THE FRIENDSHIP OF RIVALRY

Notes:

Disclaimer - I do not own the setting of Harry Potter or any of the characters; those are the property of J.K. Rowling. I have however added a few new names, given that this story is centered on the time after Harry and Draco have graduated.

This story is a male x male slash so please don't read it if you don't like to read these types of fanfics.

Chapter 2: Draco

Draco glanced at Harry as he placed the glasses between them before sitting down. Outside he might still look like his usual cocky self, but on the inside, he was shaking from the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. The day had definitely not gone as he had planned.

He had expected Potter to open the door, after which he had been planning to relay his long-practiced speech about why they should work together on a case (after he ensured that Potter didn't hex him that is. After all, even if they have declared a truce, it didn't mean that the brunet actually trusted him now.) but instead he had rushed into panic mode when he had knocked and found that the door had been left ajar.

He had whipped out his wand and entered the house in full Auror mode as he saw the scorch marks on the walls and his mind had immediately believed that a battle had taken place. He had inspected the entire first floor of the house before moving onto the second floor and that's when he had found Harry sleeping in his room. He had been about to check if Harry hadn't been murdered in his sleep, but he then accidentally bumped a birdcage that had woken Harry up instead.

Draco had immediately realized that he would be in trouble if Harry saw him sneaking around his house without giving him a chance to explain, so he had taken the wand before the green-eyed man had been able to grab it in his half-conscious state. Draco had often wished that the bane of his existence would go drop off a cliff somewhere, but the moment he had actually thought that he had lost… no, that Potter was dead, he had almost felt like a part of him had been brutally torn from him.

He knew that in a way his rivalry with Potter was one of the closest things he had to having a true friend since they judged and quarreled with each other without having to care about family status and talent, even if they both had that as well. Not that he would ever admit the fact that he thought Potter had talent, to anyone, much less Potter himself.

Draco was torn from his thoughts when Harry awkwardly cleared his throat before speaking. "Uhm, Malfoy? Was there something specific you wanted to talk to me about? Or were you just going to be content with scaring me half to death?" Draco resumed his cocky smirk before replying. "You, the great Harry Potter, scared to death? Now that would be a scandal the Daily Prophet would give anything to sink their teeth into."

Draco's smirk intensified as Harry almost threw him with a pillow before his face became serious once more. "To be honest with you Potter, I need your help." Harry's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hair in surprise. Draco knew that Harry hadn't expected him to ask for a favor outright, but the case had too much riding on it to let his ego get in the way.

Harry seemed to understand the importance of the case as he only nodded for Draco to continue. "The Ministry received a threat letter about two weeks ago, saying that they were unfit to govern the Wizarding world. The person proposed a game of cat and mouse that would require the Ministry to send in two of their best Aurors to take part in it and the rules were simple. They said that the Aurors had two months, starting from the first day of school, to locate the writer and if they did, they would be rewarded and the Ministry would stop receiving attacks from rebels.

But if they didn't find the culprit or the Ministry chose not to play the game, then the Ministry might find its members disappearing one after another after the two months have ended. In short, if we want to stop this, we are going to have to capture the person or group responsible before the time limit ends."

Harry nodded before a thoughtful look crossed his face. "How do you suppose we infiltrate the school without being recognized then?" Draco drew out a potion from his robes. "I was thinking we could use the polyjuice potion or glamour ourselves then take on the posts of teachers that are absent. The Ministry has authorized any means necessary to catch the culprits, except the use of the unforgivables."

Harry suddenly looked thoughtful as he stood up to search the bookshelf in his study. He pulled out a rather old-looking tome before he returned to place it on the table between them. "How 'bout we pose as first years? We might be able to catch the culprit or culprits unaware that way." Draco felt puzzled as he looked at Harry. Surely it couldn't have been this easy to convince him to help? But then again he always was the first one to jump into a dangerous situation. It was so typically Gryffindor.

If he had been a Slytherin, he would probably have denied at the first hint of danger, yet on the other hand, Draco had to remind himself that he also found himself in the middle of the current mess and he wasn't running, at least not yet anyway. "Why Potter, does that mean you will help?" Draco had to use all his willpower to keep an actual smile from forming on his lips.

"Yes Malfoy, it does." It was evident in Potter's smirk that Draco wasn't really succeeding in keeping his smile at bay. "Then we will follow your plan to pose as first years, on one condition." Potter looked confused for a moment before he downed his firewhisky and relented. "Name it." Draco glanced from the book to Harry. "The ritual must not diminish our power along with our bodies." Harry nodded his acceptance. "The ritual won't diminish our power. In fact, it will only hide our true forms from anyone but each other, since we will be doing the spell within the same circle."

Draco looked a bit skeptical at this. "But everyone would recognize us if we are only being transformed into our younger selves." Harry shook his head. "No, that is where the spell of the ritual makes things interesting. We will be able to change our features as well as our eye and hair color like we want."

Draco seemed to think for a moment. "Wouldn't that make this a forbidden ritual?" The only answer he got was a mischievous smile and Draco groaned out loud before downing his own glass. "If you drag me into trouble Potter, I swear I am going to make you pay for it." Harry laughed before pouring each of them another glass of firewhisky. "And here I thought you liked trouble." Draco looked Harry up and down then mentally whispered to himself, 'Only when you are involved.' Draco thought for a moment then smirked. "I guess the Ministry will just have to keep their promise then."