Summary: All out war is close at hand, yet hearts and feelings stir. There is hope left yet for Draco that Harry will be his... even though everyone and everything seems to be against him. DMHP. Side RWHG NLGW

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter (Duh).

Warning: This will contain yaoi/gay/guyxguy relationships, so if you don't like that kind of stuff, don't bloody read it, okay?

A/N: Heh, I have started yet another story. I swear my muse is ADHD sometimes... 'Neway, I hope you'll like this one as much as you like my other ones. Comment and tell me how much you like it (please?). I'm doing page counts down at the bottom again... Thanks so much to my Beta, Akamatsu-san. -points- So freakin' awesome!

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Destiny In War - Chapter One

It had been two years since Harry had left Hogwarts for the last time. War was still brewing. Reports came in everyday of Death Eater attacks and magical creature societies of all kinds were being forced to choice sides. Small battles had been fought and won, but all out war was yet to come.

Harry, the leader and supposed savior in this war, was finding it hard to avoid the responsibilities that had been forced on him. In the past months, he had even stopped trying to. Important people, like strategists and advisors, were in and out of his London suburb home. He couldn't go out into Wizarding London without beings stopped. He was tired; so very tired of everything. There seemed to be no rest for him anymore.

Today had to have been the busiest days of the week. Ron and Hermione had finally gotten married that morning. It was a very beautiful wedding despite how small it had to be. Directly after, though, both Ron and Harry had to get to work again. They were always working together. Ron had the mind for strategy, it seemed.

Harry was finally home after such a long day. He hoped that the Minister of Magic was too preoccupied to visit him tonight. That was probably wishful thinking. The man never seemed to take a hint. He didn't understand how the idiot was still in office because Cornelius never had the brains to hold the position in the first place.

Sighing, Harry tossed his jacket on the back of the couch. A flick of his wrist and wand started a fire in the stone hearth, casting dim light into the room, chasing after the fading pinks and oranges of the sunset almost gone. Glancing over at his desk in the corner, he could tell that he had work yet to do. Rolls of parchment and unopened envelopes lay in neat piles on the glossed wood. He guessed from that neatness that Hermione had been over again.

Harry dropped down onto the couch and stretched until his back popped in several different places. The warmth from the fireplace washed over him and he closed his eyes. This was probably the first time in weeks that he could really relax. His dreams had been filled with death and dying and a constant feeling of helplessness. This feeling was why he was trying so hard while he was awake. He had taken to drinking dreamless sleep potions every night. He could make that potion in his sleep. In a manner of speaking. He didn't care anymore that they were addicting. It was the only way he could sleep now.

Day by day, Harry felt as if his energy was depleting. Maybe it was because of the lack of real sleep, or maybe because of all the responsibility he was forcing himself to take. He took it because it really was his responsibility. The wizarding world was looking to him to save them. He was the only one who could do it. If he failed...

Harry shook his head quickly to rid his mind of the nightmarish images that were produced. He couldn't fail. There was only one chance at this. If he failed to kill Voldemort, he would...

Harry gave a small, ironic smile to the fire. Funny how responsibility like this made you morbid. He was trapped to this fate, one of the world's making. And it felt like the world was laughing at him. He had no choice but to give it his best attempt. The thought of running away from it all flickered across the back of his mind, not for the first time that day. He shoved it back. That was the coward's way out and he wouldn't be taking it.

'I'm no coward!' he thought fiercely.

Stretching once more, he stood up and slowly walked to the desk. A short bit of parchment lay in the middle of the arrangement with Hermione's neat handwriting on it. He sighed when he picked it up. It was probably another worry note.

Dear Harry,

I came over to visit around noon. Obviously, you weren't here. Couldn't help myself when I noticed how massy your desk was. I didn't read anything, so don't worry.

I noticed that you have dreamless sleep potions in your cupboard. I can understand you having them if you're having nightmares again, but please be careful. Those potions are highly addictive. Just please be careful.

Much love,

Hermione

Harry gave an amused hum and set the note to the side. Hermione was always so perceptive. She seemed so delicate lately. It was probably because of the fact that she was female was coming out from the back of his mind again. Even so, she was very clever and very useful.

He grimaced. He hated that way of thinking; thinking of people as tools in this war. It seemed to catch him now and then before he quickly shoved it back. It was how he imagined Voldemort would think. He picked up the pile of envelopes and started sifting through them. His eyes instantly picked out the sleep arrogant writing. Draco had written him again.

Harry tossed the others back on the desk and carefully broke the seal. He had first started referring to Malfoy as Draco in 7th year. The blond had come to him, cuts up and down his arms in the middle of Christmas break. At first he had thought that he had gone suicidal. Until Draco explained it. He had been disowned. The process involved cutting slashes up both arms and letting the person bleed until they were near death. Some pure blood families didn't stop the bleeding and just sent them off with the clothes on their backs to die on their own. Draco had made his way to Hogsmead and had found Harry. Maybe it had only been coincidence, but he could still see the hope in Draco's eyes when he saw Harry before passing out. With the help of Madam Pomphry, Draco was nursed back to health. For the rest of the year, Draco spent a lot of time with Harry and they became friends. The two still spent time together, but lately, Draco had felt distant.

The letter was out and unfolded in seconds. Maybe there would be some answers in here.

Harry,

I am very sorry for my behavior of late. My family, well actually my mother, has offered to have me back in the family. I've been going around getting information, and it seems I cannot even trust my own mother. Despite flowery words, I knew the woman had not changed. Blaise has informed me that my father is dead. His appearances have been by polijuice. I don't know who though.

It feels like I haven't seen you in months, but I'm afraid that I can't see you until I can find out exactly what it is that my mother wants. I would hate for anything to happen to you because I did something stupid.

Take care of yourself. I'll send you another letter when it's safe again. Or at least as safe as it can be in this bloody war.

Draco

Harry sighed and folded the letter back up. It seemed that everyone was telling him to be careful. He wondered faintly why Draco telling him to do so didn't bother him as much.

He returned to the other letters, scanning over each of them and adding the new information to the back of his mind. In his heart, Harry wished that the war had never started, that Voldemort would just come out and try to kill him again. He knew that was impossible though. It was the nature of man to create an army more than was needed. It was frustrating.

Just as he finished scanning through the last letter, the room glowed green and Fudge stepped out of the fire. He immediately took off his hat and started turning it in his hands as he spoke.

"The Night Elf Queen is refusing audience with any wizards without her whole court, which means practically half the whole night elf population. The woman is infuriating. She can't see past-"

"Queen Allana has the right to be suspicious of us, Minister." Harry placed the final letter on top of the others (he had some sense of organization), then turned slowly to face Fudge. "I strongly suggest that you do not judge the elves before you've actually gotten a chance to know them. Or have you forgotten the lesson the Light elves taught you already?" He crossed his arms and leaned on the desk.

Fudge had the decency to flush and keep his mouth shut.

Nodding, Harry turned back to the desk and shuffled through the letters again. "There's been a division in the vampires. My sources say that they are willing to work with us..."

The older man nodded quickly and wiped his brow. "That is good."

Before Harry could state what the vampires' demands had been, there was a loud tapping. Both wizards' attentions were directed to the window. With a flick of Harry's wand, that seemed to appear out of nowhere, the window opened and a regal hawk owl flew in, coming to rest on the wooden stand by the desk.

"Whose owl is that?"

Harry quickly untied the letter from the bird's leg. "The vampires want to be part of the elite forces. I will talk to both Queen Allana and the vampire leader tomorrow." He glanced up at Fudge over his glasses, brilliant green eyes flashing. "I do not want you to be over here at any point tomorrow, Minister."

The man flushed angrily before appariting away with a loud pop.

Harry didn't care that Fudge was mad. It was his own damn fault. Pushing away the anger, he opened the letter. It was Draco's handwriting again.

Harry,

My mother was the one posing as my father. She wanted me back in the family to carry on the family name. She doesn't know how long it will be before she is killed too. I'm back at the manor now. The ceremony was last night and now I have more cuts on my arms. Otherwise, I am fine. My mother has run away from the manor. What she did was entirely selfish. She knew I was the only chance left for the Black and Malfoy names to live on.

Now that it is safe, I should like to see you. There is something that I need to tell you, but I want to tell it to you in person. Please send a note back with Arod telling me how soon I can expect to see you. (Harry noticed that the hawk owl was still there on the stand, preening its feathers.)

Draco

Instinctively, Harry turned the paper over, his eyes searching. He spotted what he was looking for within seconds. A small, inked pair of wings stood out, to him at least, on the parchment. He was relieved to see they were green. It was a code Draco and he had. Green meant Harry had been the only one to see it. Red meant that someone had intercepted it. He must have been out of it to forget to check the other letter.

After a quick search of his desk, he found a blank bit of parchment. Then he pulled the chair out, sat down, and reached for his quill and inkwell.

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Draco,

I would like to see you too. Unfortunately, I am very busy tomorrow. I have to meet with Queen Allana and then I have to meet with some rebel vampires after nightfall. You can come at any time during the day tomorrow, but I won't have time to talk until late in the night and then I'll be too tired. Either way, I hope to see you this week.

Ron and Hermione finally got married today. It was small but very sweet. It's amazing how close those two are while all of this is happening. I hope we can find someone as faithful someday. I imagine you'll have to find someone to keep you in line.

Anyway, feel free to come over at any time this week. Just not tonight. I am entirely too tired.

Harry

Draco stared at Harry's large, loopy signature for a second before folding it back up and setting it on the desk before him. Soft gray eyes flashed silver.

"You have no idea, Harry," he whispered. "You're the only one that could keep me in line."

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Fudge paced angrily around his study, a letter clenched in his hand. Dismissed like a subordinate and then this!

The letter fluttered to the ground, showing several signatures. Cornelius Fudge was no longer Minister of Magic.

Paper (not front and back) 8

Word Document 5