The Chill Of Retribution

Chapter Five

The next day was just as strange for Draco as most of the school year had been.

He shared two lessons that day with Potter and every time he had made eye contact with the Gryffindor he received a lewd look or a leer and he felt the detested blush creep over his cheeks each time it happened.

Draco had just taken his seat in the Great Hall that night when Potter casually walked over and whispered to him.

"Are we secret or can we go public?"

"The Dark Lord will kill me if he finds out!" Draco blanched, he wasn't resigned to death any more, he didn't want to die..

"No, he won't. Trust me."

"But-" how could Potter just say something like that? Of course The Dark Lord would kill him.

"Any other reason you don't want to?"

"Well, no but The Dark Lord-"

"Will be fine. Just tell him at the next meeting." Potter cut in again and effectively ended the discussion by kissing him.

The Great Hall had been noisily whispering about the two of them talking, all noise stopped as Potter's lips landed on Draco's and they waited for a reaction.

When Draco only moaned slightly, wolf whistles sprang up from Longbottom and Lovegood. The rest of the hall quickly joined them, with the notable exception of the Weasel who Potter couldn't see turning green as he glared. Talking quickly started again and Draco could hear snatches of it as he rested his forehead against Potter's.

"Hot..."

"Sexy..."

"Oh My God!"

"Wow!"

Potter sat him back down at the Slytherin table, taking a seat beside him and whispered in his ear, "You're mine now."

Draco hid a smile and cursed his blush as he raised an unimpressed eyebrow and drawled, "Am I now? I'll have you know I am not a piece of property, Potter."

Potter grinned as he kissed Draco's cheek and filled a plate for him.

Draco looked at the plate for a moment before glancing up at Harry through his eyelashes. No one had filled a plate for him like that before.

"Potter!" Draco heard a fifth year whine from further down the table, "You're a Gryffindor! Stop polluting our table."

Draco was going to speak himself but Potter placed a hand on his arm briefly before jotting a note on a spare piece of parchment and floating it over.

The boy paled drastically and turned wide, scared eyes to Potter before yelping as the note burst into flames.

A few of the other Slytherin's near the boy made noises of curiosity or complaint, but the boy just shushed them all with the words, "Potter is welcome at our table any time."

Draco frowned until Potter whispered in his ear, "I reminded him that we've met before."

Draco paled himself and darted a look at the relaxed boy beside him.

"He's fine, I told you at the time." Potter grinned and Draco knew that was the closest Potter would get to admitting he remembered his attack.

Draco could hear the Weasel screaming over on the Gryffindor table but ignored him in favour of eating the dinner Potter had served him. His eyes never Potter's face though, so he caught the huge grin Potter shot at the Weasel with his best impression of and innocent first year.

Judging by the sound of it, the weasel was going to explode at any second.

Apparently, it was all just too much for the poor lad and he turned his fury upon Dumbledore, demanding that he 'straighten' Potter out.

He wished he could look away long enough to watch Dumbledore's reaction but it wouldn't be half as good as his current view, he was sure.

He did still smirk though as he heard Snape drag the Weasel from the room with the promise of detention for the rest of the year.

"Your work?" Draco asked Potter calmly as he read about his Aunt Bellatrix's death.

Potter had never told him he was behind the attacks but neither had he flat out denied it. Draco took that to mean it was him and that he didn't want to anyone to know (Draco couldn't blame him for not admitting it) but at the same time didn't want to lie about it.

"I would like to say yes." Potter replied in typical style, neither denying nor acknowledging.

Draco nodded in reply before babbling about how much he had always hated her, he hoped Harry understood that he knew the truth and wasn't upset by it. He was actually quite impressed, he knew he would never be able to do such a thing and he had been trained to, but Potter, the quintessential good guy had done it without batting an eyelid.

Potter was still more than a little scary but Draco was becoming more sure by the day that he was one of only a handful of people who were truly safe. Not just from Potter's wrath but from everything else as well, Potter would defend those he gave himself to till the death.

He was also sure that the only other people truly safe were Snape, of all people, Longbottom, Lovegood and the Weaselette.

"Never again." Harry promised in reference to the numerous Cruciatus' he had suffered from his Aunt.

Draco settled back to his breakfast with contemplation almost written on his face but he just smiled and shrugged when Harry looked at him in question.

He had just thought over the people Harry had surrounded himself with.

Longbottom was from one of the oldest pure blood families, the name had declined slightly in recent years, due to the attack on his parents but once Longbottom reached his maturity, Draco was sure his family name would be a powerful one again.

The Weaselette was similar, old pure blood (which carried more weight in the wizarding world than any mud- muggleborn would ever want to hear) and while her family was neither powerful nor rich, it was very well respected, she would end up somewhere above the station she had been born into.

Lovegood could easily be made powerful and she would probably manage that on her own in only a couple of years time. She was far too intelligent, despite her eccentricities, not to do well. It would probably be those eccentricities that would help her, truth be told. She would distract them all with a Snurfulpod or some such thing while she took over the Minister's position and then smile while she made it law to wear radishes or some such.

The wizarding world would probably end up loving her, while she kept them all under a tight control they would write her down as the most loved Minister of all time.

Draco snorted at the thought, it was so amusing because he could honestly see her doing it.

There was himself, he knew it wouldn't take as much work as most people would think, to return the Malfoy name to power. A few generous donation to charity, a few speeches on just how evil The Dark Lord was and how anyone can be manipulated by the Dark. All made easier by Potter stood beside him.

Then there was Snape. A half blood, just like Potter. A world renown potions Master and specialist in Dark magic. He didn't offer much in the way of political strength but he would help attract a different type of people to Potter. Those who were looked down upon by the Light, would be more likely to offer Potter support by having Snape on his side. Not to mention the potential of having a potions Master willing to brew anything you should need at a moments notice.

Draco knew Snape would too. Snape had once looked at Dumbledore with an almost worshipful gaze, it was a promise filled look, a promise to do anything he could to help. He knew he saw it because he knew his Godfather that well, he had just assumed that Dumbledore could read him that well too and the look was part of his act as spy for the Dark.

Now he knew that look was real but it was no longer directed at Dumbledore, it was given to Potter, not that Draco knew why.

He guessed it was something to do with the reason Snape had turned from The Dark Lord, that was because of a prophecy about Potter, which had led to the death of Lily and to him turning to Dumbledore.

Perhaps he had finally stopped seeing Potter as his Father and started seeing him as Harry. Harry who was part of Lily, with Lily's eyes. Harry who he had now spent years protecting and most likely training.

That was the kind of thing that forged a bond between people, even people who didn't like each other.

Potter choice of friends would almost be Slytherin, if not for the fact that Draco definitely knew that Potter didn't consider such things, ever.

Must be that thrice damned luck he seemed to survive on.

The next few weeks passed in a pleasant blur for Draco.

He spent his meals sat beside Potter, laughing over breakfast together about The Daily Prophet's name for the person targeting the Death Eaters. Potter's revenge.

How ironic, not that they ever made such a comment to each other, Draco was happy pretending to not know Potter remembered his attack, if that's what Potter wanted.

Lessons were spent either sitting next to Potter and getting less work done than he should or missing Potter and getting less work done than he should.

Potter rarely visited him after curfew but Draco never asked to see him more often, knowing it was Potter who was out most nights killing Death Eaters and not wanting Harry to have to tell him no.

Being refused once by Harry was enough to last Draco a life time, he wasn't about to be refused a second time if he could help it.

Especially not now he was happier than he could remember being.

Harry was surprisingly intelligent and funnier than he realised. He was also amazingly easy to get on with, that was most unusual for Draco. Many people couldn't put up with his cutting wit and sarcasm but Potter only snipped back.

They still had huge fights but the make-up sex made it more than worth while.

Draco was wonderfully happy.

He hadn't been quite as happy when he had seen Potter stroll through the doors during a Death Eater meeting.

Potter had walked in with an uncharacteristic act of arrogance and flopped into a chair that was waiting next to The Dark Lord with a cheerful greeting. His face had swept over those gathered and Draco had watched his mouth drop open with shock as he made eye contact with Draco.

He didn't seem to have expected Draco to be there.

Harry had jumped up with a cheeky gin, turned and flamboyantly bowed to The Dark Lord with a wide, theatrical sweep of his arm.

"My dear Lord Voldemort, has the young Mr Malfoy had chance to speak with you yet?"

"No Lord Potter," Draco couldn't contain his gasp as he heard The Dark Lord refer to Potter by a title only he was allowed to be addressed by, "he has not."

"In which case, may I inform you of our new relationship."

The Dark Lord 's looked of mild disgust as he worked out what Potter meant was terrifying to Draco, his Father had told him stories of what The Dark Lord had done to people who didn't conform to his way of thinking.

He knew what could happen if The Dark Lord decided to be offended by their relationship.

Draco had waited for the axe to fall all through the rest of the meeting but aside from a terse nod of acknowledgement, The Dark Lord hadn't commented on Potter's announcement.

As they left The Dark Lord's Manor Draco had spent the walk to the edge of the apparition wards yelling at Potter.

He thought he made it quite clear about his feelings on Potter fraternising with The Dark Lord.

He continued yelling after they apparated to the gates of Hogwarts.

Potter stood and listened for a few minutes with a slightly bored face before lunging forward and pinning Draco to the gates of the castle. Potter's mouth had covered his own and speech was made impossible, not that he wanted to complain.

"I told you to trust me, it would be fine." Potter grinned at him as he unbuttoned Draco's trousers.

One more than satisfactory blowjob later and Draco hadn't quite forgiven him but was too relaxed to care.

Draco had yelled at Potter some more the next night. The whole situation was just completely unbelievable, "Lord Potter, indeed!" he sneer, but privately he was more impressed than anything else. The Dark Lord wouldn't have even considered calling Dumbledore Lord, but had call Potter Lord easily, without batting an eyelid.

It was an impressive feat to have The Dark Lord call you Lord.

Draco jumped as his Dark Mark started to burn.

He was surprised, he knew Harry was going to see The Dark Lord tonight but they had not expected Draco to be called.

He quickly escaped from the castle, hurrying down the rocky and uneven path.

He apparated the second he cleared the wards and landed just outside the same Manor he had visited last time.

He had barely taken five steps when Snape apparated in almost next to him.

They both looked at each other before walking side by side silently.

They were thirty yards or so away from the building when Snape put an arm out and stopped him in his tracks.

"Wards have just been placed, we can go no further." he said slowly as he looked over the Manor as though able to see the magic at work. He spun and cast a Patronus charm that ran in the opposite direction.

"What should we do?" Draco asked, unsure as to the safest thing.

"We wait. Sit over there." Snape said as he pointed to a bench a bit further away from the house.

They walked together and had nearly reached it when Dumbledore and several other people apparated in. just as the last one arrived a series of explosions erupted through the Manor.

Draco screamed and tried to race forward, Snape caught him by the waist and held him as he screamed for Potter.

Seconds later Fiendfyre could be seen licking out of the windows and an unearthly scream echoed in the night air as the crowd of people stood and helplessly watched.

His knees buckled as he watched the house crumble to ash.

There was someone standing in the middle of the wreckage. Someone with scorched clothes and a soot blackened face and who looked remarkably like Potter.

Potter reached to his side and pulled his fingers away, wet on the tips, red.

He bent down and drew something with his wet fingers and Draco realised it must be a rune, but blood runes were terribly dangerous things to mess with.

The rune glowed, several other glows lighting for a second before they all faded away.

"It's over. He's gone." Potter said with a voice hoarse from smoke inhalation before his knees buckled and Draco watched him fall in slow motion.

Snape darted forward and helped Potter to stand. Draco was in far too much shock to consider moving, as he guess were the others.

He had done it.

The thought started to sink in and he caught Potter's eyes as he started to grin.

Potter had done it.

Potter had killed The Dark Lord.

He knew there was still loads to sort out but they would do it. He knew they would fight and argue, when didn't they? They would suffer from the newspapers and public opinion. They would get more problems from the Ministry, they would want to know what Harry had done to achieve The Dark Lord's demise. They would probably want to arrest Draco.

There was a mountain of problems to face but for now...

There was no one threatening to kill him and his family.

His parents were alive, even if one was a fugitive criminal.

And he was dating Potter.

Life could be very strange but he was happy, or would be once he had beaten his insane boyfriend black and blue for making him think he was dead.

The End.

AN: Woohoo! Three completed stories! The sequel to this and Best Served Cold is almost half completed but it's taking me a bit longer to write. I hope to have it finished and to start posing it by the end of the month though, so there shouldn't be too long to wait.

Please review.

Duana xxx