Gay Aurors

"Do you have to do that now?" Harry was exasperated with Draco and St. Mungo's and the entire situation.

Hermione's memories seemed to be returning in ebbs and flows and it sent Ron into fits each time she recalled something that had to do with her worries for Harry. As far as Harry ever recalled, she never had feelings for him. In fact, he thought fourth year pretty much defined the complete lack of sexual tension between them, but Ron appeared to have other ideas now.

The entire scene made Harry highly uncomfortable, and his would-be boyfriend-cum-partner was ignoring everything going on in favor of fussing about with a small mirror decorated with silver snakes that slithered in circles around the back. Each time Harry looked over at Draco in the corner, he was smiling and cooing into the mirror, shaking his hair back and batting his lashes.

Sometimes Draco was just plain weird. Harry didn't have time for it.

"Oh! And we flew together on a hippogriff!" said Hermione, her face bright and glowing with retrieved memory.

Ron glared at Harry.

"Yes, yes we did," said Harry wearily. He pulled his glasses off and mashed the heel of his palm into his eyes.

"I'm sorry, you weren't there for that," Hermione said. She at least had the good sense to seem sad for it. "I'm sure I'll remember more about you than you snogging another girl and having the emotional depth of a spoon."

There was no way Harry was going to look up to see Ron's reaction to that. Instead, he looked over at Draco, incredulous with his utter prattish ambivalence. Harry thought now that they'd exchanged loving sentiments that things would change. Maybe not constant blowjobs till he had water wrinkles on his prick, but at least that he'd hold his hand in this time of emotional strife.

Furthermore, it was making him quite uncomfortable that they'd been in the same place for so long. While Draco had declared the room at St. Mungo's temporary headquarters for the Order of the Dragon to invoke the Fidelius Charm so that they wouldn't be found, Harry was a little edgy about how well-worded their spell work might've been. Besides, he really wanted to get out of this personal pressure-cooker and sink his teeth into a real world-saving situation.

Draco still hadn't bothered to tell him the significance of the sword. Instead, he seemed quite bent on spending his last remaining moments with his own reflection. Narcissist.

"Wait, didn't you almost kill that man in the corner?" Hermione asked Harry.

Ron exhaled irritably.

Draco looked up from his mirror, squinted and said, "Tonks wants in."

Harry really wanted to say something snarky and rude about Sectumsempra and Draco's vanity overriding the world ending, but he wasn't witty enough for it to come together. Especially given that as preoccupied as Draco was, he was the only one to notice Tonks walking blindly up and down the hallway, likely looking for, and not finding, Hermione's room.

At least it was something to do.

Crossing the room, careful to avoid Hermione or Ron's gaze, Harry poked his head out to greet Tonks. "The Order of the Dragon headquarters is Recovery Room D, St. Mungo's Hospital, London, England," he informed her. Right about then he started to wonder if it was such a good idea to have this here. Hermione could be missing out on potions she'd need.

"Wotcher, Harry!" said Tonks. Trailing behind her with a pot of very squirmy Dancing Daisies was Luna Lovegood, dressed in what was now her usual fashion of a quilted robe and ribbons in her hair.

Luna shoved the flower pot into Harry's face and said, "They're very cheery flowers, aren't they?"

The soft petals caressed Harry's face, and though his first reaction was to draw back, he had to admit that the flowers were very cheery and that it was nice to see her and giddy flora, even if it was a little random.

He informed her of the location of the Order of the Dragon, and the women entered the room.

Behind Harry, Draco snapped the compact mirror shut and he heard the ragged squeal of the chair sliding over tile.

"It's getting a bit crowded in here, and it's time for us to go, Potter," Draco announced.

A rebellious urge made Harry want to argue with Draco that just because Draco was done gazing at himself didn't mean that he was ready to go, at least until Hermione said, "You were such a brilliant Quidditch player, Harry! I remember watching you fly. Wasn't there a song about Ron?"

"Yes, you should go," Ron snarled.

When Harry turned around, he found Ron glowering and Draco completely unconcerned with the goings on in the room.

"This is no longer the headquarters of the Order of the Dragon," Draco announced as he pocketed his mirror and took Harry by the arm.

"Oh Harry, you simply must come back. I want you to meet my husband!" said Hermione, reaching towards him from the bed.

"I'm sure Ron would like to know more about your family, too," said Tonks. Her hair was some muddy color between brown and pink and Harry wondered exactly what that meant. Luna was staring out of the window at the fake field of flowers outside.

"Bye Harry, Malfoy," said Luna dreamily. "Say hullo to Theo for me."

"What? Who?" asked Harry as Draco rushed him out of the room. He caught a strange look on Draco's face before his expression returned to inscrutability. "Um, bye everyone!" Harry called over his shoulder. "I'll be back. I hope."

Before anyone had a chance to answer, Draco had shut the door to Hermione's room and dragged Harry to the lift.

--

As it turned out, Luna's uncanny intuition panned out, as Draco informed him that they were headed to visit with his childhood chum and dorm mate Theodore Nott. Not that Draco informed Harry of that fact. Draco said precious little more than he absolutely had to in order to keep Harry moving with him.

Before the war had ended, Theodore Nott had turned Ministry informant and spy and now made a more-than-comfortable living trading in secrets and other shady business. His location was considered an absolute secret and the only way to get to him was via a Portkey which he'd had set up and placed outside of St. Mungo's.

"So... that was an enchanted mirror?" Harry asked as they stood in a great and empty ball room. There were huge portraits hanging from the antique yellow walls, all of eerie Thestrals frolicking. Harry found it creepy. "Back at St. Mungo's?"

"Yes. What, did you think I was just sitting there talking to myself?" Draco peered around the hall till he caught sight of the door and headed towards it.

"No, of course not. That would be... erm... silly."

Draco smirked over his shoulder at Harry as he took hold of the door. He paused and leaned in to press a quick kiss to Harry's lips. "Look, um. I should warn you... Nott has... had... certain ideas about my relationship with him. It's really not to our benefit to disillusion him, if you know what I mean."

As much as Harry appreciated the reassuring kiss, Draco's words filled him with a sense of foreboding. "No, I don't know what you mean. What ideas does he have? Do you have a relationship with him?"

Brilliant. Kirley Duke was out of the picture and now Harry had to find that Draco had yet another boyfriend?

"Of course I have some sort of relationship with him. He just amuses himself that it's more than it's ever been. We need his help here, Pot-- Harry." Draco took Harry's hand and squeezed it.

The ploy made Harry wince. Draco must be really desperate to try and lay it on so thick with him, not that it impressed Harry much. "You're not touching him."

"No, I'm not touching him," Draco reassured him, caressing Harry's cheek.

"All right." Harry kissed him again, trying to gird himself for what was likely to come.

"Elephant shoe," said Draco after he broke the kiss, his lips still wet from Harry's mouth.

"Olive juice," Harry responded, smiling sweetly.

After a beat, Draco turned and opened the door to find Theo waiting for them.

"Draco!" Theo enthused, rushing forward to grab him up in his arms.

Theo was tall, still a bit weedy, but larger than Harry and Draco. His dark hair was cropped short on the sides, but floppy on top and tousled restlessly as he scooped Draco from the floor and spun him around. So much for not touching.

"You brought your friend," said Theo after dropping Draco back to the floor. If Harry hadn't known better, he'd think that Theo was eyeing him up, but surely not.

That said, Draco didn't seem to know much better himself, as he took to glowering at Theo until Theo turned back to him. "Yes, I brought Harry with me. I said I would."

"Quite." Theo didn't seem thrilled, but then, he seemed the sort of bloke who hid behind manners in order to play things close to the vest. He wasn't giving much away, and yet somehow, his attraction to Draco was all but palpable. He gave Harry the sort of look that made him feel as if he most definitely was a rabbit who had climbed into a snake's den.

Then he smiled with a quiet gentility and gestured for them to follow him.

The room in which he settled them down was decorated in the fine style that Harry had come to associate with dark wizards. However, instead of being obsessed with snakes, the Nott family had a definite Thestral motif. He wondered if perhaps the Nott family had Muggles killed in front of their progeny so they could see these Thestrals. It was a horrible thought, but as Harry scanned painting after painting of Thestrals frolicking, often with young maidens, sometimes with young men, he couldn't help but think perhaps this was just another manifestation of the casual cruelty of the hard-line, old school pure-bloods.

At once they sat down in the plush, squishy brown chairs that encircled a lavish coffee table. The legs were ornately carved Thestrals yet again, all in dark wood but for the haunting white eyes that were made of opal. Absently, Harry thought about how many believed that opals were bad luck, but then he'd be hard pressed to think of someone who thought Thestrals were omens for good.

"So," Theo started, once they were settled in with cups of tea. Draco's was white, as he was ever the sweet tooth. He'd settled into a chair near Harry and kept shooting looks at him that Harry found difficult to interpret. "You've come to me for information."

Draco nodded before taking a sip of his tea. Harry had accepted the tea, but thought better of drinking anything handed to him. He didn't trust Nott, but Draco obviously did. Then again, Draco had the advantage of having known him probably since birth. Harry had no such advantage and thus simply pressed his lips to the cup, but did not drink.

"Well, Mifune's location was difficult to ascertain until you told me what he had, Draco. That was quite an artifact. I looked it up. It's hard to believe you would've let such a thing out of your collection. All historical records call that sword destroyed in the eleventh century." Theo drank his tea calmly, his brown eyes were exposed just over the rim, but his attention was full on Draco, seeming to search for a reaction.

"Yes, I can't speak to how it was discovered. I surmised that one of the warriors at the Battle of Dannoura managed to pluck it away from its rightful owner, stowing it away for a properly advantageous time in which to pull it back into the world, only to meet a tragic end. Or perhaps he died before it was discovered the sacred sword still existed. I was never able to learn how it was found; only that it was in Mifune's possession." Draco appeared quite serious, but Harry was completely lost. Eleventh century? A battle Harry had never heard of?

Harry wasn't exactly a student of Japanese history, so he was having a difficult time sorting out why the sword was particularly significant. "Is it a magical sword?" he asked Draco.

Theo snorted and rolled his eyes. The action made Harry want to punch him in the face.

Draco was neutral, giving Harry an impassive stare before answering. "You could say that. It's a Muggle sword in reality, but the Muggles have attributed it as an object of the divine." After taking a sip of tea, Draco set his cup and saucer down, turning his full attention to Harry.

"Like England, Japan has its own ruler, an emperor named Akihito. Also like England, the emperor of Japan's position is mostly ceremonial. After the Muggle's second world war, around the mid-1940s, the emperor of Japan was forced to renounce his divinity, thus leaving Japan to be ruled by the ruling power of Japan-- which was instituted by the Muggle Allies."

Harry was listening carefully, and while he understood there was a sword and an emperor who didn't serve any real purpose, he wasn't sure how this sword could really change anything. "All right. So... Mifune has this sword? He's going to become very wealthy?"

Theo snorted and rolled his eyes.

"He could do that, yes," said Draco gently. He shot Theo a look and Theo returned to his observant quietude. "But what happened was that one day while meditating on my own, I decided to consult Mifune's Mandala, and after a few hours of staring at it, I found what it was that he was concentrating on-- his eagerness for power.

"For him, the Yakuza was not enough. He wanted to rule all of Japan, and then take over the world. I know you've heard this notion before, so it is not entirely alien to you. But the idea was-- as far as I could tell-- for Mifune to have this divine sword and to use it, and his ownership would enable him to claim divine right to the Japanese throne."

"But it's just a sword!" Harry said, his hands up as if that could stop what was going on. He didn't quite understand how ownership of a sword would grant someone ruling power, but then, there were some symbols so powerful in a society that it spoke to everyone in the country.

"Yes, well, it was just a locket until a soul was put into it. Objects are always just objects until someone values them. The truth is, there is an extremely conservative faction in Japan who was never happy with the emperor being rendered toothless and felt that the surrendering of their government to Allied forces was unfair," said Draco.

"But that was almost fifty years ago!" Harry protested. He wanted to stand up and pace, but Theo was watching him far too closely for him to feel comfortable with extraneous movement.

Draco shrugged. "It doesn't matter if it makes sense to us. It's the Muggles in Japan that this all matters to. That is why we have to get the sword back."

"And you will get it back," Theo assured him. "Mifune has a meeting with Akihito tomorrow afternoon. Until then, he's cooped up in the Japanese Ministry."

"But... I don't understand what Japan has to do with us. Shouldn't we trust the Japanese people to handle themselves?" asked Harry. He really wanted tea now, but he'd be damned if he drank that prat's tea, poisoned or not. Now it was a matter of principle.

"He's already trying to install leadership in London. Why do you think he's been mucking about with that paper-pushing Weasley? Because he likes redheads?" Draco snapped.

Theo snickered and smiled fondly at Draco.

Harry wanted to rip that smug smile off of Theo's face. He really wanted to smack Draco for being so placating, and most of all, he wanted to stuff Percy's arse with something large and explosive for being such a misguided twatswatter about how he was being used. Not that this was new, but Harry always relished a new reason to smack Percy down.

"Fine, so he wants Percy to run London so he controls the interests here," said Harry, sighing. "What do we do about it?"

"That's where I come in," said Theo, his smile dastardly. If he had one of those long mustaches, Harry fancied he'd be twirling it about now, ready to let his devious plan unfold. "But my services will cost you."

--

"No," said Harry. He glared at Theo and then at Draco for even allowing someone to suggest it.

Draco looked satisfyingly uncomfortable with the suggestion, but he didn't look like he was going to scream with righteous anger at the notion, either. "But we need to get the sword, Harry. It might be our last chance."

"I said, no," Harry repeated.

They were in Theo's communications room, which was actually a converted torture room in the dungeons of the Nott estate. Most of the more devious and threatening inventions were hanging up and slightly dusty on the wall. All around them were whirring and twinkling, sometimes chiming little machines, some of which printed runes on tickertape, keeping someone informed of... something. Harry had always been crap at runes. He decided it must be some sort of magical stock market ticker.

Theo was standing behind what looked like an enormous blue glass globe. He was wearing metallic goggles with dark lenses. One of the lenses telescoped forward from his face, making him appear like a lopsided bug. The goggles pushed up his hair and he had the distinct air of a dotty scientist. He spoke into what looked like a small gold straw that ended right in front of his mouth. The language he spoke was indecipherable to Harry, but Draco was nodding along with it as if he understood.

Probably Japanese.

Harry was irritated to be the only man in the room who didn't speak Japanese. He was irritated that Draco was willing to whore himself out to Theodore Nott over a sodding sword. Granted, it seemed like it was an important sword that would change the destiny of Japan and possibly the world, but Harry didn't see why the fate of the world should rest on his maybe, sort-of, possibly his boyfriend Draco's arse.

Draco probably loved the idea that a single shag from him and things would be solved. Well, not solved. They would still have to do... something. That's what Theo was chattering about to whomever who was... wherever... that he was talking to. Making arrangements. Theo paused in speech, catching Harry glaring at him. He looked to Draco, a brow up as if asking him if he was going to be able to handle this. Draco nodded to him and shot Harry a look to make him stop.

"I said..." Harry started.

Crossing to him, Draco slipped his arms around Harry. "I know what you said, Harry. But let's allow Theo to do his thing and then we'll negotiate. Once the arrangements are made, we'll be in better shape for bargaining. Besides, you might like watching."

Harry was going to boil over with anger. "Watching? I am not watching someone else fuck you. If anyone's fucking you, it's me!" He heard a crash somewhere behind him. Something broke. Harry had felt the magic leave him. He'd broken it. "My bad!"

He leaned in to whisper to Draco, "And it's going to get worse if you don't sort this out. I'll blow up this whole fucking room if you don't..."

"Gentlemen," said Theo. His goggles were off, but still left red imprints on his face. His hair was also a bit wild, dark and sticking up in odd places. "I don't think any rooms need to be blown up. I'm a reasonable business man."

He slipped an arm around each of them and wedged himself between them, his slender body a good way to do so. "Now, as I'm sure that you know, Mr Potter, our dear Draco came to you a virgin; which means that I lived with him for six long years, watching his body grow and develop without getting to touch him even once. Do you think that's fair?"

"I'm not sure how fair..." Harry started. He looked at Draco who appeared about ready to explode from his blush.

"Of course it isn't fair. He leaves off sixth year just telling us to stay snug in our beds and that's it. I think he's dead, but he's not dead, he's just in Japan, hooking up with a good crew, decent enough, until he's in trouble," said Theo. He smiled fondly at Draco, his eyes going a bit dazed as schoolboy's eyes are wont to do when the object of their affection is so near. "So he contacts me and I bring him back here, fiddle his paperwork and he's off to meet up with you. And that Duke fellow. I didn't even get a kiss!"

"I kissed you!" Draco protested. He cleared his throat when Harry reached around Theo to grab his shoulder, squeezing a little hard to show he didn't want to hear this. "Not with tongue..."

"Right, a continental kiss. The sort of kiss you'd give an aunt. Then... I find out you two are off on cases doing who knows what? And then... then I hear you're in Japan again and I have to send pirates after you in desperation. But then, of course, they want more money and... Well, that turned into quite a mess," said Theo. He pushed Harry back, trying to keep him from touching Draco.

"You sent Lockhart?" asked Harry, sliding around to get on the other side of Draco. He wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer. "You sent Lockhart to rescue us?"

"I was desperate! I had to get you two out of the Ministry. They had horrid plans for you. I'm always looking out for our little Draco."

"Aww, Theo," said Draco, he squeezed Theo and leaned in to kiss his cheek but Harry yanked him back.

"Aww? This is not an 'aww' moment! This is a, 'stop following me around you psychotic stalker' moment!" said Harry. He tried to squeeze between Draco and Theo, not at all liking the expression on Theo's face.

Draco looked at Harry in mild annoyance, which set Harry off further. He whirled around and grabbed Draco, cupping his hands to either side of his cheek and kissed him passionately, wanting to give him the sort of kiss he would never forget, the sort of whirlwind kiss that nothing would ever, ever compare to.

Theo was reaching around him to undress Draco and Harry slapped at his hands, but couldn't protest the reveal of more of Draco's skin as his clothes came undone. His shirt fell to the floor followed by his trousers. All around him the magic whirled. The room was cold and Draco's skin goose fleshed as Harry lowered him onto the floor in the center of it all. Distantly, Harry heard the swish of clothes as Theo disrobed, but Harry wouldn't let him have him. There was no way that he'd let him touch his Draco.

Harry kissed Draco again, letting him pull his shirt off as he reached between them to undo his trousers. "You can... watch," said Harry. They couldn't do much about that anyway, and he was pretty sure that if he didn't get inside of Draco right now, his jealousy would explode, making the room shatter in shards of glass and twinkling small shiny parts on machines he didn't understand.

The floor was made of black slate, but there was a small carpet in the middle of it. Harry kissed slowly over Draco's body, watching Theo peripherally. He was tossing off eagerly, but keeping his eye on what Harry was doing.

Harry pulled one of Draco's nipples into his mouth, sucking it almost roughly, trying to block out the invasion of this other person. Another Slytherin. He didn't want to think about it, he couldn't think about it. He wanted him out of here. This was not like the myriad of times they'd ended up fucking in front of others-- Theo wanted to be him, wanted to do these things to Draco in place of him.

He was driven to show him that what he could do for Draco no one else could. Spreading Draco's legs, Harry kissed up the inside of his thigh, sucking lightly on the crux of thigh and pubis. He turned his head to the side, rubbing his nose against the base of his cock. Then he dropped his head low enough to tenderly suck one and then two of Draco's balls into his mouth. He grabbed Draco's prick and started to pull him, slowly twisting his hand so that the skin slid over the firmness of his shaft.

Lowering his head further, Harry pushed Draco's legs up and flicked his tongue out over the little hole. It was tight and wrinkled, almost angry looking, although maybe that was just what Harry thought.

He coaxed the band of muscles to relax more and more as he lapped lightly over the ridges of the closure. He swiped the flat of his tongue over it sensually a few times, then pointed his tongue to roll along the outside. Then he wedged inside slightly, rolling his tongue over that wrinkled skin, coaxing him open slowly, teasingly. He flicked his tongue into him and then pulled it out to slide around the rim again.

As he pulled his cock, he continued this slow tongue fucking. He heard Theo get closer, a brush of hand on his thigh as Theo reached for Harry's cock. Harry swatted his hand away and crawled up Draco's body. He rested on one elbow as he eased two fingers inside of Draco, gazing down at him adoringly. Theo was like an annoying tossing gnat prancing around them.

"I want to come in his hair. At least let me come in his hair," Theo begged, resting on his knees just above Draco.

Harry furrowed his brows, but Draco nodded slowly, his eyes fluttering shut as Harry curled his fingers, knowing just where that spot was and how to hit it. As little as Harry wanted Theo to come anywhere on his Draco, he decided that was reasonable enough. Theo pulled faster and harder on himself as Draco arched his back, crying out at the pleasure of Harry's fingers poking his prostate.

He whimpered again when Harry drew his fingers out and then spit on his hand and rubbed it over his cock. He lined himself up with him and slowly drove into him. He was careful to keep his focus on Draco beneath him, the way his wild hair fluttered over the dark carpet in the cold room.

Draco felt so luxuriant and warm, even on the inside. He was a little dry since he hadn't used actual lube, but it seemed to make everything feel more intense, more monumental in some way.

Folding his legs up, Harry angled Draco so that he could hit that spot hard and repeatedly. Draco was already jerking himself off, his eyes closed and head turned. His face was flushed and he puffed for air. Harry knew this wouldn't take either of them long. They had it down to a science, almost. Harry loved the way their bodies sounded together, loved Draco's grunts with each time he took him, the way he begged for Harry to do it harder and the noises he made when he complied.

Harry grabbed Draco's wrists, holding them down on either side of his face as he took him, violated him, claimed him as his in front of another man-- a man they both knew was desperate for Draco.

Even as Theo's purpled prick dribbled pearly come into Draco's white hair, they all knew who Draco belonged to. Who he'd always belong to. He was Harry's and that was just all there was to it.

"Mine," Harry growled as he felt the tremble in Draco's body that happened just before he came. Harry fucked him deeper, shifting his hips so that he would get that final spot that pushed Draco over the edge. Then they were both coming-- Draco's hole sloppy with it, pushing it back out as Harry pumped into him. Draco's come decorated his abdomen nearly to his nipple.

He panted for air after letting out a long stream of expletives and then gazed groggily at Harry. "Mmm... yours."

Theo was quiet for a long while. He still sat behind Draco, knees lined up just over his head. He was stroking his flaccid cock with one hand and rubbing his come into Draco's hair with the other. Obviously, he still held great affection for Draco, even if he'd just watched another man fuck him. Before Harry could stop it, Theo ducked down to steal a slow kiss from Draco.

Harry wanted to hit him, but Draco pressed a hand to his chest and shook his head.

Theo looked dreamy, he even sounded dreamy when he said, "Well, now we should find you your ninja outfits."

--

The Kokyo, or Imperial Palace, of Japan was all but impenetrable by wizards and Muggles alike. Aside from tours that had very restricted routes, the palace would've been impossible to get into but for Theo's connections. The Japanese version of Aurors were ninjas, and they were allowed into the palace as guards to observe and protect the Emperor. Because they were ninjas, no one ever really knew exactly how many were inside the palace at any given time, meaning that Harry and Draco would need to hide from them as well as the Muggle security that had no idea that ninjas were allowed in the palace.

The mission would be difficult, but Draco seemed to have confidence they could do it. Theo had chirped that Draco could do anything he set his mind to, and took take entirely too long tying Draco's obi. Harry was pretty sure that Draco was being frotted, but Draco showed no signs of alarm at being molested.

As angry as Harry wanted to be at Draco, the way he kept staring at him with his grey eyes wide and amazed peering out from the layers of black fabric otherwise obscuring his face, that anger was difficult to maintain. Plus, Draco kept reaching out to grab his arse. Harry only pretended to be annoyed with this as they were armed with wands, a magical map of the Imperial Palace that showed the precise location of the emperor, and an inappropriate kiss that Theo landed on Draco's lips that Harry was pretty sure involved tongue.

After that, Draco and Harry passed through a system of Portkeys designed to confuse anyone trying to track their magical signals. At each new location, Harry took a deep breath as he looked down at a table with a shoe or a snow globe and, oddly enough at one stop, a rubber duck, until they arrived at the Japanese Ministry.

There, they were met by a sober-looking Ministry worker, who appeared to just be "doing his duty" who directed them to a side room where a final Portkey sat: a miniature replica of the Imperial Palace. It was presumably the way all of the ninjas got into the palace, so they knew once they got there, they had to move fast.

In seconds, they were in an alcove near the main hall. They heard a tour group headed the other direction as they quietly padded through the stark, long halls of the Kokyo, moving from shadow to shadow hidden behind what Harry hoped was a strong enough Disillusionment Charm. He was pretty sure that wasn't exactly how the ninjas did it, but they hardly had time for training. Just like Harry really didn't have time to properly tell Draco off for being a whore.

Not that he'd been a whore for anyone but him, but Harry was still rather convinced that Draco would have been one for Theo had he not been so stern. Just the thought of it made him slap Draco's wandering hand away. The clap of their hands was enough to stop one of the dark suited Imperial Guard security men to pause and peer around cautiously.

Harry flourished his wand, sending out a subtle magic detection spell but found the men to be Muggles. He turned and gave Draco a look, only to catch Draco's adoring, dopey-eyed stare. As much as it irritated Harry that he was being won over with it, he had to admit that being looked at by Draco like that was rather endearing and pleasing. Even though they'd just shagged, thinking about that look too much was going to ruin the line of the shinobi shozoku.

After consulting the map, Harry determined that the emperor was on the other side of the wall, but the door was guarded by several security officers. He pointed to the wall to demonstrate to Draco where they needed to go and held up the map. At this, Draco nodded and pulled his wand, drawing a rectangle from the floor up to a few inches over their heads and back down to the floor again. Then, he simply displaced the blank, white wall and he and Harry walked through.

Inside, they saw a tall throne of dark wood and white cushions before a black screen. The back of the throne reached at least a foot above the small, grey-haired Japanese man who stood before it. The man leaned forward to examine the sword Mifune was presenting to him. Mifune's head was bowed but his eyes were up, a wicked smile on his face. They traded words in Japanese that Harry did not understand.

Then, His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Akihito, looked around the room at the many men in suits who were standing on either side of him. Everyone looked as nonplussed as the emperor. Harry empathized with the men. This situation was terribly confusing and now that he was here, and invisible, he wasn't sure what to do.

"Come to see the beginning of the end, Ryuu?" asked Mifune, not even turning to see them.

When Harry looked at Draco, the dreamy-eyes had given way to flushed fury. "Don't call me that."

The other men in the room appeared even more befuddled than before.

"End the spell," Draco instructed.

Harry did so to a rather loud and startled clamor, but all present seemed to take in that they were ninja and showing up out of thin air was to be expected. They all nodded to one another sagely and gestured their understanding.

The Emperor, however, kept his eyes trained on Harry's wand for a moment longer than the others and then eyed Mifune. Harry knew that most heads of state were at least briefed on the existence of Magic folk, so he assumed that Akihito had cottoned on to the situation. It was hard to tell if he looked more relieved or tired when he peered down at the sword.

Harry wasn't an expert on Japanese history, but he did understand that World War II probably occurred while Akihito was a child, so he probably remembered a time when his title was considered divine and not merely a pretty figurehead. He couldn't quite contain his surprise, but he appeared resigned to the eventuality.

"I won't let you do this," said Draco as he took a few steps forward.

Mifune whirled around, holding his wand out. He pointed it at Draco and then at Harry. Harry still had his wand out and he narrowed his eyes, thinking of a thousand spells he could use on Mifune-- some to restrain him, some to disable him, some that were malicious. But then Mifune's wand was trained to Draco. He leered at Harry, as if he'd just read what he was thinking. A Legilimens. Those were never pleasant to deal with.

"You can't stop me, Draco Malfoy. Not even Harry Potter can. The Emperor has been presented with the sword. He knows the truth of what it is and what it can do. I will invoke divine right and make Japan the power it was meant to be!" he said, his voice high and absolute as any cartoon villain's might be.

Behind him, the Emperor actually looked excited about the prospect, and the other Japanese men were looking to one another as if this plan had merit. They would all stand to gain much, in the end. It was then that Harry saw how this plan really might work-- especially with a magical person at the helm who could mobilize a wealthy nation. Mifune probably had several Percys all over the world, in key countries that would fall in line behind him. Harry swallowed hard, realizing how easy it would be.

He was close to Draco and knew him well enough to be in tune with him, and he felt a small, subtle magic emanate from him. Whatever it was must have been soft enough that Mifune didn't feel it, because his expression didn't change. Harry wondered what it was, and if it was that subtle, what good it could possibly do.

"I couldn't stop you if that sword were real. Which it is not," said Draco. "I gave you a fake sword."

Mifune laughed. "I've felt the magic of this sword. I know it's real, you know it's real. You would not have come all of this way for a fake sword, Draco. Or brought your Potter with you."

"Inspect it, Emperor, you'll see it is fake," said Draco.

Harry looked between the two Japanese men. Mifune's anger flared, but he handed the sword to the emperor. The man put on his glasses, his hand shaking as the other held it by the hilt. He looked it up and down, squinting at the hilt and then the blade. When he turned it over, his head pulled back in surprise, then he squinted and looked at it closer, his head tilted. "Made... in... China?" he asked, his voice accented lightly with Japanese, but otherwise rather good as far as label-reading went.

"What?" asked Mifune. He spun around and snatched the sword from the Emperor and glared down at the tiny gold sticker, looking more annoyed than furious. "Just what do you mean to accomp--"

Just then, several ninja appeared around the room, their wands drawn. "Treason is a high offense in Japan, is it not? And you just tried to usurp the throne with a fake relic," said Draco.

He looked tall, proud and strong; although his expression was slightly anxious in that way that told Harry there was a lot more to this relationship with Mifune than he knew. More than he probably wanted to know. He couldn't let it bother him now. He was the one with Draco, the one that Draco gave those adoring looks to. The one Draco said I love you to.

"No! It's real, it's re--" Mifune swore, holding up his wand to point it at the ninjas. There were simply far too many of them. One reached for the sword, but Draco was too quick for him and summoned it into his hand.

"Can't let you have that," said Draco, raising a brow. Harry was surprised that he might challenge a ninja, given his admiration for them, but the ninja shrugged and went about the business of arresting Mifune.

The Muggles appeared confused and saddened by the turn of events. To Harry's surprise, Draco said something in Japanese to the emperor, then crossed the room to him and presented him with the sword with an impressive bow. He pulled his wand and clasped his hand and spoke an incantation that Harry had never heard before. By the end of it, Akihito had tears in his eyes. He looked overwhelmed, his face flushed, but he nodded again.

Draco released his hand and then bowed again and rejoined Harry. "And that's that. We still have some paperwork, of course, but... now that the sword is bound to the Muggle emperor and his lineage, we shouldn't have to worry about another megalomaniacal despot until the next prophecy."

The wording caught Harry off-guard, and while he wanted to ask what Draco meant, he was exhausted. The immediate danger seemed to be over and now he just wanted to get back home. "So does that mean you can come back to London?"

"Yes. It might take a few days to get the paperwork cleared up here, but then I should be able to go back to London a free man, and able to return to my job... and my flat," said Draco, sliding his arms around Harry's waist. "Have I told you what a sexy ninja you make?"

Harry was disappointed that Draco said he'd return to his flat. The one really nice thing about this whole adventure was that Draco had moved into Grimmauld, at least temporarily. "You don't have to move back into your flat," he said, blushing at the sexy ninja comment. "You could stay with me."

If Harry didn't know any better, he'd say that Draco's cheeks flushed a little at the invitation. "We'll see. Still have to see to your memory-impaired friend yet, right? And we don't want to rush things."

It sounded a lot like "no" but Harry was going to try to remain optimistic. "Yeah. All right," he said, exhaling slowly.

He started to lower his head, but Draco caught his chin with his finger and gazed at him with a funny smile on his face. "I've always wanted to kiss a ninja," he said. With his other hand, he pulled the scarf down and tilted his head to the side, closing in for a warm, soft kiss. Harry could tell everyone was looking at them, probably in surprise. He wondered if it was really that unusual to see two ninjas kissing.

Not that it mattered, not that anything mattered as Draco sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and squeezed his arse. "Let's get started on that paperwork and head back to London."

Harry smiled at him and nodded. "All right."

He followed the ninjas and the Stupefied, floating body of Mifune out of the room to head to the Japanese Ministry to fill out the paperwork feeling optimistic that now the worst was behind them.