To Protect and...Service

To Protect and...Service by The Coven

Author: SnapesSweetheart

Beta: Miss Nikki, Graballz

Author's note--Welcome to our second story!! We feel that "12 Inches" is coming along well enough that we can now balance our attention to another WIP. The warnings will probably change as the chapters are added, but it's pretty standard right now. We hope you enjoy!

~Graballz

Chapter 1

Undercover Lovers

“Harry, the Minister wants to see you.”

Harry Potter looked up from his reports to find Nymphadora Tonks staring at the stacks of files on his desk in disgust. It was a widely known fact that Tonks detested paperwork and as her former partner, Harry knew this well. He had also learned to make sure she was far away from the inkwell when he was filling out the papers that were sent to the Minister or their supervisor, the Head of the Auror Department.

“What does she want?” Harry asked in annoyance. He hated paperwork as well; it had to be done, though, and he hated being interrupted in the middle of it.

“Dunno, Harry, but she asked me to tell you to hurry,” Tonks told him before disappearing down the hallway. He winced when he heard something break and his former partner swear.

Some things never changed, he thought as he shook his head and put down his quill. He stacked the parchments on his desk in his own unique system for when he returned and made his way to the elevator.

He liked the Minister. He really did. Odessa Tamber had been just the person to unite the wizarding world after the defeat of Voldemort. She was a pureblood, so the worried elitists accepted her and she was extremely fair-minded, so everyone else did too. Harry thought she was a wonderful Minister and a great person. She listened to everyone but was strong enough to make her own decisions. Harry had no problem showing his support for this Minister.

Minister Tamber’s secretary was sitting at her desk outside the office, filing her nails. She beamed at Harry when she saw him.

“Oh, Mister Potter, the Minister is waiting for you. You can go in,” she said in a cheerful voice that made Harry want to growl. Normally it wouldn’t have bothered him but he wasn’t in the best of moods. He still had dozens of reports to finish and very little time to do so. Instead, he forced a smile.

“Thank you, Margie,” he replied with false cheerfulness and pushed open the door to Odessa’s office. He stepped in and stopped short. The office was a mess. Everything had been knocked off of the shelves. Broken glass and paper covered the office. Odessa was no better. Her glasses were crooked and her robes were torn and dirty. She looked very tired.

“Minister, are you alright?” he said rushing to her side. He tried to make her sit. She fought him for a moment but then sat, glaring at him.

“I’m fine, Harry. Calm down,” she said irritably. “I’m sure you know Kingsley and I’ve heard that you have met Mister Malfoy.” She waved her hand at the other two occupants of the room, who Harry hadn’t noticed until now. Kingsley was leaning against the wall near a broken window, and Draco Malfoy was sitting on one of the Minister’s guest chairs.

Harry barely resisted rolling his eyes. “Yes, I know Kingsley and Malfoy. One is my supervisor, and the other was my schoolmate. Odessa, what the hell happened?” He said. He had pulled out his wand and was absently healing her wounds. He had been relieved to find that she hadn’t been hurt badly.

“Sit down Harry and I will explain to you both,” she said in a stern voice. Harry nodded and sat down in the only open chair next to Malfoy.

**********

Draco Malfoy almost sighed aloud when Harry entered the room. He knew the Minister had sent for him, but Draco had honestly believed his former rival had gone home for the day. Draco knew it was Harry’s habit to leave early in the afternoon on Tuesdays. He wanted to groan when Harry followed instructions and sat down, looking confused and slightly angry, but he suppressed it.

He and the Savior had made a tentative peace after the war, although they would never be friends. It had been necessary for them to be able to work in the same department. Draco had joined the Aurors at the same time as Harry, and they had trained in the same class. The blond remembered hearing Harry and the Weasel excitedly making plans to go into the Auror field together, but the redhead had been absent from the start. He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t curious as to why Weasley hadn’t followed through with their childhood musings, but Draco had become an Auror to prove that he was not a Dark wizard. It had been difficult, but he thought he had done it, for the most part.

“So I imagine you noticed my office?” Odessa said with a small smile. Draco nodded and Harry gave her an impatient look. “Someone is trying to kill me. This is the second attempt. The first was poison, but fortunately for me, my tea got cold and I poured it out. It killed the plant immediately. This time, it was Kingsley who saved me by a stroke of luck but he can’t be there all the time. He and I have discussed it, and he recommended that it was time I had bodyguards before my enemy succeeds. I want you two to work together to keep me safe.” Odessa nodded sharply at each of them in turn, trying to convey that this was not open for discussion.

Harry and Draco glanced at each other warily. Despite working in the same department, they had never worked together. Harry wasn’t sure how much Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Head of the Auror Department, knew about his and Malfoy’s past, but he had taken his supervisor aside early in his career and quietly requested not to be assigned out of fear that the tentative peace they had formed would shatter if they were partners. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Malfoy had made a similar request, but so far, they had managed to keep their interactions to nods in the hallway and occasional juvenile glaring contests in the Auror departmental meetings.

“It’s an undercover assignment, and you two are the best men for the job,” Harry shook himself out of his thoughts to focus on his supervisor. “Tonight you will meet the Minister and her husband at the Remembrance Ball at seven PM. You will dress appropriately and do not bring a date. This is an undercover assignment.” Kingsley repeated, as if they had already forgotten. “The Minister will have more details for you then. Your job is to protect the Minister, and you will NOT let any petty rivalries get in the way.”

Harry nodded guiltily, stealing a quick glance at the blond sitting next to him. Luckily Malfoy looked similarly shameful as he narrowed his grey eyes at Harry. They both fervently hoped that this would end quickly. The Minister stood up and smiled, offering her hand to each of them in a friendly but businesslike handshake.

“Well then, get going,” she said cheerfully. “I’m sure you have some things you need to do before tonight. I will have the invitation for you when I meet you at the Ball.” Harry frowned at her and started out the door when a thought hit him.

“What about my paperwork?” he asked, turning back with a hopeful look. He caught Malfoy rolling his eyes, but he ignored the git, holding his breath. Odessa smiled and waved her hand dismissively.

“It can wait. I’m sure Kingsley won’t mind if you turn it in late,” she replied, throwing a challenging look at the Head of the Aurors. Kingsley rolled his eyes but didn’t dispute her statement. Harry grinned joyfully and left the room with Malfoy following him.

“Mister Potter, is everything alright?” the secretary said with a flirtatious smile. Draco paused in his haste for the elevator to listen; he was amused to see that Potter seemed to be oblivious to the girl’s obvious invitation.

“No, Margie, but could you owl Madame Malkin and let her know that I am coming in for formal dress robes? Let her know it’s urgent; I need them tonight,” Harry said with a distracted smile. His mind was on his new assignment. Draco shook his head, suppressing a smirk (and banishing to the darkest corner of his mind the beginnings of an image of the Gryffindor in a tuxedo) and took this moment to step forward.

“Potter,” he drawled. He saw the man’s smile turn brittle as he turned to face Draco.

“Yes, Malfoy?” Draco was impressed with the frosty tone, frowning as he wished it wasn’t aimed at him.

Draco looked him up and down in a condescending manner. “Make sure you get something flattering or I won’t be seen with you. Green and silver would suit you… pretty much anything but maroon with lace,” he said insultingly. To his surprise, Harry didn’t comment. The black-haired man simply nodded, but Draco caught the dark glare in his green eyes before the other man turned, walking away without another word.

Draco swore silently. He suddenly recognized the emotion that had turned Harry’s eyes a darker shade of green: sorrow. He had meant to make Harry smile with the memory of Weasley’s horrid dress robes in fourth year, but it had had the opposite affect. Draco had momentarily forgotten that Harry and Weasley weren’t friends anymore, and then he remembered why Harry had joined the Auror training program solo. Voldemort had attacked the Burrow several months before Harry finally killed him, hoping to surprise and do away with the Boy Who Lived.

Harry hadn’t even been there and several of the Weasleys had died. Arthur and Molly Weasley and their son Charlie had been killed at the house. Apparently he had moved back home to help fight in the war against Voldemort. Ginny Weasley had been taken by the Death Eaters. From what Draco had heard, she had been tortured and raped violently. After several days of this treatment, Voldemort had killed her once Harry hadn’t come after her. He had hoped to hurt Harry and lure him into a trap, but what he had actually done was give Harry more reasons to kill him.

After the final battle, Ron Weasley had blamed Harry publicly for the deaths of half of his family. Draco hadn’t been there, of course, but he read about it in the Daily Prophet later, and even he had felt a measure of sympathy for both parties (not that he’d ever admit that). It had happened at the funeral service for the four Weasleys. Ron had sworn never to have anything to do with Harry again, screaming at the black-haired man for being selfish and ‘allowing’ the surrogate family who had taken Harry in to die without even TRYING to save them. As it turned out, Harry HAD had a plan to rescue Ginny, but the Dark Lord’s impatience had been executed first.

Granger had stayed with Weasley and rumor was that she sent Harry Christmas greetings and a card on his birthday but nothing more. Not that he cared about Potter’s personal life or whether the Mudblood was still his friend, but Draco felt it was important to keep up with the social gossip, even if he loathed doing so. Draco’s attempt at humor had backfired. At this rate, their truce would be over the moment they met tonight. Draco sighed and left. He had to find his own robes for tonight.

**********

Later that evening, Harry was waiting impatiently in the hallway outside the reception for the Minister and Malfoy to arrive. He had arrived a few minutes early, as was his habit. It may not have been like that at Hogwarts, but in Auror training, he had learned to make it so. One did not show up late for Alastor Moody’s class, even if he was the Boy-Who-Lived. He shifted from foot to foot for a moment before stilling the movement. Moody would have a fit if he saw Harry showing his nervousness so publicly.

He mentally sighed. He shouldn’t be nervous but he was. He hadn’t worked with a partner in such a long time, not since Tonks. Kingsley had decided that Harry worked better alone, but that was after four partners in a row had asked for a transfer and another had quit the Auror division altogether. Harry couldn’t figure out why they had thought he was so hard to work with, but he accepted it because the alternative would have been to quit or whine, neither of which Harry was keen on doing. Tonks had been about the only one of his former partners who was still friends with him; they got on well enough but had quickly realized that they were better off NOT working as partners, and luckily, Kingsley hadn’t even suggested Harry try working with Malfoy, until now…

He sensed someone coming up behind him and spun around to find the Slytherin standing there. Harry’s mouth dropped open. He may not like him much, but he had to admit that the blond was mouth-wateringly gorgeous, on the surface. Before he could say anything, he heard the Minister’s voice behind him.

“Harry, Mister Malfoy, glad to see you here,” she said, commanding Harry’s attention away from his new partner. Her husband stood at her side with a tolerant smile. Odessa handed Harry an envelope that contained the invitation.

“You and Mister Malfoy… Draco…will be going in as dates,” she said matter-of-factly, waiting for the explosion she knew was going to happen. She wasn’t disappointed.

“Dates?!! As in, we are here together?? Dating each other??” Draco exclaimed, finding his tongue first. Harry might have taken offense if he hadn’t been stunned as well.

“Keep your voice down,” Odessa hissed, glancing around but the four of them were alone in the hallway. “Mister Malfoy, you don’t mind if I call you Draco?” The blond shook his head, crossing his arms with a stubborn, suspicious look. “The easiest way to explain your new partnership is to say that you are dating. An attack could come at any moment, and I very well can’t NOT attend these sorts of functions. It would look very odd if the two of you just ‘happened’ to be here, alone and standing around with me, so…there is your cover story. I don’t want these people to know that I have my best Aurors on the case.” Draco preened under the flattery for a moment and then shook his head.

“There has to be another way,” he protested. “I’m in a relationship.”

Harry hadn’t realized that Malfoy was seeing anyone, and the shock renewed itself, along with a slight feeling of hurt that the Auror couldn’t explain, when he found out that Malfoy wasn’t single. He hoped that his former rival didn’t know that he, Harry was and had been single or else he’d never hear the end of it. Harry did a double take, staring at his (unavailable) partner, who was staring belligerently at the Minister as if that would somehow change their situation.

The Minister gave him a cool look. “Are you saying your girlfriend won’t understand if you have to pretend to be Harry’s date to protect my life?” Her voice was hard and Draco gulped. He didn’t bother to correct her erroneous assumption about his significant other because he had paid the Prophet dearly to keep OUT of his own personal life. He had also worked very hard to get to where he was in the department. If he refused this, it could ruin his career and the plan he had to make the Malfoy name something to be proud of again. At a loss for words, he turned pleading eyes to his partner.

Harry’s gaze had switched to Odessa, but Draco thought he saw a flash of anger in his green eyes.

“This isn’t right, Odessa,” Harry said softly, sending chills down Draco’s back at the restrained, angry undertone in his words. “You could have at least warned us.” The Minister shrugged, obviously not affected by Harry’s anger.

“I have to do what I have to do, Harry. You, of all people, should understand that,” her voice was light and conversational but her next words hit both men like a blow. “Would you like to be the one to tell my children that your refusal to play along and execute this plan cost me my life?”

“Very well, Odessa, you win this time,” Harry said bitterly, stinging from the underhanded reminder of his failure to execute his plan to rescue Ginny Weasley. Harry had known that the Minister could be shrewd and uncompromising at times; he just hadn’t expected it to be towards HIM. Harry turned away from her to look at Draco, whose face was twisted in a combination of astonishment and pity, which Harry didn’t want. “So it seems we are a couple…”

Draco gaped at him open mouthed for a moment. It took him a second, but suddenly he realized how Minister Tamber had gotten Potter to agree without more of an argument. He stifled the burst of outrage (because it was one thing when Draco threw Harry’s weaknesses back in his face, but that was expected. It most certainly was NOT okay for someone else to, even if that someone WAS the Minister of Magic). Draco made a mental note to discreetly find out if she had attended Hogwarts and, if she had, whether she had been in Slytherin.

“What? I mean…” he stammered, trying to cover his emotions.

Harry hid a smug smirk as the burn of the Minister’s jab faded slightly. A speechless Draco was a rare sight indeed, and Harry wanted to savor it without being angry and bitter. Odessa gave them a pleased nod and turned to go inside. Her husband had politely stepped away when the two Aurors began protesting, and now he offered his arm to his wife, escorting her in as they heard her announced.

“Let’s do this,” Harry said, taking Malfoy by the elbow and steering him towards the still-open door. He caught sight of a crowd of curious people inside, groaning silently. Draco sighed and gave him a tense smile.

“I’m so glad we could come together, Potter,” he said in a sickly sweet voice as they walked towards the door, trying to ignore the confusing butterflies in his stomach that started when Potter touched his arm. Harry hissed under his breath in amusement. At least this assignment wouldn’t be boring.

**********