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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
- 95
- 96
- 97
[Note: conversation =: “speech” & ‘thoughts’ & *telepathy* & #Parseltongue# & {telephone}]
~~~ REACHING OUT ~~~
There was almost a week in which to recover and prepare. Although each week was crammed with activities D&H could plan a smooth passage of events that seemed to have a recurring Saturday theme until Easter. The Hogwarts Express at the end of this week started the term off. Astoria celebrated her birthday with a dinner. The Wizengamot reconvened on the twenty-second of January, thus that could be sandwiched between the two fifth-year group weekends. Things happened fortnightly except that the sixth-years were separated by the half term when the Aurors were going to use the Milk Wood and so on. Easter was late this year, there only being a week separating it from Beltane.
Phealey and Pullet were taking over the single teaching sessions for sixth and seventh years on Wednesdays, with DADA in the morning and Potions in the afternoon.
That meant that Harry had a whole day with the Aurors on Tuesdays and his half-day session on Wednesdays before lunch. Draco had his Potions half-day session Wednesday afternoons and whole day Thursdays with the Guild or at the forensic lab in the Ministry. Thus it was the variables that would create news, if there were any.
###
Unfortunately, there was an addition to some further deaths on Goldover Hill during a cold spell during February. Wash’s Parents had been returning home from visiting relatives when a drunk’s car had become out of control on the ice and had crashed into them. Ernie was soon on the spot, beating the muggle ambulance by about ten minutes, but there was little he could do to save them. Just over a fortnight later came their funeral which many Hogwarts students and ex-students attended. Of course the Smiling Ones played during the service and at the graveside afterwards.
###
Blaise took over coaching entirely from Rolanda Hooch when she retired as well as being the relief Professor in DADA and Potions and taking first and second years in Theory of Magic.
Ronald slowly recovered from his shattered hip, crutches being replaced by a walking stick; which was thrown away on his birthday on Monday March 1^st. He still had twinges and so took to a less energetic mode of living and that included no longer serving in WWW shop. His love of Quidditch was the one exception because riding a broomstick put no pressure on his healing bones. He took up muggle chess tournament playing, winning quite a few substantial purses. He achieved assistant coach status to Blaise; developing Hex Tennis. Although he did not play, he developed the rules so that it could become the sport enjoyed by mixed teams of magical beings.
Not long after Ronald’s celebration there was a domestic one when Teddy became two.
###
Draco became very absorbed in his new laboratory at the Ministry. Every time he found an antidote to a new poisonous potion; the dark side seemed to invent another one to supersede it. He enjoyed the challenges that this produced and went into his normal funk mode whilst thinking and experimenting with each new problem. To begin with, Harry and the Dumbledorians were alarmed when their blond friend became silent and abstracted. After a few times when this had happened they took less notice, usually joshing Harry about having to dress his mate each morning and undress him at night – some of the jokes were fairly crude; asking which other bodily functions Harry had to undertake on behalf of his oblivious lover.
A number of times, Harry had to go to the Ministry and forcibly extricate his mate from the lab because Draco had forgotten the time; not helped by the ministry being underground and the lab having no natural light. At other times when Harry arrived he found no-one there, this worried him greatly, but he soon overcame his fears because a preoccupied mind link was still operative. Thus Harry had to use ‘Point-me’ and follow the transmissions to where Draco was. Quite often, when this happened Harry found his lover wandering around somewhere in Kew Gardens.
“Sorry Harry, you know how I have an affinity to plants. I imagine I gravitated here automatically. Not that I remember how I got here,”
“It’s fairly close to one of the entrances to the Ministry, maybe that’s it.” Harry wanted to be cross with Draco, but his relief at finding him intact swamped any ire he might have felt.
Harry did get cross, however, when Draco deliberately switched off his mental-antennae. It meant that Harry had no way in ensuring his partner was safe. Draco was suitably contrite; explaining that Harry’s sendings were impinging on Draco’s thought processes and promising not to do it again. Not that it was much use, because Draco blithely switched off every time he had an intricate potion to sort out.
Not that they rowed often, but Draco’s isolationist tendencies were usually the cause of their personal altercations. They were always resolved [as true lovers always do] and the make-up sessions were sexily stupendous. Eventually Harry accepted that this was one of Draco’s foibles and developed a thick skin for when it happened. Just occasionally Harry would switch off, too. When this happened, Draco became more overwrought than when it was the other way round. They worked out that it stemmed from the blond’s incarceration and near death experience under Mulciber.
Because of the new substances appearing and a number of operatives being injured; the Aurors department issued some instructions to say that any new substance encountered must be treated with extreme caution and referred to the Forensics department. This usually meant that Draco or one of his assistants would apparate to the site and gather samples. Kingsley noted these episodes and managed to tell Harry quietly each time that Draco had a new assignment. There were times when one or other of them found it easier to stay nearby the scene of whatever crime had been committed, so Kingsley tried to warn the other one [usually Harry] about their partner’s staying away for a couple of days.
###
Harry became intrigued with geas. He found they were more prevalent than any mage had previously believed. A lot were inadvertent and quite often occurred when an adolescent mage was starting to exercise his or her autonomy from their parents. Sometimes the child would try to make a stand in some inappropriate way or at an inopportune moment; resulting in the exasperated parent threatening some retribution if the child did not toe the line. Unfortunately, with mages, wild thaums are created by such tensions. This uncontrolled magic misinterprets the argument and geas are formed unintentionally. The more traditional and authoritarian the parents, the more likely such geas were created.
~~~ THE MANOR ~~~
Just before half term the Unmentionables declared Malfoy Manor cleansed of all dark magic. Narcissa was in two minds whether she wanted to return, having taken up a comfortable residence in an apartment at Number Twelve. Harry could sense Draco’s unease at seeing his old home and therefore offered to accompany him on the inspection tour.
On the half term Monday, D&H went to the Manor; arriving to find Dorothy and the corps hard at work attempting to clean off the scorch marks of conflict, repair the vandalism of the satraps, and remove the traces of auror investigative procedures. Draco was shocked to see that statues had been blasted beyond recognition and ancestral portraits slashed or incinerated. Glass and ceramic works of art had either been stolen or smashed to smithereens. As for the bronzes, they had been melted and frozen dribbles of metal festooned their plinths. It was worse in the gardens – the plough training field at Woodyates looked in better shape.
“I’m sorry Master Draco, much of the damage is curse work and well beyond anything Reparo can do.” Dorothy looked sad: “Perhaps we could import some of the artwork from the Duindhu heritage that is stored at Number Twelve.”
“That is an idea, Dorothy, thank you. If you would remove all the trashed items that cannot be reinstated, I would be most grateful. Don’t replace them with Duindhu treasures yet. I doubt I will want to take up residence here again; there would be far too many hateful reminders for me to rest easy. I will talk to Mother, but I fancy she is in much the same mood. Is there nothing left whole?”
“Very little. The kitchens are; I expect those monsters required feeding, although there is no edible provender in any larder. Most of the cellar store rooms are devoid of anything. Perhaps that’s a good thing, because the manor’s elves say that they were used as prison cells, and quite a few doubled as torture chambers. We’ve cleaned out the dirt and gore, giving burial to the corpses and body parts that we found. They were all putrid and unrecognisable I’m afraid.”
“What about the library?”
“All the books are with the Aurors, there were so many black-arts tomes which had been interspersed with decent books that they had infected them; practically every one snarled when you went near them, such a shame. There are some objects in what was the secret store under the library. Those, we were told, had not been contaminated.”
“Secret Store?”
“Yes, reached by worn stone steps in a left-handed spiral. I imagine that, in your father’s day, the entrance was occluded.”
“That wasn’t a store; that was where my father had me tortured. What happened to Sven?”
“Was he a kobold?”
“Yes.”
“We buried his remains, Master. The flies had eaten most of him.”
“Thank you. I suppose we’d better go and see what is there. I’ll tell you what we need to keep, later on.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Harry could feel Draco’s dread and could see him trembling as they descended.
“We’ll not go down, if you’re so frightened.”
“I’d rather get it over and done with now. If I brood upon it, it will only seem worse and I may never overcome my nerves at all.”
As soon as they were on the floor Harry came to stand by Draco, side hugging his shoulder with one hand and holding a precautionary shield charm with the other. Draco made the light ball and, to begin with, it flickered. It steadied as he became more confident.
“I expected an aura of dread, but it’s gone. Help me make a list please.”
Harry conjured a parchment and quill: “Fine, I await your dictation, Master.”
Draco blew a raspberry at his partner and proceeded to rattle off the list.
Harry scowled, put his tongue out, cast a copying charm on the quill and the list grew just as fast as Draco could pronounce the words. Then there was a shocked silence.
“What’s up?”
“There are three pairs of cabinets here … Three … That’s assuming they work … They’re worth thousands of galleons each … Why didn’t they trash them?”
“Maybe they hoped to sneak in somewhere. Maybe employ them for their proper use to escape. We’d better check that they work, they may have booby trapped them.”
“They haven’t,” Draco pointed at a handle and then another: “There’s the Ministry examiners seal on each one, dated for yesterday. Now, what use can we put them to?”
“Um … Connect here to Number Twelve … At least until you and Aunt Narcissa decide what to do. We could then put up cottage-wards to protect what remains here. It’ll help the elves too and we could travel easily with none of the dizziness.”
“Very good, I’ll apparate with a miniaturised one as soon as I get outside the temporary wards. There’s an almost hidden attic at the top of the clock tower, which we can easily disguise if necessary. The tower is a disguised chimney for the heating system.”
“And it’s as far away from this place as possible, but still staying within the house.”
“You’ve nailed just what I was feeling.”
“I caught the vibes, they’re quite strong. Let’s miniaturise a pair and I’ll take one of them up there.”
“Hmm … Good idea.”
Draco showed Harry where to go and twenty minutes later the brunet was in the tower with his cabinet resized and placed against an internal wall, backing on to the chimney. Harry felt a light drain on his magical core and there was a ‘whump’. To his concern the cabinet melted into the wall, leaving just one of its doors there. Upon it a new label glowed showing a Beefeater – the emblem that they had adopted on the other doors leading to Grimmauld Place. The door opened and Draco came out of it rubbing his hands, shaking his head and swearing profusely.
Harry grabbed his partner’s shoulders: “Calm down, it’s all right, you’re still in one piece, what happened?”
“… Circe’s calumny … I was coming downstairs clutching the miniaturised cabinet in my hand. I arrived near Walburga’s portrait on the first floor. Suddenly it was snatched away. It bruised my hand, so I shook it to relieve the pain. I think I muttered something like, ‘Now where’s the damned thing gone’ and the portal door slowly opened. It revealed a new door with a peacock emblem emblazoned on it. Through it I could feel your vibes as though you were hiding behind it, so I cast an opening charm on it and there you were.”
Harry took Draco’s hands, looked at the bruising and thought an Episkey to heal them: “I think we’ve converted another pair of cabinets into a portal.”
“You mean that I did, don’t you? I felt some of the thaums drain out of me,” Draco pulled a face at Harry.
“I chose the plural because I felt a drain on my magical core too; about much the same when we charmed the Annex-Hogwarts portals.”
“Oh! Sorry! I think the shock made me feel selfish, thanks for the healing. In a way, we should have waited until we were in bed,” Draco had an impish smile.
“You can still have your sex, no need to try to trick it out of me.”
“When? Now?”
Narcissa appeared: “Why all the row?”
“We’ve just converted a pair of cabinets into a portal by mistake, Auntie.”
“I thought you were going to the Manor.”
“That’s where the portal leads, Mother. In fact, you’re standing in the clock tower’s attic.”
“Really?” Narcissa looked out of the small round window: “Are you sure? It looks more like a badly ploughed field down there.”
“’Fraid so, Auntie; the whole place has been heavily damaged. The elves are still clearing up.”
“Mmm … I think I’ll wait until that’s finished and then have an inspection.”
“One of us ought to go with you, Mother.”
“Why’s that, I’m feeling much better now?”
“Most of the artwork and ornaments are destroyed; cursed beyond redemption; you might find it distressing.”
“I think I probably would, thank you for the warning,” Narcissa looked out of another round window and grimaced: “Is the whole garden like this?”
“We haven’t explored all of it, Mother. However, what we have seen supposes so.”
Narcissa sighed and here shoulders slumped: “Oh well, at least I can enjoy your garden, Harry.” Narcissa looked puzzled: “How many pairs of cabinets did you find?”
“There are two other pairs, Auntie.”
“There were supposed to be three … No, that’ll be correct … You’ve already converted one pair. Do you have any ideas about using the others?”
“Not really. George was saying that he hoped the next set could be deployed between the Burrow and Shell Cottage. That’s Charlie’s and Fleur’s home.”
“Fleur? Is she one of Appoline Delacour’s daughters?”
“Yes Mother, she married Charlie Weasley and their marriage was raided by the death-eaters.”
“I was friends with Appoline before this set of troubles started. We used to visit the fashion houses in Paris together. Now there’s an idea for one of the cabinet sets; between here and our apartment at the chateau.”
“We may have to use both pairs for that. I don’t think they have enough range to reach all the way.”
“Um … Maybe we could experiment … Um … See if our thaumic influence is the one that converts them into portals, if so, that would double the range, wouldn’t it?”
“We can but try … Hmm … I think that we’d better miniaturise a pair and place them in a stasis box, like we did with Glandulous’s geas. They might attach themselves when they approach the present portals.”
“Good idea lover, I’ve got a spare one in my study, I’ll go and get it.” Harry returned within ten minutes.
Narcissa returned to Number Twelve whilst D&H went into the dungeon.
“I don’t feel intimidated by it now. Even then I still don’t fancy living here.”
“Yes, I know what you mean; my short memories of here were unpleasant too.”
They miniaturised a pair and sealed them inside the stasis box. And then took them to Grimmauld place. At the top of the house they opened the box and Draco took one cabinet out.
“I can remember the co-ordinates for step apparating, from the happier times of holidays with Mother. I’ll tune in each time I land, Harry. Just to make sure everything is alright.”
“Yes, I’ll follow your progress and write them down so, if there’s a problem, some of us can come and help out. I’ll not go downstairs until I know that you’ve arrived and have the cabinet suitably placed.”
“Very good, I’ll see you soon.” Crack! And Draco was gone.
D: *Dover Castle – All okay*!
H: *Fine*!
D: *Le Touquet Plage – still alright*.
H: *Fine*!
D: *Beauvais Cathedral – c’est bon*.
H: *Be careful*!
D: *I took your advice and landed slightly short of Le Chateau – There appears to be no disturbance*.
H: *Do you want me to come over*?
D: *No need, I’ve found the concierge, Madam Lapalme says that everything is peaceful*.
H: *Let me know when you have set it up*.
D: *All set, don’t forget to hold it loosely*.
H: *I’ll keep it in the stasis box until I’m there*.
WHUMP!
A slightly pale Harry opened the door into Le Chateau des Sorciers; “Um … Very elegant. I think I need to sit down.”
Draco guided Harry onto a gilded chaise longue. They sat supporting each other.
Pop: “Maîtres bonjour.”
“En Anglais, s’il vous plait Defrag. Mon Conjoint n’a pas français.”
“Votre Conjoint Maître, tu es sur?”
“Yes, Defrag, quite sure, he is Harry Potter.”
“Zut alores! Welcome to the apartment Master-who-lived-twice. How can I be helping you?”
“A hot chocolate drink would be nice, and maybe some chocolate cake as well, please. Draco and I have expended rather a lot of energy getting here.”
“Yes Master. Are you both not feeling well? Step apparating doesn’t use up that amount of energy.”
Draco chuckled: “Do you see anything different in this room, Defrag?”
The elf looked around: “Mais oui; there’s a new door by the chimney breast. Where does it lead?”
“To the Black’s London residence, Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.”
“You joke, of course, Master.”
“No. Defrag. It is a new form of thaumic travel, without the dizziness. You may try it out after we’ve received our refreshment.”
“Pardon, mes Maîtres,” pop.
Harry stood and ambled over to one of the tall windows: “A few less hedgerows, but it could be England. I’m slightly disappointed, Lover.”
“We’re not that much further south than the Burrow, you know. Now in Guéthary, there are a few more exotic plants.”
“Guéthary?”
“Hmm … Yes … The Malfoys own a small house there, the surfing is excellent and the climate much warmer. I suppose it belongs to us now.”
“Surfing?”
“Yes … A bit like riding a broomstick standing up, but propelled by the ocean’s waves. I was learning in the holidays until Father re-joined Voldie. I wonder if that’s where they’ve gone. It’s not that big, they’d be sleeping eight to a double room and in the reception rooms too. I doubt it, most likely Father will be calling in some favours from his shady French allies.”
Defrag returned towing a trolley. When Harry looked carefully he realised it was floating a few inches off the floor. It was laden with chocolate fancies; they all looked delicious and not one matched the other. He could not choose so, closing his eyes he reached out and grabbed one.
Draco chuckled: “Good idea, I couldn’t decide either,” and followed Harry’s example. He then picked up a bone china cup and downed the contents in one go: “Today Defrag, we’re pigging it, mugs please?”
Defrag frowned, clicked his fingers and two pint mugs appeared. However, his delicate sensibilities were appeased because they were made of bone china, decorated with gilded flowers. Those sensibilities were further challenged when he regarded the two mages wolfing down delicacy after delicacy in quick succession. With a pained expression and in an ironic tone of voice he asked: “Would you like another two dozen, Masters?
Draco smiled gently at the elf: “It’s good to hear you trying to keep me in order, Defrag. It harks back to gentler days, when I was a child. I’ve grown up rather quickly since last I saw you; as has my lover, Harry.”
“We have read of Master Harry’s exploits in the Prophet International; it seems that your father, Master Draco, is in deep trouble. Not that we’ve seen him here.”
“C’mon Harry, we’d better update the wards, just in case. The English Wizengamot has placed me in charge of the Malfoy estates, Defrag; so the old master is not to be allowed in.”
“Yes Master, the annulment and new licence came by owl from the French Wizengamot only last week. That’s why I was not too surprised when you arrived.”
It took half an hour to place the wards. The apartment was not overlarge. It comprised three ensuite double bedrooms and two reception rooms plus kitchen etc. The place where a rear cupboard had backed on to the drawing room was where the focus now stood but the door openings were reversed.
D&H returned briefly to Number Twelve intending to hand Narcissa through. However, they were met by a puzzled George.
“What have you done to the portals, you two?”
“Not too much, just added some Malfoy cabinets in.”
“I guessed as much. The new door at the shop leads to a turret at the manor.”
“But we attached it here?”
They investigated the portal cupboard at Number Twelve. The three inner doors now had the red flower of the cottage, the fireworks of WWW and the Chateau picture for the recently connected French portal on them.
“Hmm … I suppose the Fluence only allows three connections to a portal, so it changed the Manor’s door to yours.”
“That means that the shop portal is full up: now having three doors, to here, the Manor and the Burrow.”
“So’s the cottage, being connected to here, Hogwarts and the Mill.”
George, being eager was handed through to le Chateau and within the next couple of hours Narcissa was handed through. She was followed by Kreacher and Winky who met Defrag and Nettie his wife who was the elf-cook at the chateau. Because Appoline and Pierre Delacour were staying in their apartment – the chateau contained quite a number of these domiciles – Narcissa arranged a dinner party, and invited Molly and Arthur over.
Draco looked at the elaborate arrangements being made; registering internal horror.
Harry caught on: “Aunt Narcissa, I don’t think Draco and I are up to partying this evening. Altering the cabinets into portals was fairly draining. May we be excused, please?”
“Of course, Harry. Would you mind staying for aperitifs first, so that I can show off my famous pseudo-son?” She winked at him, and Harry realised she understood the real reason.
So it was, Draco and Harry put on their best clothes and best manners for an hour at seven-thirty; retiring through the portals to snack and snog until an early bedtime and its entertainments called.
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