The Family Jewels

Chapter 29
To the victor go the spoils

Harry Potter stepped in front of Hermione, drawing his wand on Draco. That Potter had drawn his wand actually surprised him, Potter was always more of an insult now, hex later kind of a chap. Draco had his wand in his hand, the left side of his cloak thrown over his shoulder and had checked for any others in the hallway in the blink of an eye. Draco wished he could move more easily from his spot, but he was concerned about Ginny getting in the line of fire. “Ginny, stay behind me, it’s all right.”

“What did you just say, Malfoy?” Harry yelled. “She doesn’t need protecting from me, you git.” Harry was looking at Ginny with wounded eyes.

“When I found her crying on the grounds in the dark, she certainly needed someone. Maybe you are just not man enough for her,” Draco shot back.

“Impedimenta,” Harry said, just as angry. Draco was frozen where he stood.

“EXPELLIARMUS,” was screamed from two different wizards, Draco’s wand flying into the hand of Blaise Zabini and Ron Weasley catching Harry’s.

“Ron, what the hell are you doing?” Harry asked in an incredulous voice.

“What the bloody fuck were you doing, Harry? You threw a curse in Ginny’s direction.” Ron walked to his sister and pulled her into his arms.

Blaise surveyed the situation, moving to Draco, “Finite Incantatem,” but he pocketed Draco’s wand, for now. Draco held his hand out, but Blaise shook his head regretfully, “For once, Weasley and I are in complete agreement, you had your wand out, and you were pointing it in Hermione’s direction.”

Draco raised his palms in a show of innocence. “Blaise, look, he pulled his wand on me first. I just wanted him to keep his fucking hands off the woman I love, and you can ask Hermione, I even asked politely.”

Blaise wrapped his arms around Hermione, gently rocking her. Ron was already taking Ginny away, mumbling about how she was his responsibility. Draco looked up, his blood lust still high. “Blaise, take Hermione and keep her safe. Potter and I need to talk.”

When it was just the two of them, Draco nodded at Harry. “Catch some wall, Potter, we are both unarmed, and this is not over.” Draco slid down the opposite wall until he was sitting on the ground, but his eyes were wary.

“We have nothing to talk about, Malfoy, so you can shove this up your bloody arse.” Harry turned and began to walk away.

Harry was not the only Seeker in school, and Draco was faster than many gave him credit for. He was up and had tackled Harry in seconds. They rolled over a few times, before Draco was able to pin him, using the fact that he was taller and had about 25 pounds on Harry to his advantage. “Why do you always take the hard way, Potter?” Draco shook his head. “I asked you to let go of Hermione, and you drew your wand on me. I asked you to talk and you walked away. And you have the balls to tell everyone that I am a bastard and a Death Eater wannabe.”

“Aren’t you?” Harry spat at him.

“A bastard? No, my mother had that ring on her finger before she spread her legs for dear old Dad. And a Death Eater wannabe, you really live in your own little world don’t you? Ask anyone who actually knows me how I feel about the Death Eaters, and they will tell you that the day Draco Malfoy follows a Half-Blood, power hungry fool there will be ice skating on the river Styx.” Draco drew a deep breath and looked down at Harry struggling under him. “Now can I let you up?” Harry realized that Draco indeed had him at his mercy, so he gave a short nod.

Draco moved off him very carefully and backed away a few steps. “We’re alone Potter, so no one will know that we talked like adults.”

“Why didn’t you beat the hell out of me when you had the chance?” Harry asked, knowing that if he had Draco pinned, he would have beaten him to a bloody pulp, gone back to his room and slept peacefully.

“You don’t ask very hard questions, do you? My girlfriend is one of your best friends, Merlin knows why, and one of her best friends is your girlfriend, doubtless you don’t deserve her either, and I happen to be Head Boy. I don’t intend to lose my badge over your sorry arse.” Draco was actually smiling at the fact that he was getting the golden opportunity to actually say all the things to Potter that he usually thought of after someone pulled them apart.

Harry was actually starting to smile as well, although he was shaking his head. “The world doesn’t revolve around you, did you know that? I don’t care that your family has money; you haven’t earned a Knut of that for yourself. Your family has taken more from some of us than you can ever repay anyway. Hermione is not your property, and I was touching her the same way I have for the last 6 years. As a friend. You remember the last six years, don’t you? That was when she was crying on my shoulder whenever you called her a Mudblood.”

Draco looked at Harry with critical eyes. “And she doesn’t do that anymore does she? She doesn’t need your shoulder or any other part of you. It might surprise you, but people grow up, they change and learn to stand on their own two feet. I made my peace with Hermione months ago. Our relationship is none of your business. You might want to spend some more time working on your own relationships because in case you haven’t noticed, Ginny walked away without a backwards glance at you, your best mate just disarmed you, and Hermione takes exception to being fought over as if she were chattel.”

“Anything else?” Harry asked. He knew he was going to regret it, but there was some truth to what the pasty faced poncy git had to say.

“Yes, since you’re asking, Slytherin is going to humiliate you on the Quidditch pitch on Saturday, and you’re not as good looking, intelligent or as good a friend as I am.” Draco wasn’t sure when he’d ever had a better night that didn’t involve Hermione Granger panting his name. His smile broadened.

Harry was stung, “That’s not true; Gryffindor is going to make you sorry who ever got on a broomstick.”

“So you admit the rest,” Draco began to chuckle.

“Well I can’t argue the fact that you’re Head Boy, and if you’re proud of the fact that you’re prettier than most of the girls that go to this school, more power to you.” Harry was laughing now as well.

Ron and Blaise had left Hermione and Ginny in the Head common room, both calming down since they had Draco and Harry’s wands. Hermione was most insistent that they go check on ‘her’ boys. As they turned the corner and found both Harry and Draco doubled up with laughter, they looked at each other in confusion. “Could they have cast ‘Rictusempra’ without their wands?” Ron asked.

Blaise listened to them continue to insult each other between fits of laughter. “No, I think they’re actually laughing.” He saw the look on Ron’s face. “No one can make this stuff up, Weasley. Ask them yourself.”

Ron walked over to them and offered a hand up to Harry. “Are you all right?”

Harry and Draco laughed harder. Harry took Ron’s hand and was pulled to his feet. “I’m fine, but you have to promise that we are going to kill Slytherin in the match on Saturday.”

Ron looked at the two of them again, bent over at the waist with laughter. “Barmy.” He shook his head. “Hermione wants to see you two in one piece, so let’s go.”

At the mention of her name, both of the laughing boys sobered almost immediately. “Is she all right?” Draco demanded.

“She’s fine,” Blaise answered. “Let’s go get her.”

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Severus Snape kissed his way down the bare back of the beautiful woman dozing next to him. “I need to leave, darling.”

“Stay the night, please.”

“I wish I could. You’re always with me anyway,” Severus said, kissing her on the mouth one last time.

“I could try to persuade you,” she laughed.

“And I would stay for another few hours, but eventually, I would go back to Hogwarts.” Severus sighed. “Please don’t make me feel badly.”

“How are things at the school?”

“The usual, I suppose. Until the Dark Lord brings the fight out into the open, things will always be tense.” Severus finished buttoning his tunic and threw his robe around his shoulders.

“Be careful,” she said, kissing his palm.

“Always,” he answered her before walking to the fireplace and tossing a pinch of powder into the flames. “Hogwarts Castle, private rooms of Severus Snape.”

And he was gone.

He stepped out of his fireplace and surveyed the rooms that had been his home for many years. Maybe he wasn’t too old to want more from life. If Voldemort was finally defeated, he would be completely vindicated, and perhaps he could claim some happiness for himself.

Severus sat down heavily in his chair in front of the fire. Dumbledore’s head appeared in the flames minutes later. “Ah Severus, there you are.”

“Headmaster, was I required?” Snape frowned at his mentor.

“Do you have a minute for an old man?”

Snape nodded, and Dumbledore came through the fire and sat opposite him. Severus was grumbling under his breath about nosy old men when Dumbledore smiled and said, “How was your evening?”

“Fine. What can I do for you so late?” Severus emphasized the word late.

“There was some excitement earlier. Apparently, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter were dueling in the Gryffindor corridor.”

“Indeed? And what punishment were they given?” Snape was always concerned about the sometimes rash actions of his godson, and his views on Potter’s maturity level were well known.

“Oh, I didn’t punish them, Severus. In fact, I was most impressed with the progress that young Mr. Malfoy has been making of late. He has refused the Dark Mark, but he has not come to our side. Perhaps someone he respects and cares about may be able to convince him that some things are worth standing up for.”

Severus smirked. “And who might you be referring to, Headmaster?”

“Why, Miss Granger, of course.”

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A/N – Thank you to all who have read and reviewed.

Anonymous – I’m sorry you don’t like the way I write the sex scenes. I am not a professional writer by any stretch of the imagination, and it will probably surprise you that I slave over those scenes much more than anything else.