Summary: In the third year of the war, Draco is discovered as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix. Snape brings him to Grimmauld Place for safety. But months of being locked in a house with Potter take their toll, and soon both boys are in over their heads.
Pairing: Harry/Draco. If you don't like it, don't read it.
Warnings: Unbetaed, all mistakes are my own. Sexual content. Language.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything affiliated with his world belong to J.K. Rowling.
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When the squeezing sensation ended, Draco found himself on familiar grounds. He recognized the gardens that had fallen into disrepair, the overgrown hedge maze, and all the garden art. He was back at Malfoy Manor.
The rest of the Order was sneaking up to the actual Manor house, disillusioned with wands out. Just as Harry was about to pull off the cloak, a hand descended on Draco's shoulder and he jumped. Harry and Draco spun around and came face to face with Moody. He smiled at them, his one eye spinning, looking through the cloak.
Harry and Draco shared a guilty look.
"Fancy seein' you boys here," said Moody.
"Um.." began Harry.
"You see-" said Draco.
Moody laughed gruffly. "Stuff it, you two. I saw you sneak into the meeting. And frankly I don't care. I always thought this mollycoddling of you was pointless. You should be allowed to FIGHT, boy!" He said, speaking directly to Harry. "And its good you're here. We could use your help tonight."
Harry and Draco exchanged another look. Finally Harry spoke. "We're happy to help, sir."
"Good. However, you might want to remember that there is a time and a place for everything. And a meeting is neither the time or the place."
Harry went bright red and Draco stifled a moan of humiliation. Seeing their horrified expressions, Moody gave a feral grin.
"Get out there and fight, boys. And remember, Constant Vigilance!" With those parting words, he strode away into the night.
Harry and Draco stood for a few more seconds in mute horror. Draco broke the silence. "Pervy old bastard," he said, his voice a cross between disgust and horror.
Harry rubbed his temples. "Let's never speak of this again, ever."
Draco nodded. "Agreed. Vehemently agreed." They stood around in an awkward silence for another few moments.
"So, is there a back door to this place, or something?"
Draco stared at Harry. "Is there a back door, is there a back doo" he stopped, unable to work up the energy. "Of course there's a sodding back door."
When Harry stared at him, nonplussed, Draco sighed. "This way."
*
Draco led Harry down a dark passageway. It wasn't a back door per se, but it did the job. The house-elves knew all the secret passageways, and Draco had loved to go exploring with them. His father had had kittens when he found out, though, and that was the end of that.
Once they came to a seeming dead end, Draco stopped Harry and had him extinguish the wands. They arranged themselves and pulled the cloak back on. It was bloody hot in the passageway, and they had taken off the cloak and run the risk of someone seeing them.
Draco muttured the family motto, "Nihil supra familiam," and the wall slowly disappeared. Draco had taken them down a longer and more out of the way passageway, one that ended up in a hopefully deserted part of the manor. The passageway into the main ballroom was shorter and cleaner, but would take them right into the middle of a Death Eater meeting.
Sure enough, there was no one to see the wall sliding open. Draco led Harry through, and made sure to close the wall behind him.
Harry looked around. "Where can I find Nagini?"
"She made one of the rooms off the dining hall a nest. Drove Mother mad. But we should wait until the fighting starts and everyone is distracted. And besides, the Dark Lord always keeps her in her nest during fights. He was bloody paranoid about her. It all makes sense now, though."
"Voldemort fights?! That is unbelievable, of all the unfair things…"
Draco cut Harry off before he could really get going on his rant. "Of course the Dark Lord doesn't fight. Unless it's desperate. He likes to watch, though."
Harry nodded, his pride soothed. Draco set off down the hallway. They didn't pass anyone, but sounds of fighting drifted from elsewhere in the Manor.
Draco could see Harry marveling at the Manor, at the architecture, the designs, and the furniture. After Grimmauld Place, the Manor did seem quite luxurious. Of course, Draco grew up here, so the thrill wasn't the same. The Blacks were an old and prestigious pureblood family, but they were complete nutters and wouldn't know tasteful interior decorations if it bit them in the arse.
Unfortunately, the room Nagini had chosen as her nest was extraordinarily well protected. The only way to get to it was through the main dining hall, which was where the Dark Lord held court. There were no secret passageways or side doors. They had to go through the figurative snake's den to get to the literal snake's den.
When Draco said that aloud, Harry gave a mirthless laugh. By that time they had reached one of the four doors into the main dining hall. It was open, and they could see fighting going on.
Draco saw pink hair, and recognized his old Defense professor backing her up. He saw flashes of red hair, and heard the deep voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Draco moved forward, but Harry pulled him back.
"There's too much going on in there, it's too crowded. We can't use the cloak. We're disillusioned, and it's pretty dark. If we're spotted, I want you to run to the side room and kill Nagini. I'll stay and fight."
Draco tried to answer, but he kept stuttering. Images of the huge snake, Nagini, were flashing through his mind. One time when he had disappointed the Dark Lord, he had been locked in Nagini's nest for over three hours. He had pleaded and begged and screamed and pounded on the door until he was hoarse and his hands were bloody. He had climbed up one of the columns and stayed there for hours. Finally, his mother had snuck in and freed him.
"No, no, no, I can't. I can't face that snake. She-, I-, I still get nightmares about her. The Dark Lord locked me in that room for hours. I almost died! I can't do it Harry!"
"Draco, you have to. I'll take on Voldemort, but if Nagini is alive, everything we've done has been useless. He'll come back, and we'll have to do it all over again." Harry's eyes were bright, and he sounded so earnest. "Please, Draco."
Draco sighed. He did want the Dark Lord gone; he just didn't want to face that evil snake.
"Just think of it as taking your revenge on the snake."
Well, when Harry put it that way, it sounded almost…fun. He could do that. Revenge on the snake. That was all it was.
"I-, I might be able to do that."
"Good."
Harry nodded. "Okay." He pulled the cloak off them and stowed it in a pocket. He got almost through the doorway, but then he doubled back. He pulled Draco into a terrific snog up against the wall. It was passionate and heated and Harry pulled away far too soon. "Come on, we've got snakes to slay." He leant in for one more quick kiss. He takes advantage of Draco's lax fist to grab his wand and slip something else in its place. Then he plunged into the main dining hall without waiting for Draco.