Mail Order

"Trust me, Draco, it's an excellent way to relieve stress, and after the year you've had, stress relief cannot be anything but welcome."

...

"I've picked you out some nice choices, why don't you look over them?"

...

"I'll even pay for everything you need while they're here, if you'd just take me up on the offer."

...

After months of hearing Lucius' never-ending arguments on why it would be the proper thing for Draco to do, he finally caved.

"Fine, give me the damn catalogue. If I'm doing this, I'm making my own choices in it, Father," he demanded, and smirking like the cat that got the canary, Lucius handed the catalogue over to his son.

-~-~***~-~-

Privately, Draco was disgusted with the whole idea. Mail-order lovers who were also available for marriage at times. The prospective buyer would look through the catalogue - delivered in complete secrecy to the home by discreet, untrackable owls - and choose the one they wanted based on looks, and a short over-view of stats and personality. A live-in, mail-order lover chosen out of a book, and Draco hated it. He wouldn't have even conceded to his father on it if he hadn't been terribly lonely. Narcissa had retreated to France while Britain put itself back together after the war, and Lucius, once an adamant supporter of Voldemort, turned himself in and served time in Azkaban for his crimes. Once out, he turned his attention back to the ministry, and with the shambles it had been left in, it was a prime target. No one suspected the Malfoy family of plotting against the world as a whole; they were well-behaved, well-mannered, and still had a disgusting amount of money to throw at all the right feet.

Unsurprisingly, his Father's first target had been Harry Potter, who'd completely vanished after the defeat of Voldemort. Unable to find him, Lucius turned to the ministry, and now had more power there than ever before, using his previous contacts as stepping stones. All said, Lucius was Minister of Magic in all but name, and Draco had a feeling that if Scrimgeour stuck his foot in it any more, that would change, too.

None of the faces smiling at him from the pages had any appeal. He'd flipped right through the female section without stopping; he knew he wasn't looking for a partner, he was looking for a companion. Someone his father would pay for for the next month to come and keep him company, and maybe then he'd be able to find some of his old friends from Hogwarts, and wouldn't need to pay someone to be around him.

To his great disappointment, none of the men were too appealing, either. They were all devastatingly handsome, winning smiles with too much teeth, and blank eyes. Draco felt mildly disgusted by them. Near the end were two pages filled, instead of pictures, with two enormous blank spots with question marks. Next to the question marks, but smaller, were a male sign, and female, and at the bottom, a short blurb about both.

"This is the Manager's Choice, a complete surprise. You tell us whether you want a man or a woman, and we'll send you a hand-picked lover from our best selection. Satisfaction guarantee'd, or your money back."

Just as disturbed, Draco wondered whether they'd send one of the losers from the main pages, but decided than having to decide, he'd just have them decide for him. Filling out the form, he gave his name, age, general stats, and floo address, adding that his father would be paying. Turning the order form over, he found options.

O Catalogue number ____-_____
O Manager's choice

O Male
O Female
O Surprise!

O Taller
O Shorter

O Long hair
O Short hair

O Playful
O Flirtatious
O Suave
O Bookish
O _______________

Deciding to make it challenging on them, he chose both playful and bookish, with long hair. Folding and sealing the order form, he handed it off to his father, who added his seal, and mailed it. Draco tried not to feel disgusted by the fact that his father was smiling approvingly at him for ordering a lover from a catalogue.

"You will make a fine Lord, Draco," he said, and moved out of the room with a gliding gait.

A few hours later found Draco seated in the library, enjoying honeyed tea and a muggle novel about Vampires. It was quite good, actually, told from the perspective of a baker in a smallish town who was abducted by Vampires, and subsequently rescued one of them from the same fate. He was so drawn into it that by the time the knock on the door came it startled him, and he almost shouted at them to go away when he remembered about the mail order. Certainly, they wouldn't be here already, would they?

"Finny?" He asked, glancing down at the house elf wringing it's hands together nervously.

"I is sorry, Young Master, but there is being a young man downstairs, and he is having an envelope for you." Finny produced the envelope in question, and Draco took a few moments to sit himself to read it.

"Thank you, Master Malfoy, for ordering from Mail-Order Mates! We've hand picked the best of our selection according to your specifications, and hope you have an excellent time with him! Please, remember a few rules. Your mate will have basic knowledge of healing spells, but please do not leave any lasting marks, as they leave a bad impression. Please do not terrorize or otherwise harm your mate, or we will take him back without refunding you. We can assure you that your mate is clean, friendly, and will be a perfect match for you! Should you wish to make it permanent, we ask that you inform us before the time is up, as he will return automatically at midnight precisely thirty days from today, via a very specialized Portkey that will not take you with him. Should you wish to order him again, you need only send another owl, and he will be sent back just as clean and friendly as you will find him today. Thank you again for your business, and we truly hope you will enjoy your mate."

Mail-Order Mates CEO and Manager,
Hannah Abbot and Justin Finch-Fletchley

Draco almost choked on his cooling tea as he read the names. Fucking Hufflepuffs! he grouched, but then discarded the letter beside his book, and conjured a mirror. If he was meeting his companion for the next month, he might as well make some effort to look presentable. "Finny, is he still down there?" Draco asked, and the house elf disapparated with a pop, and was back almost as quickly.

"He is being beside the window overlooking the gardens in your mother's sitting room, right where Finny left him, Young Master," the elf said. Draco nodded, and left the room, putting on his finest Malfoy mask. With those two fumbling morons in charge, they might have sent him a house elf, just to repay him for all the nasty things he did in school. That being said, he had to be prepared for any one, or anything, and the best way to do that was to conceal any emotions behind a stony mask.

Pushing the door open quietly, he eyed his companions backside. There were no hints as to his identity. He had long black hair, tied into a ponytail that fell halfway down his back. Draco could tell without crossing the room that the man was shorter than he was, which was a plus - he hated looking up to people. His clothes were muggle in nature, but Draco could see a cloak draped over his arm, and a small bag at his feet with a book sticking out of the top. It looked like it had been packed in a hurry, the book tossed in as an after thought, and Draco scowled. If 'bookish' meant that he'd be carrying an unopened copy of Les Miserables around with him, Draco would quickly disavow him of that notion. On closer inspection, the book looked dog-eared and well-read. Even if he was going to be carrying Les Miserables around with him, at least they'd made an attempt to make it look as though he'd read it countless times. Clearing his throat lightly, Draco bowed.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor," he said politely, seeing the other man turn and bow in return.

"It's a pleasure to be here, Master," he said quietly, and Draco felt the blood drain out of his face. They wouldn't have... he thought, and straightened. Harry Bloody Potter smiled at him, head tilted to an obscenely cute angle, making his shaggy black hair fall across his face enchantingly. Not even the sight of Draco caused the smile to fade.

"Why you?" he said, the calm facade cracking already. "Who sent you? Why are you here?" Draco stormed across the room, already casting for listening charms or muggle 'bugs'.

"Manager Finch-Fletchley told me that I had been requested for a month, so I came. If I'm not satisfactory, I will go and you may choose another, or you may be refunded your money." Potter bent to pick up his bag, and the bent, cracked book fell from it's perch. Draco, ever the gentleman even in these circumstances, bent to pick it up for him, and stopped dead.

Robin McKinley's name twinkled up at him from the ground, Sunshine written in sprawling letters across the front of the book. Draco thought back to his own copy, lying with a book mark in his page, back in the library.

Remembering himself at the last moment, he picked it up and handed it back. "You may stay," he said imperiously. "If you tell me why you're reading that book."

Potter gave him a genuine smile, and tucked the book lovingly back into his bag. "This is one of my favourite novels," he said honestly. "I love Robin McKinley, and The Blue Sword is my favourite book ever." There was no hint of mockery, or scorn in his tone, just open truth.

There was no hate, no disgust, no nothing in his tone to indicate that he even knew who Draco was, much less remembered him from their school days. Circling Potter like a hawk over it's prey, Draco scowled. "Do you even know who I am?" he asked, and Potter nodded.

"Draco Malfoy," he said simply, and then as an afterthought he tilted his head again, fetchingly. "My Master. Is there anything you require, Master?"

Feeling his ego inflating faster than his sense of propriety, Draco shook his head. "I'll send Finny for you when I'm ready." Potter smiled at him like he'd just decreed himself Lord and God of All and Sundry, and nodded.

"I understand, Master. I will wait for your command."

Draco spun, leaving the room quickly and tried to get Potter's haunting green eyes out of his head, and shake off the spell the word "Master" falling like honey from his lips had cast. Hoo, boy! And here he'd thought he'd be bored! Still, as amusing as it was to have Potter at his beck and call, this was a disturbing turn of events. If anyone were to find him here, they'd immediately imprison Draco and possibly his father for the kidnapping of the hero of the Wizarding World. Still, so long as no one interrupted them, he could have his fun and no one would be the wiser. Maybe this was his reward for all those years at Hogwarts, always falling just short of the mark as Potter soared above and beyond him in everything he did - except potions, which was largely due to Snape - as soon as the greasy haired Potion's Master was gone, Potter had excelled at that, too.

So, Potter was now his for the next thirty days. His father, that seedy company, and even Potter himself were expecting Draco to sleep with him, which was something he'd never even considered before. Maybe if they'd sent him someone a little more to his liking, like Blaise had been - foreign, dark, and mysterious - he'd have been able to force himself to the duty of sex. Thinking of Potter that way made him shiver, and not with desire.

More closer to disgust, he thought, and glanced down at his copy of Sunshine. It was just as thoroughly read as Potter's copy had been, but not quite as worn. He'd gone through with this for a companion, and already they had something in common. Maybe he wouldn't have to change his mind so drastically, after all.

----

Returning to his mother's sitting room, he discovered it empty, and wondered where Potter had gotten off to. He'd always been inquisitive, maybe he'd wandered off to get to know his new, temporary home. Draco searched the Manor up and down before finally realizing that he could have just called for Finny at any moment.

"Finny!" he shouted, irritated with himself for not thinking of it sooner. The house elf appeared before him bowing.

"Yes, Young Master Malfoy?" he asked.

"Where is Potter?" He folded his arms across his chest, glaring down at the elf as though it was his duty to make sure the boy didn't wander into a hole.

"Downstairs, Young Master, getting settled." Draco frowned. They were on the first floor... there was a downstairs from here?

"In the dungeon?" he asked, genuinely startled. Finny let out a short laugh before he caught himself.

"Heavens, no, Young Master. Harry is being with the House elves." The house elves lived under the Manor? Scowling now, he waved imperiously. "Take me to him," he said, not wanting to reveal he was curious about where his house elves stayed when they weren't serving.

"Yes, Young Master Malfoy." Finny snapped his fingers, and the wall next to them swung open into a doorway. It lead to some stairs, and Draco fingered the seam, wondering how long that wall had been hiding a door.

"They is being down here, Young Master," Finny said, scampering down the stairs and urging Draco to follow. Draco ducked under some cobwebs, and vowed to have them clear it out down here. The room he found himself in at the bottom of the stairs was nothing short of astonishing. There were pillows and what looked like Muggle sleeping bags covering one half of the large room. On the other side were large buckets, and tables, and even some small chairs, and in the middle, across the room, sat Harry Potter, surrounded by house elves. He was smiling, laughing even, and one of them was on their feet, gesturing wildly. The rest of them burst out in giggles as the speaking one finished his story. Finny cleared his throat, and the lot of them turned, and jumped to their feet, touching their foreheads to the ground as they did so.

"Young Master Malfoy!" they chorused. The one who'd been speaking earlier came forward. "What an honor to have the young master down here with us! If there is anything we can do for you please ask! We would do it happily!"

Potter had risen, too, and Draco could make out a larger sleeping bag amongst the smaller ones, with the book on the pillow, and the bag nearby. He also bowed. "Master!" He sounded ... Happy. "Do you require anything?" Draco was taken aback. He hadn't even known his house elves had a room of their own in the manor, and was still in shock over the impromptu discovery.

"Master?" Potter repeated, and Draco looked up into the most beseeching pair of viridian eyes he'd ever seen.

"Sorry?" Draco asked, clearing his throat. Potter smiled at him in a way that was completely innocent.

"Did you need anything?" Potter said again, doing that head-tilt thing that was either going to drive Draco nuts or make him do something he'd regret later like sweep Potter up into his arms and snog him senseless.

Drawing back to avoid either of those conclusions, he shook his head. Potter drooped a little at Draco's withdrawal, and turned as though to return to his spot. After a moments hesitation, he stayed where he was. "Are you certain?" he asked curiously.

Having gathered his thoughts, Draco looked around again. Potter was clearly under some sort of spell, he'd never be this submissive without it. Which was alternately a good thing, and bad, as it meant there would be no sudden fights or hexes, but also the fire was gone from him, leaving him seemingly emotionless. "Yes, actually, why don't you follow me? I'll give you a tour of the house." And find you somewhere else to sleep. he added silently. Even if he'd been paid for, there was no way Draco was going to allow one of his guests to sleep with house elves. Potter's expression lit up like a christmas tree, and Draco wondered how he was going to manage to keep his hands off the other boy after all. But then, there was nothing and no one but himself saying he had to. Potter'd obviously come here prepared to ... to... service him, in whatever way he deemed fit. It was Draco's own conscience that was keeping him from the carnal side of things, and if Potter didn't stop with the fluttering eyes and heart-warming smiles, he wasn't even going to let that stop him.

Potter was an attentive listener, and absorbed everything Draco told him like a sponge. When Draco pointed out the spare bedroom closest to his, he was expecting Potter to put up a fuss about moving, but he was rewarded with a smile, and a soft request for the house elves to move his things into the other room. Finny was the one who did it, and he came out with a bow to the both of them. "Young master and Harry is being most welcome downstairs with us at any time they is liking," he offered, and Harry gave up the most realistic smile yet at the notion.

"Thank you, Finny," he said, and Draco nodded. "We'd love to come down tonight after supper," he added, and Harry beamed at him dazzlingly. It was mirrored in Finny, who looked like christmas had come early.

Hell, who knew that being nice to the stupid elves was so endearing? Harry, apparently.

Lucius met them in the gardens, barely able to conceal his shock at Draco's choice in partners. Potter smiled unguardedly at him, and Draco watched the magic of that not-quite-impish grin settle over his father just as it had settled over him not too long before. Before he realized it, Lucius was inquiring after Potter's health, and status, and thoughts on being here with his son. Not long after that, Draco found his companion co-opted out from under him as Lucius lead Harry to a gazebo so that they could sit in the shade and continue their discussion.

"I've been there for as long as I can remember," Harry was saying. "I don't know where I was before that, or how long I've really been there, but Hannah and Justin are good to me and the others, and I don't really want anything special. I've got enough money to keep me clothed and fed, and they provide a place to stay in return for working for them. We don't have house elves there, we all fend for ourselves. I'm a brilliant cook, and I love to bake, as well.

"I think your house is amazing, Master Malfoy, and I'm really pleased to have been chosen as your son's companion. I've never seen such wealth or finery, it's very overwhelming."

He was so completely Potter, and so completely NOT at the same time, that Draco almost feared that Lucius might forget who their guest really was. A moment later, he was proven wrong as Lucius gave him leave to look at the ducks in the pond, and beckoned to his son.

"Draco, I do not trust this at all. The fact that he is here and you are both still alive is saying much, and I do not detect any foul spells on him - actually, there are no spells on him-"

"But how is he acting like this, then?" Draco interrupted. "I know that the war was horrible on everyone, but no one should have come out this changed." He watched Harry watching the ducks, laughing as they quacked and paddled around, almost childlike in his innocence. The Harry Potter he knew was much older than his years, had seen too much in his short life, and probably had more important things to do than to giggle at ducks in Malfoy's back yard.

"As I was saying, Draco, the spells are not on him, but upon that bracelet around his wrist. I am almost completely certain that if the bracelet were to be removed, so too would this... aberant behavior. I would advise, Draco, that you do not remove the bracelet." The last words were almost a hiss, spoken slowly so as to drive the point home clearer. Draco nodded.

"I won't, Father," he said. "I rather like my life." He smiled at Harry, who was waving to him.

"Look, Master, babies! Come see!" Curious, Draco ambled over and crouched beside him. "Look, just there behind that fall of grass." He followed Potter's point, and caught a glimpse of movement behind the green curtain on the other side of the pond. A few seconds of staring, and a passel of ducklings waded out of the shadows, following their mum around the pond as though on display. Harry laughed with unadulterated delight.

"I've never seen baby ducks before. Aren't they cute?" One inquisitive duckling paddled over to them, and was staring at the pair of them like they were the strangest things it'd ever seen. Chuckling, Draco realized they probably were. No one really came out to the gardens much since his mother had left.

"I like to hear you laugh," Harry said, turning to look at him. "You should smile more." Lucius watched the interraction from the privacy of the gazebo, wondering as his son had, just how the young hero had gotten himself into a mess like this.

-~-~***~-~-

Draco found himself deliberating over what to wear to dinner more than usual. It wasn't as though he had anyone to impress; his father wouldn't notice, and Potter was spelled to think he was handsome no matter what. He might have gotten away with wearing a burlap sack, and he'd still have gotten Potter's eyes to light up. Scowling, he considered his position. Nearly a decade ago, Harry had gone on some massive quest - everyone knew that him, Granger, and Weasley were out for something, but no one knew precisely what - and suddenly stopped, turned around, and came back to off Voldemort. He'd promptly disappeared. He couldn't have been in this for that long, someone would have seen him and alerted the authorities.

Prior to said massive quest and subsequent vanquishing of a dark lord, they'd been at school together, hating eachother day after day. What happened to that? Harry might have been under some sort of spell, but Draco was the same, wasn't he? Shouldn't he have kicked Potter out of his house the very first moment he laid eyes on him? Instead, he spoke to him, and allowed him to stay, and now he was hooked. He wouldn't get rid of Potter if someone paid him to do it, and he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was that the other man was under an enchantment. Maybe he wanted to be the hero for once, and rescue him from it. Maybe it was that he'd finally moved past childish grudges. Whatever the reason, he finally settled on a pair of slacks and a button down shirt. He rolled the sleeves up a bit in an effort to appear more casual. Eyeing himself in the mirror, he decided that he was a lot more put together than he usually was. As a younger man, he'd spent hours in front of a mirror, primping and preening, and generally trying to look his best so as to not embarrass the Malfoy name. After Hogwarts, in the aftermath of the war, he'd given up entirely, and could usually be found in a pair of jeans and a muggle 'band' tee shirt, as they were cheap, easily come by, and he didn't care if maybe he ripped them or dirtied them so much.

Slinking down to dinner, he garnered a look of surprised approval from his father, and a heart-stopping smile from Harry. "You look great, Master," he said, jumping up to pull the chair away from the table for him. Draco nodded at them both in thanks, taking his seat.

Lucius lifted an eyebrow at the display, but said nothing. He'd learned quite a lot since the war, himself. "So, Mister Potter," he started, turning his attention to Harry, who looked at him unwaveringly. "You told me earlier that you'd been doing this as long as you remember, yes?" A nod. "I'd like to know, what do you remember before coming to work for Hannah and Justin?"

Harry scrunched up his face, reminding Draco again of a small child. "I.. no.. nothing." he said, and even he had enough presence of mind to realize that this was odd.

"Do you think you are here unwillingly?" Lucius pressed. Potter - either deliberately or mistakenly - took it the wrong way, and shook his head.

"Oh, no, Master Malfoy. This is a beautiful home. I'm very pleased to have had the opportunity to be here and escort your son." He flushed a little, and Draco wondered if it was an act, or whether he was reacting naturally. Lucius seemed curious, as well, and if Draco hadn't been watching, he never would have seen the moment his father's eyes unfocused just slightly as he seemed to stare pensievely at the dark haired boy. They all three of them knew that he was casting Legilimens wandlessly and voicelessly. Harry didn't seem to mind, however, and he simply turned his attention to Draco, making sure he was comfortable and that he had everything he wanted.

Lucius stumbled backwards almost physically - if he'd been a lesser man, he might have actually pushed his chair backwards, but as it was, the only outward sign of his withdrawal was a mild jerk. "Draco, may I speak to you privately for a moment?" he said, and Harry rose.

"Please don't inconvenience yourselves on my behalf," he said, the picture of good manners. "I'll leave the room." He did so, and Lucius leaned conspiratorially across the table.

"There are so many blocks in his mind that it's a wonder that he can remember to breathe properly," he said, and his voice was tight. Draco wondered about it for a few moments, and then realized that it was anger seething below that frosty countenence. He's... pissed. And he was, though Draco didn't know the half of it. A skilled Legilimens - and Lucius was one - was able to see past the blocks and charms and memory revisions, and get at what was hidden. There were horrible things in Potter's memory, and while he was like that naturally - there were no personality shifts, the bad or unpleasant parts were just... cordoned off - he was still operating under heavy enchantments. There were memories reaching back beyond the moment he woke in their care, but they were so heavily warded in his own mind that Lucius would not have been able to see them without taking the whole system out of his mind, and he feared that the shock of that might kill the poor kid. He'd never once in his life felt pity for Harry Potter, but in that moment, he wanted to murder the fools who had all but destroyed him.

Reigning in his temper, Lucius withdrew, and visibly made an effort to calm himself. "Draco, do not allow him to see that anything is wrong. However, when your time is up, you will ask for more time with him, because I will be damned if I will allow this to go on any longer. We will buy out their entire 'stock' of people if we must, the ministry will hear of this."

At first, Draco was confused. As long as it was a nameless, faceless stranger, his father had no problems shoving his son at them. As soon as it became as personal as Harry Potter, no longer was he calm and rational, but angry, and visibly so. As he was considering it, he realized the political ramifications of such a move, as well. If Lucius were to rescue the hero of the world from a fate worse than death, publically putting behind him the animosity of years past, it would make the Malfoy family look like a shining star in a sea of useless idiots. He glanced at his father, who was looking at him approvingly. "Very good, Draco," he said, and Draco realized he'd been trolled, and that Lucius had watched him work it out as he was doing so.

"Come on back in, Harry," he called, and when no one re-entered, he frowned. "Finny, where's Harry?" he asked, and Finny, who was laying out plates and other assorted dishes shrugged before vanishing mid-task. No less than a few seconds later, he reappeared and resumed setting places while Harry burst in breathlessly. "I'm sorry, Master!" he said, and looked genuinely worried. "I was looking at the Gardens again. They're truly magnificent at night, but I wandered down the hallway and didn't hear you. Please do not be angry." He returned to his seat with his head bowed, and shoulders hunched, almost as though he were expecting to be punished. Draco raised a hand, and he flinched, and blinked when it was laid calmly on his shoulder.

"It's alright, Harry. You're here as a guest, not a servant." Harry relaxed at that, and Draco scowled into his soup. Harry behaved as a beaten house-elf, not a live-in lover, and he wondered just what it was his Father had seen behind those expressive green eyes.

"Best you not find out, Draco," Lucius murmured in response to his thoughts. Draco nodded, and passed Harry a bread roll.

-~-~***~-~-

Draco was watching Harry getting settled in the spare bedroom, and debated with himself. None of them would think anything of it if he gave in to his natural reaction to invite Potter into his bed - for nothing more serious than conversation, of course! But at the same time, he didn't want the stigma that came with knowing that everyone - his father, Harry himself, the house elves - would think that he'd done it to sleep with him. Harry might even be disappointed that Draco wasn't interested in him like that. But at the same time, he didn't want to leave him alone in this bedroom, despite the fact that they were separated by nothing more than an extravagantly large bathroom.

Still, the thought of Harry sleeping in here - alone - bugged him, and once the clothes and belongings he'd brought with him had been tucked away in the chest of drawers, Draco cleared his throat. Harry turned to look at him, expectantly, and Draco, leaning on the door frame between the bathroom and the bedroom, found that in the face of that curious gaze he couldn't meet the other boy's eyes. "I was wondering if you'd... stay... with me... tonight?" he said, pausing to gather his wits between every word. Harry glanced at the bed once, and then Draco found himself with an armful of Potter as the other boy snuggled against him.

"Master, I would love to stay with you tonight," he said, among other things. Draco gave him privacy to change into his pajamas, and used the opportunity to change himself, and when Harry appeared in his room looking almost nervous in a set of oversized pajamas. He'd always worn too-large clothing in school, something that amused Draco to no end, but here, it made him seem less dwarfed, and more.. cute.

"Come on, then," Draco offered, shifting over and holding the blankets up. Harry climbed in, and settled himself.

"Is there anything you want, Master?" he asked, and Draco frowned at the wall.

"Just to talk, tonight, Harry." He said, and tried to tell himself that he was imagining the way Harry's face fell. "May I see your wrist?"

Confused, Harry exposed his forearm, and Draco leaned close over him to study the delicate silver bracelet. It had no seams, but was much to small to have been slipped over his hand. "Does this come off?" he asked, and Harry shook his head.

"Of course not. Why would I want it off?" He said it with such honesty that Draco found himself furious. Turning to Harry, it was all he could do not to start shaking him.

"You dolt! This isn't you! This thing is keeping you prisoner inside yourself, don't you realize it?"

Harry bit his lip, silently letting Draco rail at him, and when he'd expended his ire, Harry nodded. "I know," he said quietly. "It keeps me from thinking things like taking it off. But... I'd rather wear it, and be happy. Besides, because of this bracelet, I was allowed to come here, and meet you, Master."

Draco felt horrified. "You don't want it off? They're making a slave of you, and you're happy that way? You're not a house elf!"

Harry pulled away slightly, and Draco felt like he possibly crossed a line. "I know that," he said. "But would you like me better if I was?" The look he passed over to Draco was hurt, and longing, and pained and desiring all at once. Draco gathered him into his arms, and as Harry clung to him, Draco wondered what was better. A life spent with Harry who was no better than a mindless doll? Or freeing him and letting him run as far and as fast away from Malfoy Manor as he could possibly get? For that, Draco was certain, was exactly what would hapen as soon as Harry had all his wits about him. The former death eaters might have suddenly developed a soft spot - whether intentionally or not - for the bespectacled boy, but once the magic had been shaken out of his brain, he'd have a life to get back to living. "No, Harry, I wouldn't like you better if you were a house-elf," he said quietly. "I'd like you better if you were you again."

There was a long silence, and Harry pulled away and laid down, turning to face away from Draco's side of the bed. "Yes, Master," he said after a while.

-~-~***~-~-

"Young master is being awake now, yes?" Finny's irritatingly high voice interrupted a most pleasant dream about a three way between himself, Harry, and Blaise Zabini, and he was reaching for Harry before he even registered the sun shining in the windows. He jerked awake when his hands encountered nothing but cold sheets. "Awake, young master!" Finny repeated, stamping its foot.

Blearily, Draco cracked open one eye far enough to realize that the sun wasn't high enough in the sky for it to be a decent hour for him to be awake, Harry was indeed gone, but the bathroom door was shut and the shower was running, and Finny was glaring balefully at him. He blinked once into the bright light and groaned, shoving his head under his pillow. "Not now, Finny." he mumbled, and heard a sigh.

"Harry is wanting to be spending today with you, Master Draco, and is telling Finny to wake you up."

Draco pulled his head out from under the pillow, not caring that his hair was now charged with static and likely as wild as Potters. Still groggy, he asked suddenly, "Finny, are you a boy or a girl?"

The house elf drew itself up to it's full height of three foot two, looking affronted. "Finny is being a girl, young master, as always."

Draco blinked again, and sighed. "Oops." Maybe naming the thing after his Black ancestor, Phineas Nigellus, had been a mistake after all. Still too tired and sleep-addled to do much more than blink against the bright sunshine, Draco lounged in the bed while function returned to his brain. He'd almost succeeded when Harry chose that moment to step out of the bathroom clad only in a small black towel wrapped round his waist.

"Sorry, Master," he said meekly as Draco made a choked noise and hid his reddening face back against the pillows. Draco waved off his apology, and he gathered his clothes and returned them to 'his' room, where he dressed. After the dream Finny'd woken him from, seeing a scantily clad Harry was not what he'd've chosen for first thing in the morning. Realizing that at any moment, Harry was going to come back in, fully dressed, and Draco was going to need to get out of the bed, and into the shower, with neither the house elf nor his companion realizing that he was clad only in boxers, and that said boxers were currently tented away from his stomach by his morning erection. Helped nothing at all by the appearance of a towel-clad Harry and that damning dream. Sending Finny away to make sure Harry had need of nothing, Draco clambered out of the bed and gathered some clothes to put on after he showered.

Scurrying into the bathroom, he made sure the doors were locked, and settled in. Draco loved showering. It was his 'me' time, when he simply let his mind wander wherever it went. Usually it was prime wanking time, too, and after the morning he'd had, he didn't waste the opportunity. Body relaxed from orgasm, he washed his hair quickly, and stepped out, drying himself with charms. He dressed quickly, wondering what Harry wanted to do. All Finny had revealed was 'spend time with him,' which, all considered, could mean that he wanted to snog him senseless, or drop him off the top of the Eiffel Tower. He combed his hair until it lay flat, but didn't bother to style it before exiting the bathroom. He found Harry back in his mothers sitting room, and somehow, it was normal to see him there. The room had been empty since she'd gone, and now it had someone to love it again. Draco was glad that his father was planning on keeping Harry around, and wondered how Harry himself would respond to that. He was pleased to note that they'd chosen nearly identical outfits, black slacks with black trainers, and button down shirts. Draco's was pale blue, and set off his hair and turned his eyes blue, while Harry's was black, and made the pure green of his eyes the most prominent feature noticed. Draco blinked a few times, making sure he wasn't hallucinating, and smiled broadly. "You look fantastic," he said. Harry blushed slightly.

"I'm glad you think so. If you don't mind, I'd like to take you out today. I know where we can go, and no one will recognize either of us. It'll just be the two of us, all day."

Draco could think of nothing he'd like better, and nodded. "I'd like that. Do I get a hint?" Harry shook his head.

Draco closed his eyes, and took Harry's arm, and felt a strange pull at his body. When he opened his eyes again, they were in a small alleyway, and Draco paused.

"How did you apparate through the wards?" he asked, the realized it didn't feel like Apparation.

"I didn't. Finny lowered them for me, and it wasn't Apparation, besides. I don't know what to call it. If I want to go somewhere, and I've got my Master with me, I can go." He shrugged. "I'm sorry, Master, but I can't explain any better than that." Draco shrugged it off.

"Where are we going? Where are we AT, for that matter?" Harry remained tight-lipped about the plan. The passers-by on the street were speaking English, so that was promising, but it wasn't the clean English he was used to. Stopping dead, he pulled at Harry's arm.

"Tell me we're not in America," he said softly, and Harry looked so panicked that for a moment, Draco feared he'd throw himself in front of the bus. "No no, it's alright, but how did you DO it?"

Harry looked relieved. "I'm sorry, Master. I can't tell you. I don't know. I just wanted to be here, and we were." Draco smiled at him, hoping that he was being reassuring. Harry relaxed a bit, and he assumed he'd succeeded.

"This way, Master, come on," Harry said, tugging him. He was excited, reminding Draco of a young child. Draco allowed himself to be taken along, still wondering bemusedly where they were.

He didn't have to wonder long. He found that they were in a smallish town, and Harry was taking him towards a carriage-ride. Dozens of Muggles were passing it by, and Draco realized that it was hidden from them, much like the Leaky Cauldron. "Is this a Wizard-?"

"Yes, Master," Harry said, nodding. "The Muggles can't see it. It ensures complete privacy, so anything we say will not be overheard by anyone. I've never been here, but I've heard wonderful things about it."

The underlying hope in his voice - I hope it's good, I hope you like it - made Draco determined to have a good time whether he would have under normal circumstances or not. As it turned out, he had a wonderful time.

He learned a lot about Harry, who he was now, and what he did, and he revealed far more about himself than he normally would have. They shared personal stories, and for a long time, argued over whether or not Con would stay with Sunshine in the novel they both enjoyed so much.

Harry had the driver stop at a lake, and they picnicked on a blanket spread on the grass, the horse-drawn carriage not far. It was one of the most magical dates Draco had ever been on. Harry had one last surprise, and instead of taking them straight back to England as he'd taken them to America, they instead found themselves at an airport, and they flew like Muggles back across the water. Draco was entranced. It was dark by this time, and they were flying first class on a luxury plane. Flying over the city lights was amazing, and when they were served a fine dinner, Draco realized that in one day, his companion had made him happier than he'd been in years.

"Harry, I'm so glad they sent me you," he said as they were finishing their drinks. Harry glanced at him, a pleasantly surprised look on his face.

"Master?"

"Yes. You were an excellent choice in partners, and I have never had so much fun doing such.. muggle things.. in my life. Thank you." Draco's eyes were soft, and his lips turned up, and Harry's face reflected such childish happiness, that by the time they realized they were kissing, they'd had time to move past the tentative pressing stage and into the moving stage. Draco found himself with Harry practically in his lap, and he didn't mind. His hands slipped around Harry's shoulders, and stroked down the soft fabric covering his amazing body, eliciting shivers from him. A plane was not where he planned to have his first anything with Harry, though, and he pulled away after a few more moments.

"Not here," he whispered, and Harry nodded, agreeing.

-~-~***~-~-

It was nearly midnight when they arrived back at the Manor, a little inebriated, and giggling like school-children. Draco half-expected Lucius to be glowering disapprovingly at him from the sitting room as he passed by, but apparantly the elder Malfoy had decided that his son could indeed take care of himself. Draco considered what he was about to do, and only managed to hate himself a little bit for it. Leading Harry upstairs, he closed his bedroom door, and pressed the smaller man against it with a kiss. Harry responded eagerly, arching his body against Draco's in a way that brooked no argument.

Clothes were shed as they made their way from the door towards Draco's bed, somehow without breaking contact, and when Harry's knees hit the bed, Draco kept pushing until they were sprawled across the comforter.

The last coherent thought in his head was the pure acceptance in Harry's eyes, and he watched as it shattered and became desire.


The next morning, he woke with the sun. Harry was still sleeping beside him, curled on his side towards Draco's warmth, a small smile on his face. They'd come together several times the night before, and Draco was still exhausted. He knew what he needed to do, however, and was glad he didn't regret it.

With a few whispered spells, he managed to get the bracelet off. Harry moaned in his sleep, his brows furrowing, and Draco torched the piece of magic. He quietly snuck into Harry's mind, and undid the blocks one at a time, giving Harry time to readjust to having his mind back.

The sun was high in the sky by the time he retreated, even more tired than when he'd started, and Harry jerked awake. Draco watched as everything flit across his face, his emotions as easy to read as words on the page of a book. Surprise, that the bracelet was gone. Shock as he realized he wasn't anywhere he recognized immediately. Panic as he realized he'd woken up in Draco's bed. Disgust as he remembered everything he'd gone through before. Draco watched quietly as he sorted himself out, and then bolted from the room. Sighing, the blond man rose from the bed, and instructed Finny that she wasn't to let Harry out of the Manor until he'd had a talk with the other man. She agreed slowly, and went to find Harry.

Draco dressed slowly, his mind still struggling to catch up through the mire of his exhaustion. He'd gotten almost no sleep the night before, and the amount of power and concentration needed to undo all the damage done, he was running on borrowed time. He needed all the energy he could get to deal with Harry, however, and he intended to make that his first priority.

He found Harry, with Finny's help, in the House elves room, occupying the same place Draco'd first found him the other day.

"Harry, are you okay?" he asked softly, approaching slowly. Harry looked up at him, and nodded.

"I'm getting there." His voice was normal again, and Draco was almost relieved that there would be no more 'Master's from him. At the same time, he knew he'd miss them. Schoolyard grudges were easily set aside after so much time, but the deep almost-hatred was not, and it had given him a bit of a thrill to hear Harry Potter calling Draco Malfoy Master.

"Do you need anything?" Draco pressed, and found himself once again with an armful of Harry. Instead of being amorous this time, however, he was trembling with fear, or repressed tears. Draco wasn't sure which.

"Just hold me for a moment. This is all so.. so sudden. Thank you." The words opened a flood-gate within Harry, and suddenly he was babbling out his whole story to Draco.

"It was just after the war. I had killed Voldemort not two days before, and everyone was starting to rebuild, you know, pick up the pieces, and start on with a new life. I was at a bar, waiting for Ron, and I turned my head to look at the telly. I didn't see anyone drop anything into my drink, but they wouldn't have had to been near me to do it, but that's the last thing I remember. Then I was with Abbot and Finch-Fletchley, and I couldn't move, or anything, and then they had this thing around my wrist telling me what to do, and how to do it, and I've never been able to get free, Draco the things I've seen, the things I've done --" He yanked himself out of Draco's embrace suddenly, and huddled against the wall. "I'm not worthy to touch you," he whispered, and Draco gathered him back into his arms.

"You're worthy enough to do anything you damn well please, Harry," he said. Harry blinked at him.

"You've changed." Draco nodded.

"I've had a lot of time to think about what needed changing. For the better, I hope."

"Yes." Harry nodded. "Do you think... is there any way to put the blocks back? I don't want to ... have to deal with that anymore."

"Harry, the blocks were in place because of that bracelet. It'll take a better Legillimens than me to put them in voluntarily, and I really -" he was interrupted by a yawn, "-don't think I'm qualified, even on a good day." That being said, he toppled over into Harry's lap, quite unconscious.

-~-~***~-~-

Finny found Lucius, and together Harry and the elder Malfoy got Draco back into his room. Lucius noticed the difference in Harry immediately, and questioned him about his time spent with the former Hufflepuffs.

"It wasn't bad," he said. "I had a place to stay, and food, and pretty much anything I wanted, I just had to go to whomever they sent me to, and do whatever they wanted. It... was terrible at first, but I got used to it, I suppose."

Lucius brought him up to speed about what was happening while he'd been tucked away as a slave, and Harry agreed to help, something that already wasn't sitting right with him. Lucius had tried more than once to kill him during his school years, and again during the war. He didn't quite believe he'd changed too much in the intervening time.

"I have not changed, Harry, I've simply... better'd my ambitions. It would no longer be advantageous to kill you - besides which, Draco would throw three kinds of fits if I even dared try - and I have much to gain from cooperating with you. I am... proud of Draco, and what he managed to accomplish with you. At the same time, I am proud of you, for bringing about a part of Draco he did not see within just a few days. You have been good for one another, and you are welcome here in the Manor."

Harry blinked several times, trying to reconcile the considerate, polite man before him with the memory of the death eater he faced on the battle field. "Thank you, sir. It means a lot to me. I do not like to think I have nothing to go back to, after all."

"So, Harry. When you first arrived on our doorstep, I made plans with Draco to ... how to say.. undermine the plans of these two. Say, by, buying out their company and releasing the people still in servitude back into their lives."

Harry gaped at him. Then it really sank in, and he smirked. "What a beautiful politic move, sir. The families of those people will be so grateful, I'm sure they'd throw themselves from cliffs like lemmings if you asked."

"Well, Harry," and Lucius leaned in conspiratorially. "Let them be glad I do not ask it."

-Fin-

AN: WOW. This thing is friggin HUGE! And it's not chaptered! YAY! This is a big accomplishment for me. I'm so glad I finished it, too! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! This is the big project I mentioned before, and now I'll turn my attention fully onto Rebirthing. If you've not read that yet, please do! I think it'll turn out well, too. But only if you review as much as you can. I love reviews, especially if they're wacky.