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The Drawing Room	By : Lindsay Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 1615 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I make any money from writing this story.

Chapter List
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A/N: Hey all. It's been a while since I've writen any fan fiction but I thought I would give it a go with this little story. I am not a Harry Potter expert so discrepencies probably abound. This story takes place much after the war in an alternate universe. Chapter lengths are short, about 3000 words each, and I likely wont be updating more than once a week. Thanks for checking it out. Enjoy!
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Harry Potter walked down a deserted ministry hallway; his plain robes billowed behind him carelessly and his shoes scuffed loudly against the floor causing an echo to swell around him. His outward appearance betrayed nothing of his inner excitement. Shacklebolt had called Harry to his office on the pretense of a new high-profile case. Harry worked in a new special division of the Department of Dark Artifacts and hadn’t had a new case in months.
After the war the Death Eaters were rounded up and even those with only a scant involvement in the war were sentenced to Azkaban. The Ministry was in no way lenient to anyone baring the dark mark and the wizarding world, once unsettled by the whirlwind of unfair biased trials and sentencing brought upon the Dark Lord’s followers, now seemed to have moved on and forgotten that that sort of evil ever existed.
For Harry it had only been six years and the war and the ensuing trials were still fresh in his mind. It was hard to forget when his job required him to seek out and destroy any dark artifacts the Death Eater’s had left behind. Six years later and the number of cases had dwindled appropriately and Harry was growing restless.
In truth he could have had a more exciting job working with Ron with the Auror’s. Harry had blown that opportunity when he went against the new Ministry and was forced out of his Auror position three years ago. It was a decision that greatly affected his standing in the wizarding world. His face had been plastered on the cover of nearly every newspaper for a year after he left the Aurors. Even now his legacy made him somewhat of a celebrity and even if it wasn’t positive attention Harry was decidedly bitter about it.
Shacklebolt was expecting Harry so he didn’t bother knocking before entering his office. His receptionist sat studiously at her desk, half buried by rolls of parchment, but beamed when she saw him.
“Go on in Auror Potter, he’s ready for you,” she smiled sweetly at him as he passed her, sending her a belated thank-you after realizing again he couldn’t remember her name. He was used to people still calling him ‘Auror’.
Harry entered Shacklebolt’s inner office to find the man hunched over his desk scouring a large tome with brittle yellowed pages. He did not look up and Harry didn’t bother waiting for an invitation as he sat in one of the cushy chairs opposite Shaklebolt’s desk. The man continued reading for a long moment before slamming shut the massive book and turning his attention to Harry.
“Harry,” he said in way of greeting.
“Kingsley,” Harry replied; he had stopped calling him Minister once they’d become something akin to friends.
“I’m glad you could make it here on such short notice,” Kingsley said as a formality and Harry merely nodded, “We have a massive case unraveling and Auror’s Abbott and Corner are proving to be ineffectual in locating the dark artifacts that we know to exist.”
“Pardon me?” Harry asked feeling totally lost. He hadn’t known that Abbott and Corner, both Auror’s in the same branch of department as Harry, had been working on a big case. Kingsley’s vagueness also wasn’t helping him to understand anything.
“As you know, due to the ongoing legal proceedings regarding Malfoy Manor we have been unable to investigate the property. Last month the case was closed; it was determined that since there are no free or living Malfoy’s to lay claim to the property or their sizeable fortune the Wizengamot has decided to liquidate everything excluding the manor,” Kingsley paused, letting Harry absorb this information. Harry was surprised that the Wizengamot had finally reached a decision regarding Malfoy Manor. It had been one of the most drawn out and complicated cases during the war trials.
The Wizengamot wanted to preserve the historic significance of the property once all the dark artifacts had been removed and disposed of but the Ministry of Magic and the general populace wanted the property to be liquidated and demolished. It looks like they had finally come to an agreement where the manor remained but was stripped of everything else which would likely be auctioned off for charity; which is how Harry assumed the Malfoy fortune would be divvied up, to none but the most deserving charities and families hurt most by the war. This was standard practice after the trials which left a lot of wealthy families related to known Death Eaters penniless despite their neutrality in the war. Harry didn’t entirely support the Wizengamot’s decisions in these matters.
“What seems to be the problem?” Harry asked, judging by his expression when discussing Abbott and Corner he could tell that Kingsley felt disdain at their failure.
“No one seems to be able to break through any of the inner wards. The protection charms surrounding the manor have been dismantled but the other Auror’s can’t even get into the manor itself,” Kingsley shook his head in exasperation. “I need your help,” he added rhetorically.
“Of course, I don’t know why you didn’t ask me to begin with,” coming from anyone else that might have sounded arrogant but Kingsley knew he was short-changing Harry by not assigning him the case in the first place. Harry was just excited about having something interesting to work on for once.
“You’re quite right, Harry. I was initially worried about the attention that this case will garner you but…I hope you understand the urgency behind my request; the Wizengamot wants Malfoy Manor taken care of as soon as possible. I know you prefer to work alone but I have assigned Hermione Granger as your partner,” Kingsley smiled briefly knowing Harry would be pleased to work with Hermione, however Harry simply frowned.
“It isn’t safe for Hermione to be near the Manor,” Harry pointed out.
“Of course not, she will simply be working as a researcher on the case but I expect you to work closely together. These are difficult charms to disable and while I have no doubt in your ability I think you’ll benefit from Hermione’s advice.”
Harry was glad to be working with Hermione, who was currently seven months pregnant with hers and Ron’s third child. His friend worked for the Ministry in the Department of Research and Development. She had continued her legacy as bookworm into adulthood and it suited her well. Her job was highly demanding and she was often researching for multiple cases at the same time yet she still managed to have time to care for the kids and the house and Ron and all the other things she micromanages that make Harry admire her even more.
“That sounds great,” Harry replied.
“Well then, I guess that’s all. Here’s the file,” Kingsley handed Harry a thick folder, plain and no different than any other case folder but somehow it felt different, “You’ll find everything you need in there and I expect you to read it carefully as I need you to start on Monday. There’s a portkey tucked inside; it will take you to and fro Malfoy Manor,” Harry could feel it, a small lump hidden within the papers, “Because of the short notice there will be no briefing although I recommend that you meet with Hermione to talk strategy.”
“Of course, thank you Kingsley,” Harry replied once he got over how short this notice really was. Notice or not it was the best case Harry had gotten in years and he wasn’t going to complain about semantics.
Harry and Shacklebolt shook on it before Harry disappeared from the room; the file a heavy weight in his hands. He waved goodbye to Shacklebolt’s receptionist on the way out and was barely in the hallway before a flying memo nearly took out his eye. He batted it to the ground before retrieving the tiny paper airplane and unfolding the note.
Harry,
Meet us at The White Horse tonight at eight.
Hermione
The memo was short and to the point. He knew Hermione was probably freaking out because of the short notice to start on Monday with today being Thursday, and Harry assumed she wanted to get started as soon as possible. The White Horse was a muggle pub near Ron and Hermione’s house in muggle London. They were living among muggles because Hermione’s mother had fallen ill and they had wanted to be closer to her parents. He magiked a quick confirmation onto the back of the memo and sent it back to her.
Harry made his way back to his office going out of his way to avoid Corner and Abbott because he was sure that by now they knew he’d taken over their case. In truth his ‘office’ was just a formality and Harry barely spent any time there at all. He closed his office door and dropped the heavy file folder onto his cluttered desk before flopping unceremoniously into his chair. He resigned to spend the rest of the day learning as much as he could about Malfoy Manor.
As it turns out Malfoy Manor had a rather dull history leading up to the war when Voldemort used the Manor as his headquarters. The information provided little knowledge about the Malfoy’s heritage. All that was included was a crude one page family tree and countless documents marking the various raids the ministry had performed on the Manor. Never had they uncovered dark artifacts but the suspicion that the Malfoy’s dealt in dark magic went back generations.
Harry read over the report’s detailing Aurors Corner and Abbott’s involvement in the case but their findings didn’t provide any valuable information. After they had disabled the wards the Ministry had placed around the property they had struggled for three weeks just to break through the Malfoy’s wards surrounding the house. They had gotten so far as the front door but hadn’t had any progress in actually getting inside before they were taken off of the case.
By the time Harry closed the folder it was already passed seven and he’d have to hurry so as not to be late meeting Hermione. His friend would be impressed that he’d already read through the file at least. Harry made his way out of the deserted office before flooing to Number 12 Grimmauld Place which had become his home in the years following the war. He changed from his Auror robes into muggle clothes, jeans and a plain jumper, before apparating to a deserted alleyway a block up from The White Horse.
It was short walk and Harry was thankful as it was quite cold and he hadn’t bothered with a jacket. As he rounded the corner at the end of the block The White Horse came into view and carried with it the sound of muffled music and laughter. The White Horse was a pub-style restaurant with a large bar and occasionally live music. When Harry entered the establishment it took him a moment to get used to the muted lighting which was significantly dimmer than the streetlights had been. The White Horse was crowded but Harry moved through the crowd with practiced ease, knowing that his friends would be waiting for him in a booth near the back of the restaurant.
“Oi, Harry!” moments after that thought he heard Ron’s voice and followed it back to a booth and slid in across from Ron and Hermione. “Here mate, I ordered you a drink,” Ron announced sliding a sweating mug of ale towards Harry before he’d even had a chance to say hello.
“Thanks Ron. How’ve you been?” Harry asked them amiably and listened as they both gushed about the children and all the preparations they were making for the new baby. They asked Harry what he’d been up to but it was mostly about work and it wasn’t long before the conversation turned to his love-life.
“You know,” Hermione began, “Ginny’s been asking about you; wondering how you are and all that. It’s been so long since you’ve seen each other…” she trailed off with a shrug but gave Harry a pointed look.
“I know, I’ve just been busy. And I’ve already told you it wasn’t going to work out; I cant give her what she wants no matter how guilty the lot of you make me feel,” Harry replied a bit indignantly.
“Hey! I hope you don’t think I’m trying to make you feel guilty,” Ron piped up, “You may have broken my sisters heart but I’m glad you did it now and not in ten years.”
“Ron!” Hermione scolded and Ron at least had enough sense to look sheepish. “You could at least try Harry,” she prodded some more.
“I did try! I tried for five years and all she wants is marriage and kids. And I don’t. It would have been unfair if I led her on,” Harry was feeling defensive as he usually was when the topic of his and Ginny’s failed relationship was brought up.
“Well you don’t have to avoid her,” Hermione added, knowing she couldn’t win the argument but her pregnancy hormones were rampant and she had to get the last word in.
“C’mon ‘Mione leave him alone. Don’t you have a case to discuss anyways?” Ron cut in, and Harry silently thanked him for changing the subject.
“You’re right, but I’m afraid there isn’t much to discuss,” she responded dejectedly.
“I know what you mean – the file provides no information of actual value,” Harry responded, frustration evident on his face.
“I think the best we can hope for is that this case will become less mysterious once you’re actually at Malfoy Manor. I think it’s obvious why the other Auror’s couldn’t break the wards and I also think it’s obvious why Shacklebolt put you on the case,” Hermione said pointedly.
“It’s because Harry’s the only Auror who uses dark magic, right?” Ron asked his mouth full of bread and spitting crumbs everywhere.
“Yes dear,” Hermione said patronizingly. Shacklebolt tried to keep it hush-hush but everyone knew that Harry had been using dark magic to locate dark artifacts for years now as it was often the only way to break through Death Eater wards. His hero status had long dried up and the press on him had become less supportive and more accusatory.
“Abbott did report a foreboding feeling while being at the manor,” Harry pointed out – trying to steer the conversation back to the case.
“They might have been feeling the dark magic protecting the house or even the artifacts themselves,” Hermione replied, looking deep in thought, “Or they’re imaginations were running wild with the stigma that goes with Malfoy Manor.”
“Good point,” Harry conceded and a brief silence settled as they tried to think of the best approach to this situation.
“At any rate we can’t even formulate a plan until you actually get into the manor. Based on the information the Ministry has provided and our own knowledge, I think it’s safe to assume that the Drawing Room will be the hardest to get into as that’s the room Voldemort occupied the most and it’s most likely to house dark artifacts,” Hermione was right of course but unfortunately there wasn’t anything to really discuss prior to getting into the manor.
“It would make more sense to disable all the other wards before even going near the drawing room. Dark wards tend to be linked together and if I break all of the wards throughout the rest of the manor it should weaken those surrounding that room,” Harry glanced around as he talked; paranoid that someone might overhear.
“Wouldn’t that take a long time?” Ron asked.
“It would but it might be the only feasible option. The spells must be powerful if Abbott and Corner couldn’t even get inside; and to think Harry, you’ll be working alone,” Hermione’s worry was plain to see but Harry gave her a reassuring smile.
“I won’t be alone – I’ll have you,” he insisted but she still wore a stern expression although it lessened with his words.
“The best damn researcher the Ministry has!” exclaimed Ron, and finally Hermione cracked a smile.
“I’ll drink to that!” Harry agreed, raising his glass and clanking it noisily against Ron’s causing Hermione to laugh in appreciation.
“Very well,” Hermione conceded, “But I want you to take this,” she said as she handed Harry a sleek walk-e-talkie.
“What for?” Harry looked at the muggle contraption in confusion.
“It’s so we can communicate more easily, I’ll have the other one and that way we have an instant uninterrupted way to talk to each other,” she explained and Harry knew she wouldn’t be satisfied if he didn’t take it.
“Couldn’t I just use my patronis? Or we could floo call each other?” he asked anyways, adding, “And will these really work when we’re so far away from each other?”
“They have a 600 kilometer range, top of the line for this sort of thing. Wiltshire is not nearly that far so I think this would be more logical and reliable than using magic to communicate,” the way Hermione said it Harry knew there was no room for argument.
“Alright, thanks Hermione,” Harry replied, slipping the device into his pocket.
They didn’t talk any more about the case after that but Harry was more than willing to listen to his friends stories about their children and their respective jobs. Six years after the war the only thing that was unchanged seemed to be their friendship.
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The Drawing Room