Fate\'s Victim

Draco managed to drag himself up off the floor where he had landed after his rather abrupt flight from the hallway into the Room. He half-walked, half-stumbled over to a large green chair, and plopped down into it without ceremony or any of the strict body control he had been taught a proper Malfoy would exhibit.



He moaned as the chair molded to his sore body gently, somehow helping to ease the aches he had acquired. “Did you have to do that, Harry?”



“Do what?” Harry asked. His brain wasn’t on what had just occurred as much as it was occupied with worrying about what could be wrong with Malfoy.



“Fling me about so wildly!” Draco exclaimed, sitting up and groaning as a growing bruise on his left forearm hit the arm of the comfortable chair.



“Well, unless you wanted to be body bound by Professor Dumbledore, then I suppose I did.” He watched as Draco’s hand briefly touched his stomach before drifting away quickly, as if such a motion were forbidden for him.



He stood and moved away from where he had been leaning against the arm of a green, floral-motif couch and ran a hand though his eternally messy hair. “So, uh…what did you want to talk to me about?”



Draco opened his mouth to speak, and was hit with the compulsion he knew Dumbledore would have included in the contract. He would not be able to speak a word about his pregnancy, or Dumbledore’s plan, as long as that contract existed. And it was a life-long contract; not to be disposed of or broken until one or the other of the contract holders died.



He closed his mouth and sighed heavily. “It seems I can’t tell you, Harry.”



“But you said you wanted to talk to me alone.” Harry looked confused. Leave it to a Gryffindor not to be able to read outside the lines.



“No, Harry, you don’t understand. I CAN’T tell you.” Draco stated, heavily enunciating can’t, and hoping that the raven haired young man would get it.



Harry stared at him for almost a full minute before a glimmer of understanding began to enter his mind.



“Some sort of curse, then?” Harry asked.



“Something like that.” Draco agreed. He settled back into the comfortable chair and pulled his legs up underneath him.



“And Dumbledore trying to stop you from talking to me…”



“Is something I can’t talk to you about either.” Harry nodded as if he had expected such an answer.



“Just how do you expect me to do anything to help you then, Malfoy. If you can’t tell me…”



“I don’t know, Harry. I know I can’t go back out there. I know Dumbledore will kill me. I know my parent’s wouldn’t accept me back now either…or, if they would, I know I don’t want them to accept me back.”



“So stay here.” Harry suggested.



“Where exactly is here?” Draco asked, eying the arrangement which was strangely attractive for a room that appeared out of nowhere.



“The Room of Requirement. It opens only when someone has need of it. And now that we’re in it, no one can get in unless either you or I allow it, or unless we leave.”



“What about food, or medical attention, or company, Harry. I mean, surely you’re not planning to stay here with me until I am safe.”



“Well I am certainly not going back out there while Dumbledore and Ron are acting so strangely. Especially not without knowing why. And anyhow, I can call Dobby for food or anything else I need.”



Draco nodded as if that had explained his grievances, and then glanced at the bed. “There’s only one bed.”



“You have it. I’m ok with the couch.”



The blond wasn’t sure about how to respond. He wanted to thank Harry for being so kind to him, or even being civil at all after all the fights they had had, and after all the insults Draco had flung at Harry and his friends. But on the other hand, Draco wasn’t sure how Harry would react to having his old enemy thank him. The fact that Harry was letting Draco call him by his first name was even a bit much, Draco thought.



Harry watched Draco stand and walk across the room to another door to the left of the bed. Draco opened it, looked in, and then disappeared into the room beyond. Harry correctly assumed it was the bathroom.



-xXx-



Half an hour later, Draco had still not re-appeared, and Harry was struggling with himself whether or not to intrude on the blonde’s space. On one hand, Harry REALLY had to pee. On the other hand, he wasn’t looking forward to having his bits hexed off. But then, he hadn’t seen Draco with a wand since…well he couldn’t remember how long it had been. But would it be safe to risk it?



Ten minutes later, his bladder won out. He went to the door, knocked on it, and waited. No sound answered back, so he knocked again, and pressed his head to the wood of the door. He thought he could hear splashing. Maybe he could sneak in and use the loo while Malfoy was busy with his bath?



He slipped his hand around the door handle and gently eased it open enough that he could slip inside. He could see Draco’s blonde hair floating on the surface of the water. The rest of the other male was submerged.



Harry momentarily wondered if he should be worried, but then realized Draco was too smart for suicide, and had probably cast a Bubble-Head charm on himself somehow.



He passed the Slytherin’s clothes neatly folded beside the large tub, and noted the absence of a wand there too. Was Draco good enough at wandless magic to not use a wand anymore? Harry himself had only mastered a few spells secretly. He hadn’t told Dumbledore, or his friends for that matter. The other two thirds of the Golden Trio were always off snogging anyhow.



He made his way to the toilet and started his business. He was well towards the end when a sharp gasp startled him, and he turned, manhood in hand forgotten, to face the soaking wet Draco Malfoy, who had obviously been on his way out of the bath when he noticed Harry there too.



The Slytherin jumped back into the large tub barely three seconds later and started to gather bubbles to him as if they were his only defense. Harry stood looking transfixed at the blonde, seemingly having forgotten what he was doing.



“Um…Harry?” Draco asked quietly from the security of his bubbles.



“Yeah Draco?”



“Did you know you’re still um…uncovered?” Draco’s blush startled Harry enough that he almost lost the blonde’s words. Finally they sank in. He blushed Gryffindor red, and hurriedly tucked himself back into his muggle jeans.



“Er, sorry Malfoy.” Harry muttered, and then fled the room.



-xXx-



Draco took his time getting out of the bath and drying himself. He wondered if it would be against the contract to show Harry his slightly bulging belly, but he guessed it wouldn’t be. Even if Harry found out he was pregnant, Draco was still prevented from telling Harry it was his child. And if he did show Harry, and Harry somehow managed to figure out it was his, what if Harry couldn’t deal with it and left? Who would Draco have to turn to then? Dumbledore wasn’t as good as people thought he was, Voldemort definitely wasn’t a good choice, his parents would take him straight to their beloved Dark Lord, and so would his old Slytherin friends, if given the chance. There was nowhere to go for him, other then the room he was bound into now with Harry.



He finished dressing and made his way out of the bathroom, surprising Harry in mid-conversation with Dobby, the old Malfoy house elf. It seemed Harry had asked the strange little creature to bring food, which he had, and they were now talking about…well who knew what they were talking about?



Draco plopped down in the green armchair again and leaned forward to grab a sandwich off the tray nearby. He was happily eating it when he sensed something near him, and turned to find Dobby hovering oddly close.



“I is knowing what you cannot be saying to Harry Potter, Master Draco Sir. I can nots be telling, Dumbledore tells me, but I has sworn myself to Harry Potter, and he has tolds me nots to tells Dumbledore what I do for you or what you is telling me. Harry Potter is a great, great Wizard.”



Draco nodded his agreement. “Yes, Harry Potter is a great Wizard.” He replied after he had swallowed his bite of sandwich. “Dobby, do you know how to break the agreement I have made with Dumbledore?”



“It is a Dark contract, Master Malfoy. It can nots be being broken unless one of the signers is being dead, Sir.”



“That’s what I thought.” Draco muttered.



“Is Master Draco to be killing Dumbledore, Sir?” Dobby asked. He didn’t seem disturbed by the idea as any other house elf might be. Perhaps he had been made aware of Dumbledore’s harmful ways.



“Probably not any time soon, Dobby. Not while Harry believes in Dumbledore over his trust in me. I cannot be risking such things right now.”



Dobby nodded and then popped out of the room.



-xXx-



It was ten at night when Harry made himself comfortable on the couch, while Draco did the same on the more then spacious bed. Draco would have liked to offer part of the bed to Harry, but he wasn’t sure quite where they stood yet. Any move he made would have to be cautious.



They muttered their goodnights and turned their thoughts inward. Each wondered what would happen next, just as each was struggling with conflicting emotions. It would be a long night, and not just for Harry and Draco.



-xXx-



Inside the confines of Dumbledore’s office, the entire Weasley clan took turns expressing their disappointment in the man they had elected to lead them. Dumbledore had once been strong. They had trusted him to lead them to a safe and wealthy future – one where Voldemort was no longer living, and where they had power and money.



Dumbledore was disappointed as well, but he reassured the group of redheaded people that as long as he lived, Draco would be bound to the contract. Not only did that reinforce his hold over the blonde Slytherin, but it also curbed any thoughts any of the Weasley’s might have about offing him for being an incompetent old fool.



The old meddler was sure he could turn this situation to an advantage yet. He just needed time.



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