Staking Claims

Disclaimer: The H.P. Universe is NOT mine; I just like to play in it.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews; they help me stay focused so keep ‘em coming.

*

He had woken up to what sounded like the entire house of Weasley downstairs in the kitchen. Not to mention he picked out the unmistakable voices of a certain werewolf he knew didn’t like him and a man who had turned him into a ferret in fourth year, even if it wasn’t really the same man at all, it still made Draco uncomfortable.

/I was such a berk. How do I go about ‘wooing’ someone, especially someone as delectable and disagreeable to me as Potter? He’s just not seducible, he’s perfect Potter, he wouldn’t dare think of me that way. /

He sighed heavily and sat up in bed. He languidly pulled himself towards the bathroom wanting to take a nice hot shower, he needed to think.

The bathroom was maroon and black, although Draco thought it seemed surprisingly bright for the color combination. He found that it kept him alert and his mind moved fast as the hot enchanted jets soothed his tired muscles and his fatigue ebbed away. He closed his eyes and imagined Potters darkened eyes as Draco fed from him and the small smile before he passed out cold. He figured that Bumbledork meant for Draco to enter fearlessly into the Lion’s den to try and seduce Potter, but Draco had heard what happened to snakes that ventured into the company of Lions, they were trampled. This was not going to be easy, he needed an approach. Turning off the water and gingerly stepping out of the black porcelain tub he decided he needed a plan.

/First things first, what do I wear? /

He wanted to appear relaxed and casual so first thing he vetoed all of the oxfords and button up’s and anything silk. Then he pushed aside all of the creased trousers and obviously his robes, opting for something more, muggle. This left him with two pairs of low slung jeans (although they had been extremely expensive), a pair of grey slacks, three white t-shirts and one in black, a white wife beater and one black hooded sweatshirt. Deciding on the wife beater and the more faded of the two jeans he looked at his shoes. Not one pair could be considered relaxed unless you counted his worn in Quidditch boots, which did not go with the look. Finally after much mental debate Draco thought better of going barefoot then anything else, he figured since we was going commando and in such obvious lounging clothes, why ruin it with shoes.

/Now what? I look hot but what do I say? /

He stared at his reflection in the mirror. It was ancient mirror and the gold patina was showing through the worn bits, normally he would have thought this was a charming artifact, but today it was no such thing. Today it taunted him. “Hello Po- Harry. No, no, no. Okay. Er-” He took a deep breath, “Hello Ha- oh bloody hell this isn’t working! I can’t do this, what was I thinking?!?” Huffing, Draco threw himself down on the bed and looked up at the creamy paneled ceiling.

“What about, ‘Hello Harry, I think you’re hot and I want to fuck you.’ Yeah?”

Draco sat bolt upright and frantically scanned the room.

“Whose there?” He waited and was about to get up to flee when the voice answered.

“In the mirror cutie.” Draco spun his head in the direction of the antique and cautiously rose to approach it. “Don’t be shy love; I’m only trying to help.”

“It’s none of your damn business.” Draco sneered in retort; he walked closer and saw his reflection only laughed.

“That bad huh?” Draco glared; he hated talking mirrors, “So it’s the boy? The dark haired one from yesterday, is that Harry?” Draco froze. Slowly turning he eyed the mirror apprehensively.

“How do you know about that?”

“I’m a mirror; I’m essentially one big window. You were both in here, I saw the whole thing. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on and maybe I can help?”

/What could it hurt; I have to tell someone, what a better someone then a ‘something’? Even if does look like I’m talking to myself. /

Shrugging Draco walked back to the mirror and tried out a small smile.

“Well, you see I found out-” … “-and now I can’t stop wanting him. Dumbledore, you know Dumbledore, well he suggested I try to ‘woo’ him instead of forcing him, but he hates me. This is one enormous cluster fuck!” The mirror image smiled calmly while Draco sighed and dropped his head to his chest.

“Look here blondie, the boy likes you or he wouldn’t have answered the call, you just have to get him to realize he likes you. Have you tried maybe being nice to him?”

/ Hmm. I guess I haven’t really. /

“Well I haven’t been mean to him if that’s what you’re asking.”

“It’s not; I asked if you’ve been nice to him, there is a difference.”

“Oh, well-er, no. Not exactly.” The mirror clucked.

“When will you kids learn that pulling each others pigtails will only get you so far?”

/What? /

“What?”

“Forget it. You can also forget walking up to Harry and starting with something like, ‘Hi Harry, I was just wondering, I think I love you, do you love me?’ I know you want to but it’s just too soon.” Draco sighed, nothing is ever that easy. “Start with, ‘Hiya Harry,’ you have to be relaxed. Then invite him to say, play Quidditch or maybe offer to make dinner”

“How do you know it’ll work?” Draco quirked an inquisitive eyebrow at the gilded mirror.

“Didn’t I forget to mention, I’M A MIRROR?!? I see everything going on in the house Mr. Malfoy; all the mirrors are connected, like the paintings. You’d think I’d know a bit about the occupants.”

“Oh. Sorry. Okay, well, here it goes, how do I look?” Malfoy smiled his most genuine smile. His eyes lighting up as he thought about his soon to be mate. The dazzling smile was not the smirk he was accustomed to but it felt oddly relaxed, less phony.

“Stunning.” His reflection winked and leered at the blonde, making him blush scarlet. “Off you go now.” Draco steeled himself for the trip into the lion’s den with a breath and was out the door.


The kitchen was a bustle with activity. The twins, whom Draco couldn’t tell apart, were talking animatedly to Hermione; she was earnestly nodding and laughing. Draco noticed in the split second he was in the room that one of them was casually touching her lower back. He always figured she’d end up with a Weasley, he had just never thought it would be one of those two. His eyes focused on Harry, he was sitting at the table between Ron and Lupin and across from Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody. The room went silent. The only thing Draco could hear was the frantic beating of his heart. He could smell Harry from his position in the door and the scent quickened his pulse all the more and heated his flesh.

/Say something. / But he said nothing. Thankfully Harry noticed the sudden silence and turned to the door.

“Malfoy.” Harry seemed calm enough and it helped to ease Draco.

/You have one chance. BE NICE. /

“Harry.” He nodded, “Mrs. Weasley.” Draco turned to address the woman who was standing in front of the counter magic-ing books and things into the cupboards. She looked shocked for a moment but smiled a small smile.

“Good Morning Mr. Malfoy.” Draco cringed; she had made him sound like his father and he knew they all hated his father.

“Call me Draco, please.” He smiled as warmly as he could, and on a chance, broke his gaze from Mrs. Weasley. He nodded to the room in general and with a nervous hand pushing hair from his eyes, he greeted them.

“Good Morning.”

/Say something you dolts. / After a beat Granger answered, to his shock she appeared to be in good spirits.

“Good Morning Draco. How did you sleep?” At this a completely shocked Weaslette shook with rage. He could see her face begin to change color, slightly darkening. Her blue eyes bore into his chest but he ignored her. Focusing on Granger he smiled again, liking the easiness of it. He knew not to flinch. Gryffindors and Aurors alike respected courage and he would be damned if they saw him sweat.

“Feeling better thanks. Harry’s unwitting donation helped quite a bit.” He laughed and to his surprise so did Hermione and the twins and even Harry and Lupin. Mrs. Weasley did not however but Draco didn’t think it had anything to do with him and more to do with the endangerment of Harry’s safety. Alastor Moody just sort of studied the young blond, not quirking a smile but not frowning either, his magic eye whirring in the socket and rotating idly. One of the twins walked up and clapped Malfoy’s shoulder, the other one walking up behind him.

“Yeah, Harry can be-” The first one stepping to Draco’s right and the other to his left, speaking to him respectively.

“-a bit nosey can’t he.” They both laughed and Hermione was positively beaming. Draco realized his body had gone rigid and it seemed the Weasley twins noticed as well. “Calm down Mate, we-”

“-figure. Live and let-”

“-live. You’re on our side now and-”

“-we can’t all be fighting all of the time.”

“We’d never get anything done. Yeah Fred?”

“Absolutely, George!” With that the one called George ruffled Malfoy’s pristine hair and walked back towards Hermione. Fred it seemed was hungry because he started towards the newly stocked cupboards.

“They’re right Draco,” it was Lupin this time, “We don’t blame you; you had no idea that might happen.” The warmth in Lupin’s voice stunned the youngest Malfoy, who stood with his mouth open.

/Maybe because he’s a Were-/ He was shocked from his reverie by a screeching cry.

“You believe HIM!?!” Draco’s eyes centered on the young ginger haired girl stalking up to him. HE hadn’t even looked at her since the time he walked in. Had he checked, he would have noticed her seething next to her mother and Ron. Her blue eyes were wild and the hair on her arms standing up. She was now approaching him with her wand out looking, in Draco’s opinion, murderous. Everyone else thought so too because no one moved. “What do you mean it’s not his fault? Of course it is! Why did Harry have to get hurt, almost killed and…marked,” Her voice dropped an octave, sounding disgusted by even the thought of Draco touching Harry, “by this blood sucking fiend, not to mention a vampire.” The smirk he had plastered on when she began screaming fell form his face. Her scathing remark about Draco being a blood sucking fiend before he was a vampire hurt. But he knew he had earned and dropped his head, waiting for her to hex him or tell him to leave.

/Does Harry feel the same way? / Tears welled in his eyes but he blinked them back. /Wait no, if they can forgive me, so can she. That Bitch! How dare her! / He threw his head back up and raised his wand. Ginny had thought she’d won but he’d caught her off guard.

“Protego!”

“Expelliarmus!” Her wand flew through the air and into Harry’s outstretched hand.

***

Mrs. Weasley and Ron grabbed Ginny and yanked her back to her spot between them, Fred and George both yelled her name in shock. Lupin’s wand was out and pointed at her, as was Moody’s. Hermione’s shield charm sparkled for a few moments befor she let it fall completely.

Everything had been going so well and it was just like Ginny to loose her temper and muck things up. It was unusual, however, for her to loose her temper when she hadn’t even been provoked in the first place. The minute Ginny’s wand was out and pointed at Draco’s chest, Harry’s wand was out as well. Not only was Draco not provoking her, or anyone else for that matter, he had been by all accounts, pleasant. Hermione and the twins both treated Draco as if the history between them disappeared and Lupin, Harry suspected, felt sorry for the Slytherin. Finding out he was, like Lupin, a potentially dangerous magical creature. Hell, even Molly Weasley had been nice to him, maybe not warm but she had been at least civil. Ginny’s sudden outbursts were beginning to grate on Harry’s nerves and he resented her trying to protect him.

“But Harry-”

“No, Ginny.” He calmly looked at her. “Look I don’t need your protection, least of all from Draco. It was an accident that he fed on me and he’s healthier for it. And besides I’m feeling good as new anyhow.” He walked towards them and handed Ginny her wand, looking sidelong at Draco who appeared stunned, but smiling an almost imperceptible smile, just a faint lifting at the corners of the blondes mouth.

“Harry I didn’t mean to.” Mrs. Weasley glared at Ginny, silencing her with a slow, disappointed shake of her head.

“Ginerva Weasley you apologize to Mr. Ma-Draco,” She smiled reassuringly and winked at Draco, “for your behavior.” Ginny narrowed her eyes.

“Sorry Malfoy.” Harry shifted uneasily; Malfoy would have to accept this apology with no trouble if he was to stay in everyone’s good graces. Especially Ron’s, who had not said a word to the blond, only looked on appraisingly. He wasn’t exactly sure why this mattered to him, but he imagined it was because he felt bad that Malfoy had sincerely tried to be nice and Ginny had almost ruined it by bringing up old prejudices.

/Please Draco. Just once, let it go. / Draco ran a pale hand through his hair and rested it on the back of his neck. Then the unthinkable happened.

“Sure Ginny, I deserved a bit of that. But you know it’s NOT my fault this happened. But I’m not sorry it happened either. It’s put some things in perspective.”

/YES! Wait, yes? Why do I care?.../ Mercifully no one noticed Harry’s groan of frustration, though he thought he saw Malfoy’s eyes flicker to him.

“Well said Mr. Malfoy.” It was the first time the Auror spoke, his gruff voice jerking Draco’s gaze to him. Harry meanwhile was staring directly at Lupin who was beaming. Harry couldn’t believe his eyes and ears. An Auror complimenting a Malfoy and Lupin smiling like it was Christmas early.

Eventually Ginny sat down, promptly ignoring Draco, who also sat at the large table for breakfast per Mrs. Weasleys demand because he was ‘too thin.’ Harry thought Draco wasn’t too thin at all, lithe if anything, although he opted not to say so. He quickly shoved these thoughts from his mind, figuring he felt that way because he and Malfoy had similar builds, seekers builds. The Weasleys would be leaving after breakfast and Harry anxiously killed time before he would be left totally alone with Malfoy for the first time. He was nervous but if the new Draco didn’t disappear when the company left, Harry didn’t think he would have too hard of a time dealing with the blond.

/Who knows, maybe he’s not so bad…maybe. / He hoped his confidence in the Slytherin wasn’t ill founded.