Bounty Hunter

Title: Bounty Hunter

Rating: R-ish

Author: Snippy

Pairing: H/D, Hr/SS (a little)

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. do not belong to me. Sadly.

Summary: Warning: dark fic, character death and H/D slash. This story is not light and hope and puppies, people. The bounty hunter is going after the Death Eaters one by one, but at what price? This story is not about black and white, it\'s about shades of grey. Can people change? Can a hero become a villain? Can a villain save a hero? And which is which?

FYI:

(****) indicates a scene shift.

(*~*~*~*) indicates a flashback

(*word*) emphasis

A/N: I am so sorry this took so long! Please forgive me! And before you ask, yes you can expect Trading Spaces to be updated sometime soon - probably before Feb. Again, sincerest apologies and thanks to my reviewers. I love you all so much!

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Harry stared for a moment at the empty space where the Death Eaters had stood, before turning sharply on his heel andkingking back into the house. Draco was jerked out of his stunned state, as the binding spell forced him to follow.

\"What the bloody hell was that?\" The blond hissed.

\"Those were Death Eaters,\" Harry smirked.

\"You\'re a riot, Potter.\" Draco narrowed his eyes at him. \"I demand an explanation.\"

\"Do you? That\'s nice.\" Harry sauntered overhis his weapons board, carefully placing the sword in it\'s rightful position. He stretched languidly for a moment, easing kinks and tension from his body. He studied his g fro from under lowered lashes.

The years had changed Harry; there was little left of The Boy Who Lived. Yet, Draco seemed mostly untouched by the passage of time. He stood taller, and a little heavier of course. His hair was now mussed, his clothes dirty and torn by his recent ordeal, but a shower and a comb would put him back in the role of the aristocrat\'s son, dutifully following Lucius\' wishes.

\"See anything you like?\" Draco questioned sardonically.

\"Like? No.\" Harry smirked, slowly prowling towards him. \"Want? Now that\'s another question,\" He purred.

\"You don\'t always get what you want.\" Draco stated sullenlyyingying to control the hitch in his breathing.

\"Not always, no.\" Harry conceded, green eyes flashing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They were still afraid of him, he could see it in their eyes. But somehow, they managed to get past that and fight by his side. Metaphorically anyway. Once he had figured out that Moody was right, he never let any aurors get close to him during battle. A rueful grin crossed his face. Not that he\'d had to twist their arms to get them to keep their distance. But perhaps that same fear that held them at bay had also won their trust. They could see something shining in his eyes, now. The same thing that was beginning to scare the other side. Voldemort\'s death.

Moody\'s group of aurors were currently holed up in a cabin in the woods, where they were planning their defense strategies with what Harry was caustically insisting was holiday cheer.

The former Gryffindor was currently regarding the items stacked by their depressingly tiny, but brightly decorated tree. He looked over at Moody with a wry grin. \"Nothing like weapons and poisons to get you in the Christmas spirit.\"

\"B-butterbeer, Harry?\" Colin said, tentatively offering him a bottle as he entered the room.

\"Thanks, Colin.\" Harry said quietly, not wanting to make any loud noises or sudden moves. Colin Creevey was still quite excitable, and being around Harry, especially lately, tended to make it worse. He could just picturokenoken glass all over the floor if he startled Colin while he was handing out drinks.

Turning to Moody, with a now familiar smirk, Harry held out his glass. \"To what should we toast tonight?\"

The other aurors held up their own drinks as they gathered a tiny bit closer to Harry and Moody, being careful not to get *too* close. Moody\'s scowl was almost affectionate as it landed on Harry. He opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by the rest of his Aurors beating him to it.

\"Constant Vigilance!\" They all shouted together, a measure of humor appearing in the group that rarely had time for such luxuries.

Sometime later, Harry finished his last holiday drink by the cool window, eyes searching the inky night. It was late. Yet in the East, Harry detected a subtle lightening, signaling the coming morning. He set the butterbeer bottle down on the windowsill. Behind him, he could hear the others preparing, gathering weapons, practicing with their wands. The moment was closing in. This gathering was no Christmas retreat as it had been meant to appear. The Aurors spy network had sent word of an \'event\' occurring in this little town. At dawn.

The Dark Mark appeared in the distance, above the sunrise, and Harry turned for the door, his pack already on his shoulder. He watched Colin and Cho traie ote others out the door, as he and Moody followed. As they stepped outside, curses streaking around them, Harry placed his hand on the older man\'s shoulder.

\"Alright there, Potter?\"

\"Yeah.\" Harry gave him a twisted grin. \"Merry Christmas, Moody.\"

Moody looked up into the arising sunlight. \"Carpe *diem*, Potter.\"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry continued to close in on Draco, backing him to the wall. He smirked. \"So what about you, Malfoy? Does the Death Eater\'s son get everything he wants?\"

\"Not exactly.\" Draco returned, tersely. His eyes focused on the smirk crossing Harry\'s face, an expression well worn in, but not belonging to Hogwart\'s golden boy.

\"Oh, so cold now?\" Harry mocked him. \"Ah, Draco, don\'t you like me anymore?\"

\"Stop playing with me, Potter.\" Draco bit out, continuing to replay the night\'s earlier events through his head. \"I want to know what the hell you did to me.\"

\"Why, Malfoy, I haven\'t begun to play with you.\" Harry grinned darkly, before giving the former Slytherin a long, sultry once-over. \"Yet.\"

Draco swallowed hard, but stood his ground, metaphorically, that is. Harry sighed.

\"Alright then, Malfoy.\" Harry crossed his arms over his chest. \"You always were a clever one. Why don\'t you tell me?\"

Draco nodded once. \"You . . . that is . . . you grabbed my arm . . .and then . . .\"

\"Didn\'t you used to be more articulate?\" Harry mocked hi"I t"I took your arm and cast the Killing Curse.\"

Draco\'s brow furrowed. \"You used *my* magic.\"

\"So I did.\"

\"How long have you been able to do that?\" Draco stared at him incredulously.

\"Exploit others\' powers? Since my mother died.\" Harry answered with a harsh laugh, his eyes flashing dangerously. \"Hey, everyone has a talent. Some people can touch their tongue to their nose . . .\"

\"Something else . . .\" Draco\'s mind raced. \"Crucio doesn\'t hurt you?\"

\"It can.\" Harry shrugged. \"If I\'m alone when I\'m hit. But I can throw it off fairly quickly.\"

\"And if you\'re not alone?\" Draco asked slowly, trying to remember the rumors he had heard about the bounty hunter from his contacts at the ministry, as well as the other Death Eaters.

\"Then it doesn\'t hit me.\"

\"It doesn\'t - \"

\"It hits someone else. Whoever\'s closest.\" Harry interrupted, impatiently.

\"Oh.\" Draco tried to process the information, wondering how you worked with team of Aurors if none of them dared come near you. \"Well. F*ck me.\"

\"Not a bad idea.\" Harry leaned against Draco\'s lanky frame, resting his elbows on the wall at either side of the blonde\'s head for support, palms flat against the wall. He slowly, deliberately kissed him, sinuously moving his body against Draco\'s for friction. Harry pulled back and took in Draco\'s appearance once more. \"You look like shit, Malfoy.\"

\"Thank you, Potter. Duly noted.\" He replied, grey eyes searching y\'sy\'s face.

\"That\'s settled then. Into the shower.\" Harry\'s tone held no playfulness. He turned and headed for the upstairs bathroom, Draco, still magically chained to him, followed.\"Excuse me?\" Draco called.

\"You\'re dirty. And so am I.\" Harry replied. \"I\'m not letting you sleep in my bed like that.\" Harry stopped at a cupboard in the hallway, gathering two thick white towels into his arms. \"If you don\'t want to shower, then you\'re sleeping on the floo

Draco followed Harry into the bathroom. Like the rest of the Shrieking Shack, it was clean, but plain. A shower stall had been installed next to the claw footed bathtub. A toilet occupied the corner opposite, next to a small sink. \"So, does that mean you\'re going to unchain us?\"

\"No.\" Harry tossed the towels on the top of the toilet, and began to run warm water in the sink. Reaching toward his boot, he pulled his his favorite knife, a copy of the one he had allowed Draco to use earlier. He spread a thin coating of shaving cream over his jaw, and began to scrape the blade across his skin, still looking at Draco.

\"Don\'t you want to use the mirror to do that?\" Draco questioned, frustrated, out of sorts, and realizing why Harry seemed to have constant five \'o clock shadow.

\"No.\" Harry narrowed his eyes at Draco.

\"How disgustingly cliche, Potter.\" Draco moved closer. \"Killed too many people to look in a mirror?\"

Harry glared at him. \"My side of the fight just doesn\'t leave a lot of time for vanity, Malfoy. I wouldn\'t expect a pretty boy like you to understand.\"

\"Ah, shucks, Harry.\"co sco smirked at him, stepping closer. \"You think I\'m pretty?\" \"In a viper sort of way, yes.\" Harry\'s hand stilled as Draco caught his wrist.

\"Give me the knife.\"

\"No.\"

\"Potter, stop being a tiresome prat, and give me the knife. If I hurt your delicate skin, I\'m sure you can curse me into oblivion.\" Draco sighed.

\"I could.\" Harry let him take the knife, not entirely sure if the other man would help him or slit his throat, and not entirely sure if it mattered.

\"There now. If you won\'t look in the mirror, you can at least get a proper shave.\" Draco wasn\'t sure why he was doing this as he ran the blade of Potter\'s jaw, recalling how Harry had held the blade close to his skin, mere hours earlier with a far more sinister intent. Harry never flinched, never closed his eyes. Draco could feel his warm breath on his hand, but it was even. \"Do you trust me?\"

Harry looked at him, bemused. \"Trust a Death Eater\'s son? A Malfoy? The former so called Prince of Slytherin?\"

\"Yet, you let me hold a knife to your throat.\" And Draco placed the blade against his jugular, for effect, not pressing at all.

\"I\'m confident that I can at least take you down with me.\" Harry replied flatly, meeting Draco\'s gaze.

Draco nodded once, and finished quickly. He handed the knife back to Harry, who balanced it on the sink.

Harry walked over to the shower, pulling his sweater off over his head. He dropped in unceremoniously on the floor, before reaching over to turn the faucet on. When he turned back around, he found Draco studying his naked torith ith a heated gaze. Unbuckling his belt, he met Draco\'s eyes. \"Waiting for an invitation, Malfoy?\" Harry smirked. \"Feel free to throw your clothes on flo floor, too.\"