Draco and Harry: Escorts in Exile

Chapter Nine

Harry was a bit nervous when they returned to the flat, mostly due to Draco's obvious simmering irritation. Luna had no good news to report on the search for Lyra. Umbridge had hidden the baby away, likely expecting to keep her as a final bargaining chip. Harry was somewhat surprised the Minister hadn't dangled the infant as bait to lure him out of hiding. Perhaps Umbridge knew that Neville would seize on such an act and proclaim the ruthlessness of it far and wide. Umbridge had to save it as a last resort.

The news had put Draco in a fine snit. That, coupled with Harry surprise trip to Knockturn Alley, and his close encounter with Brigit seemed to have thrown Draco into a bottled rage.

"What was so bloody important that you had to use Polyjuice to slither into Diagon Alley?" Draco asked from his tense sprawl on the couch.

"This," said Harry. "I'm curious as to what Brigit is doing with Summoning ingredients." Harry rolled the small jar in his fingers and Draco looked at it curiously, but did not move.

"She's probably planning to call up her demonic relations for some personality tips," he said. "Accio jar."

It flew out of Harry's hand and into Draco's.

"What is it?" the Slytherin asked, brow furrowed as he tried to decipher the label.

"I'll tell you later. First, I need to ask you something. I'm not sure if you're willing... If you're not, it's fine, of course, I'll understand, but in case you are... well..."

"Potter, you're babbling and not making a bit of sense. Now what is it?"

"The rest of your birthday present," Harry said quietly.

Draco looked at him curiously. "New salve?" he asked in a hopeful tone. The question jolted Harry out of his serious mood long enough to chuckle.

"No, it's not new salve. Let me fetch the important part." Harry walked into the bedroom and retrieved an item he had hidden inside the small desk. He held it tightly for a breathless moment. His nervousness had returned tenfold.

Draco hadn't moved. Harry sat next to him on the couch.

"I want you to know, if you don't want to do this, it's okay. I will understand. I just..." Harry took a deep breath, aware that Draco was watching him with placid amusement. "I just don't want to lose you. Ever again."

With that, Harry opened his hand and flipped open the small box.

ooOoo

Draco sat up, wondering if Potter would ever cease to surprise him. He blinked at the matched pair of platinum rings in amazement. He raised his gaze to Harry's, realizing his lover was nearly paralyzed with nervousness.

"Why, Harry Potter," he said lightly, "Are you asking me to marry you?"

Harry flushed and shook his head quickly. "Oh no. No, nothing like that. No. Well.... Yes, sort of. Not... officially, you know, since the Ministry would hang us both if they caught wind of it... but, magically."

Draco set down the jar he'd been holding and gently wrapped his hands around Potter's, holding the ring box between them.

"Harry," he said and leaned forward to place a kiss on the Gryffindor's lips. "Tell me."

Harry sighed heavily and kissed Draco fervently. "Okay, when Maeve copied all of those damned scrolls and books, and I had loads of time to read..." He hurried on, obviously not wanting to remind them of the reason he'd had "loads of time to read." "I found a spell. A couple of spells, actually, that I thought I could link together. It's sort of a ceremony. I mean, it's definitely a ceremony. It's pretty involved, and it's... it's permanent."

"Like marriage?" Draco prompted.

"Erm... more. Marriage can be undone with divorce. This can't be undone. Except by death." Draco caught the unspoken words: Maybe not even then. He looked into those serious green eyes, and the face that had become more important to him than he would ever have dreamed possible. He knew if Harry Potter asked him to walk through Hell, Draco would conjure a glass of ice water and start trekking.

"Okay," he said softly. The emerald eyes widened.

"Draco, are you sure? This is not something to decide lightly, and I don't--"

"Harry, I said 'yes.' Now kiss me already and let's get started."

Harry flung an arm around Draco's neck and snogged him so hard Draco thought the ceremony might have to wait for a few hours, but Potter recovered himself. He sat back and straightened his glasses. Draco held the box. He opened it and grinned at Harry.

"Which one is mine?" he asked eagerly, feeling a trifle foolish, but damn if he didn't love presents.

Harry plucked out the ring and held it up. Draco took it, sliding his fingertips over Harry's, and wanted to shag him again. He looked at the plain band and caught a flash of engraving on the inside.

"Amor fortior morte," he read.

"Love stronger than death," Harry whispered. Draco swallowed hard, remembering that they had nearly died together, not so long ago. Harry took the band from him and slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand.

"Perfect fit," Draco said. His throat felt tight.

"In every way," Harry replied, and his gaze felt warm and tangible as he looked into Draco's eyes.

Draco took the other ring and held Harry's hand, caressing his palm in a light whorl with his thumb. He slid the band over Harry's finger and laughed suddenly, hoping to lighten the mood, and stave off emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.

"You're a romantic sap, you know that?" he said.

Harry smiled and allowed Draco his levity. "Or maybe it's just another ploy to get you naked."

Draco raised a brow. "You didn't say it was a naked ceremony."

"I am now," Harry said suggestively. "Where's that jar?"

The preparation took far longer than Draco had expected, but Harry was meticulous and focused. He cleared the living room, produced a white rug similar to the one at Grimmauld Place, and traced a large protection circle and pentagram on the floor, enclosing the rug.

Draco got bored watching him, and prepared a quick dinner of filet mignon, new potatoes, and fresh vegetables. Harry took a break to eat. When they finished, it was completely dark, and Harry lit a few of the candles around the circle.

"Time to get naked," he said with a smile.

"I thought you'd never ask."

They disrobed slowly, never taking their eyes from one another. Draco wanted to tear Harry's shirt off, but thought the buttons might interfere with Potter's careful preparations. It was enough of a pleasure watching Harry remove each item and set it aside.

When they were finished, Draco stepped forward and embraced Harry, sliding his hands over the nicely exposed flesh. Harry allowed them one molten kiss and a few warm caresses before pulling away with a chuckle.

"No distractions," he said adamantly. "We'll need our energy. Come into the circle."

They sat on the white rug in the center of the enclosed pentagram. Harry quickly lit the remaining perimeter candles.

"We need to get into position," Harry said and grinned. "You'll like this part."

The Gryffindor shifted until he sat directly in front of Draco with his legs wrapped around Draco's waist. Draco's limbs enclosed Harry, crossing at the ankles behind Harry's gorgeous arse. Harry pressed their foreheads together for a moment. They were close enough to breathe each other's air. Harry's hands lightly touched Draco's waist, and Draco's rested on Harry's thighs. He restrained himself from caressing--barely.

"Try to keep your breathing slow and steady," Harry murmured.

"That's rather hard when I want to press you backward and shag you into the rug."

Harry laughed. "I know, but this is a centering position. It's called a Tantric Kiss. You breathe out when I breathe in, until we're in synch. We have to seal the circle first, though."

Harry had prepared a silver tray that sat next to them. It contained an assortment of items--four candles, a small censor with incense, a silver goblet, and a tiny ceramic bowl filled with white crystals. Next to those rested the mysterious jar he had purchased, an empty silver plate, and two bundles of multicolored ribbon. Their wands sat next to the tray.

"Oh yes," Harry said. "Rings off."

He pulled off his platinum band and set it on the silver plate. Draco did the same and Harry picked up his wand.

"Just in case things weren't solemn enough for you, I'm invoking the Quarters."

Draco had expected it, based on the items bedecking the tray. Potter was really taking this seriously. Draco nodded and Harry cleared his throat. He linked his free hand with Draco's and Levitated the censor and the yellow candle. He sent them to the easternmost portion of the circle and lowered them gently. Harry spoke in a clear voice that echoed a bit in the room.

"As we are without witnesses to this binding ceremony, I summon thee, oh Lord of Air and Guardian of Innocence. Watch over us with the power of your knowledge, intangible as a breath, solid as the wind." Harry lit the censor with a word and a spiral of smoke curled upward. Draco thought he caught a whiff of jasmine. "By the first gentle rays of dawn, I invoke thee."

With that, Harry lit the yellow candle.

Next, he levitated the red candle to the southernmost point, which was behind Harry's back, so he cocked his dark head slightly to avoid sending the candle over the line.

"I summon thee, oh Lord of Fire and Guardian of Intuition. Watch over us with the power of your energy, bright as a candle's flame, warm as a summer day." Harry lit the red candle. "By the intensity of the noonday sun, I invoke thee." He spoke another word and the candle flared into a miniature sunburst. It sparked red for a moment, and then died back to a normal flicker.

Draco squeezed Harry's hand for an instant as Harry sent the blue candle and the goblet to the westernmost edge, at Draco's right.

"I summon thee, oh Lord of Water and Guardian of Love. Watch over us with the brilliance of your passion, fluid as a river, endless as the sea." Harry spoke and the blue candle flared into life. "By the gentleness of evening's dusk, I invoke thee."

"Last one," Harry murmured against Draco's ear as he leaned forward a bit. The bowl of crystals--salt, most likely--and the brown candle were sent over Draco's shoulder to the northernmost point.

"I summon thee, oh Lord of Earth and Guardian of Learning. Watch over us with the fullness of your strength, solid as granite, durable as the earth." Draco couldn't see it, but he expected the brown candle to be lit. "By the hidden depths of midnight, I invoke thee."

Harry sighed, task completed. Draco did not feel any different, and if there were hidden guardians surrounding them, he could neither see nor sense them, but he knew the protective power of the ancient magic, and did not question its effectiveness. He expected that nothing could penetrate the circle Harry had made, not even a Patronus. It was rather comforting to know that they would not be disturbed for the duration.

"Centering time," Harry breathed and rested his forehead against Draco's. He set his wand aside and took Draco's other hand, lacing their fingers together. Draco grinned and obediently synchronized his breathing to Harry's, surprised at how quickly they managed it. It was really a lovely feeling, being wrapped around Harry and breathing his air while holding hands. All tension seemed to drain away, leaving him relaxed and lethargic. Umbridge and all of their assorted problems seemed very far away and unimportant. Draco vowed to try the technique next time he felt particularly tense.

Harry leaned back a bit and released Draco's hands, moving unhurriedly. He reached for the small jar and his wand. Harry opened the jar, tapped the edge of it once with his wand, and cast a single spell. The dark liquid inside glowed with a green light that made Draco start for a moment--it looked eerily like bottled Avada Kedavra. The glow seemed to disappear into the liquid and Harry set his wand aside.

He met Draco's gaze and took a shaky breath. "Ready?" he asked. Always the noble Gryffindor, giving Draco a chance to back out, even after all the preparation. Draco quirked a grin.

"Ready."

Harry dipped his index finger into the jar. The digit came out looking as though he had simply dunked it into green ink. Harry reached up and touched Draco's temple with the substance. Draco wasn't sure what to expect, but it felt like nothing more than Harry's finger, slightly cool, tracing a symbol on his left temple. Harry continued the line down Draco's jaw and then followed the jugular vein down to the collarbone. Draco thought Harry would stop and apply more ink, but the Gryffindor did not pause. He traced the collarbone to the center of Draco's chest, and then moved down and leftward. Harry drew a complicated sigil over Draco's heart and then returned to the center on Draco's chest. The finger slipped downward and another pattern surrounded Draco's navel. It tickled, and Draco fought not to squirm.

Harry's hand moved lower and Draco hoped to hell Harry wasn't planning to decorate Draco's cock, because it was already hard just from Harry's proximity, as well as the delicate touch of the fingertip on his skin. Harry's hand veered, however, and drew a small sigil on Draco's flank, just where the blond curls began, and a few inches from where Draco began to ache for Harry's touch.

The Gryffindor drew upward again, retracing his lines, but with a pattern this time, as though interlacing them. The sigil over Draco's heart was completed--he looked down to see a green, vaguely Celtic design that resembled knotwork, and then Harry's hand moved to Draco's shoulder and down his left arm. Harry used his free hand to hold Draco's steady as another symbol was drawn on Draco's wrist--and who would have guessed that a feather-light touch on the wrist could be so utterly erotic?--before the tracing moved to his palm. Harry's breathing sounded a bit ragged by this time, mirroring Draco's own. A circle was drawn completely around Draco's ring finger and then the knotwork on his palm was completed in a sequence of jagged lines and whorls.

The tracery continued back up Draco's arm, linked through the heart sigil once more, and then up Draco's neck to finish at the temple. Harry sighed with relief and withdrew his hand. He murmured a word--iuncto--and the entire design seemed to flood with heat on Draco's skin. He drew in a breath of surprise and Harry met his gaze with concern. Draco shook his head to reassure the Gryffindor.

"Your turn," Harry said. Draco reached across their laps and dipped his own finger into the jar--the liquid was half-gone now, magically transferred from the jar to Draco's skin.

Draco touched Harry's temple, wondering if he were supposed to make up the design as he went, but the instant his finger touched flesh, he inexplicably knew what to do. He followed the same pattern Harry had used, but added a Slytherin twist of his own. While drawing with his index finger, he let his other fingers glide along Harry's skin as he drew, turning the artistry into a caress. Harry trembled beneath his hand, and nearly stopped breathing altogether.

As Draco scrolled around Harry's navel, he was pleased the see the Gryffindor was just as hard and needy as Draco--Harry's cock glistened with precome and Draco groaned at the sight of it. He shut his eyes for a moment, trying to think non-arousing thoughts, and then let the magic keep his fingers moving, focusing on the spell as he drew.

It seemed to take forever to finish the tracing--arm, wrist, palm, and back again to Harry's temple. When he finally lowered his hand, Draco was shaking with need. He repeated the word Harry had used and then blinked in surprise when he felt another jolt of heat. The green lines traced on their bodies turned black.

"The hard part is finished," Harry said thickly and leaned forward to kiss Draco. He took Harry's mouth eagerly, demanding more than either could give at the moment. Their tongues twined together, plundering the sensitive spots that both knew well. Harry pulled away first, laughing shakily.

"Not yet," he said and took Draco's left hand with his own. Their fingers linked, and Harry pressed their palms together, holding them at chest height so that the sigils on their palms touched.

Harry's right hand reached down and plucked a ribbon from the stack. A gold one. He met Draco's eyes and the green seemed to intensify.

"Draco Malfoy, are you fully cognizant of the meaning of the ceremony in which we are about to partake?" Harry asked softly in a formal tone.

"I am," Draco said quietly.

"Are you aware that the words spoken today shall create a bond between us that cannot be broken, save by death?"

"I am," Draco replied.

"Do you, therefore, seek to enter this bond of your own free will?"

"I do."

Harry sighed quietly, as though relieved, although Draco doubted Harry truly expected him to back out at this late stage. The Gryffindor began to twist the gold cord around their linked hands.

"By this cord do I bind our spirits as one. May our lives be blessed with the virile energy of the sun, and our unity overseen by the powers of light. By this cord do I add my energy to yours."

Draco solemnly repeated the questions to Harry, and then added his own golden cord with the same invocation. Energy seemed to pulse around them and Draco wondered if it were a component of the spell, or simply his imagination.

The next cord was silver. Harry spoke as he twisted it over their hands.

"By this cord to I bind our spirits as one. May our lives be blessed with the purity of the moon, and with the creativity and love symbolized by its silvery light. By this cord do I add my love to yours."

Draco repeated the words and bound his silver cord with Harry's. His eyes never left the Gryffindor's, and his voice sounded rough in his own ears. Harry's emerald eyes looked particularly bright.

The next cord was black. "By this cord do I bind our spirits as one. May it grant us the wisdom to overcome negativity and banish evil. By this cord do I add my wisdom to yours."

They each added more cords in succession: green (May it grant us luck and success); blue (May it grant us patience and tranquility--Draco nearly laughed aloud at that one, and Harry gave him a warning glare, although his lips twitched); and finally red (May it infuse us with strength and passion for the rest of our days).

"The knots of this binding are formed by the vows we have spoken, and shall not be severed even after the cords are removed," Harry said and swallowed hard. "By this final symbol, I join myself to you, Draco Lucius Malfoy." Harry picked up Draco's ring from the silver plate and held it over their bound hands. "Mind to mind, heart to heart, hand to hand, soul to soul, I bind myself to you with this."

Harry slipped the ring over Draco's finger and added a single word: sempre. Draco gasped as the black lines and sigils on his body suddenly turned gold. He drew in a shaking breath and then steadied himself. The magic around them was nearly a tangible force now, and he wondered if any of it was Harry's doing. He reached for Harry's ring.

"By this final symbol, I join myself to you, Harry James Potter. Mind to mind, heart to heat, hand to hand, soul to soul, I bind myself to you with this."

Draco placed the ring on Harry's finger and repeated the final word of magic. The lines on Harry turned gold and then both sets of drawn sigils began to glow. Draco felt an almost blinding sense of power as the magic enveloped them, seeming to flow from their bound hands outward. It flooded Draco's entire being and he threw his head back, overwhelmed by the sensations. His left hand clutched Harry's like a lifeline and their right hands joined instinctively. Just when Draco thought his head would explode, the power began to dissipate slowly. It did not disappear, but seemed to settle into Draco's flesh and blood, leaving him tingling and energized. He snapped his gaze back to Harry's, whose green eyes gleamed with a smoldering fire. He looked like a feral god.

"It's done," Harry said roughly.

Draco leaned forward and took those gorgeous lips in his. After a few moments of passionate kissing, Draco found their bound hands to be an obstruction. He tore at the cords, to find Harry doing the same. When the ribbons were finally strewn on the rug like multicolored confetti, Draco pressed Harry back into the white softness with a growl of suppressed desire.

Harry's hands were everywhere on Draco's skin, touching him as though he explored something rare and precious. Draco's flesh seemed more sensitive than usual, even more so than when they used the incomparable Weasley salve. Draco wondered if it were part of the spell, or if his heightened emotions were responsible. Regardless, he felt inflamed by Harry, who had never looked more beautiful. He tasted Harry's throat and trailed a hand down the Gryffindor's smooth chest, wondering where the lines had gone. The sigils had vanished.

Harry's questing hands were hot on his skin and Draco suddenly didn't give a damn about the lines. He moaned into Harry's neck. He needed to touch every inch of the creamy skin under his fingertips. Draco kneaded Harry's shoulders, biceps, and forearms before briefly touching his hands. Harry's fingers gripped his for a moment and he felt Harry's teeth nip into his shoulder in a bruising kiss. Draco's tongue laved over Harry's collarbone and then trailed lower, tasting the salty sweetness of Harry's skin. The Gryffindor's hands left Draco's to slide over his buttocks and up the curve of Draco's spine.

Draco moaned and then licked teasingly at one of Harry's nipples. He chuckled when his lover arched against him--god, Harry must have been feeling the effects, too. He teased it again with his tongue and Harry's panting moan was music to his ears. Gentle hands clutched at Draco's hair.

"I can't... hold it," Harry gasped as Draco's hands drifted over his abdomen.

"It's okay," Draco breathed. "Let go, love."

He touched Harry's cock lightly and slid his thumb up the length of it. Harry made an almost tortured sound and came. The heat exploded between their bodies, nearly triggering Draco's orgasm. Harry sped that along by taking a hand from Draco's hair and shifting himself down a bit to grip Draco's quivering shaft. The exquisite, firm touch was all it took, and then Draco's fluid joined Harry's on the Gryffindor's flat belly.

Draco groaned at their lack of control, and rested his cheek against Harry's.

"It's been awhile since we gave each other hand jobs," Harry commented lightly.

"If they are always this brilliant, we should do them more often."

"I think it's the spell," Harry said, sounding a bit regretful.

"I don't think so," Draco replied confidently and took Harry's lips again.