All I Ever Wanted

DISCLAIMER: Warning! I make no claim to any property of J.K. Rowling's, and am in no way profiting by this. I do offer her my sincerest thanks for allowing us this garden of the mind in which we play. Further Warning! This story...and likely any I ever write...are dominated by gay themes and characters. That's how it is, if this in any way makes you uncomfortable...do not read further.


All I Ever Wanted......Chapter 48 'TheDeal'


Harry's brief meeting with Ron and Hermione went well, given that he was in the position of keeping news from them. It would be only a few more hours until they heard of the departing Aurors, and Harry didn't really wish the sense of dread he was feeling to be shared, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

The hours until the meeting ticked away with an almost vindictive slowness, but given their overflowing desk full of schoolwork and private studies, perhaps being up late was called for anyway. It was with sheer relief that they gathered up Harry's Cloak and padded out into the halls of Hogwarts.

The journey to the chambers below the castle was swift and uncomplicated, though Harry had been forced to muffle Draco's mouth once. They had passed by a pair of trysting, lovebird students en route to the Astronomy Tower long after curfew, and the urge to prank the unsuspecting while safe beneath the Cloak was more than Draco could bear!

Moody and Tonks guarded the entrance to the meeting chamber, and the boys could hear Moody's gruff complaints as they approached.

"Hmmph. Pink hair. Service has gone soft, if you ask me. We'd 'ave none 'o that in my day, nossir! Disrespectful to yer own office, is what it is! Small wonder we're in such a fix these day, when Aurors are runnin' about looking like they're no better than are..." Moody trailed off into incoherent grumbling as the boys approached. This was much to Tonks' liking, and she gave Harry a friendly wave.

"Wotcher, Harry! How are you and my own 'ickle cousin getting on? School's almost done for you, isn't it?" Nymphadora gave them a winning smile and a cheery wink, then ruffled Draco's hair, a gesture that he half-hated, since his hair was often a work of art, but that she done so many times since his early childhood that it could be forgiven.

"It's hell in the trenches, but at least the worst is almost over. Once we get through this week, it's just waiting for our scores and getting set for the ball." Harry answered honestly.

Draco, on the other hand, simply stuck his tongue out and gave his cousin his best 'brat-face'. Harry found it oddly sexy, which was a little disconcerting when he thought about it, but by now, Draco was too much of a fixture in his life to let little things rattle him for more than a few seconds.

"Don't mind Tonksy, Harry. The magic in her hair seeped into her brain years ago," Draco interjected with an affectionate smirk.

Moody's eye was watching them sternly, and his craggy face only softened a bit when Harry spoke to him. "Are you going to be posted in Hogsmeade? I'd feel a bit better if I knew you were nearby."

"Oh, aye. I'll be keeping an 'eye' on the place. Constant vigilance, lad. That's the way of it. Just do your best, Harry, and we've got your back. Meeting's almost ready to start, so head on in. We'll ward the doors and be in after you when the last few folks get here."

The old ex-Auror still gave Draco a furtive glance or two as the boys walked in, but several months of watching Draco attend the Order's meetings had taken the edge off of his initial hostility. It was hard to think of the name Malfoy in conjunction with anything good, but Harry had shown no signs of magical interference or potion induced affection. Whatever made him choose the son of Lucius Malfoy must have been genuine. The notion still gave Moody a twinge of discomfort, but then Auror Tonks' hair changed colors AGAIN, and that touched off a new round of irritable grumbling.

Harry and Draco joined the largest gathering of Order members yet to date. Bill and Charlie Weasley had joined them this time, since, with the 'irregulars' trained and tended by Hagrid, they could slip away to attend the meeting proper. Charlie was an impressive sight, as dragon handling tended to require strength, skill, and a near total absence of fear.

Even Draco, who might get on well enough with the Weasleys, but could never be called an admirer, leaned over and whispered to Harry, "I never imagined that there could be such a thing as a frightening Weasley! Look at him! He looks like he could kill half the people in the room with his bare hands." Then Charlie and Bill saw them and headed their way.

"Heya, Harry...Draco, how are you two holding up?" Charlie's voice was almost booming. He was one of the few people in the room who made Harry and Kingsley Shacklebolt look small. Harry had grown tall during his final years at Hogwarts, but he would likely always be lean, unlike Charlie, who looked like he really could wrestle a dragon to the ground. Harry took answering out of Draco's hands, since his boyfriend apparently had no idea what to say to the red headed tree that towered in front of them.

"Finals will be the death of us, but the rest is alright. You look like you have a couple new scars. Training been tough in the woods?"

"Not as tough as NEWTS were when I was here. You've got my sympathy, mate. I'd rather be wrestling dragons than go through that twice. By the way, Hagrid sends his best. Told me he's sorry he's been too busy to teach classes or just chat a bit the last few months, but he's just about the only one who can keep things under control over there. He just wanted you to know he'd heard about all the goings on in your life and he was glad for you."

"Well, give him my thanks, will you? We've all missed him. Tell him things are great. Bill... how's Fleur? I haven't seen you two since last year." Fleur had been Bill's wife for almost a year, and they were reputedly one of the only couples more sickeningly cute than Harry and Draco. Though Harry would never admit it, Veela charm affected him like everyone else, and when he had first met Fleur, she had been the only woman to make him react physically in a way similar to his attraction to Draco. It still rattled Harry's nerves when she was around, but since she had been married to Bill, she no longer projected her charm with the same alarming frequency.

Bill Weasley smiled wistfully. "I miss her terribly, she's doing some inter-school liaison work in France while I work here. We haven't been apart this long since we were married. Still, got to keep the cause in mind. I've been patching up Hagrid and Charlie, not to mention breaking the occasional magically cursed wound. The Forbidden Forest has some nasty bloody surprises in store for the first Death Eater who pokes his nose in there. Trust me on that one."

"Good. Confusion to the enemy," Draco finally chimed in. "I can't think of anything more fitting than Death Eaters being eaten to death by half the creatures in that gods-forsaken forest. I just love the irony, don't you?" He smiled his most winning smile, hoping the others would find him amusing.

It worked like magic. The boisterous older Weasleys cracked up, and Harry chuckled in spite of all that he had on his mind. "You've got a winner there, I think, Harry." Bill nodded in agreement with Charlie's assessment of Draco, still getting a few guffaws under control.

Charlie clapped Draco on the shoulder with a hand like iron. "Harry, mind if I talk to your better half for a moment?" The question caught Harry and Draco both by surprise.

Harry looked a bit curious, but gave a nonchalant shrug and stepped off with Bill to meet Arthur and Molly, leaving a terribly nervous Draco alone with Charlie. "Relax, Firefly. It's nothing that awful. I just wanted to talk to you about Harry."

Draco collected himself, feeling vaguely relieved. The subject of Harry was one he could wax eloquent on for days. "Oh! Good...I like that topic. Not that that would surprise anyone this late in the game." Draco let one of his patented smirks show.

"You've got a lot more spark in you than anyone expected. I just wondered if anyone around here ever got to telling you that we like what we've seen. Our Harry is as happy as we've ever seen him, even with all the shite he has on his shoulders. We know that's because of you. We always looked out for him the best we could, and he's like one of our own, but the torch is being passed to you, kiddo. What I'm saying is, take care of our boy. He's all yours now, so look after him right, will you?"

Draco was floored. He couldn't think of what to say for a few seconds, but finally got it together. "Wow. You don't do subtle do you?"

"HA! I'm a dragon tamer! Subtle would get me chewed up and spat out on my arse. Not quite my style anyway. That's what the world has Slytherins for, anyway." Charlie gave an easy and lopsided grin.

Draco looked up at the second eldest of the Weasley sons, mulling over what to say. "I will. Look after him, I mean. He's too Gryffindor for his own good...someone had to take him in hand and sort him out. You lot did right by him when you were able, and I won't forget that. Thanks for telling me, though. I knew, but no one said it quite that way before."

"Right, then. Got a meeting and all, go find your boyfriend, little Firefly, we'll see you again, hopefully at my Mum's after this little set-to is over with and done for good." Charlie patted Draco on the shoulder one last time and sauntered off in the direction of a few Aurors and his parents.

Draco was still bemused by the notion of likable Weasleys when Harry rejoined him. "What was all that about, love? Looks like you made a good impression, but Charlie's a big softy at heart. Heart as big as the rest of him."

"I think it's official. Your surrogate guardians seem to have elected me 'Keeper of Harry Potter' without any pomp or ceremony. They really love you, you know?" Draco was faintly choked up by that realization.

Harry answered softly, "I know," and left it at that. Then he took Draco's hand and led his lover back into the crowd. Near the center of the gathering they found Remus Lupin, who perked up as soon as he got sight of Harry.

"Hogwarts' own reigning couple. Harry...Draco...good to see you. I suppose some congratulations are in order." Remus was smirking ever so faintly.

"I've been told about some remarkable happenings while I was away. Fairly impressive things, too. Hexing almost all of Slytherin? Do you realize, Mr. Malfoy, that you single handedly accomplished what the Marauders only dreamed of? If you don't mind my asking, what on earth did you do to that Nott boy?"

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh a little of this, a little of that. I'm not sharing anything that might lead to a way out for him. Let's just say that one of my ancestors dabbled in creative punishments." Draco had to admit that Remus Lupin looked better than he had in fourth year. The werewolf still made him terribly edgy, but he did his best to be polite.

"Looks like travel agreed with you. Harry told me you were back, and I assume you'll join us for dinner. We're busy, but we can take a little break tomorrow night if you'll oblige us by dropping by?

Harry looked pleased, seeing Draco and Remus chat with relatively little tension. "Yeah, we'd love it if you came by our little place, we've got plenty of room to set a little dinner for company."

"Well, alright then. We're agreed. Tomorrow at seven o'clock I'll be by. After that I expect I'll be part of the Hogsmeade guardians, but I'm glad I'll get the chance to spend some time with you two."

They were interrupted by a stern cough from Minerva McGonagall, who had stepped to the center of the room and called the meeting to order. Every face turned to her, rapt and attentive.

Minerva steeled herself to impart the news she had. This last day had brought no happy news for the Order of the Phoenix, but there was still work to be done.

"I have difficult matters to broach tonight, but I shall begin with the happiest news we have. Our efforts to locate Albus Dumbledore may have failed, but we have been able to determine that he is alive. Whatever is keeping him from joining us, we cannot say, but you can be assured that he is still counted among the living." The assemblage of Order members muttered relief amongst themselves, relaxing visibly.

"We have, however, suffered a setback. The Aurors, at the command of Rufus Scrimgeour, are withdrawing from Hogsmeade tomorrow." Outrage and surprise rumbled through the room. The faces of the dozens present turned dark.

"Ostensibly, they are to be reassigned to the search for Albus Dumbledore, as well as those families who have lost members under mysterious circumstances. I cannot say that I approve of the Ministry's decision at this critical juncture, but perhaps it will bear some fruit. Let us not be discouraged by their absence.

Several members of the Auror Service have informed me that they will maintain contact with the Order, and Portkey or Apparate into town as needed, should an emergency require them. We also have Remus Lupin back among us, and he shall be stationed in Hogsmeade along with other key members of the Order." At least now the crowd was looking satisfied that action was being taken to compensate for the loss of the Aurors, and the grumbling was slowly turning into grim acceptance of the situation.

"I must also inform you that Severus Snape was summoned by You-Know-Who. There is no way to determine how long he will be absent, but given the timing of his disappearance, we must assume the worst. I shall be assigning a temporary Potions instructor to oversee his final examinations, and his duties as Head of House, if he does not rejoin us before the new week begins." Here, Minerva's pointed look in the direction of Harry and Draco left them a bit confused. Then she continued without further pause.

"Last, to compensate for the loss of the Aurors, I shall be hand picking former members of the student corps known as Dumbledore's Army. These young people will be taking up roles as site keepers and other, hopefully non-combatant, tasks. They will join certain members of Hogwarts' staff in guiding the younger students to safe locations in the event of attack, and securing and protecting the castle should the wards be breached.

This will free a number of better trained Order members who will become Hogsmeade gaurdians and combatants. I expect everyone present tonight to remain until I have spoken with them personally. The formal portion of this meeting is ended, I shall impart personal instructions now." With that last statement, the Headmistress motioned for specific people to come forward, and after giving them their new orders, she sent them on their way.

Ron and Hermione slipped in beside Harry and Draco. Ron looked grim, and Hermione seemed almost wan with worry.

"No Aurors, mate? This is complete bollocks! Scrimgeour ought to be run out of the Ministry for this. It's like painting a big sign on Hogsmeade that says 'Attack us, we're too stupid to win.' At least McGonagall's got a plan." Despite Ron's nervous confidence, Hermione still looked peaked.

"Harry, what if the Ministry is compromised? What if they know when and where to attack? We could get hit unawares. What if they have a way into Hogwarts and the Aurors don't respond? What if..." Hermione was spiraling into panic, but Draco cut her off.

"Nothing has changed! Nothing! They might have had those plans before now, and we were still armed and ready. We planned to have almost no advance warning of attack before, and we're still ready for a sudden strike now. Harry is probably the first person in a thousand years with the power to knock the castle over on them, and they haven't a fucking clue what they're up against! Now isn't the time to get scared of a withered megalomaniac and his arse-ignorant cronies, no matter how many of them there are. Snap out of it! When they come, we'll make them pay for showing their stupid masks within a mile of us! Got it?"

Ron, Hermione, Harry and Remus were staring at Draco in surprise. The vehemence in Draco's voice had startled them, and the total absence of doubt in his body language and tone was infectious. This wasn't the snarky busybody of their childhood rivalries, or even the uncharacteristically sweet boyfriend from their visits to Harry and Draco's suite. This was the voice of the wizard who stood in a room full of people who had once beaten him half to death, and then hexed and cursed his way through them like they were blind Squibs. Remus nodded quietly to Harry. It spoke volumes in a single gesture.

Hermione recovered. "You're...you're right. I'm sorry, I just lost it for a moment. I know we're as ready as we can get. Thanks...for reminding me." She trailed off as McGonagall coughed behind them, drawing their attention.

"Well spoken, Mr. Malfoy. I see our confidence in you was not misplaced. I admit to being entirely impressed, which lends me a certain confidence about my next question. In exchange for passing with honors, which you are nearly due in any case, would you be willing to take up the mantle of Potions instructor, with regard to grading the final examinations of your fellow students and supervising the last weeks' classes?"

The image of the eloquent, polished, urbane and supremely confident boy who stood before them completely vanished when Draco Malfoy opened his mouth in shock, and promptly squeaked.