Harry cast a protective spell against the little fireballs that the door was spewing at him, and finally called: "Draco?"
"You can't come in!"
"Yes, I… I see that. Will you please open the door?"
"No!"
Harry decided to try the door himself, but when he touched the knob it shocked him hard enough to send him yelping to the floor.
Instantly the TV went off. "Harry?"
"I'm fine," Harry growled, and the TV turned back on. He sighed and raised his voice over it. "I just got shocked by your door for some strange reason, that's all."
"Yep, it'll do that," Draco called back. "Especially to people who aren't recognized by the family magic."
"I'm sorry!" Harry tried. "I was wrong, okay? I shouldn't have acted like that, I was under stress, I'm very sorry. Now will you please let me in?"
"No!"
"Please?"
"No!"
But Draco sounded almost merry. Harry knew perfectly well he wasn't actually being thrown out; if he was actually unwelcome the door would be doing more than just growling and spitting fireballs. "All right… what do I have to do?" he said, resigned. "I really am sorry."
"Damn right you're sorry."
"Draco, come on. I'm standing on your doorstep begging. How long are you going to keep me out here?"
Draco was silent a moment. Then: "How long have you been out there already?"
Harry looked at his watch. "I dunno… five or ten minutes?"
"Okay, well at least twenty minutes longer then. Probably more."
"Draco!"
"I don't hear you begging…"
When Draco finally opened the door, he still didn't let Harry in. He stood blocking it, crossing his arms.
"I'm sorry?" Harry hazarded again. Hermione had explained how insulting it was to ask to be removed from the protection of someone's magic. It was like asking to be disowned. Still, though, Draco should know Harry didn't know that sort of thing.
"That so?"
"Yeah. It's just that you went and, you know, basically married me without my permission, Draco. That's weird to me. I like my space, okay?"
"Okay." He still didn't move.
"But… I thought it over, and, you're right, it does make sense for me to be included in the wards here. So: will you please put me back on? I said I'm sorry."
Draco's lips twitched, completely ruining the effect of his attempted sneer. "Are you asking me to marry you, Potter?"
He wasn't mad anymore. Harry tried to sass back instead of looking visibly relieved. "You already invited me into your bed."
Draco snorted and moved out of the doorway. "Come in. I didn't really take you off the wards anyway – I just spelled the door into being a little hostile. I knew you'd come around."
Harry glared but was ignored.
"You should be happy, actually," Draco said. "The Malfoy Manor wards are some of the best in the world. I come from a long line of wizards people are always trying to kill."
"And they cover this place too?" Harry's sole experience with home wards up til now was that awful piece of magic at the Dursleys' house, the one that required him to actually physically live there some months of the year.
"Yep. Any place a Malfoy owns, and any place one calls his home," he chanted, then shrugged. "Now also meaning, any place you own or call your home too. Which I bet includes Weasley's house… my parents are going to kill me. I've probably warded half the country."
"You can do that?"
Draco spread his hands and bowed. "Malfoy."
"Wow."
"Yeah. So," he said after a moment. "About your ransacking the Manor tomorrow: I don't want you to do it."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Harry winced. "I tried to say no, but they want a Parselmouth. They won't let me turn the assignment down."
Draco shrugged. "Okay. Let's conflict you out of it then."
And before Harry could process what he might mean, Draco whipped his wand out and snapped Expelliarmus. And then, before Harry could process why he had done that, Draco grabbed him and threw him down on the couch.
TBC.
A/N: Uh-oh!
Nah, just kidding. Don't worry, I'm not going to traumatize you guys.
And sorry for the cliffhanger; I'm in the process of moving and things are hectic. Next chapter is ready and will be posted tonight or tomorrow.