A Gilded Cage

The ministry party had been a disaster and now his daughter refused to sleep alone. And if Draco wanted to be honest, he didn’t want her to sleep alone either. He had been too close to losing his little girl to be comfortable. Perhaps he should withdraw from the election. He had mentioned as much to Pansy and to Harry. Both, surprisingly had agreed that he should not withdraw from the election. But he knew they had agreed for two different reasons.

For Pansy this was another chance for Draco to advance their place in society. To make up for the hell their parents had put them through, by joining the losing side. Draco had shook his head at her explanation. Pansy had been speaking to him a lot more since that evening, if not just to mostly blame everything on Harry. She said things like,

“How dare he put our children in danger! The fool!” Draco had simply found it amusing. Blaming it on Harry would do no good, seeing as it hadn’t been the mans fault to begin with. No that fault fell with Draco, or Pansy if he wished to blame her. She knew it would be dangerous and yet she had left the children with him.

Draco stopped on that thought for a moment, wondering almost idly if she didn’t want the children around anymore. He didn’t think it was possible, but then again he also hadn’t thought it possible for Harry to endorse him either. Draco shook his head again and returned to his work. As he sat in his study he was unaware of the shady characters sitting in his wife’s sitting room.

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“What were you idiots thinking?!” Pansy screamed after throwing up a few silencing charms, “You were to kill Potter! Not my daughter!” she turned on the men who were cowering,

“They saw us, we couldn’t do anything. We were going to take them somewhere else by using the girl.” the bravest, “We all know Potter has some hero complex. He would go and we would have killed him!” he shot back standing and walking till he was face to face with her. He stood at least a foot taller than the woman and she took a step back glaring up at him,

“That was not part of the deal!” she hissed flinching when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him,

“You said to do whatever it took to kill Potter. And if that’s what it took. But my men, I’m afraid, have no spines.” he hissed glancing over his shoulder at them. They shifted nervously and stood quickly when they’re boss dismissed them,

“I think I’d like my payment now…” he said moving closer to Pansy forcing her to back against the wall. A couple of the men stopped long enough to watch their boss force the woman into a kiss. She struggled against him and they snickered leaving their boss to his own devices.

When the last man had disappeared, Pansy’s arms wound around the mans neck,
“You bastard.” she said breathlessly, “Pulling a stunt like that! If they would have suspected…” she started and the man laughed,

“Now, now Pansy don’t worry. They won’t ever suspect that we’re going to kill not only Potter but your husband and Son as well. If they found out, well they’d be even more nervous. Going against the Great Draco Malfoy.” he snorted, “Draco’s become weak. When he’s gone you and Maria will be mine.” He said lips descending onto her neck.

Pansy laughed burying her fingers into the mans dark hair,
“I can’t wait for that day… Blaise.” she said encouraging the man to continue, right under her husbands nose.

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Draco, unaware of anything from the night before entered his office the next day in a slightly good mood. What happened at the ministry party still haunted him, but he had received news this morning that had cheered him up immensely. Thanks to Potters vote of confidence Draco now held the majority of the wizarding world vote. He knew Potter would help him perhaps gain a few, but he’d never imagined he would help that much.

And so, when he entered his office and found Harry sitting there he could only grin,
“Well Mr. Potter, it seems you’ve been a great help.” he said startling the man in front of his desk. Harry smiled after his initial reaction,

“Glad to have been of some help… how’s Maria?” he asked as Draco took a seat,
“She’s fine. Still jumpy, but she’s getting better. She’s a strong girl. And young. It’ll fade into the back of her mind soon enough.” Harry nodded and for a moment neither man spoke. Draco cleared his throat,

“So.. Harry was there something in particular you wanted…?” Draco asked watching confusion flitter over Harry’s face before he nodded,

“Yeah sorry I forgot for a moment why I was here.” he said with a laugh, “I was wondering if you thought about getting some protection for your kids. You know after what happened…” Draco leaned back,

“I thought about it, but I don’t want someone my children aren’t comfortable around. And Maria barely trusts the house elfs at this point.” Draco said voice tinted with frustration and sadness. Harry nodded,

“Well who does she trust then? I mean besides you and Pansy?” Draco stood and began to think. He couldn’t really recall anyone whom his daughter had trusted to begin with thanks to her mother,

“No one that I know of… the closest person I think would be you Harry. You did after all play her knight in shining armor.” he said with a smirk, “You and your hero complex and all.” Harry groaned,

“Really do we have to bring that up? I don’t have a hero complex. I just want to help my friends and innocents…” Harry glared at Draco as his coughing sounding suspiciously like ‘hero complex’,

“Shut up Draco. What do you want from me? To play body guard?” he asked watching as Draco seemed to be seriously considering that, “Oh come on Draco! Aurors are trained specifically for these things… I only defeated Voldemort by pure dumb luck!” he complained. Draco snorted,

“There was no luck involved Harry. And you know that. You’re the strongest wizard of our age, even if you try to hide it. You’re the only one that Maria is going to accept. And besides, the Quidditch season will be over in a week. What else are you going to have to do? I’m not going to ask you to risk your life for free of course.” Draco said sitting once more, “You can even stay in the manor if you’d like. We’ve plenty of room.” Draco was baffled when Harry burst into laughter,

“Yes I’m sure Pansy would love to have me in your home Draco. And I don’t need your money. I just.. Think you’d be better off getting a professional.” he said face tinted slightly red. Draco didn’t have time to muse over the sense of innocence that small blush gave Harry, as his daughter came in bawling her mother walking behind her with Scorpius’ robes clutched in her claw like hand,

“Draco I’ve had enough.” she said glaring at Harry as she entered, “Your son has terrified Maria for the second time today. I can not deal with the constant crying and yelling!” she released the boy who walked over to his father. Draco sighed,
“I’ll deal with it Darling…” he began but Pansy interrupted,

“You better Draco!” she yelled turning and stalking from the room. Yet again leaving Draco with the children. He sighed and soothed his daughter,

“Scorpius why would you scare your sister after all that’s happened?” he asked in a gentle voice, in no mood to scold his children,

“I thought it would help!” Scorpius said, “I just wanted her to forget it!” the boy looked to the point of tears as well. Draco could only sigh and pull the boy into a one armed hug,

“Please don’t scare your sister again alright? Promise me Scorpius.” he demanded from the young man who sniffed and nodded,

“Yes sir.” Draco nodded,
“Alright then… I’m sorry about this Harry.” he said and Maria sniffed looking up with a watery smile,

“Hi Hawe!” she climbed from her fathers lap and into Harry’s. He smiled,

“Hey kiddo. Good to see you again.” Draco watched Harry interact with the girl and realized that if Maria asked Harry, the man who not be able to refuse. He smirked and whispered to Scorpius who nodded and walked to his sister. Harry watched suspiciously as Scorpius whispered to Maria. He watched in distress as her face lit up,

“Hawe! You come and stay wif me? Papa says you will!” she said hugging him tightly. Harry glared at Draco, oh he was not happy, but Draco had supposed right he couldn’t say no to the girl.
The yell of glee was followed by Cassandra walking in looking slightly worried. But the moment she opened the door she let out a snort of laughter. Maria was dancing on Draco’s desk, Draco was laughing and Harry was between being angry at Draco and amused at the small girls antics. It was obvious Draco had just won some small battle, and Cassandra hoped the war would too go in Draco’s favor. She slipped back out as Draco looked at Harry,

“Draco Malfoy One. Harry Potter nothing.” Harry arched his eyebrow. So it was a war the other man wanted was it? Then Harry was game, Draco thought he held all the cards, but Harry had a few aces up his sleeve as well.



So there you go.Chapter four. And I realize I havn't really gone into Draco's feelings for Harry in detail as of yet. but Harry will be moving in with Mr. Malfoy and will thusly harder to ignore, and that makes feelings harder to ignore! Mwahahaha. Ok So please review. I'm going back home this weekend and that means no internet. I will be writing the next chapter while i'm home. So i'm hoping for some more reviewers by the time I get back on Sunday evening. please don't dissappoint... oh and I still don't have a Beta. *sigh* So again grammer etc forgive it. I suck I know. LOL


thrnbrooke: thanks for reviewing again. Hope this answers your questions! I was going to be more sneaky about it but I decided that putting it out in the open makes different surprises all the more fun!