Title: Cadence

Author: Truenos

Rating: M

Summary: At the end of 6th year Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, puts together a plan that will bind Harry and Draco together as well as force them to conceive a child. The couple are used as Ministry symbols in the fight against Voldemort. With their magic suppressed only each other to trust can the two escape from the Ministry's clutches and save their child as well as defeat Voldemort.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 2: Along Came a Spider

The temporary holding facilities located deep under the Ministry building were nothing to brag about. Each room had only one small bed that came with a mattress, pillow, and thin blanket, all of which were dirty and smelled rather unpleasant. A toilet was the only other fixture in the tiny room.

The floors were covered by dirty, cracked blue linoleum that had at one point probably gone with once upon a time white walls. Instead the walls were now more of a greyish green color and if one looked more closely flecks of red could be seen on occasion.

The young blond in cell number 203 did not look more closely at the walls. He did not sneer at the dirty floor or complain about the foul smelling bedding. Instead he sat quietly on his bed staring out past the bars that separated his cell from the hallway. The blond was cursing his stupidity for nearly the thousandth time since he was left in this cell three days prior. At least he assumed it was three days.

Draco Malfoy would not be sitting in this cell if he had just listened to the words of his Godfather. Severus had told him that he would find Narcissa and bring her to his home. Then she would be safe from the Ministry and any one else looking for blood. Severus had told him to never leave the shelter that was Spinner's End.

It was completely by accident that Draco overheard Peter Pettigrew and Severus talking about the Ministry planning on arresting his mother. It was revealed after Dumbledore's funeral that both he and Severus were major players in the monumental event. Needless to say they were now marked men, but Draco had never expected they would go for his mother instead of him. From the whispered conversation Draco gathered that Severus was unable to do anything for his mother because of a direct order from the Dark Lord himself.

It would seem that Voldemort was still quite displeased with Lucius and felt that his wife joining him in prison would be an appropriate punishment. Draco was not about to allow his mother to be punished because of his own mistakes and with his mind set he grabbed some floo powder from the mantle and traveled to one of the private Malfoy fireplaces.

The second he stepped into his ancestral home he felt the tip of a wand jammed painfully into his neck. That was the last thing he remembered before he woke up here in this cell. That was three days ago. Since then he had only seen the man who brought a plate of food three times a day. The gentleman was less than informative and even refused to give Draco food at lunch because of his 'infernal yammering'.

In all honest the man reminded him of Filch at a younger age. The blond was cut from his musing when he heard a door slam farther up the hallway. They had just received their lunch an hour ago so it couldn't be time for another meal. The steady clopping sound of shoes echoed along the hall drawing ever closer to his cell.

With out even realizing it, Draco held his breath as the people whom were traveling down the hall stopped directly in front of his cell. Carefully he released his breath and calmed his shaking hands. Despite everything that had happened, he was still a Malfoy and would hold his head up.

The two men that approached his cell were tall and built, dressed from head to toe in black Auror robes. They both wore identical sneers when they looked at him.

"It's a pity you aren't staying Malfoy, scum like you deserves Azkaban." Draco chose to ignore the remark.

"If I'm not staying here then were am I going?" Silver eyes watched the two men closely.

"That is none of your concern right now." One of the two men was unlocking the cell door while the other reached into his pocket to pull out a shiny, silver circle. The cell door was pulled open and the Auror holding the silver thing drew closer.

Draco slowly backed up wishing for all the world that he had his wand. Suddenly a rough hand grabbed him by the arm and yanked him roughly forward. The taller of the two men held his arms securely and prevented him from moving while the other pulled his left wrist forward.

"What the hell are you doing?" His question was met with a quick back hand to the face. Temporarily dazed Draco didn't feel them moving the bracelet until it was securely around his wrist. He watched in morbid fascination as the silver circle slowly shrunk to fit perfectly around his wrist. In that instant he felt like he lost a piece of himself.

It was no longer necessary for the Auror to hold the teenager and released his hold watching as the youngest Malfoy slowly slid down to the floor. The teen seemed to have trouble breathing for a moment.

"What did you do?"

"That bracelet is a magical inhibitor. As long as you have that on you are nothing more than a muggle." Draco Malfoy closed his eyes to avoid seeing the two men smirking down at him. He was in more trouble than he thought.

The Malfoy heir did nothing more than follow the two men out of the temp facility and toward the portkey that would take him to his next prison.

Harry Potter was sitting currently sitting on his bed organizing the notes he, Ron, and Hermione had compiled during their short stay at the Dursley household. His two best friends had left nearly a week ago to stay at the Granger's.

Hermione had wanted to see her parents since she had not seen them since Christmas. Harry knew that this might be the last time the brunette would see her family. Hermione, like Ron, had promised to aid Harry in his search for the Horcruxes. It was going to be a very difficult, if not deadly task and he didn't want Hermione to wish she had been given one last moment with her family.

The two had agreed to come back in two weeks time to retrieve Harry and then it was off to the Burrow for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Ron had tried to explain to Hermione and him, the finer points of a wizarding marriage. It seemed that the ceremonies were quite different from the muggle kind.

The couple did not exchange vows and there were no flower girls or groomsmen. Instead there was only a member of the Ministry, whom would lead the ceremony, and the couple being wed. The act of exchanging rings was the same as was the final kiss.

According to Ron, weddings in the wizarding world were known to attract large crowds depending on the couple. The wedding was announced in the Daily Prophet and any whom were interested in attending were more than welcome.

Harry couldn't quite fathom how the family could plan a decent reception without knowing how many people would really show up, but then again, it must be magic. He was pulled from his thoughts, by the annoying, nasal voice of his Aunt, calling him down for supper.

Rolling his eyes at the woman's tone he preceded to shuffle the papers littering his bed together before placing them carefully under his bed. With the pages of Horcrux research out of sight, the raven-haired teen stood slowly taking in his small bedroom.

The window was half open, as Hedwig had only left a few hours ago. She was heading off to Hogwarts, a letter for Hagrid was tied to one of her claws. The giant had never seemed more upset than after the death of Dumbledore. All Harry could do for his friend was continue to correspond with him and hope that the friendly words would help ease the pain both were feeling.

The old wardrobe that stood on the opposite wall was still as empty as the day Harry moved into the room, all those years ago. He had never acquired enough possessions to need the space and as such it had remained empty and collecting dust.

Again his Aunt's voice called to him and he had to force himself to remember that in only two weeks time he would be able to leave this house forever. He most definitely would never look back on this place.

Shuffling to the door, he twisted the rusty nob, listening to the squeaks of hinges in dire need of oil. He made his way down the stairs slowly, if only to annoy his adoptive family a little more. Once he got to the kitchen he was greeted by the site of all three of his living relatives.

Vernon was glaring at him while shoveling food into his mouth at an alarming rate. Yes, give it another year or two and the man would have a heart attack, of that Harry was sure. Dudley was staring blankly at the small TV that was placed a mere foot from his seat at the table.

Dudley, it seemed, was still in boxing, as he had managed to loose a little more weight. He was still a bloody whale and Harry tried to ignore his very existence. Then next to his cousin was his mother's sister.

Petunia Dursley had never once looked at her sisters son in any other way besides contempt. Harry knew he was only a burden to the woman and that would never change. He was reminded of how much she disliked him when he saw his own place at the table.

All three Dursley's were eating Minestrone soup and French bread. It seemed that the two garbage disposals in front of him and eaten a majority of the soup and all that was left for him was a bowl of broth with an occasional vegetable floating to the surface. There was also no next to his bowl. Harry would definitely not give this place a second thought once he was gone.

None of the Dursley's acknowledged his presence at the table, which was fine with him. He two began to eat his soup while contemplating how much money he should withdraw from his account before traveling to Godric's Hollow.

Just thinking about going to his parent's home sent a nervous thrill through his body. All his life he had been told he had Lilly's eyes and James' hair. To see where his long dead parents had lived with him made Harry smile. He was sure the house was perfect for the small family though now it was no more than rubble, or so he had been told.

A noise on the TV snapped Harry's thoughts back to the present and he had to blink his eyes in order to focus. It seemed to him though that the blinking had only made things worse. Slowly he raised his hand to remove his glasses and was surprised to find it shaking.

A bought of dizziness took him suddenly and he nearly tilted out of his seat. With the waves of dizziness came slivers of panic, which grew as he accidently knocked over his bowl of soup.

"Aunt Petunia, I..." Harry stopped as the world swayed. He felt some one pulling him away from his seat and he tried weakly to pull away. "Stop...Stop it!" His voice was growing more feeble and his eyes were drifting closed. His last conscious thought was someone was taking him upstairs.

A blond sat stiffly in a black lounge chair next to a window. The window was covered in thick, forest green curtains that did not open despite all of his earlier attempts. The blonde paid little attention to the tall bookcase in the room, nor did he venture around the house he was currently in.

Instead Draco sat in the chair waiting and watching. Directly across from him and only a few feet away was the newest arrival to Bauldelaire Manor. The silver-eyed teen had been informed of this upon his arrival. That fact mattered little to him now though. The unconscious boy on the bed next to him was no stranger.

Draco couldn't help but felt sick as he looked into the face of a sleeping Harry Potter, his rival. After the events that had transpired only a month prior, Draco believed it safe to consider Potter and himself beyond a schoolyard rivalry and now true enemies on opposite sides of a war. It was not however the Gryffindor's presence that made the Slytherin ill. Instead it was the presence of a silver circle similar to the one that encircled his own wrist. This circle however wrapped around the brunette's throat, resembling a collar. The men that had delivered the boy had not uttered a single word to the Malfoy heir. They were not the same as the ones that had brought him here, had placed Potter on the bed before exiting the room.

Now the Slytherin Prince waited. He could tell by Potter's movement that whatever Potion they had used on him was beginning to loose its affect. Until then he would sit here trying to figure out just what he had been drawn into.