Chapter 2 – An alliance
"I'm sure you recall during our school years that I idolized my father." Draco sighed wishing he could change all that wasted time.
"I take it that has changed," Harry commented.
"To put it mildly," Draco snickered. "I despise the man. And to be blunt, I believe he is the worst possible candidate for Minister of Magic."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "I suppose you want me to back you?"
Draco shivered. "Merlin no! I do however think it's high time that you ran for office."
"No," Harry said very quickly. "I want to be left alone."
"That much is obvious." Draco snorted.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Harry snapped.
"You live on your own private island, in a house that has been charmed to look as imposing as possible. I bet you haven't had a lover since… "
Harry jumped to his feet and Draco found himself at the business end of the most feared wand in all of the Wizarding World, Harry's. Draco was even more concerned by the fact that Harry's wand arm was shaking… violently. He measured his next words very carefully. "You must have loved him very much."
It worked. The wind was gone from Harry's sails and he slumped back into his chair. Putting his head forward to rest it on his elbows, "See what a mess I am? And you want me to run for Minister? Are you insane?"
"What would he want you to do?" Draco asked softly. When Harry didn’t answer, Draco sensed his time had ended and quietly let himself out, with the portkey still in his pocket.
But he didn't stay away long. And this time he brought along reinforcements.
Harry opened up the door to find both Malfoy and Snape on his doorstep. He failed to keep the shock from his face. "Oh great. I suppose you are going to pester me to death, aren't you?"
Draco smirked. "I thought it was one of my more endearing qualities."
Both Snape and Harry rolled their eyes. Snape stepped forward brushing by Harry as if he owned the country estate. "I'll take mine black."
Draco swept by him as well enlarging the small café table on the back patio to comfortably accommodate five. Harry looked at it when he emerged with a tray of mugs. "Are we expecting more company?"
"Maybe," Draco answered enigmatically.
Snape was looking around. "Still throwing a pity party for one I see."
"Shut up," Potter snapped slamming down the tray. "You have no idea –"
"Don’t I? Or have you forgotten Remus so soon?" Snape's voice cracked.
Harry sank to his seat. No, he hadn't forgotten Moony or anyone else. That much was easily visible on his pained features. Draco cleared his throat. "The point being Potter, you aren't helping anyone out here and the Wizarding world still needs you."
"You may not have realized it but Remus and I had also planned on being bonded after the war. We had foolishly hoped that a Minister who looked to make his public happy would be appointed. Then –"
Draco was surprised to see Harry's hand reach out to briefly touch Severus'. Their fingers entwined for a moment before letting go. "I'm sorry that I didn't come by-" Harry began but Severus put up a hand to stop him.
"That hardly matters now. The true problem at hand is that Lucius Malfoy is sure to win the position of Minister of Magic if we don't stop him. And I know for a fact he wants all same sex couples to be registered and have their names printed in the papers as if we were a scourge on the populace!"
Harry's face fell, "But why?"
"The humiliation of course, my father means to make homosexuality a blight upon our people," Draco growled.
Snape put a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Enabling him, and others, to disown family members and create a slave populace."
"But why? Wizards already have house elves-" Harry protested.
"That would be my fault," came a voice from the direction of the kitchen, "and that stupid SPEW campaign. Who'd have ever have thought it would have such a far reaching effect as to free them all?"
Harry stood up and looking incredulous and shaky, "Hermione?"
She stood at the patio entrance looking tired and very pregnant. "Harry." She put out her arms and hugged Harry to her as best as she could. "I'm so sorry that-"
"Ron won't allow you to come over will he? They all blame me don't they?" Harry was trembling. Draco surprised himself when he found he'd risen to his feet to help Harry sit down.
Snape and Hermione were giving each other a cursory nod of greeting. Harry wrapped both of his hands around Hermione's smaller one. "I can't believe it's really you."
She leaned over to kiss Harry on the cheek. "We all miss Charlie, Harry. But he wouldn't have wanted you to live like this. You two had so many plans and didn't he want you to be Minister too?"
Harry exhaled sharply and shook his head, "Et tu?"
"As much as I dread Lucius becoming Minister I see your candidacy as the only viable option," Snape added. "With Draco's money, Mrs. Weasley's gift for research and my own skills in the background it would be an easy victory."
"How can I when Charlie's own family can't forgive me?" Harry whispered.
"Oh Harry, its not that they can't forgive you…It's just that they are mourning too. And when the Weasley's mourn it’s a circling of the wagons." Hermione explained.
"It's what?" Draco leaned forward curiously. Snape put out an arm to hold him back shaking his head in disapproval.
Harry raised both hands to his face and rubbed them briskly over it. When he lowered them, he'd seem to have collected himself once more. Inclining his head to the one empty chair he gave Malfoy a stern glance. "Okay, who is the next to show up?"
"I thought it best to have one extra," Draco shrugged. Hermione smiled at this news and put her feet up on the chair between her and Snape. Severus pretended not to notice. "So what's it going to be, Potter?"
"I need to think on it Malfoy," Harry said in a stubborn tone of voice.
Draco was about to protest when Snape rose to his feet, gave Potter a slight nod of the head, grabbed his arm and hauled him up…no mean feat, since Draco was a grown man who now equaled him in height. But Draco took the hint. Severus wanted to talk and thought it best to let the Gryffindors discuss things for a bit.
"See you tomorrow Potter," Draco promised. To his surprise Harry didn't look that upset.
Your Fellow Man by Keikokin [ - ]
Author's Chapter Notes:
many thanks to the following: Nefernat, will1214r, mistress fatale for beta, polishing and test reading.
[[Report This]]