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Things Fall Apart, But Then You Build Again	By : zeldaofarel Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 13964 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 7
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Author's Note: Sorry guys about being late with the posting again! I've had some problems at work and then I felt emotionally and physically so drained, I just slept whole afternoons away. I took part in some retail therapy over the weekend, so I feel a lot better now.

I got a bit stuck on chapter 8, so I asked for Icicle's help. She made some helpful comments on what I have so far, so soon I'll finish that one as well, as I only have one more complete chapter. Luckily, I usually write a couple of chapters in quick succession, so I'll get on a roll with chapter 8 and I have this really great thing planned for chapter 9. I actually wanted to put that into chapter 8, but the first half of it ended up being so long, it would have been all wrong. That was partly why I got stuck.

Hazel had some RL problems of her own, so this one was only betad by Icicle.

Now on with the second half of the all important chat with Malfoy! Oh, I'll have to start calling him Draco.

Chapter 6: A New Alliance

"Isn't that illegal?" Hermione spoke up. "Making a pact like that?"

"No, Hermione, it's politics. People make such deals all the time. One supports the other in one bill, and then the other returns the favour. It's how things work," Malfoy explained matter-of-factly.

"There are a few things I still don't understand, Malfoy."

"Such as?" The blond man gritted his teeth in frustration at their continued ignorance.

Hermione decided it was time for another drink and she got him another one. Once more, Malfoy drank it without looking, but couldn't manage to stop himself from the disgust showing all over his face. "Really, Potter, what sort of a Firewhisky do you keep?"

"I don't drink it, so I wouldn't know." Harry shrugged. "So, you said you wanted to bring about educational reform. Why are the Light Families against it and the Dark Families for it? I would think that it would be the Dark Families that would be against Muggle-borns integrating." He leaned in towards Malfoy, giving him his full, undivided attention. The other man looked down at the empty glass, collecting his thoughts for a moment.

"The ultimate goal of the Dark Families is to preserve Wizarding Culture. For the Light Families it's to preserve themselves. They are willing to sacrifice our way of life in order to continue on their names. They freely intermarry with Muggle-borns and use laws to make sure that these Muggle-borns are under their thumbs. If the majority of these magic-users leave the Wizarding world, it doesn't matter to them." He paused, readying himself for what he was about to reveal. "There has even been talk of revealing our existence to the Muggles. They think that the Muggles will just accept us and move on."

Hermione looked at Harry with alarm at hearing this. They both knew that the Light Families were ignorant in their knowledge of the Muggle world and just like Mr. Weasley - they only saw the good side of it. They didn't know anything about how Muggles dealt with anything new or beyond their understanding. Still, they opted not to comment as Malfoy was explaining further and they needed to hear more.

"The Dark Families want to keep the separation, which is partly why they used to be all for total separation, not even allowing Muggle-borns in. However, the newer generation - our generation has realised that a Muggle-born in the bloodline doesn't dilute it, because the magic is still strong. Regrettably, that had been the misconception in the past. Remember, the Dark Lord had been a half-blood, so are you, Potter, and Severus Snape was as well. These examples have led to new studies being conducted that have found that Muggle-borns are born when generations of suppressed magic combines in a person, manifesting itself in a great burst. Apparently, all Muggles have a limited amount of magic in them, so no one is completely without magic." He seemed very excited at that point, his grey eyes were shining almost to the point of twinkling.

Harry realised that the discovery he had just hear about had opened new dialogues among the purebloods. He also feared that it could give new reasons to fight about in their world, but he hoped that this time they would be limited to the debate table and not escalate into drawing wands over it. At that moment he decided that he would do everything to keep that from happening.

"I hope a new war isn't going to break out over these discoveries," he voiced his concern.

"Not if I can help it. Usually wars in the Wizarding world require strong leaders that people can stand behind. However, if we are such strong leaders and we keep the fighting limited to words only, I'm hoping we can find a peaceful solution." He looked pleased at Harry engaging him more. " One way of changing how people think about Muggles and Muggle-borns is with the power of words. That is why we are actually introducing new terminology. Magic-users are people who are able to use magic. Wizards and witches are those who participate and live in the Wizarding world. So we are actually moving towards not distinguishing between blood but rather culture." He stopped to catch his breath.

Hermione got up and poured some water for him from a pitcher on a side-table. She was frowning though, obviously wanting to say something on the matters that had been revealed to them.

"You still called me 'Mudblood' in your letter, Malfoy."

"True. Old habit. I didn't like you much in school, plus I always did like to rile you up a bit. The only thing I miss about the Weasel not being around is that he looked so funny when his face turned the same colour as his hair." They actually shared a smile over that image.

Malfoy took a swallow of water from his glass.

"So you found out that it's all right to marry Muggle-borns?" Harry directed the conversation back to the previous topic. They still had a lot to cover.

"Yes. The knowledge is beneficial to purebloods. It addresses our concern about the magic weakening in the bloodlines. However, that is not the only reason why we're not inclined to choose Muggle-borns as spouses. Culturally the difference is rather large. You both grew up in the Muggle world and I'm sure you've had difficulties adapting to our way of life." He looked at them, seeking confirmation.

They both nodded.

"That is why I'm trying to push through an educational reform. It would integrate the ones like you both, better to our society. Our generation knows that we can't remain purebloods for long, so we're finding alternatives."

"Why?" Harry cut in.

"Why what, Potter?" Malfoy sneered at his interruption.

"Why can't you remain purebloods?" Harry was genuinely puzzled.

"Because we'd die out, Potter." Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yes, the inbreeding!" Hermione injected, before Malfoy sniped at Harry again.

Although the blond did flinch at what she said, she only had to look at him to know that he knew a lot about being inbred. "If people in a closed community intermarry too often, like cousins with cousins, then there's a good chance of them producing unhealthy offspring. Unfortunately, even the wizards and witches who appear healthy often have problems with having children themselves."

"Exactly," Malfoy agreed. "In my generation most of the families have only one child. Now that we are at peace, some of the parents are attempting to have more children, but they're rarely successful. We've been trying to hide it, but we can't any longer. The majority of the purebloods are in trouble. That is why the educational reform is so important to us. We're trying to preserve what it means to be a wizard along with our bloodlines." Malfoy sighed. "So - I'm willing to support you in changing the family law if you help me."

He looked up, and as grey meet green, Harry understood that Malfoy was as desperate to bring about the reforms as Hermione was to get her children back. While the witch thought about her family, the wizard thought about a whole generation. The dark-haired man nodded in understanding, confirming their earlier pact.

"So, how am I going to get my votes back?" he asked, smiling.

"Well, Potter, you need to be voted back in. Before you ask, Weasley can't just hand the votes over to you. He could have when you turned 17 and became of age. Then it would have been the natural process of things. However, that was a long time ago. Since you didn't get them back then, Weasley became the official holder of the votes, not just their temporary custodian until you were available. The process in this case is that the members of the Wizengamot need to vote to have either Weasley remain the holder, or turn it over to you. If they decide Weasley should keep them, the next time he can lose them is when your eldest turns 17. Then he can do the same thing you should have done at 17," Malfoy scolded at him a bit, pausing in his explanation.

He frowned at Malfoy for making a dig like that again.

"Don't frown, Potter. I know you didn't know about your seats, but I still can't help my frustration over that. You have no idea how much pain Weasley has been giving me over the years," he said, misinterpreting the other man's expression. Harry was silently glad for that.

"All right, Malfoy. I understand. So, I need to get their vote. How do I make my intentions known and start the process?"

"Not so fast," Malfoy said, holding up a perfectly manicured hand which was impossibly dainty, particularly since it belonged to a man. Harry wondered why he just couldn't barge in and take care of everything, then he realised that politics was a positively Slytherin territory, therefore dealing with it as a Gryffindor would probably not be productive.

"Potter, are you still here?" the blond man asked.

"Yeah, Malfoy, sorry. I'm just realising that it's not going to be as easy as me walking in there, demanding a vote and going out with my Wizengamot seats, is it?"

"Of course not, you git. Glad you no longer hold that illusion. You have to win them. True, you are the Boy Who Lived, but your recent actions had not endeared you to the Light Families' hearts."

Said boy sighed at the complexity of it all. Although, he was secretly glad to have one of the ultimate Slytherins around to plan everything.

"So you need to kick Hermione out and get your wife and kids back here. Then, you need to publicly renounce her and tell everyone that you want her back in her proper place," he finished.

"I can't do that!" Harry roared and stood up. There was no way he was going to allow that.

"You can and you will!" Malfoy shouted. "It's the only way."

"No, I will not have Hermione out on the streets." Harry shook his head, still on his feet.

"Harry, it's okay, you have to," Hermione said, though her quiet voice was a bit hard to hear over the blood rushing in his ears, but the way she touched his hand made him look down on her. "I understand what Malfoy is saying. They are not going to vote for you while you oppose their ideals. It will only be for a little while. At least you'll have your family back with you. I'm sure I can find another place to stay. It will be just pretending."

Harry frowned. He still didn't like the idea, but he had to see their point and he again had to remind himself to leave the planning to the Slytherin. He sat back down.

"So what of Hermione, then? I can't be seen giving money to her, or anything, if I'm supporting her return to her husband," he asked, genuinely worried for his friend.

"Well, we have two options. You can either go back to your husband." He looked at Hermione, who shook her head in response. "Or you could take my help," he said, looking straight into her eyes.

He probably didn't want to miss the astonishment in them at his proposal.

"Your help? Why would you help me?" Hermione asked, flabbergasted, amazed, and generally confused about why suddenly Draco Malfoy of all people was offering his help to a Mudblood.

"Well, it's quite simple. Now we are all allies in reinstating the Dark Families as the leaders of the Wizengamot. You have your agenda, and I have mine, but we all want the same thing eventually. Since Potter can't be seen helping you, it has to be me. No one would believe that the three of us are working on this together. Also, it would help me promote the integration of Muggle-borns into Wizarding society. I could even make an example of you by teaching you how to be a proper witch, not just a magic-user," Malfoy finished, grinning by the end at all the benefits the situation would bring to him.

"Good. If you would have said you were doing this because we're all friends now, I would not have believed you," Hermione confessed.

"I know. You are a smart witch, Hermione, in spite of having made the grievous error of marrying Weasley," he admitted. "Now we only have to decide how to go about it. First of all, Potter needs to have a spectacular, public falling out with you. Preferably shouting at the top of his lungs about how much he wants you to return to your husband," the blond man said, contemplating just how to set up the scene. "Then you move out and move into Malfoy Manor in a huff. We should be seen around Diagon Alley shopping and in the more posh Wizarding restaurants, to show people that I'm educating you and to generally introduce you to the upper regions of society. You, Hermione," he made sure that he had her full attention, "can tell all that will hear that Potter only took you in, in an attempt to convince you to return to the Weasel and once you refused him once and for all, he kicked you out. I will add to that by telling everyone how I heard about your plight and as the Weasleys are an old enemy, I decided to help you. Meanwhile, we also decided to show people that with proper education you can become a part of Wizarding culture," he finished, smiling even more at the wonderful plan he concocted.

"How does the plan sound to you, Potter?" he asked, raising a blond eyebrow.

"Great, Malfoy. Very Slytherin and such plans are just what we need right now. No one would suspect the two of us actually working together," he admitted, forcing himself to concentrate on the conversation.

"I like it too," Hermione confessed. "I would love to learn more about Wizarding culture. Books just don't seem to have everything in them. The ones who wrote them were purebloods themselves, so they take for granted things that are strange to us Muggle-borns."

"You have been trying to learn proper Wizarding culture?" Malfoy was clearly surprised at the revelation.

"Yes, ever since I entered Hogwarts, but more so once I learned about house-elves. I mean, you probably knew all along that they were the ones doing the cooking and cleaning, while I just thought that it was all done by some magic of the castle. Hogwarts: A History never even mentioned them."

"Yes, I can see how this can be a problem. Maybe, educating you could help me work out the details on how to integrate Muggle-borns." Malfoy grinned. Harry realised at that point that intellectually Malfoy and Hermione were very similar. They were bound to have a good time together. "Oh, just one thing. Don't traumatise my house-elves by trying to free them, Hermione. You just have no idea what freedom actually means to house-elves. They would be out on the streets and subjected to general distrust by wizards. They have spent their whole lives in the Manor. Since the war, we have been treating them well. They helped the family a lot while the Death Eaters were living in my home and have been rewarded by getting their status as part of the family acknowledged. I'm sure if you ask them now, they'll tell you how happy they are," he revealed.

"All right, Malfoy. I promise. Or perhaps I should start calling you Draco now?" she inquired.

"Yes, that's a good idea. It would seem odd with my parents, my wife and my son around. We are all Malfoys, after all," he agreed.

"What will your parents think?" she wondered out loud.

"Oh, don't worry about them. They are fully supporting me in my legislative endeavours. Even Father admitted, while we were in school, how smart you are. You would not believe the grief I got over you beating me for top student every year." He shook his head at the memory.

Hermione just blushed and smiled. She didn't know that she had caused him trouble at home.

'No wonder Malfoy was trying to put Hermione down all the time,' Harry thought to himself.

"Now that we have a general plan of action, we have to work out the details of the first step." Malfoy sat back with a serious look on his face. "What Wizarding venue should we select for your big row?"

Later that day, when Harry was in his room, alone in his bed, trying to fall asleep, he was thinking of Draco. He too had taken to calling him that since it seemed like they were going to establish a working relationship, perhaps even a friendship. When the man wasn't trying to ruin him, he was actually not so bad. He let himself wonder a bit about what it would have been like if he hadn't meet Ron on the train, but rather ran into Draco again. Could they have become friends? He could have been in Slytherin House. The difference between such a life and the one he had would have been enormous. Still, he let himself be swept away in the fantasy and it even reached his dreams. He saw himself with the Snitch in his grasp, in dark green Slytherin robes, and smiling towards a Chaser Draco who grinned back and gave him a playful wink.
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Things Fall Apart, But Then You Build Again