A/N: Well, here it is. So sorry for the delay but first real life intruded and then my muse ran off to Rio with a can-can dancer. The temp agency sent a replacement muse but things aren't quite working out. It's not exactly what I expected for this chapter, but there ya go.
oOoOo
As it turned out, the Harpies won their match against Puddlemere United and Ginny was in an ebullient mood when she met up with Harry, Ron and Hermione the next day for lunch. She told them that she'd stayed out drinking with Oliver Wood until the wee hours, reminiscing over past glories with the Gryffindor quidditch team.
"He still thinks you should be playing professionally," she grinned at Harry over her bowl of soup, "and he reckons with you as seeker, England could win the world cup."
"I suppose I walk on water too." The quip was lost on the two Weasleys but Hermione sniggered.
"I don't know what that has to do with quidditch, but you certainly could walk atop water with a simple levitation spell."
"It was a joke, Ginny."
"You have a really weird sense of humor mate," Ron pointed out with a grin.
As usual, Hermione came to Harry's defense, "Not if you grew up muggle."
"So I suppose you got the joke?"
"Of course I did."
"Then perhaps you'd like to explain it for the class?" Ron teased her, sounding like one of their old professors.
"It's a religious reference. At one part in the Christian bible, Jesus walks on water. It was thought to be a miracle by his disciples."
"Are you sure this Jesus fellow wasn't a wizard?"
"Erm," Hermione balked somewhat at the sacrilegious question, but ever the academic she soldiered on, "I suppose he could have been. He did live two thousand years ago. However, I wouldn't go around asking muggles what they think on the subject. Some of them would probably be offended."
"What do you think, Harry?" for some reason his wife seemed to be intrigued by the subject and she looked at him expectantly.
He shrugged as he finished chewing his latest bite of sandwich. "I'm not sure. Uncle Vernon didn't hold much with 'that religious claptrap' so I'm only familiar with a few well-known stories. Like Hermione said, I suppose it's possible."
Ginny was about to reply when her attention was captured by something across the room. Her mouth drew into a frown and Harry turned to follow her gaze.
"Who's that?"
"Daphne Greengrass," Hermione was also looking toward the woman, "don't you remember her, Harry? She was in our year."
Frowning as well, he gave a slow nod. "She does look familiar. Slytherin right?"
Hermione gave an affirmative hum, "She hung around with Millicent Bullstrode."
"Who's the other girl?"
"Her little sister," Ginny answered with a look of distaste, "she was a year behind me. The two of them were insufferable sixth year when all of the Death Eaters took over Hogwarts."
Harry thought that 'little' in the case of the younger Miss Greengrass was a relative term. He looked her up and down, taking in the elegant way she carried herself and the extremely long legs that disappeared beneath the hem of her grey skirt. No, 'little' was definitely not the word that he would have used.
"I don't think I like the way you're looking at her, Harry."
"Don't worry; I'm not looking for my benefit." He reluctantly turned his gaze from the girl, and deciding it was best not to meet Ginny's eyes at the moment, he said to Ron, "I think I may have just found a girlfriend for Malfoy."
"And why would you be looking for a girlfriend for him?" Ginny wondered.
"Because I told his dad I would."
"You what?" Both Ginny and Hermione were pole-axed by this information.
"Gin, it's a really long story. I'll fill you in later, but suffice it to say, I need to find someone for Draco to go out with or his dad is going to ship him off to Eastern Europe."
"Can someone tell me why that is a bad thing?" There were nods of agreement from the other two at the question and Ron muttered, "That's what I said."
Harry opened his mouth and then closed it again. "You know, honestly, I don't know why that's a bad thing. I'm sure a reason will come to me in a minute."
"Because our lives would be dull without him?" Ron was barely keeping a straight face.
"Yeah, that must be it." Harry grinned into his butterbeer. His gaze drifted back to the Greengrass sisters and he found the younger one watching him. As their eyes met, she stuck her nose in the air and went back to chatting with her sister. Oh yeah, she'll make the perfect Malfoy.
oOoOo
"Come in, Mr. Malfoy and do have a seat."
Lucius did as he was bidden and after a firm handshake, settled himself in the chair opposite the advocate's desk. There was a moment of frank appraisal from both sides before the young woman gave him a business-like smile and asked politely, "Would you like tea or coffee?"
"No, thank you. I would like to get down to business."
"All right," the woman settled her hands on the desktop with an air of interest, "then tell me, what business brings you here today?"
"No doubt you know a great deal of my history, both through what has been reported in The Daily Prophet and – if you're as good an advocate as I've been told – your own research about me." He waited for her nod before going on. "Nearly three years ago my wand was destroyed. I will make no excuses for my actions prior to or after that event but instead will come straight to the point. I wish to have a new wand. I was advised by a friend to seek your council on whether such a thing is feasible."
There was a lengthy silence as she searched his face. "It will be difficult," she said at last, with a frown. "Past precedence is not on your side."
"How so? You have a similar case to base this opinion on?" It was hard for Lucius not to sound doubtful. He believed his situation to be pretty unique.
"No, I mean your own past precedence. After he-who-must-not-be-named was defeated the first time, you claimed that the atrocities you performed were done under the Imperius Curse. However, once the," she hesitated a few seconds, "'Dark Lord' as you call him returned, you went immediately to rejoin his followers. Is that not so?"
Malfoy sighed but he couldn't deny it. Things were starting to look bleak and he felt his hope withering away. "Yes, that is a correct assessment. However, I'm not the man I was then."
"So you may claim, but what guarantee can you give?" Leaning forward over her desk, she fixed him with a piercing stare, "Luckily for me, all of my family members are pure-blooded witches and wizards but there are a number of people in this office who lost friends and loved ones to your lot. You'll find few allies here at the ministry these days, Mr. Malfoy, and it will be very difficult indeed to convince the Wizengamot to overturn its previous judgment."
Lucius drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. "What if I were to have a respected member of the community speak on my behalf? Do you think that success would be more likely in that case?"
"That depends upon who is vouching for you." It was a statement, but yet a question lurked in her tone. She was curious, obviously, but Lucius was torn between his desire to have his magic restored and his desire to protect his lover. In the end, magic won out.
"Someone, perhaps, along the lines of Harry Potter?"
The advocate leaned back in her chair and eyed him again. "Mister Potter would be willing to speak for you?" She seemed to find this hard to believe and Lucius could hardly blame her for doubting. Given his history, it did sound pretty absurd.
"I believe that I could convince him." Suspicion mingled with the doubt in her eyes so Lucius hastened to add, "I realize that statement might not be interpreted in quite the way I meant it. Let's just say that Mister Potter and I aren't the enemies we once were."
"All right, fair enough." The advocate mulled this new information over for another few moments before nodding. "I think if Mister Potter was willing to vouch for you and put in a good character reference, we might stand a chance, especially if we were to suggest a trial period where your spell casting could be monitored. Without out his word, however, I don't believe we will succeed."
"I'll see what I can do," he murmured, already trying to decide how he was going to broach the subject again with his lover.
"And I'll do some more research. Let's meet again in a week and we can decide how we want to proceed."
oOoOo
"Potter!"
"Yes, Minister?" Harry looked up to find Kingsley striding toward him. The former auror flashed his very white smile as he stopped alongside Harry's desk.
"I've got a job for you."
"Yes, Sir."
"Harry, you know you can call me Kingsley."
"It feels odd addressing you so informally at work, Sir."
"Oh, very well," the minister grinned again as he scratched his head. "Potter, you and Erind are going to infiltrate a group of smugglers that we think may be bringing illegal magical artifacts in from Belgium. I want you on this job because of your experience but I'm afraid that you'll have to find a suitable disguise to keep them from recognizing you."
"What about polyjuice?"
"Not a viable option in this case, I'm afraid. Perhaps if we knew who the members of the ring were, we could use polyjuice. However, we only have a message from an anonymous source giving us a time and meeting place."
"I'll figure something out then. When's the meeting?"
"Eleven tomorrow night. I'll have Vera send down the rest of the details so that you two can plan."
"All right, Sir. Anything else?"
"No, not right now. Have a good afternoon, Potter."
"Thanks Minister, I will."
By the time Harry made his way to the flat that evening, he and Erind had a definite plan. However, there was one part of said plan that was bound to make his lover unhappy. It was good that he would be able to distract Lucius with his discovery of the match for Draco.
No sooner had he the thought and hung his overcoat on the hall rack than he found himself encircled by a pair of strong arms. As hot kisses were pressed on the side of his neck, Harry gave a low chuckle and tilted his head to the side. "Hmm, careful. My lover could walk in at any moment."
"Cheeky!" Lucius growled in reply.
"You know that's why you love me." The auror turned around so that he could press a kiss on the elder man's lips. Lucius hummed noncommittally when the kiss ended, leading Harry to give him a playful shove. "You don't love me, huh?"
"I shouldn't think so, if I'm not your lover."
"Why must you take everything so literally?" Harry pecked his lips again, not giving him time to answer. It was a rhetorical question anyway. "How was your day?"
"Idle, as usual."
For some reason, Harry detected a hint of evasion in the off-handed reply. He pursed his lips but pretended to take the words at face value. "Well you are of the idle rich, Mister Malfoy."
"You're not so bad off yourself, Mister Potter."
"What makes you think so?"
"A few discreet inquiries here and there."
"Have you been bribing the goblins at Gringott's again?"
Lucius snorted. "Do you know how hard it is to bribe a goblin?"
"Hmm, you do have a point, but who else would you have been making inquiries to? I don't exactly broadcast the amount of gold in my vault, now do I?"
"Not usually, no."
"Well then?"
"Let's just say that there are those acquainted with how much James and Lily Potter provided for their son."
Harry was genuinely intrigued – and disturbed – by this notion. That there were individuals out there that not only knew his worth but were willing to share that information with such a notable scoundrel as Lucius Malfoy was not an entirely good thing, in his estimation.
"Don't give me that look."
"What look?" Harry redirected his focus and stared into the other man's pale eyes instead of the middle distance.
"The one that always suggests you're trying to decide which curse to use on me first."
"You know I'd never curse you."
"Never?"
"Okay, well, almost never."
"It's the 'almost' that I worry about."
"From what I've seen of you in the last year, I'd say you have very little to worry about. You're no longer the sort of man that would partake in what I would consider cursable offenses."
"About that…"
Harry found himself frowning. He had a distinctly uneasy feeling about the words that were about to issue from his lover's mouth. "About what?"
"Harry, I have something I need to discuss with you. Perhaps we should sit?"
"Lucius, if this is going to be bad news, I think I'd rather be standing." It was pretty damn hard to storm out of a room when one was sitting down.
The elder man shook his head as though he'd read Harry's mind. "No, no, it's not bad. In fact, from my perspective it could be quite good." Taking a step back, he reached for Harry's hand and led him over to the couch. "But I need a very large favor from you and I'm afraid that you're going to say no."
Harry gave a hum as he sat down and folded his arms over his chest. Then he waited. Despite Lucius' assurance that this wasn't going to be bad, he still couldn't banish the sense of dread.
"Harry," Lucius settled his arm on the back of the sofa and turned toward him, his expression earnest, "I went to see an advocate today about getting a new wand, as you suggested."
It was a struggle for the young man not to hold his breath, "And?"
A smile lingered at the edges of Malfoy's lips. "She thinks I may have a definite chance, but only if you will put in a good character reference on my behalf."
"So you want me to come to court and tell them that you are now a model citizen?"
"Well, yes, that's the general idea. Remember, we discussed this the other day? You said if the advocate approved, you'd think about it."
Harry let his head drop back so that he could contemplate the ceiling. Why on earth did life have to be so annoyingly difficult? Why couldn't Lucius be content with what he had instead of always wanting more? He sighed when he realized he couldn't blame the man.
"The answer is still 'no' isn't it?" Lucius sounded so despondent that it pained Harry to hear him speak.
"It's just not easy."
"I know." There was a moment where neither man moved and then Lucius squeezed Harry's leg, got up and walked into the bedroom. The auror watched him go and continued to sit where he was for a bit, battling with his thoughts. Once he finally mustered the courage to follow, he found Lucius standing with his back to the bedroom door, his head bowed.
"Lucius?"
His lover didn't move but Harry thought he heard a muffled sniff. Was Lucius crying? The young man felt even more horrible. Edging closer, he was able to settle a hand on the other wizard's shoulder. "Lucius, we'll work something out. I know this is important to you."
"Important is an understatement." Lucius' voice was low and raw.
"Will you give me your word, on your son's life, that you will no longer practice the dark arts?"
There was a pregnant pause and then the man before him nodded and murmured, "I will. You know I will."
"Then we'll find a way to make this happen."
The older man turned and Harry could see that his eyes were red-rimmed but he wasn't, in fact, crying. "Do you mean that?"
"Of course I mean it. I don't make empty promises, Lucius."
He found himself caught up in a fierce hug and nestled his chin into the hollow of his lover's collarbone.
"I'm so tired of being half a man, Harry." The longing in Lucius' voice dug another needle into the young man's heart and he deposited a gentle kiss on the side of Lucius' neck.
"If you're only half a man, I'm not sure I can imagine what being with a whole man would be like."
Lucius barked a laugh and squeezed the younger man even tighter. "When I have my magic back I'll make it a point to show you."
"If I can still breathe. Lucius, you're crushing me!"
"Oh Potter, you've not seen anything yet."
Harry found himself on the receiving end of a kiss, the likes of which he'd never experienced. When Lucius let him go several minutes later, he was seeing sparkly flecks at the edge of his vision.
"Bloody hell, Lucius," he took a shaky breath, "if just the thought of having a wand does that to you, you can have mine!"
"I would prefer one of my own," Malfoy smiled, "but thank you for the offer."
Winking, Lucius pulled Harry into another kiss, this one far less mind-blowing but definitely nothing that the auror could complain about. It was Harry's turn to end the kiss and he settled his cheek against the older man's.
"Before I let you ravish me, I've got some news of my own that might make you unhappy."
"What news could possibly make me unhappy right now, my boy?"
Harry shivered as Lucius' fingers tickled through the short hairs at the base of his skull. "Mmm, just that this might be the last time I see you for a few weeks."
"Oh?" He felt Lucius' lips again on his neck before the man continued, "Why might that be?"
"Work. I've got an assignment that will occupy most of my time."
"Most is not all, dear heart."
"Unfortunately, this is a dangerous assignment. I can't afford distractions."
"I understand," Lucius placed another kiss, "and I guess I can live without you for a while."
"Good," Harry closed his eyes to savor the contact.
"May I ravish you now?"
"You may, Sir."
"Excellent!"
Harry laughed as Lucius' hand dropped to his buttock at once and started kneading the taut flesh there. In retaliation, the young man found one of the nipples hiding under the silk of Lucius' shirt and gave it a good pinch. He laughed at the grunted curse that greeted his action and then gave a cry of surprise when Lucius dragged him back a few steps and pitched the two of them over onto the bed.
There was a moment of flailing and then before he knew what was happening, he was staring up into the stormy gaze of his lover. They looked at each other for a long minute before Harry pecked Lucius' lips and grinned. "Are you just going to stare at me or are we going to shag?"
"Hush. I don't know when I'll get to see you again so I want to savor every second."
"You really are a sentimental old fool aren't you?"
"Don't tell anyone."
"Your secret is safe with me but I want to fuck now. You can memorize my face later."
"Domineering young pup."
Harry smirked. "Don't tell anyone."
"Oh I'm going to tell the whole world how Harry Potter loves to have my prick buried to the hilt in his arse," Lucius started to undo Harry's shirt, "I'm sure Witch Weekly would love that one, wouldn't they?"
"You'd better fucking not!" Harry growled as he reached to work on the older man's belt. "Not unless you plan on running away to the far side of the world with me."
"That wouldn't be my first choice, no."
Harry curled upward to get his shirt out from beneath him and once he'd managed it, he tossed the garment onto the floor. "Best keep your mouth shut then, old man." Since he was already up, he grabbed hold of Lucius' neck and pulled him into a demanding kiss. The strain of holding that position got to be a bit much and he settled back onto the bed but didn't relinquish his hold, forcing Lucius to follow him.
"I like your methods of shutting my mouth," Lucius noted once they finally broke for air.
"And you haven't even seen all of them yet."
"I think I probably have," the older man smirked and worked Harry's trousers open, "at one time or another. This one for instance…"
Harry sighed very deeply when the bed shifted and he felt the glide of his lover's touch over his hot and needy erection. The auror's eyes dropped closed when Lucius took him into his mouth and proceeded to tease and coax Harry just to the brink as only he knew how.
"Oh, I love you," Harry breathed as his hand knotted in Lucius' hair. Only a moment more and the young man would find his release. The question was: would the elder wizard stop there as he often did so that he could penetrate the momentarily frustrated auror, or would he continue on until Harry came?
When Lucius' tongue swept under the head of his cock and flickered over the slit, Harry had his answer. The young man arched up with a whimper, his toes curling, and a curse tore from his lips as he finally succumbed to his climax. He writhed and twitched under the onslaught of sensation for what seemed like forever but eventually the shudders passed and he lay still.
The mattress shifted again and he felt Lucius stretch out beside him. Opening one eye, he peered at the older man. "You can't be done already."
"I'm waiting for round two."
With a concerted effort, Harry roused himself enough to roll onto his side to face the other man. "You are, are you?"
A grin crinkled the corners of Lucius' eyes and he pulled Harry close. "Yes, round two is always far superior to round one."
"Always?"
"Almost always." He placed a kiss on the younger man's forehead. "You can nap if you like. I promise that I will molest you while you sleep."
"Mmm, sounds good." Harry grinned as he burrowed close to the older man, not even registering the fact that Lucius was still mostly clothed. He was nearly asleep already when he remembered his other news of the day. "Lucius?"
"Hmm?"
"I think I found a girlfriend for Draco."
The elder man's chuckle was a soft rumble that vibrated through Harry's body. "You can tell me about her after a bit. All I want to think about right now is you."
"Fair enough." Harry closed his eyes again and drifted off for a while. When he woke, Lucius was rubbing his back. From his lack of erection, however, the auror deduced that very little molestation had gone on while he was dead to the world.
"Welcome back to the land of the living."
"Nice place."
"I'd like to think so."
Harry laughed and feeling the need to stretch, scooted back just a little so he could do so. Lucius smiled at him. "You're adorable when you do that."
"I am?"
"Certainly. Just like a cat."
"I don't think that I'm particularly feline though."
"No, you're right. You are most definitely of the primate variety."
"Watch it or I'll start making ape noises at you."
"Perish the thought. Apes are distinctly un-sexy."
"And I suppose cats are sexy?"
"Not as such, no. However, they are cute, which was my point."
Smirking, Harry pushed Lucius over onto his back and then claimed a spot on the older man's chest. "So you're calling me cute but not especially sexy."
"Now you're putting words into my mouth."
"I've already put my other bits into your mouth. Words are the only things I have left."
"Touché!"
As a grin spread on Lucius' lips, Harry thought of another thing that belonged in the elder wizard's mouth and gave him a long and probing kiss. The kiss turned into some rather extensive groping and before he knew it, they were finally both naked and he was reaching for the lube that was always present in the nightstand.
Lucius had taught him a spell to use for lubrication but quite frankly Harry thought that magic killed the mood. Besides, he found it very nice when Lucius stroked the oil over Harry's erection, as he did in this instance and then added an extra squeeze to emphasize that he was ready and waiting.
Their love-making was a slow burn filled with hot kisses and panted endearments. Harry knew that Lucius loved it when he talked dirty, so he made sure to tell his lover exactly what he was going to do to him before he did it. The older man responded with lusty passion, almost holding out so long that Harry thought he was going to come before him. The auror lasted just long enough, coming right as Lucius' muscles stopped clenching.
He held his weight on trembling arms as the shudders passed and then lowered himself back onto Lucius' chest. The man's arms tightened around him, holding him protectively as they both recovered.
"Brilliant, as always." Harry stole a kiss. "And you are right, the second time is almost always better."
"For some reason you still seem amazed when I'm right. Even after I've told you repeatedly that I always am."
"I know, inexplicable, isn't it?"
"Quite!" Lucius smiled.
"Clearly it must be a deficiency on my part."
"It's so refreshing to be with a young man who is aware of his shortcomings, I can tell you."
The auror couldn't hold back a laugh any longer. "And it is more than refreshing to be with a man who can always make me laugh right after I've had an amazing orgasm. It's like coming twice."
"Really?"
"Well, no, I guess not exactly. But it's like bliss squared."
It was Lucius' turn to laugh. "Wonderful phrase. I'll have to use it in conversation sometime."
"Feel free." After a few moments, Harry propped his chin on his hand and looked Lucius in the eye. "Now that we're both well sated, because apparently that is the only time that we can hold a serious conversation," he winked, "I should tell you about the girl I found for Draco."
"Hmm, yes, I do vaguely remember you mentioning that. Go on then."
"Are you familiar with the Greengrasses?"
Lucius nodded. "Good pureblood family if I recall. They weren't in our circle, mind, but they were supportive of the cause."
Harry arched an eyebrow. "I don't think I would speak highly of people who were supportive of the Death Eaters if you plan to petition for a new wand."
"I am sorry. Habits do die hard."
"That is what I – and the Ministry – are afraid of." Harry let that sink in for a few seconds before returning to the former thread of the conversation. "At any rate, there are two Greengrass daughters that are around the proper age. Daphne was in our year, which means that Draco would probably know her fairly well and Ginny tells me that her younger sister, Astoria, was two years behind us."
"A little young perhaps," Lucius mused.
"But not out of the realm of possibility. You could at least introduce them and see if a relationship blossoms."
Malfoy gave an affirmative grunt. "You're right, I suppose." He thought for another moment or two, then smiled and pecked Harry's lips. "I'll discuss it with Narcissa. I'm sure she knows the family far better than I do. Thanks, Harry."
"You're quite welcome. Now, you may really thank me by spending the next hour cuddling."
"Again, domineering pup!"
"You know that's why you love me."
"And here I thought it was the nearsightedness."
"Yours or mine?"
"Exactly."
