So I've done it!
For those of you are not on my facebook and didn't see this coming, SURPRISE! I am BACK, sort of? hahaha. Okay, long story short (long Authors notes short?) I was unhappy with Contract Under Love for multiple reasons. The top three!
1. (=_=)
2: (_)
3. (T_T)
Seriously though, I was not happy with where the original story had ended up, the way Harry and Draco reacted to things was sloppy, my writing was amateurish, and this story deserved way, way, WAY better than I could have provided back in 2013. (yes, it's really been that long! and so much has happened!)
So much has happened since 2013, and I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I am!
Enough with this AN though, hope you enjoy the re-write of the first chapter! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! 3
*(^O^)*
Chapter 1
Footsteps echoed in the empty halls of the ministry as Harry followed the Ministry official, Cathan Bailey, who was, if the letter clutched in Harry's hand was to be believed, a lawyer of some sort, or at least the wizarding world equivalent. It was, however, still unclear why he even needed a lawyer; the letter was vague and confusing, simply stating Harry should present himself at the ministry for an important legal meeting.
Asking this man anything had proved useless; the only reply Harry had received so far was that everything would be explained shortly. So Harry followed the man silently until they came to a stop in front of a large wooden door.
The door was pushed open and Harry was gestured inside by Cathan. Giving the man an annoyed yet curious look, Harry did as requested. The room itself wasn't anything special, a single table was set up in the middle, six chairs set up evenly around it.
"If you could wait in here until everyone else arrives," Cathan requested.
"Who else am I supposed to be waiting for?" Harry questioned, turning to look at his lawyer, however the man had already left, closing the door behind him.
Sighing, Harry sat at the table, hands in his pockets as he slouched in the chair. Kicking his feet out, he prepared to wait an unknown amount of time before the mysterious people would join him.
Pulling the summons paper out of his pocket, Harry straightened it out as best he could before reading it over again. He'd already read it at least half a dozen times, yet still almost expected to find some kind of hidden message that would clue him into what this was all about. But just as before, it was just a simple letter.
Crumpling it up, Harry threw it at the door just before it opened and Dumbledore stepped in. Sitting up straighter in his chair, Harry tried to ignore the feeling of dread that was quickly settling in his chest upon seeing the Headmaster.
"Sir? What are you doing here?" Harry questioned, hoping his voice didn't betray his sudden nervousness.
"Good afternoon, Harry," Dumbledore greeted, taking his time to walk over to the table and settle himself in the chair next to Harry.
Harry watched him, waiting for an answer to his question. When it seemed as if he wasn't going to get one, he prompted the elderly wizard.
"Sir…?"
"I am here for the same reason you are, Harry," Dumbledore explained.
Even though he kept a naturally pleasant expression as he spoke, Harry felt as if he should prepare himself to hear something he was most likely not going to like.
"Okay," Harry said slowly. "So why am I here?" he asked, rephrasing the question.
Dumbledore however just continued to smile at him, and Harry had to refrain from gritting his teeth in frustration.
"Before I get to that, my boy, there are a few things I think must be explained. Therefore I must request you try and let me finish before asking any more questions," Dumbledore said.
Harry stared at the Headmaster in disbelief. He had heard similar phrases from Dumbledore before and it always turned out to be something, another sudden and drastic change to his life, which the elderly wizard had conveniently forgotten to mention in the last eight years.
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Harry finally admitted, even as he turned his chair to face Dumbledore. "But, seeing as how no one else is giving me answers, I will listen."
Harry knew in his own strange and backwards way, Dumbledore did care about him and his well being, and though Harry questioned him at times, he had learned that Dumbledore never did anything without a good reason.
"You were never a full member of the Order," Dumbledore started.
"I wanted to be though," Harry cut in quickly, giving Dumbledore an apologetic look for interrupting him so soon.
"Indeed. I do hope you will forgive me for not allowing you and your friends to join, it had been my hope to allow you to retain what little childhood you had remaining," Dumbledore explained.
Harry nodded his head, though he didn't really understand, since he, Ron and Hermione had wound up doing an awful lot of fighting despite not being part of the order. However, he knew Dumbledore was looking for him to agree.
"Regardless of not being part of the order, you were around while many meetings took place and I believe, with the help of misters Fred and George Weasley, you were able to listen in on quite a few." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as Harry gave him a sheepishly guilty look.
"Uh, yeah… sorry?" Harry offered hesitantly.
"No need to apologise, my boy, your curiosity is what I am hoping will allow me explain what is about to transpire today," Dumbledore said. "What do you know about the Order, or rather, more importantly, Professor Snape's role in it?"
"I know he was a spy for the order, but he was also a spy for Voldemort… Honestly sir, his role in the whole thing is a little confusing for me. Even now I couldn't tell you what side he was really on," Harry admitted. He wanted to think badly of his old potions master, but at the same time, he knew that Snape had done a lot to help them win the war.
"Professor Snape had a vital role indeed. However, it was too risky for him to move so freely as the war progressed. Voldemort knew he had a traitor but he couldn't pinpoint who exactly it was; one of the problems with ruling people out of fear is it is hard to find people who are truly loyal to you," Dumbledore said.
"Voldemort did have loyal followers though," Harry argued. "Snape wasn't, but Bellatrix, she worshiped him; the Carrows; and Malfoy."
"Are you sure about that?" Dumbledore questioned.
Harry felt as if he were being taunted, that Dumbledore knew something he didn't, though Harry surmised that was usually how things were between them.
"You see, Harry, the Order did have a second spy in Voldemort's ranks, one who was closer, and had a lot more freedom of movement than even Severus." Dumbledore's eye twinkled over his half moon spectacles again, while Harry simply stared at him.
"You had two spies… Why didn't anyone else know about them?" Harry asked, already having a feeling who it might be, but not feeling confident enough to guess just yet.
"Because he did not wish for anyone to know of his involvement with the Order," Dumbledore answered. "Severus was spying on the Order, and Voldemort simultaneously, he was a puppet of sorts, he was told what information to give us, and in turn we told him what information to give Voldemort."
Harry nodded in understanding, following so far, though he still didn't think Snape was by any means a good person, he did have a small amount of respect for what he had to likely deal with.
"This other spy, I guess it was a bit harder for him?" Harry asked.
"Indeed it was, my boy, you see, he was restricted in what he could do. If he was even suspected of leaking information, then he, and his family, would have been killed without question."
This Harry did understand; he had seen Voldemort kill people for less.
"I'm sorry sir, this is good to know and all, but what does this have to do with why we're here today?" Harry asked.
"This spy had to pass information about Voldemort, at great risk to himself, and his family," Dumbledore said again.
Harry held back a sigh of frustration as the Headmaster continued.
"He agreed to become a spy for me. However, he did request something in return."
Harry felt his stomach turn. He wasn't sure why he felt so uneasy in that moment, or why his next question was so difficult to get out; he supposed part of him already knew what was coming, though he wasn't sure how.
"What… what did he want, sir?"
Dumbledore sighed almost sadly. "You, Harry. He wanted a marriage contract to be drawn up, so that when the war was over, and our side had won, you were to marry his heir."
Harry sank back in his chair, the uneasy feeling in his stomach had turned into a block of ice, making him feel numb all over as he registered that information.
"So… that's why I'm here? To sign this marriage contract." Harry lifted his head frowning at Dumbledore. "Who is it?"
"Lucius Malfoy was my spy, Harry," Dumbledore told him solemnly, looking apologetic about the information he was dumping on him. "And this meeting isn't to sign anything, it is to register the contract with the Ministry."
Harry continued to stare at the Headmaster, the man he had trusted, the man he had allowed time and time again to turn his life upside down, and when Harry had thought it was finally over, here he was to do it again. This time though, Harry was determined he was going to fight back, he wasn't just going to sit here and take it.
"I won't do it," Harry said flatly.
The statement seemed to catch Dumbledore off guard, just for a moment, but Harry was happy to have done even that much.
"I'm sorry, my boy," Dumbledore said, hiding his surprise quickly, "there is nothing to be done, the contract has already been signed, and is magically binding."
"I didn't sign anything, so I'm not doing it." Harry stood up quickly, nearly knocking his chair over. "I don't care who it is, I don't care what you agreed to, you can't just… just sell me off as a bargaining chip. I mean, why me?"
"Being announced as a spy only clears a name so far, as you have seen with what Severus had to deal with. However, if you were to join his family, the backlash wouldn't be so bad for them," Dumbledore said.
"No," Harry insisted again, though it didn't have the same effect as his first refusal. "I'm sorry sir, but I can't, and I won't do this." Harry almost added 'and you can't make me' but he didn't want to actually test that.
"If you would just sit back down, Harry, we have a little under an hour to go through the contract, and for me to explain the full agreement to you," Dumbledore said, pulling a rolled up parchment out of his robe.
"I already said I'm not doing it," Harry said stubbornly, unsure why that concept was so difficult for Dumbledore to grasp, why he kept talking as if it were already a done deal everyone had agreed to.
Dumbledore sighed again. "If you don't, then your volts and properties are forfeit to the Malfoys."
Anger flared inside Harry, and he turned around sharply, his back facing Dumbledore, he contemplated storming out of the room, out of the ministry; he wanted to tell the Headmaster to fuck off. However, as quickly as the anger rose, it faded again, replaced with a feeling of defeat and compliance. He couldn't fight against Dumbledore, in all honesty, he was simply tired of fighting, and if following through with this got him even a moment to call his own, it would be worth it.
Turning back around, Harry sat down again, slouching in his chair once more. He removed his glasses to clean them quickly before slipping them back on. He didn't say anything else as Dumbledore smiled gratefully at him, and started listing off items in the contract. Harry only half listened, remaining silent as the Headmaster spoke. However, Harry's attention was fixed on the door, which he knew Draco sodding Malfoy would soon be sauntering his entitled arse through. He could already picture the smug look on the blond teen's face.
-x
"Draco, stop dawdling."
Draco simply glared at his father's back, wanting nothing more than to ignore the direct order, though he knew he had little choice in the matter, and walking through the Ministry at a slow listless pace wasn't going to stop the inevitable. It didn't stop him from trying though, reluctantly following his father into the lifts that would take them down to the meeting room. Only Malfoy pride kept Draco from slouching and leaning against the lift wall as they descended further into the ministry.
All too soon, the doors opened once more and the sharp sound of Lucius' cane on the floor had Draco walking a little faster as they exited the lift. He had been trying his father's patience all morning and it was clear it wouldn't be wise to push any further.
"Before we go into the room, do you understand what is expected of you, Draco?" Lucius questioned.
Thanks to years of practice, Draco managed to hold his tongue from the snarky retort he could have supplied his father with, and simply answered, "Yes, father."
Lucius gave him a stern look, before giving a satisfied nod. Only then did he led them to the door, knocking once before opening it, gesturing Draco inside first.
Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing the silent instruction to enter the room first wasn't just a pretence of being polite, but also to ensure Draco didn't make a run for it; Draco had made sure his father knew he was opposed to everything about this meeting, and the contract they were there to discuss.
Stepping forward, head held high, he sauntered through the door, not looking at any of the room's occupants. Draco took his seat across from his former school rival. He attempted not to let his feelings show too much, unlike the other teen sitting across from him.
Harry was slouched in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, glaring at the table so intensely, Draco couldn't help but wonder if he was actually trying to set it on fire.
Movement next to him drew Draco's attention away from his future partner. Lucius had taken his own seat across from Dumbledore.
"Afternoon, Malfoy," Dumbledore greeted with a pleasant smile. "We had just begun wondering if you had possibly changed your mind after all."
"On the contrary, we are both quite eager to get this signed off and done with so that we can all move on with our day," Lucius commented.
Draco did roll his eyes this time, at the banter between his father and Dumbledore, choosing instead to turn his attention once more to Harry. He wished he had had even five minutes to talk things through with Harry before anything was done, however his father had managed to keep this contract secret from him until the last minute. And if Draco were to judge Harry's thoughts by his expression alone, it was likely safe to assume Dumbledore had done the same to him.
The door opened once more. This was the only thing that drew Harry's attention upward, and Draco swallowed when those haunted green eyes locked with his own. There were so many emotions mirrored in them, emotions Draco could relate to.
"Oh good, everyone is now present," the Ministry official, Mr Bailey, said as he took his seat at the end of the table. "Shall we begin then?" he questioned as he opened his case, taking out multiple pieces of parchment. Waving his wand at them, the small stack multiplied quickly until there was one sitting in front of each of them.
Sitting up straighter in his chair, Draco picked up his own copy of the contract. It was the first opportunity he'd had to read it properly, and he intended to go through each bit of it as thoroughly as he could.
"Harry," Dumbledore spoke, drawing Draco's attention to him momentarily. "The sooner we finish this, the sooner you will be able to return home." The Headmaster slid the stack of parchment closer to Harry, silently prompting him to pick it up and read it along with everyone else.
"Mr. Potter, this contract contains the details explained to you when you arrived," the ministry official spoke, and Draco was amused to see the man give a subtle flinch when Harry turned his glare on him.
"I know what details it 'contains'," Harry snapped, shoving the parchment away from him, sending papers scattering across the table, a couple landing on the floor.
Draco couldn't stop the snort of amusement that escaped him.
"Something funny, Malfoy?" Harry demanded.
Draco looked at him once more, finding he was now the target of Harry's anger. Draco, however, was far too used to this, having had that glare aimed at him for most of his time at Hogwarts.
"I just find this whole situation amusing," Draco said with a simple shrug. "The fact you think that just because you don't want to do something, it means you can just decide not to."
"Actually, Malfoy, that's exactly what it means," Harry snapped, sitting up straighter in his chair so he was more eye-level with Draco.
"Does it now?" Draco asked curiously. "Well I suppose that is the Gryffindor way, charge straight ahead regardless of the consequences to yourself or others around you." Draco waved his hand dismissively. "Go on then, throw your tantrum, it's not like I have anything better to do with my time today."
"Fuck you, Malfoy!" Harry snapped, slamming his fists on the table.
There was suddenly a barrier between the two teens and Draco looked curiously towards the ministry official.
"Fighting about this will not change anything," the man stated, waving his wand at the parchments Harry had sent flying, stacking them neatly in front of Harry once more. "Mr, Potter, I understand something like this is the last thing you wanted, however, there is simply nothing that can be done about it without you suffering severe consequences."
"I know that already!" Harry said huffily as he sank back in his chair.
Draco was surprised to see the fight leave Harry so quickly. He'd never known the Gryffindor to back down from a fight so fast, he was equally surprised when the other teen grabbed his own stack of papers and started reading them as well.
"Now," the official said, removing the barrier he had placed between Draco and Harry. "Neither party has any wishes to dissolve the contract?"
"No," Lucius and Dumbledore answered simultaneously.
Draco kept his attention on Harry, expecting some reaction to that. His brow furrowed as Harry simply sat there, reading over the contract in his hands as the older wizards in the room started talking.
"The contract is fairly straightforward, stating that the Potter heir is to be magically bonded to the heir of the Malfoy family. Refusal to do so by the end of summer following their final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will result in the following penalties."
"I would hope that by now all of us were well acquainted with the penalties, Mr, Bailey," Lucius interrupted.
"Be that as it may, Mr, Malfoy, you of all people should know that this is simply part of the procedure," the ministry official shot back.
Draco thought this man was either very brave, or very stupid, to speak up against his father that way.
"Now, let us continue," Mr, Bailey said, clearing his throat before reading from the parchment in his hand once more. "The Malfoy family, from here on known as the first party, in exchange for undisclosed services, are seeking an arranged marriage with one Harry Potter, here on known as the subject..."
Draco let out a soft sigh and leaned back in his seat as the opening section of the contract was read aloud, paying little attention to the man's words as he continued to read. It was one thing he had never gained a tolerance for; he blamed the endless hours he'd spent sitting in his father's office, listening to the older man speak about one business contract or another. The only thing Draco had learned back then, was that contracts were worded in such a way to make everyone involved as confused as possible, so the chances of the contractor getting what he wanted from the contractee were significantly increased.
"Do either of you wish to deny your responsibility in the contract?" Mr Bailey asked.
Draco was appalled at himself, that he hadn't listened to a word the man had spoken.
"Sorry, what?" Harry asked.
Draco was happy he hadn't been the only one tuning the whole thing out.
"The contract, do you wish to go through with it," Mr, Bailey questioned.
"Yeah, sure, whatever, let's just get this over with," Harry said dismissively. It wasn't what Harry was supposed to say, but it seemed to be enough for the ministry official as he turned to look at Draco.
"I shall honor the contract," Draco said, knowing that was what was expected of him, though he made a mental note to read exactly what he was agreeing to later.
"Very well," Mr, Bailey said, looking down at the parchment in front of himself, waving his wand over it.
Draco saw a signature and the ministry symbol appear near the bottom of the page.
"This contract is now magically binding, and approved by the ministry. If both parties would stand." He gestured for Harry and Draco to get up.
Draco stood first, watching as Harry pushed his chair out, standing to join him.
"Please step over here," Mr Bailey instructed, indicating a section at the end of the table.
This time Harry was the one to move first, standing in front of the ministry official, and Draco came to stand next to him.
"Face each other, and take your partner's left hand in your own."
Draco turned to face Harry, locking eyes with the other teen. He lifted his hand, holding it out to Harry. The other boy looked at him, then down at the hand; his eyes narrowed further and Draco got an unpleasant sense of dejavu. He nearly flinched when Harry grabbed his hand, gripping it tightly. Draco could practically feel the anger and distrust radiating from Harry as they stood there.
Mr Bailey waved his wand over their joined hands. "Coniunctum una."
Draco felt something warm spreading up his arm, and gripped Harry's hand tighter to stop the other teen from pulling away and breaking the spell. The warmth spread up to his shoulder, then his chest before it finally stopped.
"This was a minor binding spell, a promise that a proper bond will be formed between the two of you in the near future," Mr Bailey explained.
"Congratulations, Potter, looks like we're engaged," Draco said flatly.
-x
The moment the spell was finished and Draco had loosened his grip, Harry ripped his hand away, glaring at the blond.
"We're not engaged," he snapped, before turning to look at Mr Bailey. "Are we done here?"
"Yes, that is everything, I will be going to file the contract now, and it will be pending until your formal bonding ceremony," Mr Bailey explained.
"Then I'm leaving," Harry stated, starting towards the door.
"A moment, Mr, Potter." Lucius stood as he spoke.
Harry turned sharply to glare at him.
"I shall be at the Weasley residence, where you are momentarily residing, at the end of the week," Lucius informed him. "That will give you time to put things in order before you move to Malfoy Manor."
"Wait, what? Why do I have to move?" Harry demanded, his hands shaking as he clenched them into fists.
"You are the one marrying into the Malfoy family, it is only proper that it be you who relocates," Lucius explained and Harry wanted nothing more than to hex his pompous ass. "Furthermore, your current residence with the Weasleys is unacceptable," Lucius stated.
"Unacceptable?" Harry demanded, taking a step towards the older man, pausing when Dumbledore stood up from the table.
"Malfoy may have a point, Harry," he said. "I think it would only be polite to hear him out."
Reluctantly, Harry nodded once and turned his full attention towards Lucius.
"The only point I wish to make," Lucius told him, "is that it could be quite dangerous if Draco were to call on you at your current residence. The Weasley's are as tolerant of the Malfoys as we are of them. You should be grateful I am giving you the week to sort things out and not insisting you move into the manor today."
"Grateful?!" Harry yelled. "You want me to be grateful about being passed around like some object, like some 'get out of jail free card'? You know what, fuck you," Harry growled.
"Harry," Dumbledore began
Harry turned his icy glare onto the headmaster next.
"And fuck you too! Would it have been so hard to talk to me about this? Let me know I was being used as a bargaining chip? Despite what any of you crazy people think, this is my life! And if you're all done running my life and demanding shit from me, I'm leaving." Harry breathed in deeply, the anger boiling under his skin at the calm, unimpressed looks he was receiving from both Dumbledore and Lucius.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Harry threw his hands up in the air.
"I give up," he said, turning and leaving the room, pulling the door open so quickly it slammed into the wall before slowly closing behind him.
He had just reached the elevator when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, his wand drawn ready to hex his pursuer, he paused only when he saw it was Draco.
"What the hell do you want now, Malfoy, haven't you gotten enough from me today?" Harry demanded, refusing to lower his wand just yet.
Draco looked at Harry, glancing towards the wand for a moment. "You plan on hexing me in the middle of the ministry?" he questioned.
Harry simply shrugged. "I'm Harry Potter, I could probably get away with it."
He did, however, put his wand away. He was simply stating facts; with how more than half the wizarding world treated him, he did feel, at times, he could get away with hexing someone and people would simply look the other way now. It was a far cry from how things had been in Hogwarts.
"So, what did you want?" Harry asked. When Draco just stood there silently Harry rolled his eyes, turning around and hitting the button for the lift.
"I don't want any of this either, Potter," Draco finally said.
Harry looked over his shoulder at him, frowning as they locked eyes.
"I never thought this was your fault, Malfoy," Harry stated. "But I'd rather not talk about this anymore today," he said, turning back around.
Draco stepped up to stand next to him, waiting for the lift too. "So, we won't talk about this right now," he agreed.
Harry felt a little strange, standing there with his long time rival, someone he'd seen as his arch nemesis when he'd first entered the Wizarding world all those years ago. But now, standing there with him, the Slytherin seemed almost like just another normal person, someone else who had had his life controlled and dictated most likely his whole life.
"Want to walk out with me?" Harry asked, not sure why he'd even offered, but it had felt right.
Draco looked mildly surprised by the offer. "The great Harry Potter is willing to be seen in public with the son of a Death Eater?" Draco asked with a smirk.
"You know what, forget I even offered. I just figured we're going to be spending a lot of time together in the near future and we could try and be civil about it. Guess I thought wrong," Harry snapped, stepping into the ift once the doors opened.
Draco moved to follow him, but Harry held his wand on him again, glaring as the doors closed once more, leaving Draco where he was.
Riding the lift back to the main floor, Harry left the ministry as quickly as he could, going to a nearby designated apparition spot. The moment he was out of sight of the public, he turned sharply and vanished.
Harry landed at the boundaries of the place he'd thought of as a second home for years now, Hogwarts always being the first, as it had been the first place he'd ever felt accepted.
Taking a deep breath, Harry pushed all his anger and negative thoughts of the day aside. Plastering on a smile, he walked through the door leading into the kitchen. He was unsurprised to find Molly bustling around, getting pots and pans ready to start cooking dinner.
"I'm back," Harry announced.
Molly turned around quickly. "Oh, Harry, dear, you gave me a fright, I didn't hear you come in." she smiled at him, and Harry couldn't help but return the gesture.
"Sorry," he chuckled.
"So, what did Dumbledore want?" she asked, turning back around to continue prepping dinner, so she thankfully missed Harry's expression darkening.
"I think it might be better if I just told everyone later, if that's okay," Harry said. He looked away when Molly turned back around, worry clear on her face.
"Is everything okay, dear?" she questioned, putting her wand down and taking a few steps towards him.
"I'm fine, it's nothing bad, really," Harry reassured her quickly, holding up both hands hoping to escape the mothering gestures for the time being.
Molly, however, gave him a skeptical look.
He chuckled. "Really, I promise. It's not like I have to go off and find another Dark Lord, or anything like that," Harry said, hoping to make light of the situation.
"That's not funny, Harry," Molly scolded him gently, but she did look less worried.
"Sorry," Harry said earnestly. "I'm going to find Ron," he stated, turning to head upstairs.
"I think he and Ginny are out flying in the field," Molly told him.
Harry shot her a grateful smile, changing his direction to head back outside. Looking out towards the field Molly had mentioned, he could in fact see a couple figures flying around down there. Deciding that joining them would be a better use of his time, and possibly help him think of a way to tell the whole family that he was moving at the end of the week, he headed to the shed. Grabbing his own broom, he went down to the field to join the duo.
-x
Arriving back at Malfoy Manor, Draco dusted the soot of the floo from his dress shirt.
"Draco, I wish to speak with you in my office," Lucius stated.
"Yes, father," Draco said.
The automatic response fell from his lips as it had since he was a child, though his compliance with any order from his father was now more a convenient habit than out of true respect for the man. Though, as much as Draco hated to admit it, Lucius was still Lord Malfoy and, despite his flaws, he did try to do what he thought was right for the family name.
That had been Lucius' intention when they had gotten involved with Voldemort to begin with. But this was also where Draco and his father differed, each having their own opinion on the matter, and Draco knew this contract he was being forced into was nothing more than damage control from a poor decision.
Lucius swept passed Draco once he was finished cleaning himself off via use of his wand, and Draco knew he was expected to follow. He did take his time though, making sure he had removed the rest of the soot from his person, knowing he'd have his mother to face if he left footprints on any of the carpets.
Satisfied he was clean enough, Draco followed in the direction his father had gone, reaching his office to find the man already sat behind his desk, parchment and quill in hand.
Draco stood just inside the door, watching his father as he scribbled something onto the parchment, before replacing the quill in it's holder.
"There are few more details about the contract that I need to discuss with you," Lucius said, gesturing for Draco to sit down.
Stepping further into the room, Draco took a seat and looked expectantly at his father. "What details?" he questioned.
"It is too obvious that neither you, or Potter have entered into this contract willingly," Lucius said.
Draco raised an eyebrow at his father, unsure what the man expected. "We weren't exactly friends before this contract. Is it surprising we're unhappy about the circumstances?"
"No, but I would have expected you to at least put a better foot forward, for the family name," Lucius stated.
"I went to the ministry without fuss, I agreed to the contract without complaint," Draco pointed out irritably. "What part of my actions did not live up to your expectations?"
"It is your tone that I am speaking of, Draco," Lucius snapped, standing from his seat so Draco was forced to look up to him. It was an intimidation tactic that Draco had caved to for the majority of his life, so he was mildly surprised when he didn't even feel a slight tremor as he locked eyes with Lucius.
The older wizard turned his back to Draco abruptly, breaking eye contact to gaze out the window instead.
"I do not expect you to be happy about this, Draco, however it would not look good for any of us if the wizarding world learned we have forced Potter into an arranged marriage he was not previously aware of," Lucius said.
Draco understood what his father was getting at, their family name wasn't being seen in the best light already, and if Draco were honest with himself, it hadn't been for a very long time. Draco, of course, had his own plans on how to fix what at least the last two generations had done, and he was just grateful this sudden arranged marriage to Potter wasn't going to hinder his plans in the slightest.
"What would you have me do, father?" Draco questioned, sure his father had his own ideas on how to fix the family name,.Draco didn't expect any of them to work, but it would give him an insight into Lucius' plans, and give Draco the advantage to stay one step ahead.
"There are only a select few who know about this contract, and I daresay the Weasley brood will know about it by the day's end. For my plans to work, it is imperative you keep a tight leash on Potter. I wish for the two of you to be seen in public together, I can then put an announcement in the Prophet," Lucius explained.
"I think you underestimate Potter's ability to get in the way, even though you've experienced it a handful of times yourself," Draco said, smirking as his father turned sharply to glare at him. "Potter isn't about to be leashed by anyone, let alone be kept on a short one."
"I am well aware of how effectively Potter is able to get in the way. Perhaps I am also making the mistake of overestimating your abilities of persuasion," Lucius shot back.
Draco simply shrugged and stood up. "No, I am just aware of my own limitations, something you so graciously helped me with, father."
Lucius took a threatening step forward, and Draco realized he was pushing his luck a bit too far at the moment.
"I don't know where you learned this insolence, but I warn you Draco-"
"Consider me warned. I will arrange a meeting with Potter. Perhaps we can attend the ministry party in a few weeks together, would that satisfy your plans?" Draco questioned.
"You are dismissed," Lucius said, taking his seat behind his desk once more.
Draco nodded once, turning and leaving the office.
He managed to make it to the end of the hall before leaning against the wall, placing a hand on his chest where his heart was pounding. He let out a soft laugh. It wasn't the first time he'd gone head-to-head with his father, however it was the first time he'd managed to get away with it.
Draco knew he was still a long way from truly winning one of those conversations but managing to leave the office without a reprimand, or punishment for speaking out was certainly a step in the right direction.
Straightening himself up, Draco fixed his shirt, smoothed his hair back, and returned to the receiving room. He didn't want to push his luck any further than he already had that day, and decided a trip to Blaise Zabini's house might be in order.
TBC
And there we have it! Chapter 1!
No, not a lot has changed.
Yes, this is a re-write, but the overall story will be the same. I plan to have a lot of the same dialogue, but my overall purpose of this is to make some reactions and interactions more believable. It has taken me two years to come back to this story, and I was disgusted with what I had put out there originally.
As I said, the overall story and plot are the exact same. And until I reach the point where I am in the original, I will leave that posted.
I still have the full plot of the story worked out and what I'm going to do with it, it really REALLY is just a point of getting it written!
See you all next chapter! 3 (^3^)