Title: Together 

Rating: PG-13

Sequel to The Largest task of All 1 & 2

Summary: When Harry met Lucius… (need I say more?)

A/N: Rowenna is on holiday but I sent her this to beta and will replace **crosses heart** and I am soooo sorry I took so long to update, there's a bigger A/N and explanation at the end. A thank you and enjoy.

Thank You's at end as per usual

Hermione, Ron and Harry sat in the Prefect common room in front of the fire having just came in from their snowball fight. Ron had been suitably soaked and Harry was sitting watching the flames wondering how Draco's meeting with his father was going.

He hoped the elder Malfoy took something out of the poem that Harry sent him and didn't just scan it and discard it.

He hoped it did some good.

As he sat and watched the dancing flames the portrait hole opened and Draco came in, mask in place. He looked at Harry.

"My father would like a word with you Harry."

Harry got up as Ron and Hermione watched him, Ron stood and stopped Harry and said in an undertone. "Are you sure its not a trap Harry?"

"Oh, even I am not as presumptuous to try to do something in the walls of Hogwarts Mr Weasley."

Lucius stood at the portrait hole with an unreadable expression on his face. Harry nodded to Ron and he walked past him and he and Draco walked out of the portrait and closed it.

Lucius watched their body language. Even without showing any physical 'touchy feely' the signs were there. The way they looked at each other, the obvious want to embrace when they saw each other.

Draco looked at his father. "Father, this is Harry, my partner."

Lucius held out his right hand to Harry and held his cane in his left. Harry tentatively held his hand out and shook the elder Malfoy's hand firmly.

"We meet again Mr Potter…"

Harry nodded; this was his turn to get on with someone for Draco's own feelings. Draco knew that this meeting between  HHarryhhhhHarry and his father would be colossal compared to the small tiff's he had with Weasley and Hermione.

"Yes Lucius."

Lucius cocked his eyebrow to the usage of his first name.

"Draco, I think we three need a more private place to chat don't you?"

Draco nodded and frowned trying to think of a place. Harry looked up "The study room I use in the Library"

"You have your own personal study room?" Lucius asked thinking he had an insight to the boy's idolisation.

"Yeah, people have tried to kill me so often that it was kind of a good idea, sir"

They walked in silence to the room in the library that Harry used on weeknights and closed and locked the door. They sat in three of the number of chairs around a round oak table, Harry and Draco sitting quite close together.

Lucius looked at his son. "Draco, may I speak to Harry alone for a while?"

Draco looked at Harry who nodded his acceptance. Draco took one look at his father and left the room relocking the door as he went.

Harry looked at the elder Malfoy and it stuck him how very alike Draco and Lucius were. Although, Lucius was broader shouldered, had the build of a chaser rather than a seeker like himself and Draco.

Lucius was watching Harry with great interest. He wanted to see the Gryffindor's reaction, confrontational or standoffish? He was quiet, probably just waiting for him to say something to reply to.

"He saved your life."

Harry nodded "And I saved his"

"Does he get on with Weasley or the mud- Muggle born?"

"He does homework with Hermione and has stopped all open hostility with Ron."

Lucius crossed his arms and leant back slightly in his chair. "What are your intentions for my son?"

Harry looked at him as though he had asked a stupid question and then sat back in his chair

"Well first I thought world domination, that's always a good bet. Then I could you know, use all his money… well your money to hire assassins to kill of that prick Voldemort that's always giving me strife… How is he by the way I do hope he is well."

Lucius was again left speechless. Draco being braver than usual and thick sarcasm worthy of Draco's mouth from Harry.

They were definitely having positive impacts on the other's life.

Lucius sighed heavily and stood and said quietly "What I meant was are your plans long or short term?"

Harry answered "Long term"

Lucius turned round and looked at Harry. "I love my son, I want what's best for my son. I have faith in his decision about you. I am a death eater and by definition your enemy. You and I both know that and so there is no point in me trying to hide it. This means I cannot see my son very often, for I am going to have to tell Voldemort of his defection or he will expect to see you dead and on his doorstep by Draco's hand and that is more dangerous than a mere head hunt. He wont be far up on the list of people Voldemort wants dead."

"Yeah, the list I'm at the top of."

Lucius snorted, "You actually think you are at the top?" He gave a short dry laugh, "No, maybe second, perhaps third"

"Well, where am I then? Considering the amount he has tried to kill me I thought id be first."

Lucius sat down across from Harry again "You are of no threat to him, not yet. You aren't a good enough wizard or duellist yet…" Lucius paused and looked at Harry very seriously

"Although, I do commend your effort at the Lords Rebirthing. Your reflexes are good…Anyway, as I was saying the biggest threat is someone who already has the power and the know-how to kill him."

"Dumbledore" whispered Harry.

"Yes, the old man knows this of course. He wont be able to protect you and Draco, I feel I may have to go to him. You are safe in your relatives care but Draco is not."

They both sat in silence for a few moments longer and Harry sighed. Lucius looked at the boy who looked tired and weary. His eyes were bright and hid no emotion.

"Thank you for sending the letter"

Harry looked at Lucius with a start "What?"

"The letter, the poem… I don't know if I would have been in the same frame of mind with him had I not seen it."

Lucius stood and looked at Harry "All I will say is, don't leave him. He is giving up everything for you… don't leave him."

Harry looked at the genuine plea in the elder Malfoy's eyes. "I cant… I need him far too much."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After the meeting with Harry and Draco Lucius left the two boys not long after. They didn't hear word from him at all and Draco knew it meant he must have told Voldemort his intentions.

Draco knew this was the only real option as on Christmas eve there was an article in the Daily Prophet titled "The Boy Who Found Love" and had a small piece about himself and Harry that had got into the paper through a Ravenclaw Terry Boot's older brother, to make his name in the business.

Christmas morning dawned and Draco was asleep in Harry's room when he felt warm hands encircle him. "Morning Drake… Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas Harry." He smiled, the morning had started well. They sat up and saw to their delight presents on the foot of their bed. As they sat up Hermione and Ron walked into their room, Hermione with her eyes covered by Ron.

"Ahh, its alright Mione. They are decent." Ron grinned.

Hermione and Ron both had a bag of their own presents and ones for Harry and Draco. They pushed Harry and Draco's presents further forwards and placed their own on the bed.

"Shall we begin?" Asked Ron.

They nodded and Harry opened his first present that was from Hermione. It was a small broach of a Lion inset with Emeralds for eyes and a Dragon with Sapphires for eyes. It was made of silver.

"Bloody hell Mione this must have cost a fortune!"

She smiled cheekily "no, you know the store in Diagon Alley 'Bankils Bric a Brack? I bought a small box and got home and opened it and that was inside. The owner had no idea it was there, and I took it to a jewellers, its not silver its Mithril." Harry looked speechless "I thought it was perfect for you… And I got it before I found out about you two so" she shrugged "When I found out I thought it must have been fate or something."

Harry looked stunned but put the pendant on.

Draco picked up a present that said "To Draco, from your study buddy Hermione." Draco looked at her and she smiled lightly. He opened the present to reveal a small golden chain with a silver snake that he could feel had a charm placed on it.

"What charm is this?"

Hermione smiled "it's a charm I made myself, it means you can feel Harry's emotions, I put the same charm on the one I made Harry, if you hold it and concentrate on him you can know if the other is alright."

"So it's a less painful version of the bond I have with Voldemort?"

Hermione nodded and Draco now looked speechless. "Thank You. Thank you so much." She smiled and then picked up a present to her from Harry. She opened it and it was a set of 15 stones. Her mouth hung open.

"I saw the book you were reading on "Magical Stones and their properties" and I knew you wanted a set of them…" She smiled and she hugged Harry. "Thanks!"

Draco and Ron looked at each other.

"I got you a small thing Weasley in the spirit of good will and all that."

"I got you something too Malfoy."

Draco and Ron exchanged gifts. Ron opened his to be faced with a small badge of the Chudley Cannons, a rare badge from their glory days. He looked impressed and Draco opened his small parcel and it was a book called "Montrose Magpies through the ages." "Thanks" they both said at the same time.

Draco opened a present that had a bumpy feeling to it and he found inside it a jumper and a note.

"Mr Malfoy,

Ron and Hermione told me you were seeing Harry and I thought I'd send you this."

Draco picked up the jumper that was a teal colour and had a pattern not of an initial but of the Malfoy family emblem.

Draco smiled and Harry said "That's Mrs Weasley alright" as he opened his own jumper of deep red and a pattern of a snitch in the centre. He also noticed a note.

"Harry,

You need to introduce me to Draco, we had no idea you were seeing him! The newspaper gave me quite a shock! Take Care

Molly Weasley"

Ron got a new chess set from Hermione, a pre-owned one as she asked the person in the shop what would be best and these pieces had more experience. He gave her a pendant with "Amere" on it, Latin for love.

Ron handed Harry his gift.

Harry opened it and it was at first seemed like an empty book but he opened it and saw an inscription.

"To the owner of my pages

Listen very hard

I am a book of memories

Don't ever discard

I keep your thoughts

In my heart

And in my pages fair

So never leave me

Lying around

Keep me with due care."

"Its like a pensive only you keep the memories in your head. And like a muggle candorder."

"Camcorder Ron." Corrected Hermione.

Harry smiled and hugged his best friend.

Draco picked up a parcel and handed it to Hermione. She opened it and inside was a glass sphere with a golden cloud in the centre she looked at it curiously and then it dawned on her what she held in her hands.

She held in her hands a promise. A blood bond. She looked at Draco a question to ask what the bond was and he smiled "It is the bond that bound the four founders of Hogwarts together, its why its golden. I thought you would like to study it." He laughed at the absolute glee on the young girls face and he shook his head.

Harry looked at Ron and gave him a card. Ron looked at Harry strangely and opened the card. Inside there was a piece of parchment and he read it.

"To Ronald Weasley,

Congratulations, you now own shares in the Chudley Cannons! With this you earn the right to attend every home and away game you can. Just send an owl to us for tickets one week before the match and we will supply you with up to three tickets.

Thank you for your interest and support of our wonderful club!

Chairman

Gilbert Jacobs"

Ron looked at Harry "You got me shares in the Chudley Cannons!?" Harry laughed "Yeah, not much though but I thought you'd like to say 'I own a part of my team.'"

Harry handed his gift to Draco first and he opened it. It was a set of crystal vials and each was labelled he read some of them and smiled. Some had names "Liquid Fire" and "Heart of Glass" Harry knew these were ingredients to a potion Draco had been thinking about making for a long time and now he could. He thanked Harry and then handed him his present.

"Now Harry, before you open it know that Dumbledore knows about it and says we can bend one rule." Harry looked slightly worried and opened the large box.

It was a cage.

Inside was a phoenix.

Harry gasped and the phoenix sung and he felt strengthened. Draco looked at Harry. "Her name is Sophina. You have to bring her to see Dumbledore once every six months though, or let her come see him, as she is Fawkes' mate. Dumbledore actually caught me in a corridor and asked me if I would like to purchase her as her owner passed away. He said you would be a good receiver of her as she will trust you as you have Fawkes' feather in your wand."

The gift giving over the four went downstairs and sat in the common room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As the day went by they all received more gifts. Dumbledore gave Harry a stand like Fawkes to Harry for Sophina that he placed in his room and she looked more happy to be on. He also had a meeting with Sirius who gave him a crystal ball with three auburn hairs in the centre that he informed him were Lily's and the ball had been James'.

Draco sat, uneasily wondering if he would hear from his father.

As dinner in the great hall wound down he thought it a statistical improbability.

However, he was mistaken. The black owl that Lucius owned swooped in to the hall and dropped a parcel and a letter and flew back out again.

He opened the letter quickly

"Draco.

You know son, I have always been proud of you and I shall always be proud of you. I realise I haven't always been there for you in recent events I see I wont ever be able to be so long as Voldemort still reigns.

This week of contemplation has been the hardest in my 42 years on the earth.

I give you my blessing Draco. The Dark Lord knows all but it was not I who informed  him. The Rat Wormtail did, he saw our meeting in Hogsmeade. I managed to convince Lord Voldemort that I was simply trying to gain your trust.

I shall try to keep in touch with you Draco but it will be difficult.

I will do everything in my power to protect you and your partner. Please take this key, the vault number is 983.

Take care Draco;

I will be watching you.

Lucius Malfoy."

Draco picked up the key from the box the owl had also dropped and he put the key in his pocket and went to Harry and sat with him and ate dinner in a very good mood…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hand in Hand

My love and heart

My moon and star

I love you always

Wherever you are

Moons did pass

Hearts laid bare

Love shone through

Now you're always there

Guiding me through times ill tides

Walking with me

Side by side

We stand together

Forever More

Side by side

Upon the shore

The shores of destiny

Hand in hand

We brave the storm

Upon these sands

Tides of Darkness

Doomed to pass

We face it together

Now at last

If alone we stand

We'd be sure to fall

But hand in hand

We conquer all

The poem was written in Draco's elegant hand, and the poem lay on red roses arranged in the shape of a heart in the centre of Harry's four poster bed. He smiled and touched the roses; It was a small apology from Draco for not being there that night, he was spending the day after Christmas in the Slytherin Dorms with his Slytherin friends.

Harry left the arrangement as long as he could, but, then he took the roses and put them into a small vase, he then took the poem and placed it inside "The Little Book of Feelings" Knowing no matter what would come he and Draco would face it together.

Thank You's

NayNymic: I hope you liked the chapter and thanks for the review, i think this chapter was longer... im sure.. i hope.

Queen Li: 1: Thanks again for the review 2):-D 3) Who doesnt? 4)ASAP 5)Yeah i am! 6) *blush* stop it!

Draccy: here you go, glad you like it so much.

Lady Lightening: **blush** thanks

lil' HP fan: **BLUSH** yeah i wrote it myself. And i loved your review!

Sleepyspeller: Thanks

Fate: This is as fast as i could post it *is furiously writing next chapter*

BDU Chick: Awwwwww, you're probably not grounded as this is the longest its taken me to update a fic...

WhisperElmwood: Oh… you're writing a H/D slash too? ( has many) I must read it… **adds to list of things to do** Thank you for the review, ever so kind.


Okay just so you know, the reason i took so long to update is because i had a major case of attack of the plot bunnies. I had a new idea and i couldnt write this as the other fic was running round my head. Its gonna be another main pairing H/D but its R rated. Not NC-17 dont worry any 'stuff' will be on my website and there will be warnings and stuff, and i wont start posting it until this one is finished. It also has some Remus/Severus in it and a huge backplot. So... yeah. I think this fic is almost complete so if you want to check out anymore H/D stuff please look at my other fics, "Emerald Gaze" is a H/D too... and so are many others, just check the A/N's and you should be safe.

I gtg

Have a nice week, one week today the next post i swear!

Dragonsbane