Bounty Hunter

*~*~*~*(Flash back)*~*~*~*

Harry strode through the halls of the ministry, never glancing at the people bustling about him. He walked into the men\'s room, locking the door behind him. He finally stopped at the sink, bracing his hands on the edges. He took a deep breath, and turned the hot water on, leaving a crimson hand-print behind. He scrubbed furiously, his hands, his arms, his face until all the scarlet splatters were gone. Taking a deep breath, he offered his reflection a half-hearted grin. He was ready to see Hermione.

Casually, he strolled up the stairs, and down the hallway to her lab. She was standing outside her office door, leaning against the wall, lost in thought, a forgotten clipboard clutched in her left hand. A few years ago, he would have taken the opportunity to sneak up on her, but lately few people enjoyed surprises. And sneaking up on such a clever witch was probably not the best idea. He called softly, \"Allo, Hermione.\"

\"Harry!\" Turning, she ran the rest of the length of the hallway and wrapped her arms about her neck. \"You\'re ok!\"

\"Yeah, of course I am.\" He hugged her close to him, burying his face in her hair.

\"They told me you went out with Moody on another raid.\" She whispered. \"I was so worried.\"

\"Don\'t be. I can handle myself rather well.\" He said firmly.

\"I can\'t lose you, Harry. I can\'t lose another friend . . . \" Her voice started to shake.

\"Hermione, stop that. You won\'t lose me. I promise.\" He vowed. \"We\'re going to win this war, and I swear to you, when we do, I\'m going to be standing there in the rubble, with you.\"

Hermione pulled back, concerned at the bite to his tone, but before she could speak, all the lights in the building went out, and shrill sirens pierced the air. \"What\'s going on?\"

\"Death Eater raid.\" Harry grabbed her hand. \"I\'ve gotta get you outta here!\" He looked around. \"Quick, into the lab.\"

They dashed into the room, together. Harry pulled the door shut, muttered a locking charm, and then shoved a cabinet in the way. Hermione remained close to him. \"Harry, we can\'t hide in here! We have to help!\"

\"No, *we* can\'t.\" Harry took hold of her shoulders. \"You\'re going to stay right here. And I\'m going to come back for you, I promise.\"

\"Harry, no way!\" Hermione stared at him as if he had gone insane. Harry stared back at her. If he left now, she would just Apparate out behind him.

\"Sorry, Hermione.\" And with a flick of his hand, he bound her from Apparating. Then he repeated her words. \"But I really can\'t lose you.\"


*~*~*~*(End flash back)*~*~*~*~*

Draco met Harry\'s eyes with trepidation, searching them for a spark of what used to be there. Nothing. There was no compassion, no righteous indignation, no sadness. As he continued to stare, he realized that Harry stared right back at him, perfectly at ease with being examined. The corner of Harry\'s mouth twisted up, and suddenly Draco could see one emotion in Harry\'s eyes. Fury.

\"So, what do you want to talk about, Potter?\" Draco drawled. \"Want to take a stroll down memory lane. Talk about old friends? The weather?\"

\"How about you tell me what Voldemort was going to have you do to that girl?\" Harry replied calmly.

Draco cursed under his breath. \"Kill her. Drop her off at the Ministry in the morning.\"

Harry nodded, sitting in a chair facing him. \"Running scared, isn\'t he?\"

\"Yes.\" Draco bit out.

\"Good.\" Harry leaned back in his chair and smiled. \"So, how\'ve you been?\"

\"A little worse for wear.\" He raised an eyebrow. \"Are you kidding me? That\'s the question you ask?\"

\"Well, I could ask you who your fellow Death Eaters are.\" Harry smirked. \"But I already know. I could ask you how many are left, but I know that too. I could ask you were to find them, but I can do that on my own. I could ask where Voldemort\'s hiding out.\" Harry paused and leaned forward. \"But I know that, too.\"

\"Then why bother with a truth potion?\" Draco asked, confused.

\"To make you nervous.\" Harry smiled. \"Is it working?\"

\"Yes.\" Draco refused to meet his eyes.

\"Are you scared of me, Draco?\" A hint of mischievous light glinted in Harry\'s eyes. Draco would have found it more comforting if Harry wasn\'t about to kill him.

\"A little.\" He confessed. He lifted his head up. \"Who would\'ve thought things would end up like this, eh, Potter?\"

\"Me.\" Harry\'s eyes narrowed. \"Didn\'t you? Didn\'t you know, somehow, that it would end up you and me in the end?\"

\"I suppose.\" Draco sneered. \"Always knew you were obsessed with me.\" Harry just looked at him, when it occurred to Draco that Harry had also consumed the potion. \"Weren\'t you?\"

\"Yes.\" Harry admitted, frowning. \"I\'ve wanted you since you killed Oliver Wood. You did kill him, didn\'t you?\" Harry forced his tone to be casual.

\"No, I let him go.\" Draco said softly. \"Looks like you made a mistake, Potter.\"

\"Wouldn\'t be the first time.\" He replied tightly.


*~*~*~*(flash back)*~*~*~*

Harry fought his way through the Death Eaters, working his way back towards the lab. Ahead of him, a team of five were climbing the stairs. One of them had chains. Harry shoved people out of his way, sending curses left and right as he followed them up the stairs, determined to stop them from getting to Hermione. A stupefy curse hit him, and he leaned against the rail, dizziness sweeping him.

Harry forced himself to keep moving and by the time he reached the top of the stairs, his head felt clear. At least until he saw Blaise Zabini forcing the lab door open. Harry raised his wand, aiming at the one closest to him. \"Avada Kedavra!\"

The door to the lab closed on bodybody. Harry didn\'t bother to push it out of the way, stepping on the man\'s back as he moved into the lab. Hermione was backed against a wall, throwing potions and waving her wand menacingly at her attackers. Unfortunately, there were a few too many for her to handle. While she fired curses at two to her left, Zabini took the opportunity to rush her. He knocked her wand from her hand, and wrapped an arm around her neck.

\"Hermione!\" Harry called, the intensity in his voice rolling through the room. He pointed his wand at the two who had distracted her. \"Crucio!\"

\"Ready to go on a trip, honey?\" Zabini smirked in her ear.

Hermione twisted wildly, sinking her teeth into his arm hard enough to break the skin. He eased his grip for a moment, and she struggled to get free, but he managed to get his hands on the locket around her neck. It broke off in his hand, but gave him enough time to pull her back.

\"You\'ll pay for that Mudblood. Wait until Malfoy sees you.\"

Harry moved closer, ducking curses as he went. \"Avada Kedavra.\" He whispered. \"Avada Kedavra.\"

\"Harry!\" Hermione screamed as Zabini struggled with her, forcing her arms behind her back and binding them.

\"Hermione!\" Harry killed the two Death Eaters still under his Cruciatus Curse.

\"Say goodbye, Potter.\" Zabini grinned, shoving Hermione behind him. Her bound hands touched something on the wall and she vanished. A portkey.

\"HERMIONE!\" Cold fury swept over Harry. Dropping his wand, he pulled back and slugged Zabini three times in the face. He followed the older boy down when he crumpled, ing ing his knees into his arms to hold him in place. \"Where did you send her?\" Zabini shook his head.

Harry took hold of one of the former Slytherin\'s hand, gripping one finger between two hands. Smiling, he snapped the bone. \"*Where* did you send her?\"

\"Sod off, Potter.\" Zabini panted.

Harry broke another finger. \"Where?\"

No reply. Another was broken. Zabini screamed. \"M-malfoy\'s. Sent her to Malfoy\'s!\"

Harry smiled and broke another finger. \"Are you sure?\"

\"Yes! Please, stop!\"

\"Alright, Zabini. No more broken fingers.\" Harry cupped the boy\'s chin in one hand, setting his other hand at the top of his head. Without flinching, he calmly twisted, the sound of crunchbonebones ringing in his ears as he broke his neck. \"Goodbye, Zabini.\"

He stoody up, wearily, about to head for the door, when something glinting on the floor caught his eye. Hermione\'s locket. If only he hadn\'t stopped her from Apparating. A tear slid through the blood spattered on his face. \"I\'m so sorry.\"


*********

Draco glanced again at Harry\'s smirking face, anger starting to build inside him. He was a Malfoy, dammit. And he wasn\'t going out sniveling and gritting out truths for Potter\'s amusement. If he was going to die, he was going to do it on his terms, with style. If these were his last few hours, he was going to have fun with them. And with Mr. Potter-the-big-bad-bounty-hunter.

\"So, you\'ve wanted me since Wood died.\" Draco smirked. \"You might want to h yoh your word choice there, Potter.\"

\"Wanted you dead.\"

\"No, you wanted to kill me.\" Draco pointed out.

\"Yeah, so?\"

\"So, that\'s a whole other thing entirely.\" Draco grinned. \"Kinda intimate.\"

\"Whatever floats your broom, Malfoy.\" Harry was confused. Here he was, waiting to see if he was going to need Malfoy for a bargaining chip, or if he could kill him, and it seemed like Malfoy was hitting on him.

\"You said you were obsessed with me.\"

\"Yeah, and you weren\'t obsessed with me?\"

\"Yes.\" Draco felt the word rise to his tongue unbidden. He shook it off, and tried to hold onto the offensive. \"Why do you think that is?\"

\"Because I hate you.\" Harry said with conviction.

\"I\'ll bet you do.\" Draco\'s smirk deepened. \"But, why do you hate me, Potter?\"

\"Oh, let me count the ways.\" Harry slipped off his chair, to kneel closer to Draco. \"I hate you because you think pureblood entitles you to whatever you want. I hate you because you made fun of Ron. I hate you for calling Hermione a Mudblood. I hate you for every nasty little thing you said and did to me at Hogwarts. I hate you because you\'re a Death Eater. I hate you for holding Hermione prir, fr, for turning in Snape, for every Muggle you killed. I hate you for being a coward. I hate you for . . .\" Harry bit his tongue to hold back the last part.

\"For what, Potter?\"

\"For making me choose between you and Ron that first day.\" Harry heaved a large sigh. He hated admitting stuff like that. When he had been young, he wanted friends more than he wanted his next meal. And he resented Malfoy for making enemies with him, to this day. It doesn\'t matter, anymore, he told himself. Too late now.

\"Fat lot of good it did you, choosing the Weasley\'s over me, eh?\" Draco smiled. \"They hate you now, just as much as they ever hated the Malfoys.\"

\"Seems to me I made the right choice, considering the circumstances. You\'re on the wrong side of the fight, Malfoy. And you\'re about to be on the wrong side of a very powerful little curse.\" Harry smirked back.

\"Oh, yeah, you\'re a real hero, Potter. Too bad all our fur friends hide in fear when you walk in the room.\" Draco smiled. \"But enough about how far you\'ve fallen.\"

\"How far I\'ve - \"

\"Last time I checked, heros don\'t shoot the people they save.\" Draco raised a brow. Harry stared at him, face blank. \"I don\'t think that question led us to where I was going. Let us rephrase. What is the nature of your obsession with me?\"

\"Hate.\" Harry hissed. Slowly, he pulled his dagger from his boot. He placed the flat of the blade against Draco\'s face, smoothit oit over the pale skin.

\"You know what I think, Harry?\" The dark haired boy paused, looking up at him though inky lashes, a sinister cast to his face. Draco\'s breath caught. \"I think I\'m the one of the last few things you give a damn about.\"

\"In a way.\" Harry conceded, bringing the blade under Draco\'s chin.

\"Let me tell you some things about you, Potter.\" Draco held perfectly still. \"I think your little vendetta against me is what has been keeping you going. I also think it goes deeper than this War. You\'re not a good guy, Potter.\"

\"No, and why is that?\"

\"Because you\'re attracted to power. Always have been. And you hate me, because I had a power that you would never touch.\" Draco stated. Harry\'s eyes widened for a moment.

\"Seem to be touching it now.\" Harry lifted Draco\'s chin up with the knife point. \"Are you trying to say I\'m attracted to you?\"

\"In a way.\" Draco tossed back, loving the unease he saw in the other\'s boy frame. He smirked at him. \"Aren\'t you?\"

\"I . . .\" Harry searched Draco\'s face. What was he playing at? And was he right. He could feel his heart quicken, taste the anticipation in the air. He had pinned it on excitement of the kill, but usually he felt nothing. \"I might be.\"

\"Oh, give over, Potter. I saw you in those Death Eater\'s robes. Nothing draws you like a taste of the forbidden.\"

\"Are you trying to get laid before you dielfoylfoy? Because I\'m not going to sleep with you.\" Harry grinned, hoping to rattle the blond and regain the upper hand.

\"What a pity.\" Draco sighed. \"How about a snog then, Potter. Don\'t I get a last request.\"

Malfoy had to be trying to get to him. Well, two could play at this game. \"Alright then, Malfoy.\"

Draco grinned, raising his brows in a challenging manner. Harry applied pure ure to the knife, forcing Draco\'s chin higher, and leaned down. Draco leaned forward, inadvertently digging the blade into his skin, but never flinching. He brushed his lips softly across Harry\'s, then gently tugged Harry\'s lower lip into his mouth. Harry started to deepen the kiss, but pulled back abruptly, regarding Draco with suspicious eyes. \"You taste like snake venom, Harry.\"

\"You would know.\" Harry turned and stalked from the room.

Draco could hear him as he climbed the steps. He was about to call something to him, when he heard a shimmer and a pop behind him. He froze.

\"Draco?\"