight, that!” remarked Crassus, brightly.
“Hmm, yes, I s’pose it was,” was the unenthusiastic reply from Draco.
“Oh … Erm … What we really came over to discuss was hotels. Do we take it that the offer is still open?”
Harry shook himself out of his musings: “Yes, why do you ask?”
“Well … Set would like to take you up on your offer, that is, plus Fenella.”
“Why Set?”
“Even after my father’s been dead this many years I still get people asking me to put in a good word for them. Either they don’t remember or they think I have a special entrée with the Ministry. Whichever it is, I find it still harrowing. The constant reminders are not letting me put it all behind. Being an auror, an official of the Ministry if you like, seems to make the petitioners gravitate to me. Now, if I were the proprietor of a private hotel, people would not make that connection.”
“And Fenella, what does she feel about it?”
The four young men chuffed: “She’s the foremost one that objects to her man being an auror,” explained Honorius: “The rest of them are less vociferous.”
“So you’d be getting married separately?”
“Erm … Fen wants to try out our living and working together first. She says it might get too claustrophobic.”
Draco developed a wicked grin: “How much ‘together’ do you mean?”
Septimus blushed: “Not quite all of it. We thought to inhabit different beds at least; probably different rooms. Yes, that would keep our folks happy, they’re a bit old fashioned in their outlooks.”
Draco raised his eyebrows: “And you don’t agree?”
It was Mordant’s turn to look thoughtful: “Mmm … I think we do, deep down like … However the temptation is gorgeous … We have experimented but not gone quite that far. My dad would say its respect for our wives to be. I think it’s a big thing for the girls. Besides it’s not just the sex that attracts us to them. We know that Harry and Draco are gay, but we see much more in their companionship that just lust. There’s a sort of belonging aura that surrounds you, same as it does Blaise and Gilda and many other couples. We’re just on the edge of that and don’t want to spoil it, just to get our rocks off.”
“So a couple of single rooms would suit? To start with, that is.”
“Yes! We both live with our families at the moment. So there’s both privacy and engagement. Us working together but having different rooms would be the next stage, but without the constant feeling of being watched by our parents and siblings.”
“The managerial flat has been designed for a family. It has three bedrooms, married couple in one and children in the other two, allowing for mixed sexes …”
“… Could we use the children’s rooms, one each? Then if it all works out we are already in our own environment …”
“… That’s exactly what I was going to suggest.”
“Sorry for interrupting, but that’d be great!”
“So now you have to sell it to your fiancée.”
The four boys chuckled and Honorius spoke up: “We’ve already recced the premises with our girls. Fen’s already up for it.”
Draco grinned: “Usual Dumbledorian tactic then? Work it all out and then ask permission.”
“Oh! Do you mind?”
“Not at all, saves us a lot of work. The board has already given us permission to employ two of you. When do you want to start?”
“Erm … The beginning of November? That’s when my official leave starts and I’ll take it in lieu of notice. I drew the short straw this year. Still I can’t grumble; Fen and I had a marvellous summer holiday last year. It was Hon’s turn to get the naff time.”
“Yes we remember how it worked. So, you’d give your notice in and work the holidays with us. Don’t you want any time off?”
“Nah, looking forward to the new job too much. So’s Fen, she gets fed up with her mum’s mother-hen attitude. Besides we want to get bedded in before Christmas. Tor says we’re already fully booked.”
A: *Accept them, Fenella is quite miserable at her home. Under mother’s thumb well and truly.*
G: *I support Tor.*
“I think we seers are in agreement. You start on November the first.”
“Great. Thanks a lot. I must go and tell Fen.” Septimus rushed off through the portal.
~~~ AUTUMNAL ~~~
Before those two took post the Seers asked to meet them all, just to make sure there were no rivalries or hurt feelings.
A couple of days before the end of October the meeting was set. However, the octet were nearly an hour late. Astoria and Ginny went off in a huff before the visitors ported in; saying they had another appointment. That left Draco and Harry with nothing to do. Ideal time for a little smooching. However, because they were so heavily engaged they failed to hear the warning whoosh of the floo. Whilst not caught in flagrante, our pair were a little mussed when the visitors came in.
Draco glanced at the interlopers and smirked: [noticing the girlfriends staring at him, open mouthed] “I think Crass and co have some explaining to do.”
“You asked us to keep it secret,” replied Crassus: “So we did.”
Harry and Draco tugged their clothes straight and sat up.
“But they’ve got children, they can’t be gay,” Sophie, Mordant’s fiancée, objected.
“Yes Love,” Mordant explained: “The children are not bastards; they have the correct fathers and mothers, but their progenitors’ preferences go the other way.”
Sophie looked at her husband-to-be in an odd way.
“We Slytherins are practical people,” explained Crassus, hugging his Thomasine: “Unless they’d done that two historical pure-blood families might have come to an end. However the foursome got together and four young ones are the result. In that way the bloodlines and strong genes are passed on to another generation.”
“Yes Love I can see that … It wouldn’t suit me … But treating people as outcasts because of their sexual preferences only leads to more strife,” replied Thomasine: “My parents say we’ll have enough trouble producing babies as it is, because our magics have to become complimentary.”
“Draco has a potion to help, haven’t you?”
“Yes! It all started when …” … The blond went on to give them an abridged form of the Catlin story … “… However the accepted theory is that you should try to do things naturally and only use the potion as a last resort. Say … After about three years.”
“That’ll give us a lot of fun meantime, won’t it,” observed Fenella, with a cheeky grin on her face.
“I thought you were against experimenting,” Septimus grinned at his wife-to-be.
“Only until after we’ve tied the knot, Dear One,” Fenella patted his face lovingly and then looked serious: “You know … Two front doors could be a problem; it would be much easier if we could use Number Thirteen’s. Couldn’t we convert Number Fourteen’s into a window, or something?”
“Now that was one of the things we wanted to talk to you about. Maybe you could explain why you were late, first.”
“Oh yes! Sorry, catching you two snogging took it right out of our minds.”
“It’s that Circe-cursed job of theirs,” Fenella expounded fiercely: “They have to finish things off before they’re released.”
Septimus narrowed his eyes: “Perhaps, dear,” he said with heavy irony: “You would enjoy a rapist attacking you. We wanted him locked up legally now we’d caught him. He was a wily bugger!”
Harry could see an argument in the offing: “Fine, you’re here. Fenella you do realise that hotel work has no fixed hours, don’t you?”
Fenella glowered: “Yes, but at least I’ll know where he is and not have to worry about him being in mortal danger. And there won’t be this infernal secrecy about what he’s doing, sometimes it drives me mad.” Having stated her worries her tone was a little lighter.
Draco jumped in: “Now these are the guidelines we have adopted so far. Not that they’re written in stone … … … …”
There was a long discussion, with occasional mind-interjections by Astoria, where certain ideas were put forward and modified etc.
At the end a much relaxed Fenella asked: “What was that about the doorways?”
“We Seers thought to create a public portal between Diagon Alley and Grimmauld Place. We identified a place between George’s and Ollivander’s shops there. Like you, we were slightly worried about two main entrances, so we proposed to make Number Fourteen’s into the other portal.”
“Will it open into the hotel?”
“It could do, but we rather thought to offer the facilities to the other residents of the square, now it’s warded, including your residents.”
“In fact Seamus suggested it because he wanted to alter the staircase a little; so that, when carrying trays, the servers don’t have steps to negotiate in the basement
“Wouldn’t the residents need a medallion?”
“No! It’d be almost on the same basis as the one between Gringotts and the village.”
“Who’d look after it?”
“Kreacher has three elves who would be suitable.” Draco chuckled: “They’re a bit feisty, so they would stand up to any bullying. Quite refreshing from the elves normal attitude. Anyway, there would be village wards on the portals, so ne’re-do-wells wouldn’t be able to enter. It’d be an extension on the ones already in force around the Square.”
“Why three elves?”
“Shift work at busy times, and companionship.”
“Seems okay. Yes?”
The others nodded their affirmatives.
The next day Seamus’s and Dean’s team set too, altering the stairs and the doorway of Number Fourteen and its equivalent between the shops in Diagon Alley. Both locations drew admiring crowds and enabled some public relations to blossom when the gapers saw the mixed-race squad working amiably together.
The Seers also had a job to do: interviewing the elves.
Kreacher popped into the Tapestry room with the trio of graduate elves: “Ah, Friends. May I introduce the three new candidates? This is Pluto … and Pollux … and Porphyria.” Kreacher ensured that each diffident elf shook hands with the rest of the company.
“They were top in his charms class for three years, so Filius informed me,” Ginevra told them.
“You’re the trio that managed to subdue all my aggressive hexes with your special adaptation of Protego Maxima,” said Harry, smiling.
“Yes Master, we did, and we’re very sorry. We promise we won’t do it again. What is our punishment?” Pluto looked at his feet.
“There isn’t a punishment. You were supposed to try your best. I’m not angry more amused, in fact … Um … Has Kreacher not told you about our régime?”
“Yes, The Elder has, but we didn’t really believe him.”
Kreacher scowled at Porphyria, but Harry headed him off.
“I seem to remember that you came from very strict backgrounds, where you were ill-treated for the slightest mistake. Um … People like the Crabbes or Lestranges seem to haunt the back of my mind.”
“Yes Master Professor Saviour, you remembered correctly. Your muggle uncle made me this false leg,” replied Pollux, demonstrating, “And it works a treat. The medi-wizards were unable to save the one that had been hammered on the anvil.”
“Fine, I’ll tell Uncle Vernon that you are pleased with it. Now, we are asking you if you would like to join us and become porters for a new portal system. Astoria has a very old book which it might be a good idea to study also. By and large, we hope you will become experts in this field and be able to guide us in the nuances of operating these kinds of portals and other forms of thaumic transport. The other thing is that, like Kreacher does, you are to call us by our given names, because you are becoming part of a very select team. Do you understand?”
Harry received three smiling nods from the trio of tongue-tied elves.
Porphyria eventually answered: “Yes Master; we are to do what our masters tell us.”
“That’s not what I said. I asked you if you would like to do the job.”
“Elder Kreacher told us what it was about, and it sounds interesting. So … Yes please!” answered Pollux.
H: *Tor will you take over please?*
“What is the name of your special protection charm, Pollux?”
“Protego Extremer, Mist-Astoria. That’s the one we used to stop Prof-Harry’s aggressive hexes.”
“Good, you may well have to use it to stop unauthorised people using the portal. In Diagon Alley the Gringotts guards say they would help you. There’ll be mages next door in WWW who would also come to your aid. However we have a hope to make these portals usable by well-intentioned Magicals in general. It will be your job to ensure we have no undesirables making transit. You will be backed up by the wards and we hope to have an alarm system whereby you can summon help. To begin with, whilst we’re all learning, we’ll err on the side of caution.”
Porphyria looked shocked: “Y-you mean we have to stop mages using the portals. What if they order us to?”
“You tell them politely but firmly that they cannot and put up a Protego Extremer at the same time. You may also use the reason that you are responsible to the Harco Board of Management, who are to be your masters, and invite the mage concerned to contact us to gain permission. If they get too abusive, use the alarm to summon help. However we don’t think that will not happen to begin with, because we will mainly be moving residents of the hotel and the Square. That will get you used to the people we trust, because there are some charmed muggles who need access.”
“You mean like that nice priest who took us for Ethics lessons. He’s got the tingle, too.”
“Yes, John is one of them, or was it Tim, but there are others, mainly without the tingle. They all wear especially charmed medallions. When we meet one of them we’ll introduce you and then you can feel the aura emanating from it. Any muggle wearing one of those will be acceptable; that includes Uncle Vernon, he lives in Godric’s Hollow, but works in Diagon Alley.”
“I’ll be able to thank him for my new leg personally then. That’ll be nice.”
“Won’t it. Now … We can do nothing until Thursday midnight, so I suggest we rest and study in our spare time until then. We will be creating it alongside an already established private portal so I expect it might be somewhat debilitating.”
“Hrm … Midnight? Oh! Its Beltane, isn’t it … Hrm … That’s when the travel thaums are strongest, because the veil is at its thinnest.”
Harry smiled: “Quite correct, Pluto. Well remembered.”
“Perhaps we should take our friends through the present portal and show them where we intend to put the new ones.”
“Quite right Draco. We’d forgotten. Has Kreacher given you permissive medallions?”
“Yes Ms-Ginevra.”
Ginevra smiled: “That’s my proper name, but everyone calls me Ginny.”
The group exited Number Twelve and walked along to where the new portal was to be. There they met Seamus and Dean checking things out. The elves were introduced, being quite shocked when the two construction mages offered their hands.
“Will our new porters have to hand the residents through, like we do at present?” asked Dean.
“I or our porters will look it up,” agreed Astoria: “I can quite see your point, Dean.”
Dean giggled and ostentatiously placed his hands over his pubic area: “I didn’t think my flies were undone.”
“Silly oaf, you know exactly what I mean. Not that it would matter. I’ve seen it many times in the pool and when we’re sunbathing.”
The trio of elves looked slightly shocked at the banter, but they soon recovered their aplomb.
“May we come with you, please Astoria? When you go and do your research.”
“Of course. You can meet Portrait Professor Duindhu as well. He oversees the college library. In a way you will become enlisted as undergraduates at the college.”
“Thank you … Hrm … What family do we belong to, please?”
Harry looked apologetic: “Um … Sorry … We would like you to be attached to the greater family of Harco. That will give more freedom, but still give you the security of belonging. Now come, we’ll form a circle of seven holding hands. As we four Seers seem to be the prime movers of Family Harco.
Astoria and Ginevra held hands and from then on it was elf, seer, elf, seer, elf back to the two girls.
“WE ACCEPT POLLUX, PLUTO AND PORPHYRIA INTO THE GREATER FAMILY OF HARCO!” said the seers in unison.
“Thank you, I can feel the Fluence settling on me.”
“ME TOO,” the other two elves answered.
“It’s so good to feel that we belong again. Being at Hogwarts was alright, but being part of a family’s much better.”
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