Harry Potter and The Secret Keeper (BP2)
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
32,290
Reviews:
209
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
32,290
Reviews:
209
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
To Tell The Truth
Chapter Number/Total: 12/44
Chapter Title: To Tell The Truth
Words: 2950 Words
Draco insisted he wasn't nervous. But he spent a great deal of time fussing over what they would wear and getting frustrated that he couldn't tie his own tie and that Harry didn't do it right.
Harry placed his hands on Draco's shoulders. "Your tie looks fine; they're not going to be concerned about that anyway," he said, kissing Draco lightly.
Draco nodded. "Just remember, you own me. Act like it," he admonished. "Don't go all Gryffindor embarrassed about it."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Okay," he said. "I'll try not to get Gryffindor embarrassed." He smoothed Draco's robes and reached up to mess with his hair a bit. "I think we both need haircuts," he mused.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "You don't like my hair longer?" he asked.
"No, I like it," Harry said quickly. "I just thought maybe you'd want to get it cut. I need mine cut. It won't stay out of my eyes." He blew his bangs up.
Draco ran his hand through Harry's hair. "It never did," he smiled fondly. "But trims would be nice. And we still need to get new dress robes."
Harry smiled. "Yes, we do. I'm kind of looking forward to going to Diagon Alley, actually. I want to see what you're going to pick out for me."
"We had better go soon, or we will be late," Draco said, changing topics again. He appreciated Harry trying to take his mind off things, but he was anxious to get this over with.
Harry sighed and nodded. "All right then. Let's go." He walked out onto the landing and down the stairs where Mr Weasley was waiting for them. He was going to drop them off and pick them up later.
"Ah. Ready, boys?" he asked.
"Very ready," Harry said firmly, squeezing Draco's hand in his.
Draco nodded, not feeling as confident as Harry sounded. Of course, Harry's confidence did make him feel better.
"All right, come on then," said Mr Weasley, walking over to the fireplace and taking some Floo powder out of the pot that was there. "I'll go first to make sure you both make it there okay."
Harry nodded and Mr Weasley threw the powder, stepped into the flames, shouted, "Ministry of Magic, Atrium!" and was gone.
Harry turned to Draco. "Maybe you should go next," he said.
Draco rolled his eyes, but took the Floo powder. "I am not running off again and you just shagged me an hour ago," he said. "But sure." He followed Mr Weasley into the Floo.
Harry shook his head after Draco and then grabbed some powder himself and was spinning off to the Ministry.
He arrived to see Mr Weasley and Draco lightly covered in soot. He stepped out of the fireplace and next to Draco.
"They're holding the meeting on the Magical Law Enforcement floor," Mr Weasley said, leading them over to a machine-looking thing for Harry and Draco to get their visitor pins. He then led them to get their wands and themselves checked by the wizard waiting at the golden gate, like Harry remembered having to do the last time he had come to the Ministry. Finally, they were being led off to the lifts.
Harry stayed close to Draco, hoping that he wasn't too nervous.
Draco was quiet. He kept running through all the possible questions they might ask. The possibilities had kept running through his head all night, so he had hardly slept the night before. He couldn't seem to stop doing it.
Soon, they were standing in front of the door of the room where the interrogation would take place.
Mr Weasley faced Harry and Draco both. "Now, don't be nervous," he said reassuringly. "They don't have much of a case against you, if they have one at all. I'll be here to get you later. Are you ready to go in?"
Harry took a large breath and nodded. "Thanks for dropping us off, Mr Weasley," he said.
"No problem at all, Harry. No problem at all. I'd go in with you if they'd let me, but..."
"We'll be fine," Harry said. "You can go now. We're all right."
Mr Weasley gave a small smile and shook Harry's shoulder a bit. "Good luck, boys, though hardly think you'll need it."
Harry smiled. "Thanks," he said, and then Mr Weasley was heading back down the hallway they had come.
Draco looked at Harry and whispered, "Yours, only yours."
Harry took another breath and smiled at Draco and nodded. "Ready, love?" he asked, taking Draco's hand.
Draco nodded, taking a deep breath and slipping into his public face. When he opened his eyes again, he knew what Harry would see -- that calm, indifferent face he had worn for years.
"Still amazing how you can do that," Harry said to Draco and he reached forward and pushed the door open, still holding Draco's hand.
There was a rather large table in the room. It was a room obviously used for much larger meetings. Rufus Scrimgeour was sitting on one long side of the table and Percy Weasley was sitting next to him, face almost as indifferent as Draco's. There was also a witch sitting quite a few seats away, quill and parchment in hand.
Draco waited for Harry to step through the door, feeling a bit helpless in spite of his confidence in his lover.
Harry strolled into the room, looking hard at Scrimgeour, and sat in one of the chairs in front of him and Percy.
Draco followed, allowing himself to be led by Harry. He sat when Harry did, in the chair beside him.
Scrimgeour raised an eyebrow and leaned forward in his chair. "Let's get straight to it," he said in his hard voice. "None of this skirting the issue nonsense."
Harry shrugged. "Go right ahead, Minister."
"Draco Malfoy, you are accused of being an accomplice in the crimes that took place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a few short weeks ago. You are believed to have helped in the death of one Albus Dumbledore, and you are also being accused of having cut off your left arm in order to remove evidence of the Dark Mark. What do you say?"
Draco looked coldly at the Minister. "I did not kill Albus Dumbledore, I have never taken the Dark Mark, and I did not cut off my own arm."
Scrimgeour stared at Draco for a moment and then, gritting his teeth, he asked, "Have you any proof?"
Draco turned his head and looked to Harry, waiting his statement.
Harry leaned forward now, challenging the Minister with his eyes. "I'm Draco's proof. You know of the contract between us and that it's completely genuine. I can order Draco what to do, and he cannot disobey me, no matter what."
"What exactly does that have to do with anything? You should not even be here, Mr Potter. It is out of my generosity and tolerance that you are present at all."
Harry snorted humourlessly. "Draco, do not lie about a single thing while the Minister questions you." He gave a smug little smile as Scrimgeour frowned deeply.
"Yes," Draco said to Harry.
Scrimgeour huffed a bit through his nose and turned to Draco. "Did you participate in the crimes that took place at Hogwarts?" he asked.
The witch a few places down was scribbling madly.
"The question is too general. I cannot answer with a simple yes or no," Draco replied, frowning.
Scrimgeour scowled and began his question again. "What did you do at Hogwarts that had anything to do with the crimes?"
Harry's smug smirk was still in place. Scrimgeour was an Auror, not an interrogator.
Draco frowned, thinking carefully of the full answer. "I was ordered by the Dark Lord to kill Albus Dumbledore before my 17th birthday or die. For several months I made it appear that I was trying to comply with the order but failing. I had also been working on a secret way in and out of Hogwarts but had not yet managed the repair of a cabinet that would complete that task. I had decided instead that the only way to resist the order was to kill myself. I was in the process of that when Mr Potter intervened. While I was distracted by these events, two other students, who knew of the task I was supposed to complete, apparently finished the repair of the cabinet and let Death Eaters into Hogwarts. They took me by force to the tower that night and ordered me to complete my so-called mission. I disarmed the Headmaster and then found myself still unwilling to kill him. Then Severus Snape did so and took me with him when he fled. Other than the Disarming Charm, I performed no magic that evening."
Scrimgeour's frown did not leave his face. "The way into the school was your idea, was it?" he asked.
Harry intervened. "You can't punish him for having an idea that he ended up not even intending to use and did not complete in the first place."
Scrimgeour's eyes narrowed. "Is what Mr Potter just said true?" he asked Draco.
"I do not know what you can or can not punish me for," Draco answered. "But I did not complete the task."
Harry was glaring. "He's not responsible for the two other students who completed the task for him."
"Could you have prevented all of it if you had gone to Albus Dumbledore and told him of the task when you were assigned it? Why did you not?" Scrimgeour asked, ignoring Harry.
Draco frowned again, feeling the magic pulling him to a complete answer but having trouble again with the question. "Which task?" he asked.
"The task to kill Dumbledore," Scrimgeour said, sounding impatient.
"There was a geas on me that prevented me from telling anyone the identity of the person I was ordered to kill," Draco answered.
"How is that? What was it and who put it there?" asked Scrimgeour.
"A spell placed on me on my 16th birthday by the Dark Lord. A binding serpent that he said would poison me if I did not complete the mission. It also would do so if anyone attempted to remove it or if I revealed the identity of the target," Draco answered with a voice that sounded far away. It felt much more like he was being spoken through than being the one who was speaking.
"Where was it located and how did you remove it if you did not kill Albus Dumbledore?" Scrimgeour looked like he might already know the answer to the question.
"It was on my left forearm. I did not remove it. Harry Potter did," Draco answered.
Scrimgeour looked to Harry. "Is that true?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course it is. He can't lie."
Scrimgeour huffed. "Very well. Was the removal of the binding serpent the cause for the state of your left arm?"
"If I understand the question correctly, yes. Since the serpent could not be removed without killing me or the person removing it, he removed that part of my arm." Draco's voice only trembled a bit at that.
"Did you ever have the Dark Mark or were you ever a Death Eater?"
Harry sighed angrily. He was getting tired of this; it was pointless.
Draco shook his head. "I never took the Dark Mark. Since taking the Dark Mark is what makes one a Death Eater, I was not one. To become a Death Eater you must first kill someone in His service. I have never killed another person."
"Where is Severus Snape?" Scrimgeour said quickly as if he could somehow trick the answer out of him.
"I have no information about his present location," Draco said, sighing.
Scrimgeour looked angry and frustrated. He seemed to be trying to think of what to ask next. Finally he asked, "How did your contract with Mr Potter come about?"
"He became angry and fucked me. His magic flared and made our exchange binding," Draco said flatly, but his face flushed as he did.
Harry's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.
Scrimgeour seemed flustered as well, but tried not to show it. Percy's ears went red and he seemed to be very interested in the tabletop suddenly.
"What is the nature of your relationship with Mr Potter as of now?" Scrimgeour asked.
"I am his concubine," Draco said, "and I am in love with him."
"Does he return the feelings?" Scrimgeour asked, raising an eyebrow.
Harry frowned. He was starting to wonder just what these questions had to do with the reason they were here.
Draco's eyes flashed to Harry, worry in them as well. But the compulsion kept him talking. "He has said so and I believe him."
"Yes, I bloody love him," Harry said angrily. "What the hell does this have anything to do with anything?"
"This is not your interrogation, Mr Potter. I suggest you be quiet before you are escorted out."
Harry's eyes flashed with anger, but he kept his mouth shut, waiting to see what the next question would be.
"Is it true that you are currently staying with Mr Potter at the Weasley family home and that you have joined The Order of the Phoenix?" Scrimgeour was clearly quoting either things he had heard around, or things he had read in the Prophet.
"Yes and no," said Draco. He frowned, looking at Harry again and shifting a foot under the table to rest on top of Harry's, pressing down gently.
Harry felt Draco's foot, but he already knew what Scrimgeour was doing. "All right, that's it," he said. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you question Draco about me when we're supposed to be talking about his so-called "crimes.""
Scrimgeour looked angry. "I am not asking questions about you. I am merely trying to see the whole picture. It is none of your concern anyway."
"It damn well is my concern! And that's bull that you're not asking questions about me. You still want me to come in and be your bloody poster boy! Well I'm still not going to do it. I refuse to do it. You're doing hardly anything to help this war, you only care about the image!" Harry knew he was letting his temper get the best of him, but he couldn't seem to stop.
Draco felt Harry's anger and magic flare. He pressed his leg against Harry's. "Minister," he interjected, "I am Harry's property. By Wizarding law, I cannot be questioned without his consent."
"Yeah," Harry said rather lamely, but he didn't care. "You've got all you need now anyway. That woman is writing it all down. You know Draco wasn't a Death Eater, didn't kill Albus Dumbledore and was forced up on the tower that night. Besides, I was there for all of it. Is my word worth nothing? I wouldn't be defending Draco if he had done any of the things he's been accused of doing. You don't need to question him any more."
"There might be a way that he's got around telling the truth!" Scrimgeour said rather stupidly.
"No, there isn't, and you know it. I've ordered him not to lie. You know the binding is real and that he could not have lied to you about anything."
Scrimgeour was fuming now, his face slowly turning red.
"May we go now?" Draco asked politely.
Scrimgeour glared at them for at least a few minutes, shaking slightly, before growling, "Go. Cleared of all charges. Go," through clenched teeth.
Harry smirked one last time and got to his feet. "It's been a pleasure," he said, and then he took Draco's hand and turned to walk out the door.
Draco felt light headed. It was over. He couldn't wait to get somewhere alone with Harry. He squeezed his hand.
Harry's smile was huge all the way across the room and continued to be once they were out in the hallway. He turned to face Draco quickly. Once the door was shut, they heard an angry shout from Scrimgeour. Harry threw his arms around Draco.
Draco held Harry tight. "Harry, end the command, please," he said.
Harry laughed. "You can lie again," he said happily, not letting Draco go.
Draco chuckled. "Thanks."
"I told you it wouldn't be so bad," Harry said happily. "He was a right bastard to deal with, but you got off. You didn't even have to have a trial."
"It was bloody awful, but at least it is over." Draco snorted. "I want to be alone with you now, please."
Harry smiled. "We'll have to wait for Mr Weasley to come and get us, but then I'm all yours," he said, leaning in for a kiss.
"I need to take my Apparation test," Draco said. "Then I can take us."
"I'll have to take mine soon, anyway; we can both go after my birthday if you want," said Harry, holding Draco's hand and beginning to lead them back in the direction of the lifts.
Draco followed him, somewhat amused at how oblivious Harry was to the strange looks they received. "That's over a month away," Draco said. "I don't think I should wait that long."
Harry shrugged. "Well, take it when you want, then. It actually probably would be good for you to take it soon. Do you take it here?"
Draco shrugged. "As far as I know."
Harry shrugged again, too happy to really care about anything. He took the lift back up to the Atrium to wait for Mr Weasley with Draco. Why they couldn't just go themselves, he didn't know.
Chapter Title: To Tell The Truth
Words: 2950 Words
Draco insisted he wasn't nervous. But he spent a great deal of time fussing over what they would wear and getting frustrated that he couldn't tie his own tie and that Harry didn't do it right.
Harry placed his hands on Draco's shoulders. "Your tie looks fine; they're not going to be concerned about that anyway," he said, kissing Draco lightly.
Draco nodded. "Just remember, you own me. Act like it," he admonished. "Don't go all Gryffindor embarrassed about it."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Okay," he said. "I'll try not to get Gryffindor embarrassed." He smoothed Draco's robes and reached up to mess with his hair a bit. "I think we both need haircuts," he mused.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "You don't like my hair longer?" he asked.
"No, I like it," Harry said quickly. "I just thought maybe you'd want to get it cut. I need mine cut. It won't stay out of my eyes." He blew his bangs up.
Draco ran his hand through Harry's hair. "It never did," he smiled fondly. "But trims would be nice. And we still need to get new dress robes."
Harry smiled. "Yes, we do. I'm kind of looking forward to going to Diagon Alley, actually. I want to see what you're going to pick out for me."
"We had better go soon, or we will be late," Draco said, changing topics again. He appreciated Harry trying to take his mind off things, but he was anxious to get this over with.
Harry sighed and nodded. "All right then. Let's go." He walked out onto the landing and down the stairs where Mr Weasley was waiting for them. He was going to drop them off and pick them up later.
"Ah. Ready, boys?" he asked.
"Very ready," Harry said firmly, squeezing Draco's hand in his.
Draco nodded, not feeling as confident as Harry sounded. Of course, Harry's confidence did make him feel better.
"All right, come on then," said Mr Weasley, walking over to the fireplace and taking some Floo powder out of the pot that was there. "I'll go first to make sure you both make it there okay."
Harry nodded and Mr Weasley threw the powder, stepped into the flames, shouted, "Ministry of Magic, Atrium!" and was gone.
Harry turned to Draco. "Maybe you should go next," he said.
Draco rolled his eyes, but took the Floo powder. "I am not running off again and you just shagged me an hour ago," he said. "But sure." He followed Mr Weasley into the Floo.
Harry shook his head after Draco and then grabbed some powder himself and was spinning off to the Ministry.
He arrived to see Mr Weasley and Draco lightly covered in soot. He stepped out of the fireplace and next to Draco.
"They're holding the meeting on the Magical Law Enforcement floor," Mr Weasley said, leading them over to a machine-looking thing for Harry and Draco to get their visitor pins. He then led them to get their wands and themselves checked by the wizard waiting at the golden gate, like Harry remembered having to do the last time he had come to the Ministry. Finally, they were being led off to the lifts.
Harry stayed close to Draco, hoping that he wasn't too nervous.
Draco was quiet. He kept running through all the possible questions they might ask. The possibilities had kept running through his head all night, so he had hardly slept the night before. He couldn't seem to stop doing it.
Soon, they were standing in front of the door of the room where the interrogation would take place.
Mr Weasley faced Harry and Draco both. "Now, don't be nervous," he said reassuringly. "They don't have much of a case against you, if they have one at all. I'll be here to get you later. Are you ready to go in?"
Harry took a large breath and nodded. "Thanks for dropping us off, Mr Weasley," he said.
"No problem at all, Harry. No problem at all. I'd go in with you if they'd let me, but..."
"We'll be fine," Harry said. "You can go now. We're all right."
Mr Weasley gave a small smile and shook Harry's shoulder a bit. "Good luck, boys, though hardly think you'll need it."
Harry smiled. "Thanks," he said, and then Mr Weasley was heading back down the hallway they had come.
Draco looked at Harry and whispered, "Yours, only yours."
Harry took another breath and smiled at Draco and nodded. "Ready, love?" he asked, taking Draco's hand.
Draco nodded, taking a deep breath and slipping into his public face. When he opened his eyes again, he knew what Harry would see -- that calm, indifferent face he had worn for years.
"Still amazing how you can do that," Harry said to Draco and he reached forward and pushed the door open, still holding Draco's hand.
There was a rather large table in the room. It was a room obviously used for much larger meetings. Rufus Scrimgeour was sitting on one long side of the table and Percy Weasley was sitting next to him, face almost as indifferent as Draco's. There was also a witch sitting quite a few seats away, quill and parchment in hand.
Draco waited for Harry to step through the door, feeling a bit helpless in spite of his confidence in his lover.
Harry strolled into the room, looking hard at Scrimgeour, and sat in one of the chairs in front of him and Percy.
Draco followed, allowing himself to be led by Harry. He sat when Harry did, in the chair beside him.
Scrimgeour raised an eyebrow and leaned forward in his chair. "Let's get straight to it," he said in his hard voice. "None of this skirting the issue nonsense."
Harry shrugged. "Go right ahead, Minister."
"Draco Malfoy, you are accused of being an accomplice in the crimes that took place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a few short weeks ago. You are believed to have helped in the death of one Albus Dumbledore, and you are also being accused of having cut off your left arm in order to remove evidence of the Dark Mark. What do you say?"
Draco looked coldly at the Minister. "I did not kill Albus Dumbledore, I have never taken the Dark Mark, and I did not cut off my own arm."
Scrimgeour stared at Draco for a moment and then, gritting his teeth, he asked, "Have you any proof?"
Draco turned his head and looked to Harry, waiting his statement.
Harry leaned forward now, challenging the Minister with his eyes. "I'm Draco's proof. You know of the contract between us and that it's completely genuine. I can order Draco what to do, and he cannot disobey me, no matter what."
"What exactly does that have to do with anything? You should not even be here, Mr Potter. It is out of my generosity and tolerance that you are present at all."
Harry snorted humourlessly. "Draco, do not lie about a single thing while the Minister questions you." He gave a smug little smile as Scrimgeour frowned deeply.
"Yes," Draco said to Harry.
Scrimgeour huffed a bit through his nose and turned to Draco. "Did you participate in the crimes that took place at Hogwarts?" he asked.
The witch a few places down was scribbling madly.
"The question is too general. I cannot answer with a simple yes or no," Draco replied, frowning.
Scrimgeour scowled and began his question again. "What did you do at Hogwarts that had anything to do with the crimes?"
Harry's smug smirk was still in place. Scrimgeour was an Auror, not an interrogator.
Draco frowned, thinking carefully of the full answer. "I was ordered by the Dark Lord to kill Albus Dumbledore before my 17th birthday or die. For several months I made it appear that I was trying to comply with the order but failing. I had also been working on a secret way in and out of Hogwarts but had not yet managed the repair of a cabinet that would complete that task. I had decided instead that the only way to resist the order was to kill myself. I was in the process of that when Mr Potter intervened. While I was distracted by these events, two other students, who knew of the task I was supposed to complete, apparently finished the repair of the cabinet and let Death Eaters into Hogwarts. They took me by force to the tower that night and ordered me to complete my so-called mission. I disarmed the Headmaster and then found myself still unwilling to kill him. Then Severus Snape did so and took me with him when he fled. Other than the Disarming Charm, I performed no magic that evening."
Scrimgeour's frown did not leave his face. "The way into the school was your idea, was it?" he asked.
Harry intervened. "You can't punish him for having an idea that he ended up not even intending to use and did not complete in the first place."
Scrimgeour's eyes narrowed. "Is what Mr Potter just said true?" he asked Draco.
"I do not know what you can or can not punish me for," Draco answered. "But I did not complete the task."
Harry was glaring. "He's not responsible for the two other students who completed the task for him."
"Could you have prevented all of it if you had gone to Albus Dumbledore and told him of the task when you were assigned it? Why did you not?" Scrimgeour asked, ignoring Harry.
Draco frowned again, feeling the magic pulling him to a complete answer but having trouble again with the question. "Which task?" he asked.
"The task to kill Dumbledore," Scrimgeour said, sounding impatient.
"There was a geas on me that prevented me from telling anyone the identity of the person I was ordered to kill," Draco answered.
"How is that? What was it and who put it there?" asked Scrimgeour.
"A spell placed on me on my 16th birthday by the Dark Lord. A binding serpent that he said would poison me if I did not complete the mission. It also would do so if anyone attempted to remove it or if I revealed the identity of the target," Draco answered with a voice that sounded far away. It felt much more like he was being spoken through than being the one who was speaking.
"Where was it located and how did you remove it if you did not kill Albus Dumbledore?" Scrimgeour looked like he might already know the answer to the question.
"It was on my left forearm. I did not remove it. Harry Potter did," Draco answered.
Scrimgeour looked to Harry. "Is that true?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course it is. He can't lie."
Scrimgeour huffed. "Very well. Was the removal of the binding serpent the cause for the state of your left arm?"
"If I understand the question correctly, yes. Since the serpent could not be removed without killing me or the person removing it, he removed that part of my arm." Draco's voice only trembled a bit at that.
"Did you ever have the Dark Mark or were you ever a Death Eater?"
Harry sighed angrily. He was getting tired of this; it was pointless.
Draco shook his head. "I never took the Dark Mark. Since taking the Dark Mark is what makes one a Death Eater, I was not one. To become a Death Eater you must first kill someone in His service. I have never killed another person."
"Where is Severus Snape?" Scrimgeour said quickly as if he could somehow trick the answer out of him.
"I have no information about his present location," Draco said, sighing.
Scrimgeour looked angry and frustrated. He seemed to be trying to think of what to ask next. Finally he asked, "How did your contract with Mr Potter come about?"
"He became angry and fucked me. His magic flared and made our exchange binding," Draco said flatly, but his face flushed as he did.
Harry's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.
Scrimgeour seemed flustered as well, but tried not to show it. Percy's ears went red and he seemed to be very interested in the tabletop suddenly.
"What is the nature of your relationship with Mr Potter as of now?" Scrimgeour asked.
"I am his concubine," Draco said, "and I am in love with him."
"Does he return the feelings?" Scrimgeour asked, raising an eyebrow.
Harry frowned. He was starting to wonder just what these questions had to do with the reason they were here.
Draco's eyes flashed to Harry, worry in them as well. But the compulsion kept him talking. "He has said so and I believe him."
"Yes, I bloody love him," Harry said angrily. "What the hell does this have anything to do with anything?"
"This is not your interrogation, Mr Potter. I suggest you be quiet before you are escorted out."
Harry's eyes flashed with anger, but he kept his mouth shut, waiting to see what the next question would be.
"Is it true that you are currently staying with Mr Potter at the Weasley family home and that you have joined The Order of the Phoenix?" Scrimgeour was clearly quoting either things he had heard around, or things he had read in the Prophet.
"Yes and no," said Draco. He frowned, looking at Harry again and shifting a foot under the table to rest on top of Harry's, pressing down gently.
Harry felt Draco's foot, but he already knew what Scrimgeour was doing. "All right, that's it," he said. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you question Draco about me when we're supposed to be talking about his so-called "crimes.""
Scrimgeour looked angry. "I am not asking questions about you. I am merely trying to see the whole picture. It is none of your concern anyway."
"It damn well is my concern! And that's bull that you're not asking questions about me. You still want me to come in and be your bloody poster boy! Well I'm still not going to do it. I refuse to do it. You're doing hardly anything to help this war, you only care about the image!" Harry knew he was letting his temper get the best of him, but he couldn't seem to stop.
Draco felt Harry's anger and magic flare. He pressed his leg against Harry's. "Minister," he interjected, "I am Harry's property. By Wizarding law, I cannot be questioned without his consent."
"Yeah," Harry said rather lamely, but he didn't care. "You've got all you need now anyway. That woman is writing it all down. You know Draco wasn't a Death Eater, didn't kill Albus Dumbledore and was forced up on the tower that night. Besides, I was there for all of it. Is my word worth nothing? I wouldn't be defending Draco if he had done any of the things he's been accused of doing. You don't need to question him any more."
"There might be a way that he's got around telling the truth!" Scrimgeour said rather stupidly.
"No, there isn't, and you know it. I've ordered him not to lie. You know the binding is real and that he could not have lied to you about anything."
Scrimgeour was fuming now, his face slowly turning red.
"May we go now?" Draco asked politely.
Scrimgeour glared at them for at least a few minutes, shaking slightly, before growling, "Go. Cleared of all charges. Go," through clenched teeth.
Harry smirked one last time and got to his feet. "It's been a pleasure," he said, and then he took Draco's hand and turned to walk out the door.
Draco felt light headed. It was over. He couldn't wait to get somewhere alone with Harry. He squeezed his hand.
Harry's smile was huge all the way across the room and continued to be once they were out in the hallway. He turned to face Draco quickly. Once the door was shut, they heard an angry shout from Scrimgeour. Harry threw his arms around Draco.
Draco held Harry tight. "Harry, end the command, please," he said.
Harry laughed. "You can lie again," he said happily, not letting Draco go.
Draco chuckled. "Thanks."
"I told you it wouldn't be so bad," Harry said happily. "He was a right bastard to deal with, but you got off. You didn't even have to have a trial."
"It was bloody awful, but at least it is over." Draco snorted. "I want to be alone with you now, please."
Harry smiled. "We'll have to wait for Mr Weasley to come and get us, but then I'm all yours," he said, leaning in for a kiss.
"I need to take my Apparation test," Draco said. "Then I can take us."
"I'll have to take mine soon, anyway; we can both go after my birthday if you want," said Harry, holding Draco's hand and beginning to lead them back in the direction of the lifts.
Draco followed him, somewhat amused at how oblivious Harry was to the strange looks they received. "That's over a month away," Draco said. "I don't think I should wait that long."
Harry shrugged. "Well, take it when you want, then. It actually probably would be good for you to take it soon. Do you take it here?"
Draco shrugged. "As far as I know."
Harry shrugged again, too happy to really care about anything. He took the lift back up to the Atrium to wait for Mr Weasley with Draco. Why they couldn't just go themselves, he didn't know.