Rating:Mature
Warning: None yet.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter! The credit goes to J.K Rowling and the Warner bros.
Chapter 1
"Come on Draco!" Harry shouted, running through the rubble toward the center of the collapsed building. The Gryffindor heard a snarl behind him and he laughed, swinging around a corner as he glanced behind his shoulder toward his blonde companion. "What's up your arse this time?" Harry asked, his voice raised to be heard over the shouting from up ahead.
"I don't know why you find it necessary to order me around when I am already doing what needs done!" Malfoy snarled, his cheeks flushed from running. "I was already behind you even before you said anything! In fact, why am I following you at all? Shouldn't it be the other way around? I followed you last time, remember?"
Harry laughed at the man's tone, slowing down so the Slytherin was keeping pace next to him. "That's because you're too slow." He chided teasingly, ducking when Malfoy took a swing at him. "Watch it! Don't want to mess up the merchandise!"
Draco scoffed, rolling his eyes as he vaulted over a fallen column of marble. "Merchandise? Your face would never be enough to sell anything, Potter. Must likely it would turn people away, what with how ugly you are." Malfoy taunted, his robes billowing behind him as he slid his right foot forward and spun to the left, going under a broken timber pole as he spread his arms for balance, rising up when he was passed the debris.
Harry simply ducked beneath it, huffing as he continued to run. "Show off." He muttered, grinning despite himself. He suddenly heard a deep rumble and the wall in front of him to his right started to collapse. Without thought he drew his wand and blasted through the rough rock, jumping through the hole he had made as the stone continued to fall behind him. He landed on his feet and rolled, jumping up and sprinting as the noise from the center of the building grew louder.
"And you call me a show off?!" Draco shouted, skirting past the crumbled wall and following behind the Gryffindor. The blonde heard Harry's wild laughter and he grinned, his hair windswept as they finally skidded to a halt in front of two huge wooden double doors. The thick oak was charred and burned through, barely hanging onto its hinges as it gapped open to reveal the scene of mayhem within.
Harry didn't hesitate as he quickly leapt to the side and pushed Malfoy against one wall, pressing against him as he glanced at the ruined doors. "I'll go in first. When I do I'll dive to the side and have at it. I need you to come up behind me and shield me." Harry said quickly, rattling the instructions off without thought. He felt the blonde shift beneath his hands and he had to bite back a groan, desire lashing up his spine before he wrestled it into control.
"Fine Potter, but if you get hit before I come through it's your fault." Malfoy huffed, his eyes bright with adrenaline as he stared at the Gryffindor. "Now, why don't we get to it and show them who the best wizard is?"
Harry laughed at that, flicking his wand and tapping the Slytherin on the chest with it. "You will always be the best wizard Malfoy." He said, grinning wickedly and snickering when Draco smirked and nodded in agreement.
"And don't you forget it." Malfoy said, nudging Harry to the side. "Now, off with you. I'll be there in a jiff." He said, shooing the man away from him as he withdrew his wand.
Harry snorted and rolled his eyes, turning and looking past the doors to the inside before jumping through. He immediately rolled to the left when his feet hit the ground, a spell whizzing by him seconds afterward. He quickly flicked his wand, shouting as he heard Draco come up behind him. "Stupefy!"
Blue light shot from the tip of his wand and hissed through the air, making impact with a mean looking wizard. The man was pushed from his feet and he skidded backward, tumbling to the ground as his wand clattered to the side.
Harry felt a vicious satisfaction just as Malfoy shielded him, his heart beating wildly due to a rush of adrenaline. He turned to his partner and grinned, his eyes a bright green as he chuckled. "Thank you good sir. I don't know what I would do without you."
"You would probably be dead." Draco huffed, shaking his hair from his face as he crouched next to the Gryffindor. "Or lying around bored out of your mind." He added, his arm flinging out as he hurled a spell at a woman who staggered into sight.
"Bloody bint." Malfoy hissed, watching with satisfaction as she fell to the ground.
Harry chortled at that, leaning against the blondes shoulder. "Really Malfoy? What if that was one of our own?" He asked, his glasses smudged as he gazed up at the blonde. He felt his mouth go dry when the Slytherin smiled, his eyes flashing.
"Well, that would have been too bad for her. Aurors are supposed to be cautious and mindful of those around them. She wasn't. If it was one of our own, and I had hit her, it would be just punishment for being daft and not noticing who was in the area." He replied, gazing deep into Harry's eyes and swishing his wand, hitting a man who had been trying to creep up on them. He did it without breaking eye contact and Harry shivered, lust burning deep.
"Show off." Harry muttered, turning quickly and raising a shield when a green jet of magic sparkled from the corner of his eye. The spell rebounded and Harry grinned, proud of his six sense as he turned back toward his partner. "Now, what do you say about showing these nitwits what a real wizard is?" He asked, feeling a thrill when Draco openly laughed.
"Oh, Potter. I thought you would never ask."
o0o
Two days prior.
"Stop it Malfoy! I'm trying to listen!" Harry hissed, trying to keep his voice down as he glanced over at the Slytherin. They were currently being briefed for the ambush at Brakers Bay, a posh hotel and diner that has been smuggling illegal drugs and weapons into London. Harry was surprised that Kingsley wasn't letting the Muggle police handle it, but apparently it was wizards who were responsible and not a group of non-magicals.
Draco pouted and slumped onto the Gryffindors shoulder as he stopped drawing on the other mans arm, which were bare from fingers to bicep. Harry had rolled up his sleeves before the meeting had started, thinking nothing of it at the time. That was until he and Draco had been called into the case room and the blonde had started to write on his skin with is wand.
"You're no fun Potter." Malfoy muttered, glancing down at the multicolored tattoo he had been creating. The ink would only last a few days, the vibrant hues stark against the Gryffindors tan arm.
"Shut it Malfoy. Trying to listen here." Harry said, the warm weight of the other man heating his entire right side as he listened to Kinglsey. A few moments later he felt the tip of a wand placed back onto his skin and he sighed, not caring anymore what the blonde did so long as it wasn't permanent.
"There are supposedly twenty people who are smuggling the goods into the hotel. A few female and the rest male. We've even come to believe that there will be two Death Eaters there who have been on our hit list for weeks." Kinglsey said, handing out folders to the thirteen people grouped around him. "Two days from now, on Wednesday night, is when they will drop off their next shipment." He said, crossing his arms as he grinned. "That's where we come in."
There was a smattering of laughter around the room and Harry smiled, the cool tip of Draco's wand tracing over his arm as the Minister continued.
"There will be three waves. The first will hit quickly and viciously before retreating. The second wave will pick off the edges and the center. The third will be our sweepers and will take care of the rest." Kinglsey said, holding up his own folder for the group to see. "I detailed you all your positions. Some will be outside the building while the others will be within. The outside group will be part of the third wave, going through the building to take out the rest." He explained, throwing his folder onto the desk beside him. "Now, you-"
Kinglsey was cut off by a yelp of pain, all eyes turning toward the sound. Harry flushed, embarrassed as he closed his mouth and glared at the blonde beside him. There was silence in the room before the Minister cleared his throat and the group of Aurors turned back toward him, the older man regarding Harry with worried eyes.
"Are you alright?" He asked, noticing the way Malfoy hid a smirk.
Harry nodded quickly, his arm tingling with small pulses of pain as he answered. "Yes, I'm alright. Just had a twinge." He said, glaring at the blonde beside him who had leaned away and was hiding his face with his hair.
Kinglsey frowned before sighing and shaking his head, falling into the chair beside him. "Make sure to look through your folder. You'll need to know what position you will be in. Make sure to come back tomorrow morning so we can discuss what questions or inquires you have." He said before waving toward the door. "You are dismissed."
Harry quickly stood and glanced down at his arm, gapping at the ink that covered his skin. His eyes widened as he stared at the words on his arm before quickly turning. He opened his mouth to snarl at the blonde before realizing he wasn't there. Harry glanced around, seeing a flash of platinum hair hurry through the doorway as the Slytherin ran out of the room.
Harry sighed and rubbed his temple, glancing at the beautiful cursive words that adorned his skin. He felt a sudden warmth well up and he shook his head, shrugging on his robe to hide the mark of ownership the blonde had made. The words, in vibrant colors of gorgeous writing, simply read, "Property of Draco Malfoy."
o0o
Present.
"Potter!" Malfoy shouted, leaping forward and pushing Harry out of the way as he quickly threw up a hasty shield spell. A purple stream of light hit the thin wall and fizzled out, the suddenness of it making the Gryffindors heart pound.
Harry sat up and dusted himself off, grabbing his wand that had fallen beside him. "Thanks Malfoy. I didn't see it." He said, his voice breathless from adrenaline.
"I know you didn't you nitwit." Draco huffed, his eyes falling to where the sleeve of Harry's robe had ripped during the fall. "Are you alright?" He asked, reaching forward to grab the Gryffindors arm.
Harry glanced down, checking to make sure there wasn't any blood. "I'm fine. Just a little bit of a scrap. The fabric of my robe saved most of my skin." He said as he grabbed the cloth and looked beneath it, feeling a jolt of emotion when he spied the vibrant cursive that marked his skin from forearm to bicep.
"Good. We don't want our hero to be too damaged now do we?" Draco said, smirking as he stood and flicked his wand. Spells shot from the tip, hitting their mark before Malfoy ducked down again behind the safety of a broken table.
Harry rolled his eyes at that, letting the ripped fabric of his robe cover his temporary tattoo as he rose to a crouch. "Not a hero Malfoy." He said as he stretched one leg out and spun, a spell flashing by him.
"Yes you are. If you weren't the world would end." Draco said as he jumped to the side, bumping into Harry as he did so. The blonde's heat seeped through their clothes and Harry very nearly groaned before he hurriedly looked away and shot a spell to a man that was barreling toward them.
The wizard stiffened and fell to the ground, sliding a few feet before coming to a stop. Not a second after he had been hit a woman came up behind him and shot spells at the two Aurors, who crouched behind a broken table.
Draco quickly threw up a barrier and snarled, standing and striding toward the red haired witch. He lifted his wand and shouted, the woman thrown off her feet and onto the ground by the spell that flashed from Malfoys wand. Draco kept himself poised as he waited, watching as the witch struggled to her feet.
The ginger snarled and hissed, flicking her wand and sending spells the blonde's way. Draco calmly deflected them, his body barely moving before he took a perfect step forward and hurled a ball of magic toward the witch. The woman gave a cry of alarm before falling stiff onto the ground, her wand rolling away from her frozen fingers.
Harry watched the scene with wide eyes, feeling a wave of pure lust sweep through him at the control the blonde had. He quickly scrambled to his feet as everything fell silent, stiff bodies strewn across the ground as he walked toward the Slytherin.
Harry couldn't resist and let his gaze wander, taking in the tight lanky muscles and chiseled facial features. His eyes lingered on the blonde hair and perfect thighs, his body heating up in arousal and his mouth watering He shook his head to get rid of it before he stepped next to the Slytherin, hitting him on the shoulder. "What was that for?"
"She was ginger." Draco sniffed, his lip curled in distaste as he glanced down at the frozen woman in front of them. "She also wasn't going down without a fight. She is more talented than the others." He said reluctantly, not wanting to admit that any red head had skill.
Harry laughed at that, shaking his head before glancing around. "There might be a few stragglers. Do you want to take care of it with me? The first and second wave have already left." He said as he turned back to the blonde.
Malfoy smiled and shrugged, rolling his wand between his fingers as he began to walk back toward the way they had come. "Why not? How hard could it be?"
o0o
One day prior.
"How hard could it be?" Malfoy asked, sitting across from the Gryffindor. "I mean, come on! We've done this so many times I'm becoming bored with it!" He said dramatically as he threw himself over the table to lean on Harrys shoulder.
Harry rolled his eyes at the blonde's antics, warmth spreading in his chest as he stared at the Slytherins pouting face. "Oh come off it. I know you love an operation like this. Just going in and destroying things." He said as he flipped through the folder Kinglsey had given them during the case conference.
Malfoy huffed, his cheek sliding down the Gryffindors bicep as he wrapped his arms around the other mans waist. "But we're the third wave! The ones that have to wait outside while all the action is going on without us!" He said, his blonde hair becoming tangled as he rubbed his face on Harrys arm.
"So? It doesn't matter if we're the last wave. We still get to capture the stragglers and fight our way through. Just think of it as an early vacation." He said as he smiled, flipping the case file closed and placing it on the table. "Now, off with you. I have dinner to make." He said as he reluctantly shrugged off Malfoys hold before standing and walking toward the oven that sat in the corner of the kitchen.
Draco huffed as he watched the Gryffindor, running his fingers through his hair to pull out the snarls. "You can't make anything that actually resembles food Potter. I'm surprised you haven't died yet of food poisoning." Draco grumbled as he stood and trailed after the other man, going over to the cabinets to grab plates and utensils.
"Hey!" Harry exclaimed as he turned away from the stove and toward the blonde. "I can cook just fine!" He protested as he placed his hands on his hips. "I bet you ten gallons that I can cook better then you!" He said, smirking when Draco frowned.
"Only ten?" Malfoy drawled, their conversation like a pair of worn boots. Comfortable and well worn. "I bet you twenty." He said as he crouched and grabbed pots and pans from the bottom cupboard next to the stove. "I will make your mouth melt in ecstasy!" He announced as he slammed a sauce pan onto the oven top.
Harry laughed and walked over to the fridge, his bare feet slapping against the cool tile as he pulled the door open to look inside. "What do you need?" He asked, glancing over at Malfoy from above his glasses.
"Any kind of meat you have, cheese, peppers, basil, salt and pepper, rosemary, and tomato's or tomato sauce if you have any." Draco said, rattling off the list from the top of his head as he dropped garlic and butter into the pan in front of him.
Harry quickly grabbed the things the blonde had asked for and placed them on the counter, leaning against the cabinets as he stared at the Slytherin in front of him. "Have you heard from your mother yet?" He suddenly asked, crossing his arms over his chest as Draco began to hum quietly.
"No, not yet. She said she won't be back until father gets over his time in Azkaban." He said calmly, placing strips of meat into the buttery mess inside the pan and sprinkling it with salt. "I don't know when that will be, but I assume not for another month. They are on extended vacation time so they can take as long as they want."
Harry nodded at that, watching the other man make a tomato sauce with basil and rosemary. The peppers where then fried and melted cheese was put on top, not something that would sound very pleasant but with Draco's hands creating the dish it came out nothing but perfect.
"Can you get the table ready? This is your house after all." Malfoy said with a smile, glancing up from the food he was making.
Harry rolled his eyes and did as told, huffing as he did so. "Why should I do it? You practically live here." He grumbled, placing down cups and plates. "I keep telling you to move in with me, but you keep saying no. Which, in my opinion, makes no sense at all since you never leave anyway." Harry said, raising an eyebrow at the other man.
Draco pursed his lips as he turned, adopting a superior smirk as he cut off the stove. "I have my reasons." He said snobbishly as he smiled, showing that he was merely jesting. He looked back at the oven and grabbed the pans, carefully plating the food as he began to sing, his voice a beautiful timber with a deep burr, filling the room like curls of dark smoke.
Harry leaned on his elbow and rested his chin on his palm as he listened, watching the Slytherin as he began to dance around the kitchen. He sighed in contentment as Draco's voice spun through the air and fell like shattered glass, twirling down and rising full in the air.
"You stole my breath. My heart. My soul. I've lost my mind and all control." Draco sang softly as he placed the pans back on the stove, his voice fading as he sat down at the table across from Harry. Silently they dug into the meal, both of them salivating as the delicious flavors exploded across their tongues.
Harry was the first one to break the silence, setting his fork down as he grabbed his cup of water. "You know, I don't know what I would do without you." He said, smiling at the blonde before drinking from his glass and setting it down.
"I dread to think of what you would be like all by yourself." Draco said, flashing the Gryffindor a grin before growing serious. "I'm the same. I think it would be awfully boring if you weren't around." He said, glancing down at his plate before looking up at Harry from beneath his lashes.
Harry felt tenderness well up in his chest and he nodded, gathering up their plates and throwing them into the sink before striding back to the table. "Now, before we get to mushy, how about we look over the rest of the file?" He suggested, laughing when Malfoy groaned before standing and following him into the living room.
"Forget what I said earlier. You're boring." Draco huffed, throwing himself into the couch and burying his face into the cushions. Harry chuckled in amusement, sitting on the couch next to the blonde's side as he placed the vanilla folder onto the coffee table.
Harry rolled up his sleeves to get them out of the way, glancing at the temporary tattoo on his arm before poking Malfoy in the shoulder. "Come on you, we have stuff that needs done. You know that if we don't read the file we won't be on the case."
"Yeah, yeah." Malfoy grumbled, his cheek smushed against the seat. "Get on with it before I fall asleep you twat."
Harry felt laughter explode from his chest at the insult before turning to the folder, flipping it open as he continued to chuckle. "What would I do without you?" He asked, his tone warm as he glanced down at Malfoys head.
Draco glanced up and grinned, his eyes a bright silver. "I don't know Harry, but I am sure that you would lead a dull and boring life with uninteresting people by your side." He said, sitting up and scouting closer to the Gryffindor. "Now get on with it, you've stalled enough."
Harry snickered and shook his head, running his fingers over the cursive words on his arm. "Sir, yes sir." He muttered, turning the pages as Draco leaned against his side. "You don't have to tell me twice."
o0o
Present.
"Do I really have to tell you for the second time?!" Harry snarled, throwing a spell at the back of a woman who had been trying to run away. The brunette fell without a noise and Harry quickly shot another spell at her, tying her hand and foot with rope. "This corridor won't lead to where we need to go!"
"How do you know?" Draco sniffed, levitating a large piece of fallen wall from in front of him and to the side so he could get through. Without missing a beat he stepped past the woman on the ground and continued on, unmindful of the Gryffindors snarls and growls.
"Because I looked at the bloody map last night while you slept and snored!" Harry said, thinking back on how the blonde had fallen asleep on the couch before Harry had the chance to order him to go home and rest. "This leads to a dead end!" He said, following the blonde and turning the corner. He gave a shout of triumph when the hallway ended at a wall, verifying that Harry had indeed been right. "I told you!"
Draco huffed and rolled his eyes, glancing over at the Gryffindor with a smirk. "All I see is a wall Potter." He said condescendingly, wrinkling his nose when Harry glared at him. "Something as trifle as that won't stop me." He said as he flicked his wand and blew a large hole into the plaster in front of him.
Harry sputtered, his jaw slack before he growled and hissed angrily at the blonde. "Malfoy! What the hell are you thinking! You can't just blow things up for the hell of it!" He said loudly, smacking the Slytherin on the arm. "What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing is wrong with me Potter." Malfoy replied as he stepped forward and walked through the gaping hole in the wall, his robes brushing against the ground as he bent and twisted his body to get past the edges of broken wall. "Don't try to be innocent and say you wouldn't have done it if you had the chance. We all know you would have." Draco said as he brushed himself off and waited for the Gryffindor to come through the hole before continuing down the hall.
Harry hurried to catch up, grabbing Malfoys arm and tugging on him to slow him down. "Still, you shouldn't just blow holes in walls without warning me first. I almost had a heart attack." He grumbled, wrapping his fingers around the blonde's bicep and keeping hold as they walked down the corridor.
Draco rolled his eyes as he walked, not bothered by the way the Gryffindor was hanging onto him. "I doubt it Potter, but think what you wish." He said before he paused, cocking his head as he listened for something.
Harry stayed silent and waited, knowing the blonde would tell him what it was soon enough. He didn't have long to wait before Draco suddenly lurched to the side and hid from view of the other hallway. Harry followed without hesitation, becoming aware of the voices drifting down the hall.
Harry quickly slipped his wand from his wrist holster and slid closer to the Slytherin beside him, glancing over at the man and nodding to show he was ready. His eyes narrowed when Malfoy gave a sharp jerk of his head accompanied with a wave of his hand, signaling the order to jump out and roll while throwing up a shield.
Harry nodded and braced himself, lunging in front of the people who had finally turned the corner. Harry threw a stunner before a shield, hearing a cry of alarm before Malfoy slid beside him. They both glanced through the shield and realized that it was a group of Aurors from the ministry, consisting the third and last wave with Weasley at the front.
"What the hell Harry!" Ron cried, gesturing to his partner who lay on the ground stiff as a board. "You scared the bloody hell out of me!" He said shrilly, the other three people around him hiding their grins.
Harry stood and brushed himself off, the shield charm falling as he walked through it. Malfoy trailed closely behind him, the blonde grabbing onto his arm and keeping hold as they stopped in front of the other Aurors.
"Good thing I wasn't the enemy." Harry commented as he clapped the red head on the shoulder with his palm. "If I was, you would probably be dead by now." He said casually, glancing down at the man he had hit. "Sorry mate."
Draco snorted beside him, leaning against the Gryffindors shoulders as he nodded to the other Aurors. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone this side of the building." He said as he tapped his wand against his thigh. "Why are you all here and not at the front, defending the entrance?" He asked, frowning.
"The front is being watched by Rowling's men." Ron answered, crouching down to poke at his partner who still lay frozen on the ground. "But don't worry, John King is with them so they should be fine." He said as he stood and brushed his robes off, resigning himself to wait till his partner got up.
"John King?" Harry questioned, not recognizing the name. "Who is that? I haven't seen him around before." He said, his brow furrowed as he tried to match the name with a face.
"It's a she by the way. I'm surprised you haven't heard of her." Ron said, looking down as the man on the floor groaned. "John's pretty great with wand work, that's why I wanted her out in the front."
"She? John is a girl?" Harry said incredulously, his jaw dropping slightly.
Ron nodded, grinning at his friend. "Yep, I know. I had the same reaction when I realized. But, surprisingly, it fits." He said with a shrug, reaching down and dragging the other Auror to his feet as he began to move. "By the way, are there any people left we need to set straight?"
"No, we took care of it." Draco said, his voice a low grumble as he leaned more heavily onto Harrys shoulder. "I left them tied up in rope, without wands, in the room down the corridor through the wall."
"Through the wall?" Ron questioned, wrinkling his nose in confusion.
Harry nodded and rolled his eyes, pointing to the Slytherin who was draped over his left arm. "This one did it. Not me." He said, poking Malfoy on the shoulder to emphasis who the culprit was.
Ron frowned but then shook his head, holding his hand up. "You know what? I'm not even going to ask." He said as he took a step around the two partners, dragging his own behind him. "My team is going to go ahead and sweep out the people you tied up to take them back to the Ministry. You two will be fine on your own, right?"
Harry nodded, grinning as he waved. "We'll be careful. See you back at the front?" He asked, turning his head to speak to the other Gryffindor so he didn't dislodge Draco.
"Yeah, thats fine." Ron said before pausing. "You should talk to John too. I've been meaning to set you two up. You could give her some advice. She's amazing with the wand but too quick to let fly spells. Try to help her with that." Ron said as he turned back around. "See you later Harry." He added over his shoulder, walking down the hall with his team and disappearing from sight.
Harry grinned after his friend before he glanced down at Malfoy, his eyes locking with silver. "Do you want to go to the front or try to weed out the rest?" He inquired, already knowing the answer before he had asked.
Draco snorted and straightened, sliding his wand back into its holster before grinning. "Weed them out of course." He said before turning and striding purposefully down the hall, his robes billowing behind him.
Harry rolled his eyes and followed, grinning at the blonde's energy. "Of course." He muttered before running to catch up and plunging into the next hallway, adrenaline surging at the unknown ahead.
o0o
The night before.
"Of course." Harry muttered as he stared down at Draco, the man snoring softly beside him. "You just had to fall asleep didn't you?" He grumbled, grinning despite himself. He reached down and smoothed the blonde's bangs, the thick locks of platinum silver caressing his skin as he ran his fingers through the thick mane of hair.
Harry startled when the Slytherin suddenly moaned and leaned into the touch, his body curling around Harrys back. The Gryffindor chuckled and continued to pet the blonde, exhaustion lingering at the edge of his mind as he gave into pampering the sleeping man.
"You are such a handful." Harry muttered, sitting a little straighter to crack his back before slumping back down and running his hand through the Slytherins hair. "But don't worry, I don't mind." He said to himself, smiling. The grin slowly faded as he became lost in his thoughts, working his fingers through the soft strands as he muttered to himself.
"You know, you could just move in with me." He whispered, scratching the Slytherins scalp and shivering when the man gave a low moan. "You wouldn't even have that much stuff to move because you already have most of it here." He murmured, rubbing the pads of his fingers down Malfoys neck before continuing with his petting.
"I want you to move in. I want you to stay." Harry said softly, his voice sad and full of yearning as he gazed down at the sleeping blonde. "I know it's selfish, but I can't help myself." The Gryffindor sighed, resting his elbow on his knee and leaning his chin into his palm.
"If only you knew I much I needed you. I wouldn't be surprised if you ran screaming for the hills." He said, chuckling dryly at the image those words produced. He fell silent a moment later as he ran a thumb over Draco's cheek, the skin soft beneath his fingers.
Harry heaved a loud sigh before he let his hand drop away, leaning both elbows on his knees as he buried his face into his palms. He rubbed his cheeks vigorously, his glasses pushed up to his forehead. He sat completely still a moment later before slumping again, the frames of his spectacles hitting his nose as they fell back down onto his face.
"I'm so tired." He whispered, his voice flat and emotionless as he stared unseeingly at the case folder that lay open on the table in front of him. He was silent for long moments before Draco suddenly stirred behind him, making him start in surprise.
"Wha'?" Malfoy said groggily, looking around and blinking up at Harry as he smiled. "Good morning." He whispered, his voice husky with sleep. His smile fell however when he got a good look at Harry's face, his attitude immediately changing from drowsy to worried so fast it left Harrys head spinning. "Are you alright?"
Harry nodded silently, a small smile surfacing as he ran his fingers through the blonde's hair. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just exhausted." He answered softly, leaning forward and closing the case file before turning back to the blonde.
"Well, then why aren't you going to bed?" Malfoy asked struggling to sit up, but his sleep slackened muscles refused to budge. He fell back with a huff and Harry laughed, his mood lightening considerably before he stood and helped the other man to his feet.
"I was going to, but I had to finish reading the file." Harry answered, grabbing the folder and standing to place it on the fireplace mantle. "I was actually ready to kick you off the couch so I could go to bed, but you beat me to it by waking yourself up." He said casually, laughing when Draco growled at him.
"If you had done that you would have a little less of yourself afterward." Draco threatened, rising from the couch and striding over to where Harry was standing. "Now, I can see the bags under your eyes. Do you know what that means?" He asked, grabbing the Gryffindors hand and pulling him down the hall.
Harry grinned, cocking his head to the side in a teasing manner. "What does it mean?" He asked, the skin of the blondes hand smooth with rough callouses on each finger.
"Bedtime. That's what it means." Malfoy said, opening Harry's bedroom door and pushing him inside. "Now, go to sleep. I don't want you half dead tomorrow before the mission even starts. I'll go ahead and take the guest room next door." He said, watching to make sure Harry got into bed before going to shut the door. He paused just as it was about to close, poking his head back in and smiling.
"You know…I heard the last little bit of what you said earlier." Malfoy stated, noticing how the Gryffindor tensed up and choosing to ignore it. "Don't worry. I won't run away. You can't scare me off that easily." Malfoy said softly, his voice warm. "I'll be here until you get tired of me." He announced, disappearing from view as he began to close the door.
"Wait!" Harry cried suddenly, about to scramble from the bed to stop the blonde from leaving. He sighed in relief when Malfoy popped his head back in, a questioning frown adorning his pale lips. After a beat Harry sat back down, twisting the covers in his hands as he looked at the blonde with a shy smile. "I could never get tired of you."
Malfoy stared at the Gryffindor, his face lighting with a sudden smile. "I'm glad." Malfoy said softly before waving his hand, a teasing glint in his eye. "Now, go to sleep. We have work in the morning." He said, chuckling when Harry groaned. "Oh hush you. You know you love it." He said as he grabbed the door knob, his blonde hair ruffled from Harry's fingers. "Good night Potter."
"Good night Malfoy." Harry said softly, waiting until the door closed before he attacked his pillow and smushed his face against the soft fabric in happiness. "Good night indeed."
o0o
Present.
"I think we should look in the last wing. That would be the most logical place since the sweepers are going in the other direction. They won't be expecting us." Harry said, walking beside Malfoy as they went through a connecting room that led to the next corridor.
"Sounds about right." Draco said, opening another door and stepping into a long hallway with glass windows. "Do you want to split up?" He asked, pausing in front of one skylight as he turned to face the Gryffindor beside him.
Harry shook his head and grinned, watching rays of moonlight play among the sharp angles of the blondes face. "What? Are you tired of me already?" He joked, flicking his wand absentmindedly as he waited for Malfoys snide remark.
"I could never get tired off you." Draco said with a smile before he paused and adopted a thoughtful expression, tapping his chin with the tip of his finger. "Never mind. I take it back. You are extremely annoying at times. Especially when you-"
A sudden jarring crash cut the rest of the sentence off, Harry and Draco both leaping out of the way and throwing up a hasty shield spell to protect them from the rain of broken glass. The two Aurors knelt behind the thin sheet of magic, looking through it and seeing a group of figures come rushing at them from down the hall.
"I get the left you get the right." Draco instructed, the shield wavering as the spell began to break. "On my count." He said, the magic in front of them thinning. "One…..two..….Go!" He shouted, the shield dissipating as they launched themselves at their attackers.
The corridor was full of magic as Harry and Draco shot spells and threw up shields, gaining ground as the four men in front of them started to fall back. Shouts and loud yell echoed down the hallway, the glass vibrating as blues and greens flashed by them.
Harry threw a stunner when he saw one man trip on his robe, hitting the wizard dead on and causing him to fall to the ground. The Gryffindor grinned in triumphant and threw up a shield, the green spell that had been hurtling toward him hitting it and bouncing off.
"Isn't this fun?" Draco shouted, laughing manically as he flicked his wand and tied one man hand to foot in rope. Harry smiled and nodded in agreement, unafraid as the last two realized they had been beaten. Both were quickly stunned, their wands falling from stiff fingers.
Harry walked slowly over to them, making sure they were truly unable to move before turning to his partner with a grin. "Well, that was exciting." He said, chortling when Draco rolled his eyes and snorted.
"For a while, yes. Now, why don't we call over your friend Ron to sweep them up before continuing?" Malfoy suggested, walking through the four stiff bodies before turning toward the next doorway.
Harry nodded and sent a patronus, stepping around a stunned wizard to make his way to Draco. "You know I-" Harry suddenly gasped and doubled over, pain exploding on his left side as he glanced down. His eyes widened when he realized one of the men they had fought, and beaten, hadn't been under a spell at all, but had fallen and lain still to give the pretense of being stunned and stiff.
Draco whirled around at the cry of pain and realized the same thing Harry did before he flicked his wand, full of rage and fear as the other Aurors face contorted in pain. "Stupefy!" He shouted, hitting the man with a ball of bright magic before running back toward Harry as the Gryffindor doubled over and groaned. He caught the other man right before he toppled over, both of them falling onto the ground as Malfoy pried away Harry's hands to see how bad the damage was.
"A knife? He had a knife!?" Draco snarled, shocked all over again. No self-respecting wizard would ever carry a muggle weapon, much less use it. In a fit of rage Malfoy swished his wand, hurling a stream of magic at the man who had stabbed the Gryffindor. "Crucio!"
The man gave a howl of pain as he arched his back, convulsing and shuddering before growing still again. Draco watched with twisted pleasure and was tempted to hit him with another pain when a hand suddenly clutched at his robes, causing him to look down.
"M-Malfoy…enough…" Harry muttered weakly, struggling to seat up. "I'm f-fine."
"No you are not." Draco said, pushing Harry back on the ground before lifting the man's shirt up to get to the wound. He winced when he saw blood gushing from the injury, the deep red pooling quickly beneath Harrys body.
With hurried movements Draco shrugged off his robes and cut them into pieces with his wand, folding them and pushing them into the deep gash on the Gryffindors side. He put pressure onto the cut, gritting his teeth to try and ignore the whimper of pain that forced its way past Harry's lips.
After a moment Malfoy felt panic begin to stir when the bleeding didn't stop, staining his hands red and soaking the cloth beneath his palms. With a bitten off curse he grabbed his wand, sending a patronus to Ron before he placed his hands back onto the fabric that was slowly seeping blood.
Malfoy felt a sudden tug on his wrist and he glanced up, a cold chill sweeping through his body when a trail of red slipped from Harrys mouth and down his chin.
"I'll b-be f-fine." Harry said weakly, his body suddenly racked with pain. He gave a gasp and tensed, grimacing when agony shot up his side. He felt his vision swim and he shook his head, sweat flying from his skin and pattering onto the floor as a hot flash rushed through his body.
Malfoy felt his heart stop when Harry gave a low cry of distress, causing him to lunge up and grab the Gryffindors face, blood smearing onto the man's tan skin, his fingers tight in panic as he saw the light slowly fading from Harrys eyes.
"No, no no no no." Malfoy muttered fiercely, his chest caving in despair. "Stay with me Harry. Ron will be here soon. We'll get you to St. Mungos and you'll be fine." He rambled, cursing the fact that they had placed anti-apparating wards around the building. "Stay with me. Just listen to my voice."
Harry gave a shaky smile, his breathing raspy and weak as he ran his fingers through the Slytherins blonde hair. "I am l-listening you silly m-man." He huffed, his voice faint as he gave a wet cough.
"Good, that's good." Draco prattled, making sure Harry kept eye contact with him. "Just keep listening and don't leave." He said frantically, the bright green of the Gryffindors eyes slowly dulling. "Stay with me stay with me, don't leave. Please don't leave."
"I could n-never leave D-Draco." Harry rasped, smiling gently at the man above him. "I l-love you too m-much too e-ever l-let you go." He whispered, his body slowly growing cold as his vision began to darken around the edges.
"For years m-my heart h-has b-been yours. N-Not one d-day has gone b-by that I don't l-love you." He said softly, needing the blonde to know how much he meant to him as the pain began to dull and his mind grew quiet. "It's been m-my secret all t-this time. I just n-never had the courage t-to tell you." Harry muttered, his hand falling from the Slytherins hair and onto the ground as his lungs rattled.
"I love y-you Draco M-Malfoy." Harry confessed quietly as his ears started to ring, his head lolling to the side and his body going limp. He caught a glimpse of Ron and several other Aurors running toward him before he blacked out, the only sound he could hear being Malfoys wailing cry and the slow stopping of his heart.
HELLO! I am back and kicking! I decided to do something different this time. I hope you like it and i would love to hear what you think. I have fresh ideas and i can't wait to show you all! So excited! Anyway, i will see you later! Until next time! (oh, and by the way. I had to do this thing o0o between scenes because for some reason its not letting me but a line to mark the spacing. im sorry and hopefully i will have it fixed later on.)