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Soldier's Welcome	By : Lomonaaeren Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 25565 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; that belongs to J. K. Rowling. I am making no money from this fic.

Chapter List
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Thank you again for all the reviews!

Chapter Six�A Shaking
Up

�� Draco
hadn�t been looking in the right direction at first to observe Potter�s fall,
or fit, or whatever it was; he�d been focusing instead on the way that Darien
West held himself ready for battle. Or failed to, which was Draco�s estimate of
most of the students in the class. Gregory had announced that today she would
choose students to fight in pairs only near the beginning of the class; then
the winners of each paired fight would compete against each other. Given how so
far Potter had failed to please Gregory in any way, Draco was sure that she
would declare West the winner. And from certain narrow-eyed glances that she
gave into the crowd, Draco was certain that she would choose him for West�s
opponent.

�� But then
West�s mouth hung open and he blinked. Draco followed his gaze and found Potter
on the floor, shuddering.

�� People
surged to their feet, Potter�s friends cried out in worry, and there was
general chaos and confusion. But Draco had been in a good position relative to
Potter to begin with, and so he could continue to see what was happening while
moving very little.

�� The idiot
was shivering as though someone had cast a Freezing Charm on him and then
thrown him into one of the Manor�s ice cellars. His fingers trembled
independently of his hands, and his arms wobbled as if they were full of jelly.
Draco blinked. He�d never seen a reaction like that. He wondered if someone in
the class had cast a curse on Potter, but the chance that someone would dare do
so in front of Gregory was remote.

�� Then Potter
stiffened and gave a gurgling, choked cry. The next moment, his arm fell away
from his face and he was blinking at everyone as though he didn�t know what had
happened.

�� The hot
fires of humiliation swept up his cheeks, and he froze. Draco folded his arms
and looked thoughtfully at him. Potter looked ashamed, yes, but not surprised
or disoriented to find himself sitting on the floor. That suggested that
attacks like that one had happened before.

�� What secrets are you hiding, Potter? So
many newspaper reporters followed Potter�s every move and he was so bad at
hiding his emotions that it intrigued Draco to think Harry Potter might have
unexplained, unexplored depths.

�� Potter.�
Gregory�s voice clashed with the private things Draco was feeling like the caw
of a crow. �On your feet.�

�� Potter
stood up, his arms folded like Draco�s, as though he could prevent everyone
from seeing what had happened by covering his heart. Already he had a haughty
expression, and Draco felt a mixture of incredulity and derision.

�� He�ll try to brave it out. He�ll try to
pretend that nothing happened, when he has to know that everyone saw.

�� Yes,
ma�am?� Potter asked Gregory, his chin thrust forwards a little too much and
his voice a little too loud to be respectful.

�� Gregory
surveyed him in silence for a moment. Then she shook her head and asked, �Do
you really think that will work with me?�

�� I was only
asking what you wanted me to do, ma�am.� Potter�s voice was lower this time,
and he unfolded his arms as if he realized for the first time how
confrontational he looked. Draco snorted. That wouldn�t work. Potter noticed
the sound and shot him a furious glance. Draco only raised his eyebrows. Potter
was the one who had chosen to shake now and let out his little secret. Draco
had nothing to do with revealing it.

�� Explain
what just happened to you.� Gregory leaned forwards on one leg, her gaze
roaming from Potter�s face to his hands. Draco had no idea what clues she
expected to find on his fingers, but then, he wasn�t the Hand-to-Hand Combat
instructor.

�� I had a
fainting spell,� Potter said.

�� Draco
blinked. Maybe my impression that he
wanted to brave it out was mistaken.

�� What
caused it?� Gregory shifted close, her face bright and hungry. Her eyes shone
in a way that would have impressed Pushkin with her powers of observation as
she examined Potter�s tight lips and flushed cheeks.

�� I don�t
sleep very well at night,� Potter said, with a small shrug. �That�s one of the
ways that my stress expresses itself. When the insomnia builds up over enough
nights, then it tends to result in me falling to the ground. Particularly when
I try to engage in physical exercise,� he added, with a glance around the
Combat training room. Draco wondered if he was the only one who could sense the
contempt in those glinting eyes.

�� For long
moments, the rest of the class stared between Potter and Gregory, awaiting her
opinion. The Combat instructor straightened up from her leaning posture and
looked into Potter�s eyes as if she could force the truth out of him. Potter
looked stubbornly, innocently back. Even Draco, sure that Potter was lying, was
not sure if he could have convinced anyone else of that.

�� Very well,�
Gregory said at last. �Since you fell to the ground, I am declaring that you
lost the fight to West, because that is what would happen to you in the field.
You would die, or be captured.� Her voice resumed the familiar bark. �You must
pay attention at all times,� she said, and whirled around. Her students
instinctively shoved back from her, jostling and crowding Draco. �And be aware
for weaknesses in your partners and enemies as well as in your own body.� She
cast a glance of searing scorn at Potter.

�� Potter went
to a position at the back of the class, where Gregory banished people who lost
fights. He brushed past Draco on the way, and Draco touched his shoulder.
Potter twitched and turned, the way Draco had known he would.

�� You�re
lying,� Draco breathed, watching Potter�s eyes and face carefully. �I know you
are.�

�� Malfoy,
pay attention,� Gregory said. �Get up here and fight West.�

�� Potter gave
him a triumphant glance and went by. Draco went up to the front of the class to
fight West, who did not turn out to be a hard opponent; he danced back and
forth, clearly fearing physical contact and physical pain, and earned Gregory�s
scorn for himself. Draco could let his mind dwell where it wished, on that
bowed black head and still body at the back of the classroom.

�� Potter
could lie when he wished. He might not have fooled Gregory completely, but he
had done well enough that she was content to accept what he said. If she had
felt she had proof of a lie, she would have turned him inside out with sharp words
and compelled him to confess everything before the class.

�� Potter had
secrets.

�� Potter was
interesting in ways that went beyond compatible magic.

*

�� We have
finished with the section on theory,� announced Auror Dearborn, as he gathered
up the pieces of parchment he�d had them write the answers to his questions
down on. �Now we begin practice in Defensive and Offensive Magic.�

�� Harry
blinked, caught off-guard for a moment. He had become accustomed to thinking of
Dearborn�s class as his most boring, because Dearborn seemed to assume they
wanted to hear about ancient scandals and blood feuds more than they wanted to
hear about why the distinctions in magic mattered. And Harry had accepted
without thought the older trainees� taunt that they wouldn�t get to duel each
other until next year.

�� Now it
appeared that was wrong, and it had only taken them until the middle of October
to reach this point.

�� Harry found
himself quickly turning from excited to nervous when he thought about what
might happen if he had to duel Malfoy. He glanced over his shoulder and found
Malfoy already looking at him. Malfoy gave him a wry, twisted smile, and then
narrowed his eyes as if he wanted to give Harry some secret message.

�� Hermione�s
voice interrupted any attempt Harry might have made to receive that message.
�But, Auror Dearborn, how are we supposed to put all the ideas that you�ve
shown us into practice? We�ve learned the theory behind the categories of
offensive and defensive magic, but not many incantations that actually appear
in them.�

�� That was
Hermione, Harry thought, turning back to the front of the classroom to see that
she was staring anxiously at Dearborn and he was giving her a kind smile.
Hermione and Malfoy were his favorite students. Of course they were, Harry
thought. Dearborn clearly liked people who took a lot of notes and paid strict
attention to what he was saying. The ring on the Auror�s finger flashed as he
leaned forwards.

�� Each class
has different accumulated knowledge and gaps in that knowledge, Trainee
Granger,� Dearborn droned, like the bore he was. �That means that I have to
come up with different training strategies for each one, and make sure that I
am not doing them a disservice by trying to force them into a preformed
schematic.�

�� Speak bloody
English,� groused Ron next to Harry.
Harry found himself nodding in agreement. Hermione, of course, followed
everything with bright, wide eyes. Harry suspected she had a crush on Dearborn,
though nowhere near as open and embarrassing as the one she�d had on Lockhart.

�� I
understand, sir,� she said breathlessly. �So you want to make sure of how much
offensive and defensive magic we already know.�

�� He could
have said that,� Ron complained.

�� Exactly,
Trainee Granger.� Dearborn�s gaze brushed across Ron and Harry in a way that
made Harry suspect they weren�t quite as unheard as he had hoped they would be.
But he turned his soft eyes and dazzling smile back on Hermione again right
away. �And so I would like you to begin with a demonstration. Fight in pairs,
one attacking and one defending. In such a general battle, one easily sees
common gaps in the class�s knowledge and common areas of strength.� He flowed
to his feet and added, �I will assign pairs. West and Upperthorpe, Granger and
Timrawn, Weasley and Merion��

�� Harry knew
what he would say before it happened, and the sound of his heartbeat was even
more audible to him than Ron�s disappointed groan at someone else being paired
with Hermione.

�� Malfoy and
Potter,� Dearborn said, his face expressionless.

*

�� Draco
sighed and stood. The necessity for explaining their compatible magic had come
much sooner than he thought it would, and it irritated him. He had wanted to
establish himself as the superior student to Potter in every class�not hard to
do in this class, Gregory�s, and Portillo Lopez�s, but strangely hard to do in
Observation, Battlefield Tactics, and Auror Conduct. Probably because Potter
did nothing but gape witlessly at things and sometimes absorb the impressions
of his eyes, and because Ketchum and Jones were shameless about their liking
for the Boy-Who-Lived, Draco thought resentfully.

�� He knew the
compatible magic would link him and Potter for good in the minds of their
instructors. But he had wanted his own individuality, so that he would not be
swallowed up immediately by the fame of the Chosen One. It did not look as if
that would happen now.

�� Draco
ruthlessly crushed his disappointment as he moved opposite Potter to stand in
front of Dearborn. The rest of the class, who were spreading out into pairs,
turned to stare at them curiously. Draco swallowed and wondered how Potter had
borne the humiliation of being stared at in Gregory�s class earlier. It was
only hard concentration that enabled him to avoid blushing.

�� Sir,� he
said quietly, �Potter and I have compatible magic. We can fight side by side,
but not duel without the spells canceling each other out.�

�� Dearborn
caught his breath and stared from Draco to Potter. There was an odd expression
in his eyes, as though he had just suffered some great disappointment. Draco
blinked. Why?

�� And then a
horrible thought overtook him. What if
Dearborn doesn�t want to train me unless I can really stand on my own?

�� Draco
swallowed and lifted his head. If that was the truth, then he would simply have
to put up with it. There was no getting rid of compatible magic, anymore than
he could alter his father�s imprisonment.

�� Dearborn
was silent for long moments. Then he nodded shortly. �You will work as a team,
and duel me,� he said, stepping back and drawing his wand. He raised his voice
to speak to the other trainees. �Before you begin, perhaps a demonstration? I
have heard that Harry Potter is skilled in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and
Draco Malfoy has an eclectic education.� Draco looked closely at Dearborn,
searching for some mockery in his voice, but Dearborn�s eyes were steady
enough, if shadowed. �I would like to see how well they work together against a
fully-trained Auror.�

�� Draco
appreciated the fact that he hadn�t announced they had compatible magic, though
someone might have overheard them talking, and there were some people in their
class who would probably recognize the effects once the duel began. He wondered
why it had happened, though, even as he stood next to Potter and other trainees
backed away to make room for them. Did Dearborn think it should be their choice
to reveal the magic? Did he think it could be dangerous?

�� Not that things being dangerous around
Potter is new.

�� Potter was
nervous; Draco could tell that from the way his magic flickered back and forth,
less warm than usual. Then he seemed to steady. Draco glanced sideways and
found him exchanging a glance and grin with Weasel.

�� He should pay attention to his partner, or
at least to our enemy, Draco thought, and straightened his back as he
waited for Dearborn to throw a curse.

*

�� You�ll do fine, Ron had mouthed, and
Harry knew it was true. This was essentially Defense, and he had always been
good at that. Not even Umbridge had managed to ruin his pleasure in the class.

�� And having
Malfoy on his side was essentially like having a magical battery with him,
wasn�t it?

�� When he
looked at Malfoy, he was focused and so calm that someone could have thrown a
Killing Curse at him and he wouldn�t have flinched. Harry grimaced. He wondered
if he could take lessons from Malfoy in ways to look that cool, that collected�

�� Then he saw
the bright flash of a spell coming towards him from the front.

�� He reacted
without thought, bringing up a Shield Charm that bounced the spell so hard
Dearborn had to duck. Harry shook his head and forced himself to pay attention
to the fight. He couldn�t always depend on his instincts, as the Dark magic he
and Malfoy had found the other night proved. It would have been better of him
to leave the illusion and message where they were so that the full-fledged
Aurors could use them as evidence.

�� Meanwhile,
he had something to prove to cool-eyed Auror Dearborn, who had already prepared
his own Shield Charm and his next spell.

�� Then Malfoy
came to life next to Harry.

�� And it was glorious.

�� Harry felt
Malfoy�s magic like a rush of cool air to his lungs. Malfoy took a step
forwards and lashed out with his wand sideways. Harry didn�t know the spell,
but he could feel its effect. It thickened the air in front of them, so that
Auror Dearborn suddenly seemed to swim in stone. His wand hand slowed
considerably.

�� Malfoy
barked out a sharp word that didn�t sound like Latin, and a white shape leaped
out of his wand, forming into a tiny dragon as it flew. It blew flame around
the edge of Dearborn�s shield, and he shouted as his hair caught fire. The
slowing charm dissipated.

�� With its
ending, strength flooded Harry, strength that he had to use before it could burst
out of his ears and his hair.

�� He chose a
defensive spell again, since Dearborn had said that one of them in each pair
was supposed to demonstrate defensive magic and one offensive. He concentrated
hard on a spell that Snape had shown them during their sixth year and which he
hadn�t studied since, and muttered, �Navitas.�

�� He gasped
as energy zipped through his body, making him aware of fleeting motions
glimpsed from the corners of his eyes, of the hairs on his toes and the nape of
his neck, of rippling and colliding and coiling currents in his muscles. He
tried to swallow, and the motion was easier than he was used to. Next to him,
Malfoy was moving faster as he snapped out another spell and Dearborn was
lifted from his feet and flung backwards to crash against the wall.

�� Malfoy
didn�t pause. �Incarcerous,� he said,
and ropes sprang from nowhere and tied Dearborn in his undignified position.

�� Again the
strength swept back to Harry, and he had to use it or die. �Alo fines!� he snapped, the words torn
out of his mouth and zinging against his teeth thanks to the magic. He shivered
as he watched the ropes around Auror Dearborn�s ankles and wrists grow firmer,
tying him in place so that it would take several people to get him down. Harry
wondered a moment later if it was the best spell he could have chosen, when
someone would need to get him down
before the class could continue, but there was little else to be done once the
spell presented itself to him.

�� Only as the
magic drained out of him could Harry think of something else.

�� Namely, the
silence around them.

�� And the way
the other students gaped, or looked envious.

�� Or the way
that Ron was staring back and forth between him and Malfoy with an expression
of comprehension this time, and deep
dislike.

*

�� They were incredible together.

�� Draco had
never felt such confidence. He had never summoned spells so fast, speaking them
as if Latin and not English was his native language. His heartbeat pounded with
happiness and the readiness for another fight. He shivered and rubbed his hands
up and down his arms, wondering when the next duel would be.

�� He could
see why wizards with compatible magic usually became friends. They felt a rush
being around each other.

�� He turned
and looked at Potter�

�� Only to
find him looking at Weasley again.

�� Draco shut
his eyes hard on a pang of jealousy. He had spent far too many of his days at
Hogwarts being jealous of the red-haired freak when he didn�t deserve Draco�s
envy, or the slightest bit of attention from him. That had been because Weasley
had Potter�s friendship, certainly, but also because he seemed to get away with
trouble that landed Draco in detention when he tried it, and because he had no
sense of his or his family�s proper place in the scheme of things. Ambition was
all very well when one had the money and pride to support it, but the Weasleys
had neither.

�� In the
meantime, Auror Dearborn was speaking in a composed voice. �If you would
release me, please?�

�� Draco
claimed Potter�s attention with a hand on his shoulder. Potter turned around at
once, with a small gulp. He met Draco�s gaze, and Draco nodded at Dearborn.
�It�ll take both of us to get him down,� he said casually. �Are you up for it?�

�� Challenge
flared in Potter�s gaze, and Draco congratulated himself for not having lost
the knack of infuriating him. �Of course,� Potter said, and turned to face
Dearborn. Draco found it ridiculously easy to raise his wand at the same time
as Potter�s and cast. They even chanted the words together, though they hadn�t
agreed beforehand about what spell they would cast. The magic seemed to touch
Draco�s mind and tell him the incantation.

�� Finite Incantatem.�

�� The ropes
loosened suddenly, and Dearborn slid down the wall but regained his balance
before he could fall. As he climbed to his feet, his gaze went back and forth
from Draco to Potter, and it was quietly satisfied.

�� Draco took
a deep breath of relief. Perhaps the compatible magic had not made Dearborn
reconsider his plan to mentor Draco after all.

�� That was
the work of a well-qualified team,� Dearborn told the rest of the students, not
sounding at all upset that he�d just been bested by two trainees, �one wielding
defensive magic and one offensive. You will notice that Trainee Malfoy cast the
spells that directly hit and tied me, but he would not have had the speed to do
so without Trainee Potter casting the spell that gave him energy. I might have
escaped my bonds if Trainee Potter had not strengthened them, likewise.� He
nodded at Draco. �Trainee Malfoy took some risks in casting no defensive
spells, especially not a Shield Charm. I might have hit him if I had chosen to
concentrate solely on him rather than trying to divide my magic between two.
They knew I would, so perhaps Trainee Malfoy was wise in not attempting
defensive charms. But in real-life battle, you usually will not know your
enemy�s intentions that well.

�� Now spread
out. I want to see how you can duel each other. Remember what the demonstration
showed you.� He inclined his head to Draco. �Step aside, Trainee Malfoy. You
and Potter have done well enough not to need to participate for the rest of
class.�

�� Draco
willingly sat down against the far wall so that he would be out of the way as
the dueling pairs practiced. He had never been fond of doing extra work when it
seemed as though there would be no need.

�� Potter sat
down next to him and yearningly tried to catch Weasley�s eye. When he couldn�t,
he sighed and leaned his back on the wall. Draco looked at him and felt a
stirring of impatience. He would have expected at least a secretive grin as
Potter enjoyed their victory with him, rather than this brooding.

�� Afraid
that Weasley�s figured something out?� Draco asked, keeping his voice low on purpose.

�� Of course
he has,� Potter said. He opened his eyes, looking exhausted. Draco wondered
why. He felt exhilarated still, if not quite as high-flying as he had
immediately after the fight. �And he won�t like it.�

�� Who
cares?� Draco snapped. �You can�t choose compatible magic.� He immediately
moved on to what really interested him, and what he thought Potter might be
more willing to talk about without an audience. �What happened to you in Combat
this morning?�

�� Potter
stiffened. For long moments, he simply blew his breath through his nostrils,
saying nothing. Then he turned towards Malfoy and pointed his finger at him.
Draco tried to look frightened. He didn�t think he succeeded very well,
especially since Potter couldn�t hurt him with magic anymore.

�� Don�t talk
about that, Malfoy,� Potter said. �So far as you�re concerned, that kind of fit
doesn�t exist.�

�� Fit?�
Draco pounced on the word. �That sounds serious. And what happens if you have
one of those in our private lessons? What am I supposed to do for you? Get
help? Revive you in some way?�

�� Potter
shook his head. �They don�t exist,� he said again, and turned away to watch the
trainees. Nothing else Draco could say would draw him out.

�� At last,
Draco scowled and sat back as well. Fuck
you, then, Potter. We�ll go on working well together while you clutch your
little secrets and isolate yourself. Then someday you�ll want my sympathy, and
it�ll be my turn to remind you that I offered it and you disdained it.

*

�� SP777: Yes,
so far the compatible magic does seem to work by letting them swap powers.
Draco casts a spell, which gives Harry the strength for another one; then Harry
casts a spell, which boosts Draco, and so on.

�� And
probably both those stories will eventually be written. At the moment, which
one I�ll start first depends on inspiration and how much time I have. (I am
moving this weekend and so will be in a bit of a rush).

�� Mr Spears:
Thanks for reviewing.

�� MewMew2:
Thanks. Glad you�re enjoying it.

�� Lilith:
There will be even more interesting discussion later! The class structure
prevented Ron and Hermione from confronting Harry right then, but they�ll have
the chance to after class.

�� Enamoril:
Thanks so much! I hope you continue to enjoy.
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