Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world are owned by J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Warner Brothers. I merely take Harry and Draco out to play. I own nothing but the plot.
Warnings: Slash. Hurt/Comfort. Implied lemon.
Author's Note: Huge apology for the super long delay in posting this chapter up…real life got in the way, and setting up a new internet connection at my new place turned out to be quite the hassle. Hopefully the longer than usual chapter will make up for the delay! Next chapter should be up within a month's time. Again, kudos to all those who are following this story, you guys make writing fun =) Feel free to leave feedbacks, but no flames please. I'm thinking about making this fic more interactive by posting polls at the end of each chapter for you guys to guide where the next chapter will be going, what do you guys think about that? Leave your replies in a comment please. Happy reading!
Adding Ingredients to the Mix
"But Hermione, there's got to be something, anything! A loophole, an open clause, fine prints, a conditional agreement, something that opens a way out for Draco!" Harry pleaded, looking across the table at Hermione Granger-Weasley, one of his best friends from his Hogwarts days.
Hermione looked back at Harry with sympathy. When Harry had fire called her the previous night and arranged to catch up over drinks at the Leaky Cauldron after work, she had expected a light hearted chat and laughter whilst enjoying Butterbeer and pastries, not a serious heart to heart. She definitely had not expected Harry to whip the Gringotts document that he had no doubt wrestled from Draco's grasp, and proceeded to solicit her help on finding a way to absolve Draco of his financial ties to the senior Malfoy's vaults. She glanced at the documents again and knew that while it may be possible to open a way out for Draco, it would be extremely slim.
"Harry, I'm not saying that it's impossible to get Draco out of this nasty trap that Malfoy senior had set for him; if I study these paperwork in depth some, I may be able to find something. However I just want you to know that the process will not be easy…to borrow a Quidditch saying, the process will be full of Bludgers to dodge. And Harry...I want you to know that it may not be successful at the end. From my quick glance at the legalese of the documents, Draco Is set in the binding contract fairly deep…"
"Hermione, you're the youngest barrister to be sworn into the Ministry's Wizengamot panel. You're still the brightest witch I know, if anyone can turn this around, it would be you. Please Hermione, help Draco, help him, please. You're my only hope in this." Harry begged.
Harry had seek Hermione's help as he knew that if Draco were to have any sorts of odds in absolving his financial responsibility, Hermione is the only one who would be able to do anything for him. He had seen Hermione crack contracts that were sealed air tight and he had seen the way Hermione argue her way in the Ministry courts for unfair cases. All Harry knew was that if Hermione can't help them, then nobody could. He didn't want to entertain that train of thought any longer than he had to.
From her work as a barrister, Hermione knew that no contracts were absolute and fool proof; there was always something that can be teased apart and tugged at. But the hard part was finding that loose thread, and knowing Malfoy senior, he would've made that thread short and neat, and nearly impossible to find. However, she also believed that justice and truth prevail in any circumstances, and if she had to comb the paperwork with a fine tooth comb and argue her way against Gringotts goblins into absolving Draco from the paperwork, she would. But she had to let Harry know that she cannot guarantee anything at this stage, and that she may not be successful.
"Harry, I will help you and Draco—"
"—Thanks Hermione, you're the best, thank you SO much. I don't know how we would ever thank you if this goes through, but either way, you're the best. Thank you thank you thank you,"
"—Thanks Harry, but I just want to make very clear that I cannot guarantee you anything right now other than I'll have a look at the documents and see if I can find a thread to tease and tug at, and to try to unravel that if I'm able to. I do not want to get your hopes too high Harry. While it is true that ALL contracts will have a thread that can be tugged at, not all of those threads can be unravel ed. What I want you to know is that I will try my best to do something for Draco, but there's a high chance that I won't be able to find anything. I just want you and Draco to be prepared for that eventuality,"
Harry looked at Hermione and carefully considered her words. If Hermione is unsuccessful in the endeavour to absolve Draco's bind in the senior Malfoy's financial trap, not only would he and Draco find themselves financially ruined, but they would have to find a means of repaying back the colossal amount of debt that Gringotts decreed Draco owe the bank. In addition to the financial side of things, should Hermione fail in absolving Draco's bind, the efforts that Draco had put into rebuilding the Malfoy name and reputation would amount to nothing. When Draco had told Harry the mess of a situation that he is in, Harry had vowed to himself that he would help Draco in any means possible, even if that meant going bankrupt and having his name and reputation tarnished too.
"Hermione, I know what I'm getting myself into. Draco and I, we both know what the consequences of not absolving the contract are. When I got together with Draco, I promised Draco that I would take care of him, and support him, and to provide him with happiness for the rest of his life as long as we're together. I intend to go through with that. I know that we may both be financially ruined because of the contract, and that both our names and reputations will be tarnished beyond believe, but Hermione, those things don't matter to me. I love Draco, and I'm prepared to go through this ordeal with him, no matter the outcome," Harry said, blinking back tears and swallowing the lump that had form in his throat.
Hermione was taken aback by Harry's declaration of affection for Draco. Harry was never the one to talk about his relationship with Draco in such a candid manner—Harry was a private person, and he never divulged much regarding his personal life with Draco, even with his two best friends. Hermione knew that Draco was an important figure in Harry's life, and that they were in a serious relationship, but until Harry had said what he just said, Hermione hadn't entertained the depth of emotional attachment and respect that Harry had for Draco.
"I'm glad that you are such a good partner to Draco, Harry. I will help both of you to the best of my ability. I'll take the documents home to read it thoroughly and update you with any new findings. I'll keep in touch with you Harry, and please take care of both yourself and Draco,"
Standing up and handing the papers over to Hermione, Harry pulled her into a hug and was, not the first time, grateful that he and Ron had saved Hermione from the troll in the bathroom during their first year and forged a lifetime friendship with her.
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"Clovis, no, we cannot just launch our plan like that. Sure the Malfoy boy had received his fate yesterday, but as we discussed yesterday in the pub, it is not prudent to just act out on our plan impulsively without some fore thinking and planning! Use some common sense and judgement instead of your incompetence alright?" Almeric said, pinning his companion with what he hoped was a stern stare while taking a swig from his bottle of Firewhiskey.
"Almeric, you're just too damn paranoid and shit like that like. What can go wrong? We go and kidnap the boy, make him give us access to all his vaults, we nip the money that is rightfully ours, and what can the boy do? We're just taking what's ours and in case you had forgotten, that Lucius scumbag had promised us return money for setting up the scam. And did we ever get any of those monthly payments that he promised? No, because why? Because they all went to his vault! We're just taking what's ours, and having a little bit of fun with the Malfoy boy, that's all," Clovis replied, swishing the contents of his drink.
"Must I remind you that the Malfoy boy is in a relationship with Harry Potter? If we attempt any shit, you bet Potter will be involved, and then the Aurors will be involved. Potter may be just a trainee at the Auror camp, but you bet he is their star pupil and future Head Auror, and the Ministry likes to cover the butts of their rising stars. Having Aurors will complicate things, so let's just lie low and refine our plan a little bit before we launch it on the road. Do use your brain once in a while, Clovis,"
"If by lying low you mean having us hide in the basements of decrepit Muggle houses to discuss business, I'm not sure if going with your plan is any better. A wizard's gotta have a sense of self and taste you know Almeric, and lying and waiting in these filthy Muggle places isn't going to get the job done. And we're not exactly committing a crime or anything like that. Think of it as the Malfoy boy repaying his debt to us. Is repaying debt a crime in wizarding law? I don't think so Almeric, so stop treating this as if we are committing some kind of big wizarding crime."
"Clovis, how many times do I have to tell you, I want this to go without a hitch, and to do that, we need to do some planning and thinking for taking back our money. And must I remind you, the less attention we draw to ourselves, the better," Almeric stated, lighting up a cigar.
"This is all just a waste of time because you're too wimpy to go and take back what's ours, Alm. All this talking is just that, talk. We need to put some action into it too you know. The sooner, the better. You used to be fun Alm, before you got all grown up and serious with all this bullshit talk about planning. Lighten up Alm,
"Clovis, we're both fugitives from the law right now. We cannot afford any slip ups, that is, unless you prefer a cell in Azkaban over a room in an unoccupied Muggle house. So if you want the dough, you need to get with the program and get planning. The first thing we need to do is get Potter out of the picture somehow…"
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Harry hummed as he set the table for dinner, adjusting the candles on the table to cast a warm glow on the food. Normally dinner preparation was Draco's domain, but Harry thought he'd surprise Draco with a romantic evening, to take Draco's mind off the fiasco with Gringotts. He would eventually tell Draco of Hermione's involvement in his cause, but not tonight. Tonight was about the two of them, and nothing else. Standing back to look at the table arrangement and deeming it perfect to Draco's standard, Harry then threw a quick Stasis charm on the food and proceeded to the living room to wait for Draco's arrival.
While waiting for Draco's arrival, Harry pondered on his relationship with Draco. They had been dating for seven years now, and while the relationship hasn't always been smooth sailing, Harry was certain that Draco was the man in his life. While he had never directly mentioned it to Draco, Harry considered Draco part of his family, akin to the Weasleys. He hopes to officially make Draco a part of his family one day, but he wasn't sure how to broach the topic with Draco. He wanted to marry Draco, but wasn't sure how Draco felt about a commitment of that magnitude.
After the war, Harry had picked up his relationship with Ginny on where they left it off in his sixth year. She was fun, smart, and spunky and had a fiery personality that intrigued Harry. They were both young and ready to take on the post-war wizarding world. She provided an anchor to his temper, and he provided her with stability and companionship in her life. And for a while, things were working out splendidly between the two of them. And it may have led to a more serious relationship too, if Harry hadn't balked every time he and Ginny were being physically intimate.
Despite his hesitation towards physical intimacy with Ginny, Harry had continued his relationship with Ginny for a year before he realized that he wasn't attracted to girls in general. While Ron would admire girls in bars when they went out for drinks, Harry would find himself wondering what Ron saw in the girls that he was admiring from afar. Boobs and girl bits just didn't attract Harry; he found them to be as mundane as any other body part on a girl. By chance one day, Ron and Harry decided to pay a visit to the new gay bar that had opened up in Diagon Alley, where Harry soon discovered that he was aroused by the men performing on the stage at the bar and by gay couples displaying their affection for one another. Harry had left the bar that night with some important new self-discovery and reflections.
Harry had ended his relationship with Ginny soon after that night at the gay bar; it wasn't fair to her to have such a one sided relationship. Ginny had reacted to the news by completely pushing Harry out of her life for the period following their break up. The Weasley had taken the news far better than Ginny had, and Molly had even taken it upon herself to play matchmaker for Harry. Despite Molly's best interest, Harry found that most of the blokes who agreed to date him were only interested in his fame and fortune, and not for who he is. For a while, Harry was convinced that he would not be able to find happiness in a relationship, what with his scar forever preceding his personality.
It was by chance that he was reacquainted with Draco Malfoy, his former childhood rival, at a Ministry function. Harry had always detest attending those functions; he was always required to put in appearance and a speech, to show that he was approving of the rebuilding efforts that the Ministry was putting forth. After his public parting with the Ministry in his fifth year, the Ministry was desperate to be in Harry's good side after the war, to seek forgiveness and to prove that they were willing to put the past behind them. It was good on parchment, but Harry was a little weary of attending too many Ministry functions and public affairs—he didn't want to be the poster boy for the Ministry, regardless of whether the Ministry had changed for the better or not.
Draco, for his part, had become a Potion Master, and had obtained a temporary job in the Potion department in the Ministry at the time. As much as he believed that official Ministry functions were nothing but an excuse for Ministry officials to show off and to preen their latest involvement in various projects or charity causes, Draco attended the functions nonetheless as part of his efforts to repair the damage his Father had done to the family name; he wanted the wizarding world to know that not all Malfoys gained respect by frauds and lording over others with obscene amount of money.
Draco was lounging by the fruit punch bowl when he spotted Potter approaching the table, no doubt looking for a drink after being tousled by various Ministry officials. While it had been Harry's testimony that had saved Draco and his Mother from Azkaban, Draco hadn't had the chance to thank Harry properly for what he had done. And it definitely couldn't hurt to talk to the man—he was fit, handsome and had a personality that piqued Draco's interest. Draco was aware that he was attracted to Potter ever since he discovered that girls turned him off, and that he was more interested in dating men than women. But Draco knew he had no chance with Potter; while the rumour mills had it that Potter was also batting for the same team, Draco had no way of knowing if those rumours are true or if they were just another rumour flying about the Saviour's personal life.
"Hey Potter," Draco greeted Potter in his usual Malfoy drawl.
"Oh, hi Malfoy. Fancy seeing you here," Harry greeted Draco back, taking in the blond for the first time in years. It seems that life had been treating Draco well; he had grown up from the scrawny git that Harry went to school with. Draco was tall, with platinum blond hair that seem to glow. The silver dress robes that Draco wore that night accentuated his silver eyes, and it showed off all the right parts of his body. He still had the familiar proud, arrogant look and smirk from his school days, but gone was his mean streak towards people. Harry was immediately attracted to Draco…at least in the physical sense.
"Fancy seeing you here too, Potter. Listen, I just want to thank you for getting my Mother and me from serving a sentence in Azkaban. I know what we did during the war wasn't anything to be proud of, but I'm grateful for your testimony. I never did have the chance to properly thank you for the testimony, and tonight seem to be the perfect place for it,"
"No problem Malfoy. From the visions I experience from my connection with Voldemort, I could tell that you didn't want to be involved in it any more than your Mother did. It was your Father and Bellatrix who were eager for Voldemort to play host in your ancestral home, and it was them who supported his cause. And you saved me, Ron and Hermione by not identifying us at the Manor, and your Mother lied to Voldemort for me. While I am sure that your actions were self-serving, it was still an act of kindness, and the least that I could do for you and your Mother was to bring justice to those who deserve to be punished by law,"
"Please call me Draco; I think we're beyond our schoolboy rivalry by now. If you don't mind, I'd like to start afresh with you, and bury the hatchet,"
"I'd like that Draco. Please call me Harry, I'm pleased to meet you," and with that Harry took Draco's hand and shook it, feeling a pleasant shock that spread throughout his body. He had spent the rest of the evening by Draco's side, and found that he enjoyed the blond's company very much.
From that night on, Draco and Harry owled each other regularly, and began to meet for drinks and Quidditch matches. Soon they discovered that the attraction that each had for the other was mutual, and gradually they began to date. Soon they were spending long stretches at each other's flats, and a year into the relationship, bought a place together to share. Sure, there were periods of coldness between the two of them—both were stubborn and refused to be the first to back down from a fight. But they always made it up to each other in the end; each fight having made their relationship stronger than before. Harry felt that Draco is the man of his life, and would like to cement their relationship permanently with a commitment to each other. The only problem was, he didn't know how Draco feel about that, and now wasn't a good time to bring that up with Draco.
Snapping his thoughts back to Draco and the romantic evening Harry had planned out for the two of them tonight, Harry glanced at the clock. Draco should be home any minute now, and as if that thought materialized itself, Harry heard the Floo ring and out stepped Draco into the living room.
Harry approached Draco and circled Draco into a warm embrace. Draco smelled of mint, cinnamon and a scent that Harry had categorized as uniquely Draco. Kissing Draco on the forehead, Harry marvelled at the simplicity and bliss in their relationship.
"Harry! Were you waiting for me? Am I late for something? Did we agree to go out on a date or for dinner? I'm terribly sorry if I'm late for anything…" Draco babbled on, mentally cursing himself for not checking his calendar before leaving for work this morning. He may have issues with Gringotts right now, but Harry was still the priority in his life.
"No Dray, but I do have an evening planned out for us, starting with a candle light dinner for two. And if you're up for it, we can have dessert…of the adult variety," Taking Draco by the hand, Harry led Draco to the kitchen, where the table set up by Harry sat waiting for them.
"Oh Harry, I don't know what to say. You're so good to me, even with what's happening in my life. I love you, so much." Draco kissed Harry deeply, licking Harry's lips, asking for permission for entrance. Hands roamed, and soon, both were breathless, with matching flushed expressions on their faces. Harry could feel bulging hardness between the two of them, and he moaned breathily.
"You know what Harry…I think I'm up for the dessert that you were talking about earlier…" With that, Draco apparated them up to their bedroom, and proceeded to demonstrate to Harry just how much he loved him.
They never did make it down to have dinner that night.
