A/N: Same warnings and notes as before.

Any comments would be gladly appreciated, as I have been working on this fic almost as long as Finding Harry, and had I not been publishing FH, it might have been done much sooner. If you would like to email me, my address is elfflame at hotmail dot com.

Thank you to so many people who helped me with this story. The first is Foodie, who read large chunks of this story for character purposes, and is always a doll when it comes to encouraging me to write. The second is to Dark Angel, who was particularly a major influence on the Lucius in this story. Without her, this Lucius would have been much wimpier. And the final thank you goes to my lovely Turtle Avenger, who tells me that she'd read the phone book if I wrote it. :D Love you, hon.

To my reviewers:

Myniephoenix: Well, you know Lucius. Plots within plots. Since he can't rule the world, he should at least be able to rule his family, right? ;)

Angelkitty77: Oh, no. "Lucy" quite knows what he's doing. The question is, will he get his way:P

ATadObsessive46: Thank you very much. I worked hard to make Lucius believable in this, because there's more than just hate between the Malfoys. Lucius is a control freak, but it doesn't mean he doesn't care for his son. He just has slightly different priorities than Draco, is all. :)

Faded Glitter: Do you really want to know how it ends? I'm glad you like it. I think the MPreg probably scared a lot of people away. As did the Veela. It's been rather done to death.

Fifespice: I promise nothing will separate the two, but beyond that I don't want to give anything away. Do keep reading.

Triquetra22: Thank you. There are more coming.

Darkagelgep: Yes, well, Draco's not too pleased at the moment, so we're lucky he didn't use something stronger.

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. They belong to a lovely lady who seems to enjoy making us suffer. Hopefully the ending will turn out this nice… ;)

I hope you all enjoy.

What's Done Is Done

By Elf Flame

4 Looking for a Way Out

By the time Draco returned to his room, he was nearly ready to explode. And what he saw when he entered his room did not improve his mood. Harry and his friends were sitting on the bed, laughing. They might be Harry's friends, he thought, but that didn't mean he had to like them. "Granger. Weasley. I see you found him? Quite alive and well, as I said?"

Weasley simply glared at him, but Granger quickly responded. "Alive and well, yes. Though there was something you neglected to mention, wasn't there, Malfoy?"

Draco snorted. "It was none of your business, Granger. It was between me and Harry. And at that point, nothing had been decided. There was certainly no reason to tell you."

Draco could see Harry tense as he approached the trio. "Draco…"

"Don't worry. I won't hurt them. I just…" He glanced at Harry's friends, then turned back to his mate, leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. "I need to look at something. Why don't you take them down and have breakfast? I'm sure mother insisted the House Elves provide quite a spread. She loves having guests stay over. Gives her that much more to organize."

"Are you sure? How did things…"

"Things are fine. I…I just need to be alone for a bit, okay?"

Harry nodded, slipped off the bed, and pulled him into his arms. Weasley made a disgusted snort, but Draco didn't care. He needed this too much. He could already feel the tension from the argument with Lucius melting away. Harry pulled back after a few moments. "Are you sure?"

Draco nodded. "I'll be fine. We can talk about it later, all right?"

Harry smiled, then gave him another quick kiss and led his friends from the room.

Draco only hoped that he'd been telling Harry the truth. Because marrying Pansy Parkinson would be the furthest thing from fine ever.

It was only a half hour before Harry returned, but thankfully he was alone. Draco had gone over the contract three times, enough to know the damned thing by heart already, and was about ready to tear the damned thing to shreds when he felt Harry's arms go round his waist. He jumped, but quickly melted back into Harry's embrace.

"Hey. Aren't you going to have some breakfast?" Harry said quietly in greeting.

"No." Draco opened his eyes and leaned back to look over the contract once more, hoping desperately to see something that had eluded him the first three times.

"Draco…" Harry moved around him and settled beside him at the desk. "What happened? What is this thing?" He pulled at the parchment, but Draco tried to snatch it away.

"Don't…" he said, wincing as his voice broke.

"Contract of marriage? Draco, what happened?" Harry met his eyes, worry evident.

Draco sighed. "I was perhaps a touch overhasty last night. It seems, as Severus and my father pointed out, that there were indeed a few facts I was unaware of last night."

"A few facts? You mean like a marriage contract?" Draco nodded, but Harry shrugged. "Well, he can hardly hold you to it. I mean, I don't know much about Veela, admittedly, but I'm sure most courts would consider our bond something that overrides a silly contract that you didn't even know about. Besides, why would anyone in their right mind want to marry Pansy Parkinson?" he smirked.

Draco sighed. "No one. But it doesn't change the fact that there seems to be no way out of it, Potter."

Harry looked at him warily. "What do you mean? You already have a mate. Surely they can't hold you to this?"

"If I don't, they get the Manor." Harry looked at him blankly. "I…the Manor…Harry, it's been in my family for centuries. I know it's difficult for you to understand, but without the Manor…without it there is no Malfoy Legacy. Do you understand?"

Harry took a deep breath and pulled away. "I…I see. So, I guess I should just forget everything you told me last night?"

"What…No, Harry," Draco reached for him, but Harry pulled away.

"What then? I'm just supposed to watch you marry someone else?" Harry's voice rose as he spoke.

"Harry, I need your help to figure a way out of this…" Draco's eyes were pleading with him, and it was this that calmed Harry, seeing Draco's own panic. He held his arms out to the blonde, and Draco moved towards him, swallowing down his frustrations. "I don't know what to do, Harry. I can't let them take the Manor…"

Harry shushed him and pulled him towards the bed. "We'll figure something out, Draco. I promise."

"Harry, what if…"

"Shush. Come here." They settled on the bed, Harry wrapping himself around Draco's now-shaking form. "If he wasn't your father…"

Draco snorted shakily. "You're not the first to say that, believe me."

"We'll figure out something, Draco. I promise. Maybe Hermione…"

Draco turned abruptly in Harry's arms so that he was facing him. "No, Harry, you have to promise me that you won't tell your friends. Let me check a few more things first? I…it's just…"

"Draco, they're my friends. They'd help us."

"They hate me. If they thought it meant we wouldn't be together any more, do you honestly think they'd help me?" he asked, a sliver eyebrow raised.

Harry sighed. "True. But you should give them the benefit of the doubt, Draco. They'd want me to be happy."

Draco didn't want to argue any more, though, so he did the best thing he could think to distract Harry. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to his mate's. There was a puff of startled breath against his lips, and then green eyes fluttered closed, and lips slowly opened beneath his own. Just kissing Harry made him realize that there was simply no way he could lose this. They were connected now. And no one could change that. This was simply a hiccup. And he allowed that thought, and the terrible notion of walking down the aisle with Pansy Parkinson to fade from his thoughts as he lost himself in the taste and feel of Harry Potter.

Harry rolled on top of him, untying the sash of the night robe Draco was still wearing. His hands smoothed the silk material off his arms, and kissed and licked his shoulders as he pulled it away.

"Need you," Draco moaned, but Harry simply continued to lave his skin as though Draco had said nothing at all.

Harry's clothing was next, as Draco pulled at the t-shirt he wore, trying desperately to get it off him with as little loss of contact as possible. Finally, Harry drew away, and shed his clothes quickly before straddling Draco once more. "Do you know what you look like, lying there watching me?" he asked in a husky voice.

"Tell me."

"You're gorgeous, Draco. Flushed, and writhing just slightly, like a snake on a rock trying to find the warmest spot."

Draco pulled Harry back down. "The best spot is right under you, Harry." He pulled Harry's mouth to his, and sucked on Harry's lip, loving the way it made him gasp. He pulled away, and looked up into those gorgeous green eyes. "Please, don't stop?"

"Never, love." He hissed again, and Draco recognized the sounds as the words he had spoken the night before.

"God, don't stop…" His eyes fell closed, and he threw his head back against the pillows as Harry licked his way down the column of his throat, sucking on the side of his neck just before he reached the joint between neck and shoulder. He began to rub against Draco, their slick flesh sliding excruciatingly against each other.

Draco began to keen at the contact, hard and warm against him, but Harry's mouth covered his own, and the sound was lost down his throat as they thrust together. Draco pulled away, panting, and looked up into nearly-black green eyes. "Please, Harry I…need you inside…"

But at that moment, someone knocked on the door, and the two bodies stilled as one. "Damn," Draco growled. "I don't suppose that could be your friends?" he asked Harry through clenched teeth.

Harry shook his head as he pulled away. "No. Hermione said that she was going back to the Burrow with Ron once they'd finished breakfast. It's the only reason Ron didn't insist on coming back up here with me." Draco looked alarmed at this, but Harry quickly reassured him. "Don't worry, I would have found some other way to distract them. Maybe it's your mother? She's the only one who hasn't barged in on us yet…"

Draco sighed, and slipped from the bed, tossing Harry his robe. "Here, put this on," he said, as he slipped on his own, tying it quickly as he crossed the room. He opened the door to find his father standing there. "Father." Draco put on a bland expression. "And what brings you here for the second time today?"

Lucius glared over at Harry, who was lounging on Draco's bed, carelessly draped just enough in the robe that Draco had tossed to him. "Hm. I see it hasn't deterred you at all…" He took a deep breath. "I have arranged a formal meeting this evening between ourselves and the Parkinsons. Severus will be there of course, but otherwise only family will attend. We should be able to negotiate most of the necessary details with them."

Draco took a deep breath, but his eyes flashed warningly at his father. "Harry and I will be there."

Lucius opened his mouth to argue, but Draco cut him off. "He and I are bonded, father. It's not something you will be able to hide from them much longer. Better to have it out in the open with these…negotiations of yours."

Lucius's eyes narrowed. "Don't think this will change anything, Draco."

Draco smiled bitterly. "I'm well aware of that, father. Though if Arland Parkinson took offence and withdrew from the contract, there would no longer be a problem for me, would there?"

"Don't count on it, Draco. That man has had his eye on our fortunes since well before you were born. And that daughter of his is worse, if anything. They'll hold on to everything with both hands, if they can. No matter what the personal cost." With a scowl, he scanned his son's rumpled robes and hair. "I'd recommend formal dress. See if you can at least find something suitable for him, if you insist that he be there." Then Lucius turned from his son and left the room without another glance in Harry's direction.

Sighing, Draco closed the door. "Lovely. As if the prospect of marrying Pansy weren't bad enough, now I actually have to spend time with her."

The feel of Harry pulling him into his arms calmed him immediately. "Draco, if it will make things difficult for you…"

Draco turned abruptly in his arms. "No." His hands encircled Harry's waist. "I need you there. It'll be the only thing keeping me from falling apart."

Harry smiled softly. "If you're sure, love…" He leaned forward and captured Draco's lips in a soft kiss. "Whatever you need, I'm here."

Draco smiled grimly. "Just promise me you'll still be saying that tonight," he said in a cheerless voice. He pulled out of the embrace, and pulled Harry towards the bathroom. "Well, seeing as it's nearly lunchtime, we might want to start getting ready now."

"Now? Your father said this evening. Surely we don't need six hours to get ready."

Draco laughed. "No, I need four hours to forget, and two to get both of us ready," he said with a smirk.

Harry's answering smile made the smirk turn into a grin. "I think I could oblige that…" he responded.

Dinner in the Malfoy household was always served promptly at seven. No house-elf who forgot this went unpunished long enough to forget it ever again. Guests and family were always expected in the Drawing room by six. Long enough for a chat or an aperitif. Or a negotiation.

Harry and Draco were ready well before six, but there was no way Draco would be the last to arrive, so he made sure to delay their departure from his room until nearly a quarter past the hour.

He had pulled out two of his best robes, which matched each other in a complementary way. Draco's was silver with green trimmings and laces, and Harry's an emerald green with silver trimmings and laces. When he complained about the Slytherinness of the colours, Draco was quick to point out that Harry was about to walk into a nest of Slytherins himself, and the best way to blend in was to embrace his own Slytherinness, colours and all.

As they walked down to the Drawing room, Draco was unable to keep himself from going over every detail of their plan. "Don't touch me, because we don't want to give things away before Pansy knows, unless of course, father has told them already, but I highly doubt he will, because that would cause him to lose face. Just stay to my left, and when I ask Pansy out to the terrace, follow me out…"

"Draco!"

Draco looked up from the staircase he was descending to see Harry looking down at him from the top step, smiling but worried. He moved forward, and clutched Draco's shoulder. "It's all right. We'll get through this. I promise."

A cold voice came from the landing below them. "Not if you don't get into that Drawing room soon, Potter." Snape's narrow gaze turned to Draco. "Your father is about ready to eviscerate you, Draco. I would recommend that if you want your mate well and whole, that you might want to hurry yourself just a little. He was hardly in a pleasant mood to begin with, and testing him this way will only increase your difficulties."

Draco took a deep breath, and gave him a sour expression. "We're on our way."

Snape looked at where Harry's hand still rested on Draco's shoulder. "Hm. Yes. Well…" He flashed Draco a look of resignation, and turned back down the stairs. Draco and Harry followed quickly after, and Draco braced himself as he entered the room.

Pansy's eyes lit up as he entered, but her excitement faded when she saw Harry enter immediately after. Draco ignored her and turned to her parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson. How delightful to see you again. It has been quite a while. How are you?" He reached out a hand and shook Arland's hand before the man could ask why Harry was in attendance as well.

The man looked bewildered for a moment, then annoyed, but visibly tamped down his emotions to respond to Draco's questions. "Doing well. And you seem to be getting along quite well. You look more like your father every day, Draco," he said, slanting a look in Lucius's direction.

Lucius looked warningly at the man before turning to Draco. "You took your time. Got in a good long nap?"

Draco raised his chin. "We're well-rested, father, if that's what you're asking." With that he turned to Pansy. "Hello, Pansy. Shall we go have a little chat?"

Pansy's eyes lit up as he took her arm, but glowered when she noticed Harry tagging along. "Draco, I thought we'd be alone."

Draco smiled, but said nothing, and watched as Harry moved to the doors and opened them so that their little group could step outside. He heard Lucius say something, probably trying to call Harry back, but the door was shut behind them before anyone else could say anything. As soon as they were out of their parents' sight, Draco dropped Pansy's arm.

She looked at him, startled. "What is it, darling? Is something wrong? And why is Potter here? I though you hated him."

Draco snorted, and stepped closer to his mate. Not looking at him, but simply gaining strength from his presence. This wasn't going to be pretty, but it had to be done. "We're here to discuss how this marriage will go, Pansy, not to discuss my relationships with others." She looked annoyed at this, but he kept on, not ready for her to interrupt just yet. "You see, this marriage isn't my choice. But I'm a good little Malfoy. Father raised me to put the name above anything, so I will marry you." A smile spread across Pansy's face, and Draco could see the wheels turning already.

"But..." and at this, she looked rather startled. It looked good on her, he thought. Much better than that simpering sneer she often wore to try to get into his good graces at school. "There are things you don't know, and things you will not be allowed. Such as the use of that word you just chose. I am not your 'darling,' or your 'love' or any other such thing. I am Draco, and I will be your husband—in name only. You see, Pansy, I already have a mate. And we were mated before I knew anything about this farce. And any heir I have will be of his blood and mine. No Parkinson will ever inherit Malfoy wealth or this Manor."

"His?" she hissed at him, but he continued before she could say more.

"You will have your own wing, and you will be free to come and go. Though, if you do end up pregnant, Pansy, be assured that I will make sure to formally disavow any relation to the brat before it has even left your womb. Because I promise I will never touch you, so I will know that any brat you have is not mine. And, in that…event, I will also make sure you are removed from the Manor entirely. There are certainly enough Malfoy estates other than this one for you to reside in should you care to try me on that matter."

"His?" Pansy shrieked over his last words. "How dare you…"

But her words were lost in his response. "Yes, Pansy. His. Harry's. But even were you the right sex, you would still not have been my choice, Pansy. You were never my choice, and I will make sure you remember it every day of our life together."

"I don't have to stand here and take this from you—you…you…slag!" she spat.

Draco laughed humourlessly. "Was that the best you could come up with on your own, Pansy? Pitiful, really. As for taking this? I'm just telling you how it will be. Once we're married, I will be announcing my formal Veela bonding with Harry here to the Wizarding World. And you, my dear, will be a laughingstock. But as I've been given no choice in whether or not I marry you…"

Pansy lunged at him, but Harry was quick to catch her wrist. "I don't think that's a good idea, Parkinson. He's only telling you the truth. It's hardly his fault he didn't know he was betrothed when we bonded this morning." Harry's voice was so calm Draco couldn't help but be impressed.

"You. I always wondered if Draco was just a bit too caught up in hating you for it to be healthy. And now I know I was right." She turned to Draco, the rage in her eyes almost making her pretty for once. "Father will be hearing about this, Draco. Don't think he won't. He'll make sure you'll pay for hurting me." And with that, she stormed back into the Drawing room, where Draco could already hear raised voices joining Pansy's shrieks of rage.

The Parkinsons didn't stay for dinner that evening after all.

TBC