In Continuation Part 7 - From Frying Pan to Fire
Draco froze. Deer in headlights come to mind. Again.
Dumbledore sighed, settled back in his chair and said, "You may show him in, Minerva."
Lucius Malfoy swept grandly into the room. "Dumbledore," he intoned. "Is this true?"
"If you are asking if your son has been expelled, I'm afraid it is, Mr. Malfoy," replied Dumbledore.
"Where is he?" demanded Lucius. Without waiting for an answer, he fixed his gaze on Draco, who stiffened and clutched wildly for Fawkes. Fawkes, having had his talon seized painfully tight, squawked in protest and rose from his perch, knocking Draco off the chair with one wing.
Draco landed heavily on the floor. Lucius hauled Draco up by the collar. "Explain."
Draco stammered, "Father… I didn't mean to… it just came out of my mouth… I meant to say yes… I really did. Give me another chance… let Him ask again…"
Harry realised with a shock that Draco was not talking about his expulsion, but about the Death Eater incident.
Lucius shook him. "Why did they expel you?" Draco was tall, but he seemed to have shrunk in the presence of his father.
Dumbledore said calmly, "Mr. Malfoy, if you would put your son down, I shall explain."
Lucius strode over to the desk, leaving Draco in the corner. Harry moved to Draco. "Are you alright?"
He wasn't, judging by the way Draco was trembling. It was evident he was trying not to, and failing miserably.
"Dumbledore's not going to believe me," Draco whispered. "He'll let my father take me… back to…" He choked.
Lucius spun around, noticing for the first time that Harry was also in the room.
"Potter!" he bellowed. "What… I mean, why…" he turned back to Dumbledore. "Potter is the one who has caused my son to be expelled!"
"In a way, yes," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling.
"That's not funny!" Draco called indignantly from the floor.
"However," Dumbledore continued, "I have reason to believe that you should not be allowed to remove your son from the protection that the school may offer him."
"What the devil?!" raged Lucius. "Are you telling me I can't protect my own son?!"
Dumbledore sighed yet again. "I fear I must be blunt with you, Mr. Malfoy. Draco has revealed to us that because he refused to become a Death Eater, you will simply deliver him to Voldemort and kill him."
"Rubbish!" said Lucius scornfully. "He's lying, of course. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? Back? He's dead!"
"Show me your Mark, Lucius," commanded Dumbledore.
"Nonsense…" Lucius was blustering, aware that he was losing his debate. "It's always there… it won't fade…"
"Nevertheless, if Voldemort has come back, it will have burnt black, Lucius."
Lucius stopped where he was. Abruptly, he pulled out his wand and pointed it at Draco.
Harry had been ready for that. He and Draco both had their wands out, and both cried, "Expelliarmus!" the moment Lucius' wand cleared his pocket.
Crude, yet effective. Lucius was blasted backwards. Dumbledore Summoned his wand to him.
"Here is your wand, Lucius," he said, handing it back to the furious man with a twinkle. "I suppose you would like to leave now."
Lucius paused, halfway out of the door. He wasn't a man to waste his words. "The Dark Lord will get you, Draco," he said.
Draco was equally succinct. "Fuck you, Father."
* * * * * * * *
"Did you mean what you said, back there?" Harry asked Draco as they walked away from the Headmaster's office, Harry still in school, Draco expelled.
"I was scared, Harry. Words come out of my mouth when I'm hysterical."
"Would you, though, if you were given the chance again?"
Draco stopped. "Before I say anything else, I want you to understand that it was always something I'd looked forward to when I was young. It was the way I was brought up. And when He asked me, in the summer, I would have said yes. It was like the best thing that had ever happened to me. But I don't know why, but I said no."
Harry corrected, "You told him to fuck himself."
"Yes well that too."
"I should hate you now."
"Because I'm evil."
"Yes, you are."
"I'm also not gay."
Harry stopped and sat down heavily in the middle of the corridor. "What?"
Draco crouched to be on a level with him. "I'm not gay, Harry."
"But… we…"
"We NOTHING! I never did anything with you. I'm evil. You're Harry Potter. I'm not the one for you." he was pleading now.
"No," said Harry. "I won't accept that."
Draco shot back, "Tough. Because I'm going to walk away. And when you've had a think about it, when you've talked with Weasley, you'll realise I'm right."
Harry surged from his cross-legged position, catching Draco in the chest and slamming him into the floor. "You ARE gay!" he yelled at him.
"Well, fine, maybe I am," Draco shouted back. "Or maybe I'm bisexual. Or something. Who gives a fuck? Maybe I like boys. BUT NOT YOU."
He pushed Harry off him. "I hate you," he said, quiet now. "If it hadn't been for you I would be doing exactly what I wanted to do along."
"How EXACTLY is it my fault that YOU said the wrong thing? If I hadn't helped you, you'd be DEAD. You're bloody ungrateful, you know that?" hissed Harry.
"Yes, I am. And being dead would be a better thing than having YOU all over me. Get over it, Potter. I am not for you." Draco's eyes were suspiciously red. Arrogantly, he stood up, brushed himself off and walked away.
Harry sat in the middle of the corridor, alone.
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We are very near the end… *humming happily*
To my readers:
Draco Malfoy N Harry Potter -- The chapters should be coming up one a week on Sundays, barring anything unexpected that may prevent me from getting to my computer, like the end of the world. ;)
Kika -- The story is finishing soon. Calm your nerves! :)
Sage Mistress of Magic -- Whose head are you hitting?
Katu -- Here ya go.
Alynnia*McKinnon -- Uncalled for, true. I was going to make him kidnap Draco and take him to his secret lair in the Bahamas while ransoming him to Lucius Malfoy, but…
SoulSister -- Something bad happened, do you reckon? I'm not too sure myself.
DaigonAlley -- That depends on whether you think a week is "soon". Thanks for your support!
Keep rocking all!!
--Sera