A/N: This is my longest chapter yet, but you'll be happy it all came in one chap rather than two. I thought about it, I did, but why postpone the inevitable?

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own insanity, perversion, and the ability to use my fingers on a keyboard.

52- Children in Heat

While Pansy showered, Draco, whose shower never lasted longer than his witch's, decided that it was a good time to ask an old mate a few questions. If there was anyone in their house that he could trust to parlay with, it would be Theo Nott, and it was with this set intention that the blonde left his woman and personal commons to go in search of Theo in the main common room. When he didn't find him there, he made his way through the short, cylindrical, glass hallway the led to the boys' dorms- so used to the sight of the mermaids lurking beyond that he hardly noticed them- and went in search in the seventh year's dorm.

It was here that he found Theo and Greg, the latter, being that he was on his way out, said "hello" and "goodbye" in passing, and Draco closed and locked the door behind him.

"What?" Theo asked from where he lounged on the chair of his desk beside his bed. He gave Draco a studying look, both men fully aware of what it meant if one was to walk into a room and lock it behind them.

"I came to ask you a question of importance," Draco said, crossing his arms over his chest, and chewing on the words he was about to let go of.

"Obviously," Theo replied, stood and turned to face Draco as he leaned against his desk, and mimicked the blonde by crossing his own arms. "What is it? I wasn't aware that we were still on these terms."

To Draco, Theo sounded… defensive? It was true that the two used to be on better grounds, but, of course, things had changed greatly, and Draco began to wonder if this was such a good idea. Could they trust each other anymore? After everything that had happened in the last year, especially?

With a sigh, Draco decided to take a stab in the dark, and he asked, "Have you heard about any marriage contracts being finalized these past few days?"

The lids of Theo's dark blue eyes lowered, and he gave a dry chuckled before he said, "I have actually…"

"And..?" Draco pressed.

"And what?" Theo's tone was defiant, haughty.

"And… Would you please tell me what you've heard," the blonde replied, thinking that "please" was the word his housemate was searching for.

What? A man could try.

"No, Drake. I don't think I will," Theo finally answered. Draco wasn't happy with this reply, but tried to remain on a logical thought path; he was dating the man that had scarred Theo for life… But then again, Harry had done the same to Draco, and he still liked to tongue Harry's bollocks!

"Theo," Draco was so very annoyed at the moment, "I need to know so that I can put an end to whatever… whichever tosser it is, is up to," the Prefect pushed his housemate further; he even opted to lower his arms, as well as his voice, to seem less threatening. Theo still said nothing, so Draco asked, "Is it Blaise?"

"No." Theo rolled his eyes.

"Greg?" Draco tried.

"The fuck?" Theo almost cracked a smile on that guess.

"I was thinking of Purebloods… Is it that sixth year who thinks he's head cock when really his head is just up his arsehole?"

"Fade? That ponce? No." Theo seemed irritated with Draco, and the raven-haired man shook his head in agitation before saying, "You and I used to be really close, Drake. We all used to be. After that shite with Voldemort, and you were let go, and you came back to school, the lot of us thought that it was going to be like it used to be. But instead you and Pansy start fucking Harry and Hermione, of all the bloody people in the world! Before you leave us behind like old dragon shite, and ignore us for months!

"My parents died, Draco. They didn't get sent to Azkaban. They're gone… and I needed you as a friend all of this time, and you didn't stick around. I thought I knew you better than that… I thought that I knew who you were … But you're shacking up with the Gryffindor Heads! You're shagging Harry Potter! When did you even start liking blokes, let alone that one?! And, if you were interested in them, then- then why didn't you tell me?"

Though Draco felt like he'd been kicked in the chest at Theo's confessions and feelings, he decided to avoid all of the rubbish that brought up within him, and answered the man's last question,

"Why in the hell would I tell you? Feeling a bit curious?"

The coloring- the near hot pink- that hit Theo's cheeks and neck were enough to let Draco to know the answer to the question. But there was a part of him that wanted to believe that the man's reactions- and silence- had nothing to do with what Draco was suspecting. As the silence stretched on, however, wherein Theo seemed to be finding words, as well as quelling his color, Draco had to admit to himself that his suspicions were true… Finally, the blonde said,

"You- fancy me." Theo said nothing, but didn't say no, and Draco managed to ask one more question, "Is that why you won't tell me who's sent the contract? Because you feel jilted?"

"No. I sent the contract because I'm-" Theo paused, unable to say the next words, which gave Draco plenty of time to flush in anger before practically shouting,

"You sent that bloody contract?!" And the blonde had thought that Theo's first- silent- admission was dumbfounding!

"Yes," Theo answered with a tight jaw; standing up for himself, despite his shady actions; feeling justified due to the shadiness of his friends'.

"Really?!" Draco was still having a difficult time letting it sink it, and a few seconds later, when it did sink in, he took two challenging steps forward and commanded, "Take it back."

"No."

"Yes, Theo."

"No, Draco."

"Yes."

"No."

"I'll pay you."

"I don't need money, you know that."

"I'll take you to court."

"The Parkinsons already signed my contract. Mine will fly."

"I'll take you out back, so to speak."

"Threats, now, eh? Say goodbye to Lu-Lu for me when I'm gone and you're back in Azzy."

"Then what the fuck do you want?!"

"I want you to lie in the grave you dug for yourself, Drake."

"What kind of grave is that for me if you steal my future wife, when you have no interest in her, and she none for you, when who you really have interest in is me?" Theo shrugged at Draco's question, a frown etched into his features, and sat back down at his desk, fully intending on ignoring his Prefect from now on.

Draco was confused, and at a loss on where to go from here. There were options yes… but what would the outcome be to all of them? If the one idea he had- one which he knew would change Theo's mind on the contract forever- was agreed upon by his three lovers, what would happen then? Would it matter if they didn't agree?

"What if," Draco began, "I came up with an offer so ludicrous, so preposterous, that you had to say yes?"

"I have enough money," Theo responded as he kept his back to Draco. "At least from the likes of you. It would probably up and disappear one day."

"What if I-"Draco bit his lip, unaware of what his next question would bring, "propositioned you?" Draco asked the writing Theo, who stopped… whatever it was he was doing, and turned around to give the blonde a raised brow.

"Come again?" He asked, apparently second guessing his ears.

"What if- for one time only- you could have me..?" Draco let the meaning of his words sink into both of their minds, before asking, "Would you take the contract back?"

Theo blinked once or twice, and then said, "What- you mean "proposition" me?"

"Yes," Draco said, his stomach already flipping out at the idea, and not in a bad way, either. "If you feel so rejected, then why not get what you really want from this situation?" As far as manipulation and scheming goes, this wasn't- to put it lightly, in Muggles' Layman's- Draco's first rodeo… He intended to be the one who really got what they wanted in this situation; not Theo.

"The other three won't be pissed off, or try and kill me again?" Theo asked, prodding for more information on the "agreement" they may come to.

"You should have thought of that before now. We did tell you to back off…" Draco said, trying to suppress his annoyance at this truth. They had threatened the Slytherins if they didn't leave them alone. And here one was, trying to shite on everything, and Draco was going to shag him! Life, man…

"No. No one will kill you," the Prefect went on, "I'm sure Pansy would rather bite your cock off than have it anywhere near her at this point, so I think she'll be ok with this. Hermione is pretty sore about the fact that Pansy's parents can still force her to marry, despite being of age, and Harry… well he may take the most convincing. Perhaps he'd care to join us." This last sentence brought a new shade of pink to Theo's face, and even though Draco had said it jokingly- considering he didn't know how he'd convince his boyfriend to do that- he suddenly really wanted to see his boyfriend do so!

Theo had never looked so vulnerable, and it was making Draco feel… giddy..!

"How do you intend on pulling this off without first talking to them?" Theo was finally able to ask, obviously still very, very interested, even if the subject made him blush like a school girl.

"They'll agree to this because we want you to void your contract. Plain and simple. If you go tell them you'll take it back for a trade, they will most likely take it." Draco, then, quickly added, "Do we have a deal, Theo, or do you wish to face the music?"

Theo took a deep breath before standing, and took a step toward his Prefect, stretching his hand out for a shake, and answered,

"We have a deal."

()()(*)()()

To say the least, the three of our four lovers not present for the previous conversation were beside themselves once Draco relayed it to them; and that was even before the blonde said anything about the, possible, alternative plan of "action". He had yet to mention it, let alone convince his lovers of his bargain with Theo, and live through the fact that he would have to admit that it was his own idea.

For not being the jealous type, his lovers could be the jealous type, get what I mean? If you recall Chapter 33, the three were not happy with Draco's joke about "spanking" the Slytherins. And now, here he was, about to announce that that was exactly what he intended to do to Theo; if not doubly so, for being an interfering, back-stabby, fuck.

Draco suddenly regretted keeping Pansy from finding Luna… Not only because he missed a good show, but because he felt sure it would have been healing for her.

"You shite, Theo!" Pansy shrieked. Theo, who was used to Pansy being loud, pitchy, and spazztic, did not flinch as she continued, "You stupid, arrogant, shite! How dare you! You know that sending that contract means that I get to curse you, right?" Pansy reached for her wand, and Draco stopped her, saying,

"He says he'll take it back."

His three lovers all did double takes at him, before turning to the now anxious looking Theo, before Pansy asked,

"He did? What does he want?"

Now this was that moment that Draco was dreading most, but he bit the curse as best he could, while spitting out rather quickly, "Hesayshe'lltakeitbackifmeandHarryshaghim." Subconsciously, Draco had taken a step or two to stand between Theo and his lovers while he said what he needed to; but not that it much mattered, because his lovers were no longer paying attention to Theo as they gawked at Draco with wide eyes and slacked jaws.

"What?" Harry asked, though he'd obviously understood. Draco sighed, and repeated, slower this time,

"He says he'll void the contract if Harry and I shag him."

"For the record," Theo cut in, "I didn't actually say that."

"I did," Draco growled, frustrated. He knew that this conversation wasn't going to go well, and it wasn't by the looks on the other's faces.

Harry recovered first, saying, "You did?"

"Yes. Because I'm trying to go about this in a legal way. There are many other alternatives, but this is the way we fix the problem without any of us, namely Pans, facing years in Azkaban. Do you feel like sitting in a room with my mother all day for the rest of your life?" Draco asked Pansy, who glared at him deeply. She loved Narcissa, but sharing a room with her- while the two hid alone for protection- didn't sound that grand. Did allowing her men to romp with another man sound somehow grander? "Do you feel like sitting with this git in a room for the rest of your life?" Draco pointed his thumb over his shoulder at Theo, who glared at the back of the blonde's head.

"No," Pansy answered with a pout and a sigh.

"We get your point," Harry answered, glancing at Theo and sizing him up. The man did the same in return, and Harry lifted a brow at him before turning to the still silent Hermione, the witch staring at a point at the front of Draco's shirt, lost in thought. "What do you think 'Mione?"

"I think Draco has the right of it…" Hermione admitted, even if she hated to. "Though, I will state now, that I'm not particularly fond of the idea. But if it gets Pansy out of the contract, I'm ok with it."

"Do we at least get to watch or something?" Pansy asked. She should have settled, and been contented, with the fact that she was getting out of having to marry an arsehole she didn't love, but she still wanted to know if she could milk any more from the situation.

"No," Theo answered. Pansy glared, perhaps even growled, at the other Slytherin man, before Harry decided to cut in and suggest,

"What if we gave you the memory and you could watch it in the Pensive?" He wasn't happy about this- yeah, Theo was cute, or whatever- but if it meant making sure that Pansy wouldn't be signed off to some loveless marriage, then so be it.

"McGonagall's Pensive? In her office?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded, and then made a coughing noise that sounded and awful lot like "cloak".

"I'll take that," Pansy said, her frown still deep, eyes still angry, to Theo, "And I'll be keeping that memory, you know, just in case you decide to go back on your word, arse-hat."

Theo frowned back at her, and said, "Keep it if you like. But I won't go back on my word if they don't."

"Don't worry. We won't," Harry said while crossing his arms over his chest. "We call it "taking one for the team"."

"He'll be taking two for the team," Draco said, pointing to Theo. Harry smirked at his boyfriend. Theo shifted uncomfortably, even if he tried to remain calm. The four could see right through him, though. They all knew what a vulnerable person looked like; they all knew what line Theo was about to cross. They had all been there.

"Well-"Hermione said, unsure of what to say- don't even ask her about how she felt- at the moment, "-I guess we'll leave you to it."

"Don't have too much fun," Pansy chimed in as she walked back to the fireplace, Hermione in tow. "Come get us when you're finished. We'll be in my room checking the brewing."

A/N: Yeah… This is totally happening. Thanks to I was BOTWP and our dirt nasty minds. Love you, lady!

(Children in Heat)

Children in heat
They have no conscience
No resistance
You gotta see this big reaction
No resistance