Draco and Harry: Escorts Entangled

Chapter Three

Draco followed Snape down the long row of wooden casks, halting when the man stopped to open a tap now and again, or pour a bit of wine into a glass, or check a chart hanging from a peg, or cast a quick spell to shift a barrel to a different location. He seemed to be the same of Severus Snape--he could hardly sit still for a moment.

"So Potter lost his powers completely when he killed Voldemort?" Snape asked as he worked.

"Yes, when I met him after the war, he could only cast rudimentary spells, and even then they would not always work. He was near powerless until he destroyed the Occamy egg."

"Horcrux," Snape said.

"What?"

"It was a Horcrux. A sort of storage device that held the last bit of the Dark Lord's soul."

"Right. Potter mentioned something about that."

"And when Potter destroyed the Horcrux, his powers returned?" Snape's nose twitched as he sniffed at a wine sample. He poured it into a nearby bucket without tasting it. "Substandard batch. I'll sell it to the Muggle tourists."

"His powers returned stronger than ever. He could do things he couldn't before. And they grew. They continued to grow and... change."

Snape looked at Draco sharply. "Change how?"

"Well, he does wandless magic almost exclusively now. He is so powerful he doesn't even have to think about casting certain spells. He walks into a room and the lamps light. I know he does it without even giving it a thought. It's maddening, really."

"Was this a gradual change, or did it happen suddenly?"

"Ever since his powers returned, he has been stronger, but he never used wandless magic until..." Until the night we Bonded, Draco realized with a pang of alarm. Could the Bonding ceremony have triggered something in Potter's strange magic? "Until the night he Apparated half a dozen people from London to Ireland to save me. He callously arranged the death of the woman responsible for kidnapping me. And he drove Umbridge mad. Frankly, that night seemed to be the turning point. Since then, he's been increasingly ruthless. His personality seems to be changing, as well. He's grown angrier and more impatient. He's more Slytherin than Gryffindor these days."

Putting the situation into words made Draco's heart ache. He could no longer pretend there was nothing wrong with Harry. "I've wondered if the changes were induced by the Dark Magic."

"What Dark Magic?" Snape asked in a tone that suggested Draco had been intentionally withholding information.

"You remember the lovely pools of wild Magic my dear father created as a gift for the bloody Dark Lord."

"What has that to do with Potter?"

"Harry has been using his new powers to dispel the Dark Magic," Draco said with no small amount of pride.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Bully for the Chosen One."

"He's the only one that can do it. He tried to teach me, but it seems to be a talent that requires his odd magical abilities."

Snape made a noncommittal grunt. Draco bit back his impatience and watched as the black-haired man cast a spell that enveloped a cask in a warm purple glow. "Temperature regulation," Snape explained. "Very important for the better blends."

Draco did not give a bloody fuck about the damned wine. "Can you help Harry?" he asked bluntly.

Snape sighed. "Draco, you are turning into a bloody Gryffindor. You are losing your Slytherin finesse."

"I know you well enough that I feel we can dispense with games. I will, of course, give you whatever I can in payment, but I need to know if you can help him. If not, please refer me to someone that can."

"I really don't think you can offer me anything, Draco," Snape said, but he held up a hand when Draco nearly made a Gryffindor-like outburst. "However, it might be payment enough to know the precious Savior owes me his sanity and possibly his very life."

"Do you think it is that serious?" Draco asked in alarm.

"I have a suspicion, but nothing I can confirm. Give me a few days to do some research and I'll let you know."

Harry watched in satisfaction as his Patronus charged down a dementor. No matter how many he dispelled, he never tired of seeing the hated creatures twist into vapor. He grinned at Tonks and tucked his wand into a pocket. It was almost a chore to remember to use it around the Aurors.

"That's the third one," she said and scratched at her forehead with the tip of her wand. Her hair was vibrant yellow today, like a buttercup. "Do you think there is Dark Magic nearby?"

"I'm not sure. Draco was always better at detecting it..." Harry trailed off and tried not to think about Draco. He had been quite obviously absent in the past few days and Harry dreaded to think about it. He tried to suppress his idiotic, jealous fears, but they refused to go quietly. Harry knew Draco was upset about his erratic behavior of late. Perhaps he was annoyed enough to finally leave Harry for good.

"Are you two all right?" Tonks asked quietly.

Harry tugged at his hair and forced a grin. "Yeah, fine. You know, we have issues now and again..." He only wished their current "issues" were the normal sort, such as Draco bitching about Harry's inability to pick up a sock from the floor, or Harry complaining that Draco's sunglass collection exceeded Harry's drawer space.

"You know, I think I'll call it an early day. I want to go home and surprise Draco, maybe take him to dinner at that new restaurant in Bath that Luna recommended."

Tonks socked his arm. "You're such a romantic, Harry."

"Yeah, well I think I've been neglecting the romance lately."

"You and Remus both," she griped with a smile. "In fact, if you see him, you might put a bug in his ear."

Harry laughed. "Absolutely." He Apparated home, but Draco was not at number 12, Grimmauld Place. He was not at the London flat, either. A quick trip to Diagon Alley to chat with the Weasley twins verified that they had not seen Draco in days. Malfoy Manor was empty. By the time Harry returned home, he was in a fine snit.

The sound of voices drew him to the kitchen. Draco held a large wooden bowl and he mixed the contents while he laughed at something Tonks had said. He caught sight of Harry and a warm smile lit his face, dispelling Harry's ire somewhat. The relief at seeing the blond also helped. His anger eased slightly, but did not entirely disspate.

Bill Weasley was present and he stood up to take Harry's hand.

"Hello, Harry."

"Bill. What brings you here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, of course."

"Just a social visit, actually. Fleur is in Versailles visiting relatives. Thankfully, my new duties got me out of that trip, although I'll appreciate you not mentioning that bit to her."

Harry grinned and felt his tension ease again. Bill Weasley had a way of making people feel relaxed, one reason was a fabulous Minister of Magic.

"I also heard tales of Draco's prowess in the kitchen and I thought since I needed to eat anyway..."

"Weasleys," Draco snorted. "Always willing to follow their stomachs anywhere."

"You're always welcome," Harry said and sat down. Draco set the bowl on the table.

"Perhaps I should open a restaurant. I will likely stay in the black merely by feeding Weasleys. And my cousin, here," Draco joked and grinned at Tonks, but she was already dipping a tortilla triangle into the fresh salsa. She groaned with delight after it touched her tongue.

"I'd have to get a better job," she said when she could speak. "My paltry Auror salary could never afford the prices Draco would charge."

Bill laughed. "Remus, this girl complains about her salary six times a day. I'll have to give her a rise in pay just to shut her up."

"It's about bloody time," she muttered. "Damned Umbridge had us cut back to nothing on both staff and budget."

"We'll be changing that soon," Bill promised. "If Harry can ever teach us how to destroy the Dark Magic, we'll need more field-ready Aurors."

Harry gave him a wan smile and looked at Draco, who grinned in commiseration. They both knew Harry's ability could not be learned. A shadow crossed Draco's features for a moment and Harry wondered at its source. A thread of disquiet crawled through him.

"Any luck on tracing the Benefactor?" Harry asked Bill, who scowled.

"None, although we've followed a long trailed of Obliviated Ministry officials and Imperiused pawns. Whoever he is, he knows how to cover his bloody tracks. It seems he had his hands in every damned department. I'm almost alarmed that he's done nothing since Umbridge fell. I doubt he would relinquish the power he held without a fight."

Harry nodded. He also had a bad feeling about the mysterious puppet-master. The man--or woman, Harry supposed--was too intelligent to sit back and do nothing. It was far more likely the Benefactor's tentacles were wrapping around another plot. Harry only hoped they would uncover it in time.

Until then, they would have to support Bill and do the best they could.

They turned their attention to the food and dinner was a relaxed affair. Tonks and Bill kept them entertained through Draco's Spanish-influenced meal. Harry felt the blond's hand on his thigh as they ate, and tried to ignore the banked annoyance that still yammered for attention.

"So, Draco," Harry said finally in a casual tone, "I came home early today to surprise you, but you were nowhere to be found."

Draco took a sip of wine before answering and Harry clenched his teeth slightly at the stalling tactic.

"I took a quick escort job," Draco said. "I do still have a business to run while you play with the Aurors, you know."

Harry's rage returned so quickly he could scarcely see through it. Liar! it screamed. Liar! Liar! Liar!

"Destroying Dark Magic hardly qualifies as playing, Draco," Bill admonished.

Draco grinned, seeming oblivious to Harry's desire to reach out and throttle him. "I know. I'm very proud of him for it. I just miss him--jealous sort, you know." He leaned over and placed a kiss on Harry's temple, but it did nothing to ease the fire of anger pulsing through Harry. Where the fuck had Draco been?

Harry said nothing through dessert and his obvious tension finally transmitted itself to the others. Conversation became stilted and Bill finally thanked them all and Disapparated. Remus and Tonks lingered, but Harry's threatening glowers eventually drove them out. Harry caught the worried glance Tonks threw at the blond before she left. Harry wondered how much she knew about Draco's extracurricular activities.

"All right, Harry," Draco said with a sigh. "Out with it." He began to clean the dishes with a flick of his wand. Harry slammed the blond against the counter, earning a wince from Draco and causing a dish to clatter when it dropped abruptly.

Harry's fingers tightened into Draco's wrists.

"Where the fuck were you today, Malfoy?" Harry snarled. "And I would appreciate the goddamn truth this time."

ooOoo

Draco tried to quiet his trepidation. The green eyes that bored into his contained a mad light, one Draco had seen all too frequently in recent days. The bones in his wrists creaked in protest and Draco knew he would wear bruises there tomorrow. He tried a reasonable approach, battling futility.

"Harry, why are you doing this?" he asked quietly.

The Gryffindor ignored that. "Why are you fucking lying to me, Draco?" Harry countered. "What are you hiding?"

Guilt from the fact that he was hiding something did nothing to diminish Draco's sudden anger. He despised jealous possessiveness and Harry--his Harry--knew that. Though his wrists were still held in a punishing grasp, Draco raised his hands and shoved Harry's chest with all his might. Surprised, Harry staggered back and nearly fell, releasing Draco in the process.

"You don't own me, Potter!" he said icily and Disapparated.

Draco went straight to Malfoy Manor. He knew it would only take a couple of minutes for Harry to trigger the bond and follow. Draco was somewhat surprised Harry had not done so earlier if he had been so bloody concerned about Draco's whereabouts. Likely the Gryffindor's inherent politeness had still been in control at the time.

Draco walked quickly to a small room near the library that he had recently completed. He had referred to it mentally as his inner sanctum, but now he thought of it as his anti-Potter room. When the door clicked shut behind him, Draco breathed a sigh of relief, although the true test was yet to come.

As expected, the bond markings flared gold. Normally Draco welcomed the connection between him and Harry, but now he bit his lip nervously. Under normal circumstances, Harry could Apparate directly to Draco's side. Now, however, he would be lucky to locate Draco at all.

A loud hammering sounded on the door and Draco nearly smiled. As usual, the Gryffindor luck held true.

"Draco? What the hell? You put up anti-Apparition wards?"

A burst of purple light ghosted around the perimeter of the room.

"And something else as well, eh?" Harry continued. They flared again and Draco felt a moment of unease.

"You are behaving irrationally, Potter," Draco said mildly after casting Sonorus to ensure Harry heard him through the thick oak door. It was more than possible that Harry could crack through Draco's wards, but he had deliberately linked them to himself. If Potter shattered them, he would hurt Draco and possibly even kill him.

"I'm not fucking around, Draco," Harry warned. "Let me in."

"I'm not fucking around, either! Now go home and sleep off this madness or, if you must, go hurt someone who is not me."

There was a long pause and Draco sidled toward the door, fearing a trap, but still needing to hear Harry if he chose to speak.

"I won't hurt you, Draco," he heard in a tone he wished was sincere.

"That will be more of a certainty if you are not here, Harry," Draco replied calmly. A thump on the door made Draco leap back.

"Damn you, Draco!" Harry bellowed and pounded on the portal once more. "You know I can crush your bloody wards and make you open this fucking door!"

Draco stepped forward again and said quietly," I know you can, Harry. If you love me, you won't. If you're honest with yourself, you will admit that you are not in your right mind. You need--" He bit off the word help, knowing that person's with issues such as Harry's despised any insinuation that they needed assistance. "You need to just let it go for one evening, all right?"

Silence. Draco wondered if Harry had left or was merely pretending, hoping to lull Draco into opening the door. Draco retreated to the center of the room and Transfigured the desk into a bed. He climbed onto it and sat cross-legged to wait.

He was rewarded for patience thirty-eight minutes later when a faint hiss came to his ears and a prickling sensation crackled across his skin. He smiled. Still there, then. Predictable Potter, determined as ever. He was being Slytherin-subtle, though, testing Draco's wards for weaknesses with a delicate, seeking brush.

Draco picked up a book and settled in for a long, sleepless night.

Shortly after three-o-clock in the morning, Draco warily cracked open the door. Slumped against the wall across the hall lay Harry Potter. His chin rested on his chest and his hands dangled limply on his upraised knees. He looked cold and uncomfortable as hell, but thankfully very asleep.

Draco cast a Sleep Spell to keep him that way and then a Weightlessness Charm. He lifted the Gryffindor and carried him upstairs to the master bedroom. He carefully removed Harry's shoes and outer clothing before covering him and climbing in to bed next to the black-haired devil. Draco wrapped himself around his chilled lover and fell into an exhausted sleep.

He awoke when a hand brushed over his cheek and he opened his eyes to see lovely green eyes peering at him.

"You're beautiful when you sleep," Harry said.

Draco thanked whatever Providence existed and reached up to take Harry's hand. He pressed a kiss into the palm and noticed a shadow cross Harry's face.

"Harry, I am not cheating on you," Draco said softly. "Use whatever passes for Legilimancy for you these days and verify the truth. I love you."

"Then why--?"

"In case you haven't noticed, love, you have gotten a trifle possessive lately," he said in a teasing tone. Harry scowled and Draco pressed on lest defensive annoyance wake the slumbering beast. "If you simply can't trust me, then I shall turn over all owl post to you. Would you like to see my appointment book and approve my daily agenda, as well?"
As hoped, Harry flushed. "I don't want to be your gaoler!" He sat up and pushed a hand through his hair. "I know I've been impossible. I do trust you, I just... God, no wonder you're trying to get away from me."

Draco reached out and took Harry's jaw firmly. He pulled until the green eyes met his.

"I am not trying to get away from you," Draco said seriously. "I am trying to get you back. I am doing everything I can to help you--to help us, Harry. Can you trust me on that?"

Harry swallowed hard and nodded. Draco sat up and kissed him gently.

"I trust you," Harry said. "And I'm sorry, again. Go back to sleep; I need to see Hermione."

Draco nodded and watched as Harry dressed, kissed him farewell, and departed. The instant Draco was certain Potter would not return, he scrambled out of bed and drafted a note. He sent it through the Floo to Severus.

Time is of the essence was all it said.

ooOoo

Harry sat on Hermione's couch in a tiny space not occupied by large books. She sat cross-legged on the floor with a massive tome in her lap. Harry was somewhat surprised it did not crush her legs.

"There really isn't much about a transfer of power," she said. "And what is available is difficult to find, probably because wizards don't want to be victims of magical theft."

"Is that possible?" Harry asked. "Stealing a wizard's magic?"

"Apparently yes, but it's not easy, thankfully. It is similar to creating a Horcrux, actually. In your case, however, I think you absorbed the magic from the Horcrux."

Harry was aghast. "Voldemort's soul?"

"Not exactly, no. I'm thinking he made the final Horcrux with the intention of storing not only his soul, but some extra magic as well. I don't think he was confident of his ability to survive the final battle. Rather than return to a vaporous state if he lost, I think he hoped to return as something more substantial."

"How could he store extra power?"

"As I said, it's something like creating a Horcrux, but instead of splitting your soul and placing it into an object, you tear the magic from a wizard and do the same."

"Wouldn't that kill a wizard?"

"It can, but mostly from shock. Apparently it's quite painful."

Harry snorted. "I'll bet. Voldemort would never strip his own magic and he certainly had power at the final battle."

"No, it wasn't his. I believe he took the magic from one of the Death Eaters and placed it in the Occamy egg you destroyed. Then Voldemort killed the Death Eater and turned the object into a Horcrux as well."

"Bloody hell," Harry breathed. "So when I defeated him by pouring everything I had into destroying him..."

"Your own magic was practically gone, yes, and when you destroyed the Horcrux your magic was not restored. Instead you took in the magic of the dead Death Eater."

It was a revolting concept. Harry had the power of some minion of Voldemort's!

"What Death Eaters were never accounted for?" he asked numbly. His first panicked thought went to Lucius Malfoy--wouldn't that be a lovely fact to have to reveal to Draco? But no, Lucius Malfoy was buried at Malfoy Manor with Narcissa.

"Rabastan Lestrange. McNair. I'll have to pull the records for others."

Harry felt like vomiting. "Can magic be inherently evil?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Hermione said dubiously. "But it's possible that there are some sort of... I don't know, psychic traces attached to it? Soul-residue of some sort?"

"Death Eater slime, you mean?" Harry shuddered. "If I get rid of this magic, I'll return to near-powerlessness, won't I?"

"Probably," said Hermione, never one to candy-coat the truth. "And it might kill you trying to remove it. I don't see that as a viable option, frankly."

"Do we have any viable options?"

"That is what these books are for," she said with a grin.

"Oh, I thought you were redecorating," Harry joked. She stuck out her tongue.

"Very funny. Actually, I'm hoping we can purify your magic."

"Purify."

"Yes, I believe something in the magic is causing you to act... erratically, if you will. Sort of like catching a disease from a tainted blood transfusion, to use Muggle terminology. I'm hoping we can filter it somehow, like putting liquid through cheesecloth to strain out impurities."

"Strain out the evil?" Harry asked and laughed.

"Something like that. We can at least try to remove whatever element is causing you to..."

"Act like a soulless Death Eater?" Harry finished dryly.

Hermione nodded.

"Has anything like this been done before?"

"Well, not that I can find," she admitted. "But I found some similar spells. If we can't find one, we'll invent it. That won't be the first time, eh?"

Her confidence was inspiring. Harry felt hope for the first time in a long time. It was on the tip of his tongue to offer Draco's assistance, but he suddenly remembered the last time Draco and Hermione had collaborated on research. It had led to Hermione nearly falling in love with the blond. Harry felt a sharp spike of jealousy at the thought and kept his mouth shut. Hermione would find it. She did not really need Draco's help.

Harry halfheartedly combed through some books and wondered how she could possibly find research even remotely interesting. Harry thought it was akin to watching sand trickle through an hourglass one grain at a time.

"Harry, you are completely useless. Go home," she said finally.

He departed gladly.