Devil's Snare

Title: Devil's Snare

Rating: R

Word Count: 864

021: Middles

Paring: Harry/Draco

Summary: Harry is told to bring Draco to the light side of the war at any cost. Post-HBP, D/s, dubious consent, Post-Hogwarts, war!fic.

Disclaimer: Unoriginal characters and situations belong to JKRowling. No copyright infringement is intended.

Table of Contents found at http://www.livejournal.com/users/mahoganyhandle/9713.html

~

Harry sat up in bed, pretending to read. In reality, he was staring intently over the pages. Across the room, Draco curled up on the couch by the low-burning fire, going over a report. He didn't offer any explanation on what it was about, besides that it was urgent, and Harry didn't ask. The comfortable air between them, even after all the dreadful things they'd said, was all too… domestic – idyllic, even. Harry felt as if he were in the middle of something remarkable.

"Why are you staring at me?" Malfoy asked. Harry closed his book and put it aside.

"Was I staring?"

"Like you didn't notice," Malfoy snorted. "Are you that taken with me?"

"I make it a point not to get too emotionally involved. This is a business transaction." Malfoy didn't look convinced. "And speaking of our Partnership, Moody says it's about time we take it to the next level. I have to agree. You will, too, I think, since it means that I'll stop draining your power."

"Give me an hour to finish up with this, then we'll talk."

"I'll make some breakfast for us," Harry said, then left. He felt Malfoy's heavy gaze following him out. He tried his best to ignore it.

Before heading down to commandeer the kitchen from the House Elves, Harry checked in on Bella and Caroline, her governess, in the nursery. He didn't interrupt when he saw that Caroline was teaching Bella elementary maths from a young readers' Arithmancy text, and continued on his way instead.

Harry prepared a rather large selection of breakfast foods despite the fact that Malfoy only ate a piece of fruit, if he had breakfast at all. When he returned to Malfoy's suite, Malfoy had concluded his business and was waiting for him in the sitting room.

"I made breakfast," Harry stupidly announced.

"I am aware," said Malfoy. "I'll only eat what you do… in case it's poisoned."

"I wouldn't poison you, Malfoy. I'd get you in the most humiliating way possible – something perfectly Muggle."

"Muggles don't have poison?"

"Of course they do. They've got guns, knives, and swords, too. Only, you know, swords aren't that fashionable anymore."

Harry wheeled the laden breakfast trolley to the table and began to make platters for Malfoy and himself. Malfoy watched through his fringe, like a child waiting to be scolded. This disconcerting look was not entirely unusual for him, though it always served its purpose by unsettling Harry.

"What did you want to say to me?"

"About our Partnership…. To make it possible for me to stop draining you of your power, you have to make a lasting commitment. As it stands, we have it arranged as if you are an unwilling party, so—"

"I am an unwilling party."

Harry plopped down across from him and thrummed his fingers impatiently on the table. "What would it take for you to become a willing party?"

"Become Severus Snape. Can you do that?"

"Obviously not," Harry sneered.

"Then I don't see what more we have to discuss."

"Mal—Draco, you're being unreasonable."

"No, you're the unreasonable one. I am unwilling in this. That's why you resorted to blackmail in the first place. Or have you become addled and supposed that it is your charms that make me submit to you when you want?"

"Can you even give me a good reason why you're turning down this opportunity?" Harry demanded, exasperated.

"Several. For one, He knows about us."

"He?"

"Voldemort. He knows what you do to me on a regular basis."

"And… how did he find that out?"

"I volunteered the information. Did you think I wouldn't? It wasn't mentioned in our contract that this Partnership should remain secret – you should be more careful how you draw those up, by the way. You never know what loopholes one such as myself might find."

And what could Harry say to that? "What else did you tell him?"

"Oh," said Malfoy, cutting his pancakes into small triangles, "this and that. We exchange niceties often. He inquired about your health and expressed concern that you were stretching yourself thin. I took great pains to let him know how… well you are doing."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Malfoy grinned. "Why, isn't this what life-partners do? You made me breakfast; I'm telling you about my associations – baring my soul, if you want to call it that. Oh, if only queers could wed… we'd be halfway there!"

"Stop it."

"What, Harry? Don't you want to be my Partner now that you know what a despicable human being I am? Woe am I. My heart shall break. Severus has ruined me for any other!"

"Stop it!" Harry yelled, slamming his fists on the table. Malfoy sat back, silent and demure, head bowed. "Keep it up, Malfoy, and I'll show you how abominable I can be. You've changed a lot – and so have I. You no longer want to be my enemy. You wouldn't survive it."

A shapeless shadow paced around Malfoy's chair. Beneath his obedient and unassuming guise, Malfoy watched it like the calculating predator that he truly was. Yes…. Harry was in the middle of something remarkable, indeed.