The Escape Route

(harry/draco)

pg13ish 2005-09-26

"B-but Father..!-"

"There will be no discussion." Lucius interrupted sternly but with forced calm, "It is a very profitable arrangement. Try to concentrate on the benefits, Draco, can't you imagine how the family will prosper from this liasion?"

"That's easy for you to say, you don't have to marry her!" Draco snapped, before he could stop himself. His father sighed impatiently.

"Do try to not to be so obscenely juvenile, Draco! This involves far more than your adolescent needs. This is crucial for the continued wellfare of the Malfoy Name!"

Draco had inevitably cringed a bit at his Father's words, or more exactly the tone which he used to voice them. However, he wasn't about to give up nearly so easy this time. After all, his future life, romantic as well as general, depended on it.

"But-" he tried again. But his father was quick to cut him off.

"I said there will be no discussion!"

"But it's Pansy!..." Draco wailed pathetically.

Lucius had to bite his tongue to remain composed and not do something rash. After having taken a deep, very deep, almost dizzying, breath, he felt able to respond.

"The Parkinson's... are a very influencial and pureblooded family... and there aren't many of those to choose from at this moment in time... my peers have shown themselves reluctant to replicate, and as a result, Pansy Parkinson is the only witch of the best of standards for you to marry..." he said in a shaky flow of words.

Draco could easily tell that his father was close to losing his temper, but he honestly preferred being the target of the Senior Malfoy's bad temprament, than giving into this arranged nightmare.

"I-I know they are... but surely the Malfoy family name is not depending on the Parkinson's? And besides... Pansy is a halfwitted little slut! If I marry her, don't expect her to be loyal, because she won't... so then, there's no guarantee that the Malfoy heir, will in fact be of Malfoy blood... I mean, I wouldn't even put it past Pansy to engage with a mudblood!... and don't expect me to have sex with that more than once, either..." he added the last bit under his breath.

There was a considerably long pause, in which Lucius only seemed to be studying his son with a blank yet contemplative expression on his face. Then finally, he squinted his eyes only a mere bit, and raised his eyebrow delicately.

"Why don't you tell me the real reason why you don't want to marry this witch...? The main reason..."

"I... I'm... gay" Draco mumbled.

Lucius raised his other brow as well and studied his son a bit more.

"Oh you were expecting me to allow you the freedom of running off with any queer mudblood by sharing this piece of information, did you?..." he said dryly.

"No!" Draco exclaimed immediatly, shaking his head frantically to emphasize his claim, causing his blonde hair to thrash around his head, "O-of course not Father! I... I would never" he scrunched his face up to prove his repulsive reluctance to this prospect, "ever, get involved with a... lower being... as that!"

"That's just as well, son..." Lucius said airily, "because if you do" he added with a silky murmur, "the humiliation brought upon your family would call for a punishment far worse than disownment..."

Draco was terrified by the threat, but did his best not to show it, or flinch visibly.

"Y-yes father..." he mumbled humbly,

"However" his father continued sleekly, "If you were to be involved in serious relationship with a wizard to my liking... in equivalence to the female Parkinson... I might consider a same sex marriage instead of the arrangement with the Parkinson's..."

Draco couldn't believe his ears. His heart was hammering with overjoyed anticipation. He might get off the hook! This was too unbelievably wonderful. He barely resisted pinching himself in the arm.

"So..." his father continued, "Is this the case...?"

"Yes!" Draco said before he had time to even think about it, and when his brain had finally caught up with his mouth, he realized that he would now have to give his father an identity of his supposed boyfriend as well, an identity of pure blood and high standards... Shit. Who to say? Who to say? Who to say? His father was looking genuinly interested now. Gah! Okay, okay... Pureblood – Blaise! No. He was already promised to his second cousin in Durmstrang... and straight as pole as well...

"Well..." his father drawled, "Who is it?"

"Eh... it's..." Draco frantically scanned his mind – come on come on come on come oooon! – "It's Potter...! Harry..."

TBC