For his part, Lucius had no intention of going away. Now that he had tasted power again he was like a recovering alcoholic who had fallen off the wagon.
He spent a few days entertaining himself at the manor, giving Potter a temporary reprieve and allaying any suspicions Narcissa might have about the changes taking place in her husband. The woman was quite perceptive and Lucius knew that she'd noticed the differences just as he'd recognized them in himself.
She hadn't said anything to him right out but he could tell that she was watching him closely. Perhaps she even suspected him of having an affair. Lucius did hope that their now daily trysts would keep her from suspecting that for long. After all, if Lucius was going to be accused of infidelity – even though it wasn't a huge problem if he was accused of such – he at least wanted the accusations to be true.
On top of that, Draco still looked at him suspiciously as well and the elder Malfoy wondered if the boy was telling tales to his mother. There was no way that either of them would ever understand what was going on between him and Potter. Hell, Lucius didn't quite understand it himself. After the first few days, he'd stopped trying.
If there was one thing that the war had taught him, it was that he could endure whatever he must to survive. That said, Lucius didn't want to simply survive. He wanted to live. Pursuing Potter gave his life meaning again, twisted as that meaning might be.
Malfoy didn't spend his few days at home idle. He strolled through the grounds, soaking in the joys of nature and as many warm rays of sunshine as he could manage. The sun helped to relieve some of the pallor that his skin had taken on over the previous few months. Basking a little in the light, Lucius looked toward the manor.
Though the Dark Lord had made the manor his headquarters, the house and grounds survived the war intact, a fact for which Lucius was very grateful. He didn't know what he would have done if he'd lost his home along with everything else.
While the rightful master of the house strolled through the formal rose garden, he became aware that one of his peacocks - upon whom he'd jokingly bestowed the name Odin - was stalking him. When Lucius turned, the bird flashed out his plumage in grand display and strutted his way between the rosebushes.
"Show off," the wizard murmured fondly to the bird and then shaking his head, took a seat on the nearby bench. Tomorrow he'd find a way to visit Potter. It was time for the vacation to end.
oOoOo
Harry didn't know just how much Lucius Malfoy had affected him of late until the man in question seemed to disappear. The auror should have been relieved, should have been happy to have some peace at last. Even Draco was inexplicably absent from the picture. However, Harry found himself looking up every time the door to the aurors' office opened. Any time he spotted a tall, white-haired man out of his peripheral vision, he'd instinctively turn toward the fellow. Even worse was the feeling of disappointment that ground through his guts when it wasn't Malfoy. What in Merlin's name was wrong with him? Why was he actually looking for Lucius? Perhaps death at Voldemort's hands had permanently damaged Harry's brain…or was it his sanity?
At any rate, he found the sudden absence of the older man more frustrating rather than less. When he went home, he made sure that he hid his frustrations from Ginny now. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her in any way. Never mind the fact that her brothers would kill him if he did, it was just not Harry's way to want to hurt anyone. Now that his teenage angst was passing away – at least he'd thought it was – his greatest desire was to grow into the man he believed he was meant to be; a man that would have made his parents proud. Such a man would never intentionally harm the woman that loved him, no matter what his personal demons were.
With that in mind, Harry had taken up running. Ron thought he'd gone spare. Quidditch was one thing. Even the muggle games of football or rugby Ron might have understood, but to just go running for no particular reason?
Harry didn't want to explain it any further than he had to, so he simply told his friend that Ginny was too good a cook and that he wanted to exercise so that he didn't end up resembling Horace Slughorn when he was older. Ron laughed at that; clapping Harry on the back and assuring him that such a thing was impossible. However, the explanation must have satisfied his friend because that was the last time Ron mentioned Harry's new hobby.
So it was that Harry found himself dressed in muggle trainers and a pair of shorts, jogging along the bank of the Thames. Idle tourists watched as he passed. More than a few pairs of the women's eyes lingered over his toned body. He'd already had a runner's build long before he'd started running and even though he'd finally filled out somewhat, Ron was right. Harry would never come close to matching Slughorn's girth – even if he were to eat ten meals a day or live on nothing but chips and beer.
On this day in particular there was one other pair of eyes that appreciated Potter as he jogged along. Despite Lucius' continued loathing of all things muggle, he'd found out about Potter's daily runs and thought them a perfect opportunity.
Having obtained a very well-tailored suit, he then picked a suitable location for an ambush and stationed himself on a park bench to wait. Because the day was so warm, Malfoy hadn't bothered with suit jacket or tie. Instead he sat at his ease with the collar of the shirt and buttons of the waistcoat open and the sleeves rolled up to show off his shapely forearms. The dark mark had faded since Voldemort's passing but the shadow of it was visible to anyone looking close enough. His hair was loose and flowed about his shoulders, a few strands occasionally lifting with the passing of an errant breeze.
Thus attired, the former wizard was attracting more than a few appreciative glances of his own. Mostly he remained oblivious to them. He knew how attractive he was – he often flaunted the fact after all – so a few women ogling him was nothing new. Besides, he didn't believe that there was a witch among them and muggles certainly didn't warrant his return attention.
When Potter was finally within earshot, Lucius called out to him. "Lovely day for working up a sweat, eh Potter?"
Hearing the familiar, velvety tones from a bench off to his right, Harry stopped dead in his tracks and pivoted slowly toward the other man. Beads of sweat were indeed sliding down his bare torso and his breathing was heavy, though not excessively so. "Malfoy? What are you…doing here?"
"Oh," the white-haired man gave a vague wave of his hand, "enjoying the view." As he spoke, his gaze drifted along the young man's body, appraising. Lucius had never seen Harry in such a state of undress before and he had to admit that he found the boy's compact frame quite enticing.
Harry was unsettled by the close scrutiny and had a sudden, overwhelming desire to wrap himself in a blanket. Perhaps the most unnerving thing of all was the sudden tingling in the region of his groin. In one horrific moment, he realized just how thin the material of his running shorts was. He imagined the mortification he would feel if he was suddenly sporting a hard on in front of Lucius Malfoy.
"Ah, yes…well…" Harry cleared his throat and tried to think of anything besides the carefully mussed elegance of the man lounging before him and the impossible depth of those pale eyes which were watching him so intently. "I'll leave you to it then. I have a few more kilometers to go."
A smirk graced the other man's lips as he drawled, "What's your hurry Potter?" Then as if he'd read Harry's mind, those eyes dropped down to regard Harry's crotch. Swallowing heavily as he felt the blood surge through him again, Harry stammered out something – he didn't know what – and started running as fast as he could away from the older wizard.
Lucius' laughter followed him, enflaming the young wizard even more. Harry cursed under his breath. He was going to have to make it back to the Ministry and fast. He just hoped that nobody else would think to take notice of the bulge in his shorts. This was turning out to be a hell of a day.
oOoOo
Well, well, well… Lucius wore a smug little grin as he strolled along the riverbank. It seemed there was one part of Potter that responded favorably to Malfoy's attentions. That was a very interesting thing to note indeed. There was only one question left. What did Lucius want to do about it? Tormenting the half-blood was one thing but how far was he prepared to go? The dawning realization that it wasn't just the power he was getting off on drew his face into a frown.
It wasn't that Malfoy fancied boys, as a general rule, but he was appreciative of beauty where he saw it. He'd also done a fair bit of exploration over the years, including one notable affair not long after he was married, so he knew well enough the pleasures of being with another man.
Still, he couldn't be falling for Potter that way. It was a ridiculous notion. Lucius was in this for the thrill of control and that was very simply that. Nothing more. By the time he'd returned home, he almost believed it.
oOoOo
It was late morning and Harry stared up at the ceiling above his bed. Ginny was out shopping and he had the day off work. That made it the first time he'd had completely to himself in weeks. There was no reason why he would have to do anything other than have a nice relaxing afternoon. So why did his thoughts keep turning to Lucius? The man was relentless and now even the memory of him was stalking Harry. If this kept up, Harry thought he'd go mad.
The worst thing about it was that the older man kept popping up where Harry least expected to find him. It had gotten so bad that the auror was now beginning to look for him everywhere, just to belay the surprise. The most frustrating thing was that if he looked for Lucius and didn't see him, then he would feel disappointed. Harry wanted to tear his hair out.
He'd even gone so far as to ask Lucius to stop following him. When that didn't work, he had threatened the older wizard with everything he could think of. Lucius had simply smiled in his cunningly disarming way at everything Harry said and claimed to be innocent of whatever Harry was accusing him of.
If this was Malfoy's way of getting back at him for 'harassing' his son, he was doing a damn fine job. If it were something else…Harry immediately squelched that train of thought. Of course it wasn't anything else.
Still, Lucius had managed to insinuate himself into Harry's life every day that week. Each time it happened, he got closer to Harry physically as well. Oh, the old fox was making sure not to actually touch Harry but Lucius was using his body's proximity to evoke a response from the young auror.
Harry would stand his ground every time it happened but that left him trying to ignore the heat from the other man's body as well as the sweet, spicy scent of the cologne he wore. Once, the expensive fabric of Lucius' robes had brushed over Harry's bare arm, raising goosebumps as it slid along. Harry had only just been able to stifle a hum of pleasure.
The memory of that moment caused Harry's cock to stir as he lay there alone in bed and he hated himself for it. He wasn't bloody queer and he did not have a "thing" for Lucius Malfoy! That was very simply that.
What he told himself didn't appear to matter to his body. As his hand slipped down his belly to work off this new bout of horniness, it wasn't Ginny that monopolized his thoughts as he brought himself off. Minutes later when his cum flowed out over his well-practiced hand, he had a wicked thrill as he envisioned his seed splattering all over Malfoy's face.
His heart beat fast and he assured himself that it was only a matter of wanting to get back at Lucius, but there was something about the image that was very seductive. He couldn't help wondering what it would be like to come in Lucius' face. He imagined it would be glorious. The clock in the hall chimed the hour and Harry realized that Ginny could return home at any time. Finally shifting out of bed, he hastened into the bathroom for a shower, still wrapped in his new titillating fantasies.
oOoOo
Lucius sat in the Hog's Head, sipping a glass of white wine. The shadows danced around him and he was mostly hidden in the gloom. Potter had entered with a very shady-looking character perhaps a half an hour before and was so busy with the stranger that he hadn't spotted the white-haired man at the corner table. Little did the boy suspect that everything happening now was carefully choreographed.
When the young auror stood at last and left the bar, Lucius rose hastily from his seat and dropped a galleon on the table. Potter would be delayed for a few moments if all went to plan but Lucius knew that could not afford to dawdle.
As luck would have it, things worked out even better than he'd hoped and he found Harry alone just down the street. The boy's back was to him.
"Well, well…we meet again Potter." It was most gratifying to see the boy spin as if he'd been pinched and then fix Lucius with an angry glare.
"I thought I told you to stop following me, Malfoy!"
"I'm not following you, boy." The Cheshire grin was firmly in place. "You know, you aurors are really very paranoid." As he spoke, Lucius took two steps closer so that his body was very near to Harry's. He stared calmly down at the boy even though his heart was pounding. Every nerve was on edge as he waited to see what Potter would do.
Lucius wasn't quite prepared when Harry shoved him, sending him back a step. The older wizard hadn't expected the boy to resort to physical violence and so he acted purely on instinct before thought could kick in. Stepping forward once more, he pinned Harry against the wall of the pub and hungrily claimed his mouth.
As the boy's lips opened to him, Lucius' brain started to exclaim that this was very definitely not the plan. But damn the auror's mouth was so fucking hot and the smooth muscles of Harry's belly clenched so beautifully as the elder's hand skimmed along them.
Then, before Malfoy could do anything else, Harry pivoted slightly and brought his leg up behind Lucius' knee. The older man's leg buckled and he fell hard to the ground with Harry on top of him. He was momentarily winded and he didn't have time to catch his breath because Harry's lips were right back on his.
It was like snogging a whirlwind. Harry's frantic tongue was everywhere; licking, tasting, teasing along Lucius' palate even as the boy's hand knotted in Lucius' long hair. Lucius could feel the auror's erection as it nudged against the answering bulge in his trousers and Lucius rolled his hips, wanting the friction as much as he wanted to tease Harry.
The action brought the most delicious moan from Harry's throat and Lucius' hands swept down Harry's back to settle on the boy's arse. Kneading the flesh beneath his palms, Lucius was pleased when the boy responded. Harry rocked his hips harder and Lucius slipped one hand between the boy's buttocks.
Moving in time with Harry's thrusts, Lucius' fingers drug the fabric of trousers and underpants over the auror's most sensitive flesh and it seemed to drive Harry wild. Panting and grunting at the onslaught to his senses, Harry writhed atop the older man, clearly wanting this and more. Lucius rubbed the edge of his little finger just behind Harry's bollocks and was sliding it up toward the boy's opening when Harry suddenly tensed and his hips bucked wildly for a few seconds.
The auror was still for only a moment before he broke away with a gasp and stared down at Lucius with a mix of horror, embarrassment and raw animal lust on his flushed face. Turning very red, the boy got up and Lucius was amused to see a wet patch where the boy had released, staining the front of his trousers.
Their eyes met for just a few seconds longer before the boy fled. Lucius felt both amused and bemused at the reaction and slowly picked himself up off the ground.
"Well that was…entertaining," he told the uncaring bricks of the wall next to him, his voice conveying amusement. Alas, since his partner of the evening had vanished with an unconscionable lack of consideration, Lucius would now have to find his own release. Deciding that the Manor might be a better location for that, he pulled his cloak firmly around him and made his way back into the pub. From there it was an easy floo trip home to take care of the task at hand.
oOoOo
Harry had never been so embarrassed in his entire life. Even the time when Dudley had tugged Harry's trousers down in the school cafeteria at lunch time paled in comparison. The warm water of the shower flowed over him and it should have been soothing but it wasn't.
It was bad enough that Lucius had kissed him – and that he had kissed Lucius right back – but the worst part was that Harry had instigated the rest. He didn't know what on earth had come over him. There had been no thought of fighting Lucius off, only of trying to ease the fire that was burning through his body – a fire that had been simmering for a month now, just under the surface.
He'd gone and rubbed himself off against Lucius Malfoy and the fire was still burning. Harry wanted to scream!
Perhaps the one saving grace in the situation was that Ginny didn't know. Luckily he'd had the presence of mind to cast a cleaning charm on his trousers and go for a stiff drink at one of the muggle pubs down the road from their flat before making an appearance at home.
Ginny had to know something wasn't quite right; Harry wasn't naïve enough to think that she didn't, but she hadn't commented on it. Things had been off kilter for long enough now that she'd stopped asking. She just kissed him and smiled at him, nodding when he said that he needed a hot shower and that he would be out again in a while.
Once in the shower, he'd decided that he would try to wash away all of what had happened. Then he would emerge, make love to his fiancée and hopefully drop into blissful, dreamless sleep. The latter was probably too much to ask for but it was a worthy goal anyway.
Dreams simply had to be better than reality right now, Harry rationalized. Especially when reality consisted of some sort of twisted obsession with a dark wizard who had spent the better part of six years trying to kill him and was the father of Harry's nemesis.
Sighing, Harry turned off the tap and stood there dripping for a minute or two. He tried to clear his mind completely, which he managed for a few moments at any rate. Then a new thought invaded. After chewing on this brand new idea, he made his way out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist as he went. For tonight he would follow through with his original plan, but tomorrow he needed to make a trip to Hogwarts.