Devil's Snare
Friends
Title: Devil\'s Snare
Rating: R
Word Count: 409
005: Friends
Paring: Harry/Draco
Summary: Harry is told to bring Draco to the light side of the war at any cost. Post-HBP, HPDM!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
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Harry showed up at The Hours again that same night, and once more was directed up to the Garden. This time Malfoy was busy, and he was surrounded by heaps upon heaps of dusty old tomes. He wore a fashionable pair of silver wire-framed reading glasses and had his hair pulled back with a loose indigo ribbon to match his indigo robes. Ink blots stained his fingers and a smudge crossed his left cheek. He reminded Harry of Hermione at her finest.
\"You work?\" Harry blurted when Malfoy halted his anxious scribbles on a notebook and looked up at Harry expectantly.
\"Those of us who aren\'t always dashing off on adventures, battling dragons and rescuing damsels in distress, must amuse ourselves somehow.\"
Harry snorted, \"It\'s \'earn a living,\' Malfoy.\"
Malfoy arched an eyebrow. \"For people like the Weasleys, perhaps, but not for me. I made my money the old fashioned way. Now, what do you want?\"
\"I want to hire you.\"
\"The perk,\" he explained condescendingly, \"of working for pleasure, rather than necessity, is the ability to work at my own discretion. If that\'s all you\'ve come for, then you are dismissed.\"
Before Harry could respond, the Floo flared to life, shedding an eerie green light on Malfoy\'s pale hair. It turned Harry\'s stomach, and he had to look away from him for a moment. When he turned back, he was surprised to find Blaise Zabini hovering at Malfoy\'s side, hand possessively on Malfoy\'s shoulder, wearing familiar black robes. Harry had seen such too many times to count, and would never forget them. Zabini was dressed exactly like Severus Snape.
Not for the first time, Harry was reminded that Malfoy had chosen his friends, chosen his side of the war, and Harry would never fit into the scheme of his ideals. But it was for the first time that Harry realized what Dumbledore had meant when he said at any cost. Malfoy would not come peacefully to their side. Harry could not win his friendship, could not win his affection, and could not win his loyalty. Malfoy belonged to one world and Harry another. Those worlds would only collide by force.
Taking a step back, Harry ducked his head.
\"You… have made yourself clear,\" he said.
\"Have I?\" mused Malfoy thoughtfully.
\"I won\'t bother you with my proposition again.\" Then, turning sharply on his heel, Harry left. The weight of Malfoy\'s gaze on his back made his steps heavy.
TBC