Title: In The Interests Of …

Author: I_nv_u50

Pairings: DracoXHarry

Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K Rowling. The world belongs to Squaresoft. Harry-muse and Draco-muse are mine.

Harry: Ah, I knew it was too good to last.

I_nv_u50: Shut it. (produces a whip) Work! Now! Hahahahaha!

Chapter Rating: PG-13 just because.

Draco: (narrows eyes) Interesting …

Harry: What?

Draco: How she can get away with half or non sentences …

Harry: (sighs) Unfair.

Author's Notes:  Spoilers for FF8, You find out the headmaster's identity in this one! Cookies for all those who guessed before hand =P More kissing … Or rather, trying to kiss =P And Draco tries to get his revenge as well … will it turn out? Stay tuned and please review!

Draco: (snorts) That was lame.

Harry: Tell me about it.

Draco: You're a fine one to talk, not letting me kiss you.

Harry: That's not my fault! It's hers! She writes! Not me!

Draco: (snorts) That was lame as well.



Draco's gaze immediately became more assessing, judging the 'friend', and how much he meant to Harry, before realizing that the friendship was just that, not any deeper, and he smirked in triumph before Harry could cut in.

Being possessive was a fault in Draco, one of his more major ones. It took a lot for him to trust someone, but when he did, they were his, and his only. He didn't share, those lessons hadn't been well received when he was a toddler still playing with toys, and he would not accept any threatening presence over his knight, not if it stole Harry from him.

The link had made Harry his, no matter what he felt about it, and he wouldn't tolerate a friend to mean anything more than just a friend.

Ron was seething under the cuttingly indifferent and mocking stare he was receiving, and was almost vibrating with anger and the need to act upon it, but it would be blasphemy, or quite close. Draco knew this and used it to his advantage, a thrill of triumph sweeping through him as he remained calm towards Ron.

Harry sensed this, and battled harder to get out of the arms still wrapped around his waist, but Draco only let him go when a new visitor knocked on the door.

Draco smirked at Ron. "At least she has manners."

Ron scowled, but Harry gave Draco a reproving glance that Draco was tempted to defy, but Harry had opened the door, and a young female SeeD stepped in.

She saluted Draco smartly before anyone could say anything, keeping her face carefully expressionless.

Then she turned excitedly to Harry. "Harry! You got a room! A top ranking room! Of course, it comes with the rank, but it's said that it rivals the chambers of even the headmaster!"

Ron turned to them eagerly at that. "Yea, that's what I heard too! Think of the fun we could have up there, with no one to tell us to turn the music down or anything! And the poker games!"

Harry, surrounded by his two best friends, unconsciously sent a wave of happiness and belonging to Draco, making him feel a little better, but also pointing out to him at just how lonely he was, leaving a bitter aftertaste at the feelings.

Harry paused in exchanging excited comments with his friends, feeling a tendril of displacement, and quickly placed it from Draco, who was watching the three with a hungry, almost wistful expression before he caught Harry's eyes and reverted back to his calm, slightly mocking everyday face.

Harry wasn't to be fooled, however, and introduced the girl as Ron's girlfriend and his other best friend, Hermione.

There was an awkward pause.

"Well!" Hermione started brightly, and Draco smiled chillingly at her.

"Well?"

She stopped, and looked away, blushing a little, leaving Ron scowling again and Harry a little annoyed.

Annoyed enough so he politely excused himself from his friends, and tugged an amused Draco to one of the far corners of the room.

"Would you stop it already!" he hissed, almost throwing Draco's arm down.

Draco merely raised one elegant eyebrow. "Excuse me? These are my chambers, you are the only one here with permission, and you can only be here with my permission; one barges in rudely, and the other comes in with no invitation from the owner of this wing. So far as I'm concerned, you are the only one allowed here."

Harry flushed angrily. "Fine. Just … Fine." His voice was tight, but it carried further than Draco's calmly rational voice had, and Ron and Hermione looked over at them.

Harry whirled around on the spot, his voice calculatingly low so that only Draco would hear. "If they're not welcome here, then neither am I."

With that, he calmly walked out, taking hold of his friend's arms, and pulling them out with him.

Draco stared at the door for a second in what could only be classified as shock and surprise, before starting to laugh.

Harry had looked so funny stalking out, playing the martyr, injured and insulted. He looked so cute when he was angry, when his eyes were glinting with annoyance, his face flushed with irritation.

Suddenly Draco didn't think Harry was such a bad choice after all, he could get used to him.

Still chuckling, he waited until he felt calmness when probing the bond, and slipped out of the room, gliding down the corridor and out of the wing.

Once in the main corridor, he paused a second to get his bearings, then followed Harry's presence in his mind, floating to the elevator and taking it to the second floor, which was all but empty; he could feel Harry alone in one of the rooms.

He started floating in that direction, and the door opened before he got there, Harry half stepping out to face him, a scowl still gracing his features.

Draco made himself grin sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in supposed discomfort. "Hi."

Harry watched him, eyes searching for a second, then sighed and stepped back inside, letting Draco follow him in.

It was a big room, closer to circular than square in shape. It had a huge 4 poster bed, with big pillows and at least three blankets and comforters, an inset bathroom, with the door looking more like a closet door than anything, table, chairs, and a small balcony. It even had a mini bar, and kitchen.

Harry sat on a barstool and watched Draco, who just stared back, both of them obviously expecting something, and neither going to give in first.

Harry took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I have nothing to eat right now …"
Draco blinked, caught off guard. Wasn't Harry even going to apologize?

"No, I'm not." Harry spoke quietly, looking up at Draco through his eyelashes. "I wasn't in the wrong, Draco. They're my friends, the least you can do is be polite to them."

Draco scowled a little. "But the room is mine, just like you."

Harry looked up fully at that unexpected remark, obviously wondering what to make of it. "What?"

Draco stared back at him, the picture of innocence. "What?"
"What did you just say?"
"The room is mine."

"And so am I?"

"Right."
Harry nodded, his eyes downcast again, and with a deep breath, he wiped his hands up his face, and through his hair, standing up to confront Draco.

"Look here, Draco. I'm not yours. Yes, I'm your knight. But you wont be able to control me, or enthrall me – yes, I know about that – and I certainly don't belong to you."

Harry paused, seeking out the bond for reassurance. Draco seemed to be taking it all right.

Then Draco shoved Harry, making him stumble back and fall against the bar in surprise. Before he could respond, however, one of Draco's hands was on either side of him, effectively trapping Harry as Draco's eyes glowed silver, their faces inches apart.

"You. Are. Mine." Draco bit out, and moved to kiss Harry, but Harry read the move for what it was and reacted, cadet skills making him twist his head to avoid the half unwanted kiss, ducking under one of Draco's arms and backing off a little.

"No, I'm not." If Harry's voice was a little shaky, and his breathe a little too fast, he ignored it. "Draco, you can't own people, they aren't possessions."

Draco straightened up slowly, agreeing mildly, earning him a suspicious look from Harry.

Draco just shrugged, one shoulder moving up then down. "I agree. It's a pity, because I protect what is mine."

Harry rolled his eyes, untensing a little. "I can protect myself, Draco."

Draco brightened up. "That's right, you have a sword, don't you? May I see it?"

There was nothing but honest curiosity in his voice and stance, and Harry smiled slowly, easing up completely. "Yea. 'Mione moved it up here for me, it's over here …"

He strode over to a real closet, and pulled out a case. The sword was quite plain, with just the bare necessities needed, but it was obviously well cared for, sharpened and polished regularly.

Draco snorted. "Don't you get a better one?"

"Not until I upgrade."

Draco expressed the natural interest of one who had never had this kind of conversation before, and Harry understood, and explained everything in a way that anyone could understand, from seasoned veteran to untrained novice. Draco took it all in, and Harry finally observed the almost childlike wonder of his sorceress, leaving him confused and uncertain, unsure at just what the real Draco was like.

As he explained, Draco nodded with attention, but it was fairly obvious that he was thinking, and Harry wasn't sure what about. All he could get through the link was tiredness and smugness, laced with that still catlike curiosity. Harry wasn't at all sure about the reason for the smugness, but he guessed he would find out soon.

After about half an hour, Draco strode towards the door quickly, looking over his shoulder at Harry. "You'd better get some sleep, you have a long day tomorrow."

Harry blinked. He had obviously forgotten about the exam the next day. "Goodnight Draco."

"'Night."
And then he was out. Harry traced him until he reached the elevator, and then tried to ignore the burning in his mind and go to sleep. Draco was right. He needed to pass tomorrow, preferably without dying.

He had a bizarre idea that if he died, so would Draco, and, as annoying as the young sorceress could be, he didn't deserve to die.

The young sorceress was on his way to the headmaster's bedroom, determined that someone would die.

He had purposely kept his thoughts and emotions from Harry, with a little difficulty, merely by forcing himself to think and feel something non-threatening until he could feel Harry asleep. Only then did he allow his vengeful plans to take predominance in his mind.

He snuck into the room easily, via the office, which was usually open 24 hours a day, to receive reports and other business things.

He was fast asleep on his bed, his weapon's case lying on the floor beside him. It was unlocked, and partially open, the steel of the blade glinting faintly in the moonlight, lending fact to the rumors that the headmaster was a master gunbladist.

Draco leant over the headmaster's slumbering form, the dappled moonlight giving an eerie presence to the sorceress' pale blonde hair and glowing silver eyes. A jolt of gleeful triumph coursed through him at the vulnerable state of the commoner.

How dare he.. He had lied, and while Draco was now not adverse to having Harry as a knight, he had been tricked, and his pride would not allow it. Tricked by the peasant. If he hadn't woken up by now, he wasn't going to, and he deserved to die all the more for it, thinking that the sorceress was too weak to come after him.

Then the headmaster's eyes shot open, piercing blue met steely silver, and Draco jerked back helplessly, startled by the sudden awakening, caught unawares.

The headmaster reached over and tugged the chain for his bedside lamp. "Careless, Draco, very careless. You breathed too loud. You know, I can't help wondering what kind of a SeeD you'd make." He ran a hand through sleep tousled blonde hair. "And then I realize that you're too spoilt to ever make it."

Draco gritted his teeth in anger, his eyes glowing unearthly in the still, mostly-dark room.

He started forward, raising his hand to call thundaga, but the look he was receiving stopped him.

"No Draco. You know what happens when sorceress' kill innocent people, or take revenge."

Draco paused. Yes, he did know. He had forgotten in the red haze of anger, but he knew that sorceress' go mad if they kill for revenge.

It was a warped kind of justice. Sorceresses could kill to take over the world, and they did, gladly, but if they killed for revenge, it would lead straight down the path to insanity.

It was also another good reason for knights. They could act for the sorceress, were supposed to, especially if it was a sorceress order that they had no chance of refusing.

Knights could and would act for their sorceress, even killing for revenge, but if a sorceress tried to do the same, even for the revenge of his/her knight, it would lead the sorceress to insanity, and bring the knight down with it.

And Draco just knew that, in his case, Harry wouldn't act for him. He could make it an order, and leave no choice for Harry, but that would make his knight hate him, and he really didn't want that, if only for his own peace of mind.

He'd have to let it go, or face the dangerous consequences. How he hated to do that.

"You're not innocent." He spat out, but his hand lowered, the thundaga gone uncalled.

"I know you think I lied. But I honestly thought it would be temporary." The headmaster sighed. "Did you know I was a knight?"

Draco blinked and hesitantly sat down on the bed. "You, sir?"
"Yes. But not, I'm afraid, for the usual reasons. I had a rival, one who always got what he wanted, even though he almost never asked for it. The only thing I could see happening for me that would never happen for him was to become a knight. It was my obsession, my … dream, if you will. And then, finally, when I was 18, I had become a knight. She already had a husband, but he was occupied as headmaster of my Garden. I didn't know it at the time, but she was possessed, having taken in a powerful sorceress to protect m - … some children."

Draco was drinking it all in, absorbing the information, and barely noticed the almost slip up.

"Then what?" he was interested in spite of himself.

"Then I became a knight to the evil sorceress who had possessed her, became totally enthralled, fed a new young sorceress to her, and let her get killed by my rival."

Draco blinked. "Killed? As in, she died? But then why aren't you dead yet?"
The headmaster laughed, a bitter, almost humorless chuckle. "Yet? Draco, it's been 6 years since she died, I don't think I'm going to die anytime soon." His face softened slightly. "I'm only alive because the sorceress I fed to her has a much softer heart than I ever did. She made me her knight as well, and her energy, combined with that of her other two knights filled that empty space inside of me that was left when the evil sorceress died."

Draco blinked again, thinking it over, and sitting up straighter. "She must be a nice sorceress … is she known?"

"Yes, she is. She has three knights, myself included, and is the twin sister of the escaped one."

Draco jumped up, startled. "Traitor! You mean to let her get me!"
"Stop being so paranoid!" the command was harshly spoken, almost like a whip crack, and it slit Draco's near panic.

The escaped sorceress was obviously scaring Draco more than he let on, and the headmaster was suddenly very glad Draco had chosen a level-headed knight, if he was this excitable.

Draco froze, and his glowing eyes slowly reverted back into the silver-gray they had been as he listened, and he sat down again.

"Rinoa wouldn't do that." The headmaster spoke with such calm confidence in his sorceress, that Draco was subconsciously reassured.

"Also, Draco, Rinoa is making her way here as we speak, with her other knights. She should be here tomorrow afternoon, and she'll be happy to talk to you."

"How old is she?" Draco asked suspiciously, in what seemed like a sudden jealousy flare.

"She and her other two knights are 23."

Draco nodded, and stood up to leave. He paused, and thought for a second. "Sir, is there anyway you can make Harry a SeeD without sending him on that exam tomorrow?"

The headmaster gave him a knowing smile. "Worried for his life, are you?"

"No." Draco scowled, blushing and avoiding the blue eyes. "I'm worried about my own."

The headmaster accepted this meekly, the still infuriatingly knowing smile hovering on his lips. "I'm sorry, Draco, but there's no other way. You wouldn't want cadets to say he became a SeeD because of the bond with you, would you?"

Draco shook his head quietly, accepting, and bowed slightly, barely showing the back of his neck in a movement that seemed to be subtly mocking, before leaving, shutting the door softly behind him.

Seifer reached over and switched his light off, lying on his back in the dark, eyes open, hands behind his head.

Rinoa had been extraordinarily kind, even with Zell's loud complaints and Squall's silent protests.

But they had grown to understand each other in the course of 6 years, and were even on sort of friendly terms.

Seifer sighed and turned over, hoping that Rinoa and her favorite knights would be able to explain things a lot better than he had.