I am a terrible human being. I told you two days, it took me four. I have no excuses. Please let me wallow in my own self-hatred.
On a much more cheerful note: THANK YOU GUYS! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Weather you reveiwed once or every chapter, you have helped me reach 50 reviews! I love you all - and keep up the good work! This chapter's mostly plot-forwarding and fluff. The next chapter's all action and it *should* be ready by the end of the week. Then there's only the epilouge, which you all seemed to want. Origionally, that would be some plot tie-up plus the 19 years later, but now it's been changed around and the story will offically wrap up next chapter, with the 19-years-later-with-more-Drarry being a bonus epilouge, so to speak.
DISCLAIMER: If I owned Harry Potter, would I be writing fanfiction? No, I'd be taking money baths and name-dropping Tom Felton.
[Harry's POV]
I entered the kitchen late Boxing Day morning hand-in-hand with Draco to find Hermione, Ron, Molly, Andromeda and Kingsley Shacklebolt sitting around the kitchen table waiting for us. "What're you doing here, Kingsley?" I asked, smiling. "I thought being Minister of Magic would make you too busy for recreational visits." Kingsley did not smile.
"This is work." he said. "Your, and I suppose Mister Malfoy's, safety is my priority. It doesn't take a genius to realise you are Lucius Malfoy's targets. I am here arranging your protection."
"You're not an Auror anymore, Kingsley." I pointed out. "You don't have to get involved in my protection."
"And I wanted to drop by." he added. I grinned. Draco looked bemused, and a little awe-struck.
"So you're... You were in the Order of the Phoenix too?" asked Draco. Kingsley nodded solemly, and I saw him register our entwined hands. His eyes widened.
"So you really are..." he seemed at a bit of a loss.
"Gay." I finished. "And Draco's really my boyfriend. He may be a convict, but Lucius has reason to be pissed off." Everyone around the table laughed, and the tense atmosphere lightened considerably. Hermione pulled up the chair next to her, and I sat down, pulling Draco down next to me. Ron snorted.
"Problem, Weasley?" asked Draco.
"The same chair? Really?"
"Yep." I said, shifting over slightly so Draco had more room; silently thanking that when Arthur made the chairs, a dud measurement made the seat slightly larger than was normal. We fitted comfortably, if a little snugly. Maybe because it was a little snug.
"Well," said Hermione, "I called Kingsley because we need to decide what to do about Draco's dad."
"Father." corrected Draco stiffly. "'Dad' suggests a fondness we didn't share." He said it so calmly, almost as if he didn't realise how tragic the statement was. I put my arm around his shoulders and squeezed him - a gesture I had seen Ron do when Hermione was stressed.
"Father, then." said Hermione. "The point is, Draco and Harry are in mortal danger."
"Gee, I wonder what that's like." I muttered. Ron grinned.
"Leave them be, Hermione. Between Hogwarts and the enchantments still on the Burrow, they're safe." he said.
Surprisingly, Kingsley nodded in agreement. "Even so, Harry, I would like you to have your Invisibility Cloak with you at all times. Both of you, carry your wands. Have you both passed your apperation tests?" next to me, Draco nodded. I shook my head.
"No, but I've been apperating anyway."
"As the Minister of Magic, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
I grinned. "Sorry, Minister."
"The Ministry will concern themselves with finding Malfoy."
"We can help." I said. Ron nodded enthusiastically.
"No." said Molly. "Tracking down Malfoy is a job for fully-trained Aurors, not 18-year-olds."
"Because it's not like we defeated You-Know-Who or anything." said Ron, irritated. "Mum, we're of age, we want to help!"
Kingsley seemed to be considering."It could be very dangerous."
"So was horcrux-hunting." I said simply.
"Only an Auror-"
"Which I'm about three years to becoming." I cut in, but Kinglsey ignored me.
"Only an Auror should involved in such a mission."
"We don't have to be involved in your plans, Kingsley." said Hermione in a small voice. "We're used to making our own."
"Harry and Draco are the ones being targeted. They should be involved." said Ron.
"And Harry completely useless without our help." said Hermione, mock-innocent. "So really, if you let them you have to let us."
"Ok." said Kingsley after a long pause. "You can help track him."
"Yes." said Ron, grinning broadly. "It was starting to look like we'd have a year of Hogwarts that wouldn't involve copious amounts of danger. We'll find Lucius and give him back to the dementors. Who's with me?"
"Naturally I'll help." said Hermione. "God knows you'd be lost without me."
"I'm in." I said. Molly was wearing the expression she wore in class when somebody misbehaved. I ignored her, feeling only slightly guilty for putting her family in danger again; however willing they were. "Draco?"
Draco looked torn between wanting to help, and the remaining loyalty he had to his father. It was one thing to sit quietly as he was sentenced to life imprisonment, it was another to actively capture and imprison him.
"You don't have to." I said. "If it's too much..."
"I'll help." he said, his jaw set.
Kingsley's deep voice boomed around the Burrow, announcing his arrival. Draco's and I reluctantly disentangled ourselves from each other - we had been curled up together, "studying and snogging". (Phrase supplied by George Weasley, who delivered it with wiggling eyebrows and a cheeky grin.)
"He probably has some more info about your Dad." I said, stretching.
"It can wait." murmured Draco, grabbing hold of my shirt.
"We should really..." I trailed off, the temptation of spending a little longer with alone with Draco overpowering my urge to go downstairs. I let Draco pull me back towards him. I kissed him blissfully, unable to remember a time I had been so happy. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and I moaned slightly, enjoying the sensation.
We were interrupted, as always. This time it was Hermione's polite cough and Ron's over-the-top retching sounds that bought us back to our surroundings. I shifted awkwardly from my spot on Draco's lap, blushing profusely.
"Bloody hell." said Ron, also beetroot red. He looked slightly sick. Hermione snorted with laughter.
"Give it a rest, Ron." said Ginny, who was standing behind the couple. "They're happy." Ginny was being very supportive, seemingly unaffected by being constantly reminded of my new love. It was likely the numerous owls she has been sending had something to do with it - Ginny had found herself a man (not that she would tell anyone who).
Ron made another gagging sound, and Hermione said "Kingsley's here. He wants to speak to you two."
Draco stood up, grabbing my hand. He looked unabashed at being caught making out. On the contrary, he just looked irritated at being interrupted. I admired him for that.
My cheerful mood evaporated at the serious look on Kingsley's face. "What's happened?" I asked, fearing the worst.
"Malfoy's been sighted." he said. "Luna Lovegood reported seeing him near her house."
"That's not far from here!" said Molly hysterically.
"The Auror office isn't taking it seriously because of the Lovegood's history in regards to reporting things." he grimaced.
"Crumple-horned Snorkacks?" guessed Ron.
"Luna wouldn't make that up." said Hermione, sounding defensive. "She talks rubbish half the time, but she doesn't lie."
"What this means is we need to get a move on finding him before he finds us." said Kingsley. We all nodded in agreement. "I suggest we really put our heads down and focus. There has to be a way of capturing him."
"Any ideas?" I asked hopefully, drawing a blank.
Ron and Hermione both shook their heads, helpless. I got the feeling this "planning" would go on for a long time.