Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

A Pirate's Tail	By : SamHill Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 3181 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Not in any lifetime does Harry Potter (and his universe) belong to me. They are the sole property of J.K. Rowling, et al. I make no money and I mean not copyright infringement.

Chapter List
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A/N: See Chapter One for all disclaimers and warnings

Chapter Four:

Draco came awake to a hand shaking his shoulder. “Wha’?” he mumbled, sleep fogging his brain.

“We’ve made port.”

Fully awake now, Draco’s eyes flew to the window only to see nothing but darkness. “How on earth did you manage to dock in the middle of the night.”

“We didn’t,” Harry replied, fingers flying as he undid the knots. “It’s late morning now, but we’re in a cavern. Wasn’t easy getting us in, but it’s how we keep the Grim from being detected by the King’s Navy.” He stood back and dropped the ropes to the ground. “We walk from here to the inn. Its owner, Madame Rosmerta, is a true-born Scotswoman, so she doesn’t welcome us with open arms. However, a former doxie who works there, one of our own who sought refuge after her family was slain by the Prince Regent, Lavender Brown, has rooms and horses waiting for us.” He eyed his captive. “I won’t bind you because we’re in enemy territory. Break from the group and you’ll be killed on sight by the Scots at the border.”

“I’ll have you know-”

Harry stepped in smoothly, his mouth coming down over Draco’s as he pushed the blond up against a wall. He captured the hands that pressed against his chest and lifted them up, pinning them into place easily. His mouth moved slowly as he took his time mapping unfamiliar territory. A tiny whimper escaped from Draco and with a sigh, Harry pulled back.

The sight of the other man, hair still mussed from sleep, eyes glazed over with desire, lips swollen from their kiss and face flushed, made something in Harry’s stomach clench. “So beautiful,” he murmured as he brushed his fingers over the very pink bottom lip. “Right then, I’ve set out clothes for you and breakfast will be taken in the galley before we head out. I’ll be waiting outside your door, so just come out when you’re ready.” Taking advantage of Draco’s current condition, he slipped a hand down to cup him gently and breathed into his ear, “We’ll be on the road for at least two days before we reach the inn, but I’ve got a private room separated from everyone else’s. I could arrange for you to stay there with me,” he offered, then pulled away and ducked out of the room.

Fred was leaning against the opposite wall, his face cheerfully smug. “You’re a right bastard doing something like that after ignoring him for almost two whole weeks.”

“I didn’t anticipate us coming up against another ship the night after I first suggested... It would have been hard to make a move with my arm done up in a sling.”

Fred leaned forward and poked him hard in the left arm, eliciting a sharp yelp from Harry. “Don’t seem healed yet, if ye ask me.”

“I didn’t ask, and I’d appreciate it if you kept your hands to yourself. Where is George?”

“Helping Gin take apart the rest of the kitchen. Ron was assigned the task first, but he kept eatin’ what was s’posed to be packed.”

“And this surprises you? The others?”

“Now that word is out, no one is letting Hermione do a thing, which means she crankier than all hell. Mostly we’re trying to clean ship while staying out of her way.”

“A good idea. Once he’s out, clear everything that isn’t nailed down and then meet us in the galley. We’ll have breakfast before we set out.”

“Aye-aye, Captain,” Fred saluted. He shot a friendly smile at Draco when he emerged but received only a sniff of disdain in return. Unruffled, he sauntered past his captain and their prisoner, whistling a jaunty tune about wenches and wine.

The galley was full of faces Draco had never seen before and he hesitated at the threshold, suddenly feeling very out of place. After being ignored by Harry for so long, Draco had grown restless and resentful, even if he was no longer bound to the post. In fact, he had only been tied ankle to post soon after Harry’s miserable attempt at courting the young lord, but even with that new freedom, he had felt his captor’s absence keenly and in a way he wasn’t quite comfortable with.

A hand to his back offered a small amount of comfort as he was ushered into the room. The fingers were startlingly warm despite the two layers of cloth that separated them from Draco’s bare skin and he wondered what they would feel like in other places. Something must have shown on his face because one tall, gangly redhead called out to them.

“Oi, Harry, no molesting the prisoner in front of us gentle folk.” One of the twins, obviously related if the red hair was anything to go by, thumped the speaker on the shoulder.

“Don’t stop ‘im, Ron! Fred ’n’ I have been wantin’ to see Harry’s prize in action for weeks now.” George waved them over. “Here, you’ll want to eat quickly. There’s a rumor goin’ about that certain naval officers are in the area. Worse, so are their wives.”

“The Lestranges?” Harry paused mid bite.

“Aye, and that good for nothing McNair.”

“The executioner for the Prince Regent?”

“The same. Harry, even if you take down Voldemort, the next person in line is Rudolphus Lestrange and he’s completely under his wife’s thumb. She’d be ruling de facto.”

Heads nodded in agreement and Harry grimaced. “What do you want me to say? I won’t step in line for the throne.”

“Then who?”

“If this Sirius Black is really related to Aunt Bella, then he’d be next in line. The Malfoys waived their rights to it a while back when the Prince came to power.”

“Some Prince,” Gin growled, knuckles deathly white as she gripped her fork.

Draco sniffed. “Much as you may not like him, he’s a lot better than the ailing King, Grindewald, and you have that old man Dumbledore to thank for his current condition. The Prince looks out for those in the Court. It isn’t my fault you lot have thrown in with the rebellion, which I might add, is going to be squashed the moment they come out of hiding.” He had a flippant air about him as he spoke, but there was concern in his eyes when they flickered in Harry’s direction.

“Voldemort killed my parents. I won’t rest until he’s dead and buried. Or his ashes scattered.”

“I say-”

“We draw-”

“And quarter him!” The twins finished in unison while everyone else around them groaned.

“Could you stop talking like you’re one person? Please? You’re givin’ me a headache.”

Gin stepped out of the room without so much as a peep and returned carrying a rolled up sheet of parchment. “This came via courier pigeon.” She laid it in Harry’s outstretched palm. “Charlie says they’re training the new recruits and the first generation of battle steeds are ready to be sold.”

Harry nodded. “Things are moving along quickly. He’s been working on that horse breeding program for a while now, right?”

“Yes, under Hagrid’s tutelage.” Her eyes fairly danced with excitement. “Charlie’s promised me a black one, too!”

“You’re not going to let a woman fight, are you?” Draco said, shocked at the mere idea.

“Why not,” Harry shrugged. “Voldmort’s men killed her mum’s two brothers, so it’s only right that Gin get to exact her own revenge.”

“But- But she’s a woman.”

“I’m so glad you noticed, my lord,” Ginny snapped. “However, I grew up learning how to defend myself, and I came aboard the Grim when I was just barely 16. I’m 23 now and don’t think I hide below deck when there’s a ship to protect.”

Draco looked taken aback; not only did this young woman intend to fight, she had been trained to do so. He bit his lip at the affectionate expression on Harry’s face. ‘That’s right, he plays both fields. I’m just another game to keep him entertained until father pays the ransom, and then it’ll be like I was never here.’ He gave a start when Harry’s breath ghosted over his ear.

“Whatever depressing thought it is you have in that pretty head of yours, let it go.” Aloud for the rest to hear, he said, “Everyone on this ship has grown up fighting for their survival. Dean escaped an Overlord in the Americas, Seamus fought for Ireland’s freedom by spying on the English only to flee his homeland during the famine, and Neville was born to a prostitute who cleaned up her act, joined the rebellion and was slaughtered beside my parents. His grandmother took him in, but she was poor and he took to the streets until Sirius brought him on board. We were eleven. The Weasleys are native to England but when Voldemort threatened them for their participation in the rebellion, they moved to Perth. I met Ron on a trip and Sirius took a liking to him; Offered to bring him and the twins on board as part of his crew for a handsome salary. Hermione’s parents had to sell her just to make ends meet. The day she turned 11, Sirius bought her from a dairy farm. Ron had taken a shine to her,” he added with a wink. “Hermione and Gin were in charge of meals.

“Cedric is a few years older. We met him through Hannah. He’s a Lord’s son as well, but his father’s lands were overtaken by the Prince Regent, so the title means little now. He married Hannah about two years after she became a midwife. They were held hostage on a ship Sirius had an incident with, and in the end, they stuck around. It’s not a normal family, but it is one nonetheless and we’re a close group. You won’t find anyone closer than us in such a large crowd.”

“Father and I are happy enough just the two of us. When I return home...” The words died on his tongue as eight sets of eyes turned away at once. “What? What aren’t you telling me? Is it my father? Has something happened to him? Or have you not contacted him?”

“I- haven’t made reliable contact with him.” Harry wouldn’t meet his eyes, instead focusing his attention to the pistols he’d drawn as he began to meticulously clean them.

“There are whispers of trouble within the Prince Regent’s court. Right now it’s hard to get word in or out with bringing suspicion down up our people. Or yours,” Fred added from where he stood in the doorway. “Don’t worry, young Lord Malfoy, I’m sure your father is planning your return home as we speak.”

“Well then,” Ginny cut in before more was said. “If we’re to make the inn on time, it’s best we leave now. I’ve plenty of food in the cart; salted pork, dried meats, potatoes, carrots and a barrel of apples that will only last a throwe; best to eat them before they’ve rotted through with worms.”

Everyone filed out, Harry’s hand once again at Draco’s back as he led them up onto the deck of the ship. Lanterns were hung along the edges of the ship, lighting up the interior of the cave. The deck was slippery and sloshing with water, but Draco understood why when he looked towards the entrance of the cave.

‘And I thought we were in the midst of a storm last night,’ he mused. “You actually sailed the ship through a waterfall?” he asked aloud.

“Actually, it’s a bit trickier than that. Going straight like you mean would mean risking the ship’s stores. Or the Grim herself.”

“Aren’t Grims male?”

“Ships aren’t though. If you’re looking to argue her gender or name, you’re looking to the wrong cove.” Harry stepped closer, his chest brushing the blond’s shoulder. “Just outside the waterfall we weigh anchor. The reason there are so many of us on board is because she’s not a light ship. Most things are transported through in the rowboats we keep strapped down. We made port day before yesterday and spent the day moving everything from the ship to the cave. That’s why I was down with you for a long stretch of the time. We’re old hands at this and everyone here knows I’d rather spend my time in the company of a beauty rather than those ruffians. Hermione rested, what with her expecting a babe.” He smiled at Draco’s startled look. “The war that’s been building won’t wait for the babes to be born; we’ve got to make the world right before they get here.

“Once the ship was mostly emptied, the twins and a few others unhooked the long rope and rowed inside with it. The rest of us pulled down the masts and opened up the sails to cover the entire deck of the ship. Once the rope was affixed to the pulley Ron and I constructed, under Hermione’s strict guidance, I might add,” he said with a twinkle in his eye and fond look on his face, “we were able to haul the ship in with minimal effort on our part. The waterfall is deceptively deep coming in, so it took nearly a full three hours to get her all the way in. And she’s not even a full-sized ship.

He turned them towards the back of the cave, leaning in close so that his beard-roughened cheek brushed against Draco’s smooth one. A hand slid around until it settled over a prominent hipbone and the young Malfoy heir shivered at the intimate contact.

“You can’t see it from here, but there’s a path that leads up to the ground level. It's a bit of a hike, but well worth it to keep our place secret from the Prince Regent's spies. There's not much to see on our way to the castle, and while Hogwarts might not be as fashionable as my lord's Keep, she's lovely all the same.” His voice was light and flirtatious, the dazzling green eyes smiling warmly. Draco cursed the light fluttering sensation that filled his gut.

“I look forward to seeing her.” Shock coursed through him, though his smile never faltered. 'Idiot!' he chastised mentally, 'Don't flirt back with the rogue, you ponce! He'll think he's won you over, and then where will you be?'

“Everything is ready to go, Harry.” Fred peeked around the corner, a knowing look in his eyes. “Quit yer flirtin' and lead this outfit of yer's to home, Capt'n.” Then he was gone and they were alone once more.

“His speech… changed.” It was an inadequate description, but Draco wasn't ready to test the waters by insulting Potter's crew member and friend. Being ignored for a week and sexually assaulted hadn't been that bad, but the journey to the castle sounded to be a long one and he had no desire to remind his captor that he was more than just a prisoner; he was the son of their greatest enemy's right hand man.

“Whatever thoughts you're keeping counsel to, let them go.” Harry's face loomed closer. “Or better yet, let me distract you from them.” Then he was kissing Draco again.

Strong arms with thick, corded muscles were braced against the bow of the ship, blocking him from escape. His lips tasted of the salty sea air, sunshine and just a hint of rum. They were chapped, but he wielded them with such care, Draco could find no fault. Instead, he closed his eyes and gave way to the brief seduction. 'It won't change anything and I'll not allow him to go any further, but this one time can't hurt. Father need never know.'

The thought would carry him through the next two days.

~ * ~

tbc
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A Pirate's Tail