Part Three

((Technically, it's still Tuesday, though I only had another hour and ten minuets to post the thing. If it's any consolation, I've posted it before I finished reading my homework on Sir Sindey and his poetry... So ok, this was much more fun. Anyway, hope you're all still having fun and thanks again for all the reviews!))

The morning broke with all the same pleasure as an anvil being dropped on one's head. Harry moaned as he rolled out of bed, barely making it awake into the shower. His mind made dull lists of his morning routine to keep him awake. Shower, teeth, breakfast, Malfoy.

He let his thoughts drift to that last one a bit longer. Malfoy… The man was an enigma. He snorted, the man probably didn't even think Harry could say enigma, let alone use it in a sentence coherently. The same for coherent he guessed. He shook his head, stepping out of the shower and toweling off. He would be seeing the bastard all day, no need to start thinking of him before hand. Still, he couldn't seem to help it. With a sigh Harry brushed his teeth and set bread to toast and eggs to fry before going back to his room and stepping into a nice pair of robes. He'd always liked this set; they showed off the muscles he'd gained in training. He flushed, wondering why he was thinking about it, and hurried back out to the kitchen, grabbing both items before they burned too badly.

When he was finished he paused, looking around the room. It was… empty. His whole loft was empty, looking barely lived in. There were so few photos, so little clutter… It looked more like a show room than an apartment. Shaking his head, Harry apperated to what was quickly becoming a familiar location.

"Morning Potter!" Harry heard before he was fully finished collecting himself. He paused, looking up to see Malfoy smiling in the doorway.

"Were you waiting for me?" Harry asked, confused.

"No, more waiting for the customers you nearly splinched. Oh don't give me that look, I was forbidden from selling the Soul Matching potion, not from all apothecary work. Come along Robertson, Jeston, I'll get you those scales right away." Harry flushed a bit, as two flustered looking wizards walked around him and up to Malfoy. He hurried behind them and followed them into the house.

"Sorry about this Potter, it won't take more than a moment. After how late you showed up yesterday I wasn't expecting you until later I'm afraid. Sit down, I'm sure the children won't gnaw on you too much, but if they do, well, it won't be a loss really." Malfoy quipped happily as he led the men down the stairs to his lab.

Harry sighed, sitting down on the couch and looking around. The place was… chaos. Portraits hung slightly tilted and the witches and wizards in them hurried back and forth, gabbing about something, or laughing as the children ran about.

"HARRY!" Teddy yelled and Harry laughed, bracing himself just before the boy flew into his lap. "I hoped you would come back today. Draco said you would, but I didn't believe him. It's too good to be true, seeing you all the time like this."

"We'll see more of each other, I promise." Harry smiled, mussing the boy's ever changing hair color. "What are you up to today?"

"Ms. Brown is taking us on a field trip to muggle London. She and Ms. Greengrass. They're going to cast charms on us so we can't do magic or say anything to weird, but we're going to go shopping! Draco gave us each some money, told us to buy something called 'glum'." Harry laughed and shook his head.

"I think you mean gum."

"That's it!" Teddy nodded frantically. "And then we're going to a muggle zoo! I'll miss the dragons, but I hear they have really cool creatures there too. Ms. Brown said something about a dik-dik, it made us giggle."

"Do you often go on trips to muggle London?" Harry asked, watching as a girl flew past at knee level on a training broom. Another little boy followed behind her whining that it was his turn and it wasn't fair. Astoria was following them both, casting charm after charm on things to make sure they didn't break anything or anyone.

"Now and then, when the weathers good and we don't have any dandelion seeds to play with. They're awfully fun Harry, have you ever made a wish on one?" Teddy asked. Harry blinked, thinking back to his childhood. There had been a lot of dandelions in the park that he had gone to, the one where he went to avoid Dudley. He remembered scouring the dandelions, looking for the perfect one to make a wish on.

'I wish someone would love me.' It was a sad little wish, made by a sad little boy, but it was his hearts desire. Just to go home and have someone waiting for him, asking him how his day had been.

"I did." Harry smiled, keeping the sadness out of his voice. He frowned and shook his head. Teddy smiled and bounced a bit on his lap.

"You grew up with muggles! What else should we do?" Teddy asked eagerly.

"See if you can't get them to take you to an arcade, I think you would enjoy that." Harry smiled, and laughed as Teddy nodded rushing off to do just that.

"There we go. I shall see you next week yes? Very good. Ah, look not a mark on you, shame really but then, they aren't tamed beasts are they?" Malfoy smiled holding a hand out to Harry. He took it and let the man pull him to his feet. The two wizards walked by with a bit of a glare but otherwise no expression. "You'll have to excuse them, not really morning people, or people people for that matter."

"You're awefully chipper this morning." Harry said, looking the man over for a jinx or spell that might explain his attitude.

"Ah well today's the last day you'll be with me!" Malfoy smiled, and clapped. "I'll be back to selling my potions in no time."

"Perhaps, but didn't you say one of the ingredients was difficult to track."

"Ah, yes, I did some research last night and found a lovely woman who would donate the ingredient. Just wonderful really. Of course I'll need to test it, and you can watch, but it won't be too bad. Much better than walking through all those muggle pawn shops and hoping to stumble upon it. Of course, in the future I imagine it will be much easier to find. I have most people sign a waver with the potion giving me access to it."

"What are you going on about?" Harry asked, frowning a bit.

"The last ingredient is a diamond from a successful marriage. I only need one for a whole pot, but they're awfully hard to come across, as you might imagine. Now though I have people who have signed off to give me a diamond from their ring after ten years or so. I'll have to do a bit of experimenting to make sure it's strong enough, but it should do, and then I won't have nearly so much of a time running down old widows asking about their rings."

"This sounds like hocus pocus to me." Harry grumbled and Draco heaved a sigh.

"Oh it would to you, you never made it past newt potions did you? Properties can be absorbed Harry, and love is a property. Why do you think each potions ingredient is individually wrapped? To keep it from being infected, that's why. You can't have someone with a bad temper going about and harvesting unicorn hair, it might throw off the whole potion. There are spells potion gathers use to repress any strong emotion they might feel when they're gathering very delicate ingredients. But then, I don't know why I'm explaining this to you. Truly an enigma." Harry stuttered when Draco said the word and the man smiled. "A mystery Potter, I forget I must use smaller words for you."

"I…" Harry stuttered for a few more moments before Draco clapped.

"Alright, well we have places to go and riddles to solve!" Draco smiled and grabbed Harry's hand. A moment later the air around them was horribly dry and hot. Harry gasped, feeling as if someone had just punched him in the gut. "There, that was fun!"

"What the hell, Malfoy?" Harry asked, wrapping his arms around his gut.

"Transcontinental portkey. They're very rare and very hard to make, but a friend in the ministry made me one. Nice fellow, you'd like him." Draco smiled, sweeping back his fringe. Harry looked around pausing as he realized they were in the middle of a desert.

"What are we doing here?"

"My Potter, do you ever say anything that isn't a question? Honestly." Draco grinned and clapped Harry on his back. "We're off to find ourselves a sphinx."

"A what now?"

"I thought that one was fairly self-explanatory myself, but perhaps you've forgotten your care of magical creatures lessons. Well either way, a sphinx is a part lio-."

"I bloody well know what a sphinx is, what I don't know is why we're looking for one!" Harry gasped and then coughed as a wind had come up, blowing sand down his throat.

"Ah, I need a hair from its tail. Zoo's are very finicky about not pestering there animals, and as there are no sphinx tamers the way there are dragon tamers the best I can do is skulk about the reservations looking for them. Come on now, we have a ways to walk before we get there."

"A- We have to walk there? Why didn't you apparate us in?"

"Why don't muggles ever run across sphinx when they're wandering the desert? Wards, Harry, ward." Draco shook his head. "Honestly, a little walking wouldn't kill either of us."

With that the blond headed off, and for the first time, Harry noticed he was dressed all in white with flowing robes that could be pulled up over his face. He sighed, looking over his own dark robes. It was most likely not going to end well.

He was right of course. He couldn't even really complain because he vaguely remembered Malfoy mentioning something about going to Egypt, he really should have been prepared. By the time the blonde had stopped walking Harry's clothes were clinging to him with sweat. Malfoy gave him an appraising look but said nothing, turning back to the empty space that was before him.

Harry wasn't surprised when the world shimmered and reveled more desert, but Malfoy smiled and waved for him to follow.

"They're solitary creatures you know. They only meet up on occasion to discuss riddles. Practical I'd say." Malfoy smiled, and Harry was somewhat glad the man was answering his questions without him having to ask. "The ones from the ripe females are the best, in season Harry, that mean's ready to mate, honestly."

Harry gave a flustered noise but it was only that the man seemed to be able to tell his thoughts so well. It was eerie.

"Perhaps a side affect of the potion… fascinating I shall write this down. No Potter, about me don't worry, and no I can't read your mind, but you're very tired and your face reads just like a book. Either way we're upon her, and its best to greet her before she greets us. Ament! Greetings!"

"Malfoy, are you here to play our game again? Oh, and you brought a snack. Wonderful."

"Now Ament, that's not nice. You so rarely get guests you shouldn't scare them off." Draco said, addressing the sphinx who had appeared out of thin air as they approached her, like an opposite mirage.

"Oh Malfoy, you never cease to amuse. I have another riddle for you.:

"Ripped from my mother's womb,

Beaten and burned,

I become a blood thirsty killer.
What am I?"

Draco thought for a moment, looking around the area, he looked at Harry and then smiled. "Metal, or Iron."

"Very good Mr. Malfoy." She smiled, "And now you Mr. Potter."

"Ah, I'm quite ok, I don't need to pass, just to observe." Harry said, holding out his hands.

"Ah, but you have already entered my domain, it is only fair you receive a riddle. As this is the first time we have met I shall give you an easy one:

"If you break me
I do not stop working,
If you touch me
I may be snared,
If you lose me
Nothing will matter."

"My heart." Harry answered straight away. The sphinx blinked and then a slow smile spread across her face.

"Oh, very good. I do like him Malfoy, please bring him again, and I shall treat you to a wonderful treasure." She smiled, flicking her tail around she presented it to Malfoy.

"It's just been on my mind is all." Harry said to the Sphinx, but she shook her head.

"You could be a good partner." She purred and then hissed as Draco took two hairs from her tail. "So long as he doesn't always insist on plucking me so, I would be bald before too long."

Harry smiled and the sphinx gave another gracious grin in return.

"Potter, since you've done so well, I will give you a hint. 'What holds two people together but only touches one?' When you are most troubled remember this rhyme, and remember, sphinx love riddles because we know almost all." Her eyes narrowed to slits and Harry frowned a bit. He nodded and then hurried after Draco, who was already hurrying away, his face flushed. Harry paused, expecting him to assume his question, but when it didn't happen he asked.

"What did she mean? Do you know the answer?"

"If I told you the answer it wouldn't mean anything, and she only means what I already know."

"You're being cryptic." Harry said, his face as flushed as Draco's with the heat.

"It's the mood of things." He muttered. "Take the sphinx hair."

Harry did as he was bid, putting the hair in an evidence bag like the rest, but frowned, falling back a step. He already missed the amiable way they had gotten on earlier. Merlin, what would he do when the case was over?

What was he thinking? By his wand he sounded like a pre-teen witch with a crush. He fell into silence, thinking that over. He didn't like Malfoy, did he? He was a nice enough bloke and all, but Harry wasn't attracted to him. He'd never been attracted to wizards, though Malfoy was a fairly attractive man, he could admit that to himself. He sighed, looking up to see the man's ass swaying back and forth in front of him. It wasn't fair that the clothes pulled tight there when the man pulled the front of the garb up to cover his mouth. He grumbled and then fell face first into the sand. Sighing he started to pick himself up, but a hand was offered to him.

"The sand's a bit tricky at first, especially when you aren't used to walking in it." Draco said, a slight smile on his face. Harry hoped the man passed off the blush on his face for heat, instead of the embarrassment that was rolling across it in hot waves.

"Thanks." He murmured, grabbing the offered hand and letting himself be pulled to his feet. Draco offered him a slight smile and shook his head.

"Graceless of course, but we can't all be Malfoy's." He smiled, walking in front of the man again. The heat didn't diminish from his cheeks at that remark, but a smile spread across his lips. Malfoy's were certainly one of a kind.

Harry sighed as the portkey dropped them back in Malfoy's basement, cold and moist with scents of herbs and spices instead of just the dry dusty smelling sand.

"Why don't you take a shower Harry? I'll get your robes cleaned if you leave them by the door. I'm afraid we have a rather strict schedule to meet if we're going to acquire the diamond today, so it would be best if you changed here." Harry frowned for a minute and then nodded. "Through that door is my bedroom, and the door on the right is the bathroom. I'll let you get settled in, I have to take care of this extra hair. I assume your evidence bags have all the proper preserving spells on them, but the rest of us have to do it the old fashion way."

Harry nodded and went through the door. The bedroom was… well, extravagant, but tastily so. Done up in cream colors against dark woods, with bookshelves lining the walls on either side of the king size bed (and really, why did anyone who wasn't married need a king size bed?) that drifted slowly into cupboards and closets. The only reason Harry knew that the bathroom door led to another room as opposed to one of the, what was it, four closets?, was that the door had an actual knob instead of a handle.

Harry walked quickly through the room, pausing only to admire how soft the cream carpet was, and to the bathroom, hoping not to dirty the room too much. The bathroom was just as extravagant yet tasteful as the bedroom. It took Harry a moment to remember that it was Andromeda who bought this house, not Draco, or he would have completely understood the debt the man was in. The bathtub was most obviously porcelain, with iron claws and brass pipes that led up to the shower head. Harry moaned at the sight. He would have enjoyed a bath, but Draco made it quite clear there was no time.

Stepping hurriedly out of his clothes, Harry hurried to the shower, pulling the curtains around him and turning on the water to an almost freezing cold. The water hissed from the pipes like an annoyed snake, making Harry smile all the more, and he sighed as the sand washed out of all of the crevices of his body. He might never go to the beach again.

He frowned, hearing the door open, but then realized it was most likely Draco getting his clothes. He made no greeting, how did one greet someone when one was in a shower?, but continued bathing. The door closed, a short moment later, and then, as Harry was about ready to get out of the shower, it opened again. He paused, his hand resting on the handles, listening as clothes were set down, a few more brief rustlings and then the door was closed again. He waited a few more moments before hurrying out of the shower and changing quickly back into his robes, noting that even his under garments had been cleaned and folded. He frowned a bit, but brushed the robes straight, hurrying out into the bedroom.

His eyes locked on Draco's bare back, twisting and undulating as he struggled into a shirt that was most defiantly too tight. He wasn't sure what he was thinking, but he stepped up, grabbed the tight rim of the shirt, and pulled it down, taunt over Draco's lithe body. He heard him gasp a bit, and when he turned around, there was a slight flush on the blonde's face.

"I didn't expect you'd finish so fast. I barely had time to cast cleaning spells." He murmured.

"I can be quick when it's needed." Harry said with a smile. A spark lit in Draco's eye, one that Harry wasn't sure he trusted, and was right not to when the man spoke.

"A confession Potter? Shall I break it to those poor fans who think you're as long in bed as you were at ending the war?"

"Shove it Malfoy."

"Where and I shoving what Harry? And will you be able to last?" Draco asked, his eyes shining with mirth. Despite himself Harry found himself chuckling and shaking his head.

"You're a right prat." Harry laughed to which Draco only shrugged.

"Perhaps." He admitted and then turned, grabbing a sweater from the bed. He pulled it on and then cast a tempus charm, checked the time and nodded. "Good, we'll be a few moments early, but it's always better early than late. Follow me, hopefully the children won't be back yet, the last thing I need is jelly on my shirt before I go convince this poor woman to give up her diamond."

"I thought she had already agreed?" Harry asked, following the man as he led them up the stairs and out of the house.

"Oh good, not back yet. It's always hard to tell time when you zip from one place to another. And yes, I might have convinced her, but Harry, women are awfully picky about their diamonds. Why do you suppose it takes men years to save up for one? And then there's the sentimental value, the part I need it for, which is a bit hefty. I had to bribe this woman with a diamond twice the worth of her own before she consented to the idea. Not that she's hard for cash, merely that she doesn't believe in buying her own stones. Ah, where were those coordinates again? Ah there, alright." Draco threw an arm around Harry's waist and with a pop, they were in front of a stately manor. "I even managed to find one from a witch, so the magic will be a bit stronger than one from a muggle. The stones soak up properties, but we have been over that."

He stepped closer to the gates of the manor and set a hand up on the air in front of them, not quite touching them.

"Mrs. Quette, I'm here for our arrangement." There was no sound, but the gates flashed once and Draco smiled before talking mostly to himself when he said. "Always a good sign when they let me in."

Harry smirked a bit and followed Draco, keeping his face straight, though the wards stung him multiple times. He heard Draco mutter something that sounded a bit like 'aggressive old biddy' but he couldn't be sure.

A small old woman met them at the door of a house that dwarfed even the Malfoy manor.

"Draco, early I see. It seems your manners haven't all fled you, well do come in. I do wish you would have told me you were bringing company though." The woman sounded a bit bitter, and Harry wondered for a moment if the ring could possibly hold the love required for the potion. But he followed Draco, watching with amusement as the man begged and groveled at the woman's feet. "I assume you brought a suitable substitute for my diamond?"

Draco nodded, and from his pocket drew a large oval shaped diamond, that Harry could imagine more easily on a necklace than a ring.

"Hm… It will do. Fine, go about casting your spells." Harry watched as Draco looked around the yard, as if wondering if he should do them outside, but the woman made no motion to let them into her house. With a nod Draco flourished his wand and tapped it three times to the quaint diamond on the woman's ring. It flashed once, twice, and then a near blinding pink light was emitted from it for twenty long seconds.

"You are a very loving woman." Draco smiled, looking at the ring with wonder. "Twenty years of such strong love… I don't doubt it would have continued longer…"

"Should he not have died? Yes but he did, and I'd thank you not to bring it up. Well let's have it, trade out the diamonds, I don't have all day. I have things to get back to." The woman snipped, and Harry wondered for a moment if her bitterness wasn't out of grief. Draco merely bowed and cast a quick spell, unfastening the gold from the ring, the diamond flew out and into Harry's hand, and the new, much larger diamond settled itself slowly on the old diamond's perch. The ring gave a tiny squeal of protest as it had to thin itself to more firmly grip the new stone, but it settled back down after a moment.

The witch sighed, and when the spell was finished, moved the ring to her middle finger, shaking her head.

"It's been ten long years… I thought perhaps this would help… but… I don't know." The woman said looking sadly at the new stone. Draco frowned and set a hand out, as if he would touch her shoulder, before thinking better of it.

"I can return the stone to you when the potion is done. It won't have the same luster, and it will be a bit smaller, but it will still be the stone he bought you." Draco said softly.

The witch looked up with fire in her eyes.

"I think not Mr. Malfoy, it was never the ring nor stone that meant a damned to me. Now get off the lawn before I change my mind just to spite you." She scowled and hurried into the house, slamming the door behind her.

Draco stared after her for a moment before the wards whipped up around them both, pressuring them towards the gates. Harry nodded, and led the way back.

Once there Draco wrapped an arm around Harry's waist and once again apparated them. Harry blinked, surprised to find himself outside his own house.

"It was on the way." Draco muttered before heaving a sigh. "I shall need the rest of the day to prepare the potion, but do be over bright and early for brewing."

Draco gave Harry a small smile, and with an almost silent pop, was gone.

Harry found himself staring at the empty space for a few moments before shaking himself out of the trance. He entered his barren apartment and flooed to the Ministry, proceeding to do the write up necessary and generally wasting time before he had to go home to the empty shell he called a home.

When he finally went back to the empty flat, he sat and let the owls parade up to him with various notes. One from Ginny, please don't be too lewd with the bachelor party, one from her fiancé, please don't be too prude with the bachelor party, one from Ron, please don't spend too much money on the bachelor party, one from Hermione, please spare no expense for the bachelor party, one from Mrs. Weasley, please don't hold the bachelor party on the night before the wedding, one from Mr. Weasley, by all that was holy please hold the bachelor party night before the wedding party or he would implode from Mrs. Weasley's plotting, though he did love her so. Harry sighed. He stacked the letters and motioned for the owls to make themselves at home on the small two perches he had. They squabbled for a few moments, none of them seeming satisfied to go home empty beaked, and Harry sighed, transfiguring a few more stands for the other owls, before sitting down to write the notes. He sat down with a quill and ink and wrote out a very vague message to each, humoring them without promising anything, and sent each owl on their way with what he hoped was the proper letter. He stood up at last, checked the time and swore. He dragged himself slowly to his room and managed to get undressed before he collapsed on his bed.

Tomorrow was going to be yet another long day, and he hardly knew how he had survived this one.

((I hope you didn't mind my trying out earlier grammar styles. I've been reading a lot of older words lately and am fascinated by the mid sentence question! Anyway, three cookies to whoever figures out the riddle without looking it up! Read and review my duckies and I shall respond to your every word!))