𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐇/𝐃/𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐄 2008

Songlines (1/7)

Title: Songlines
Author: silyara
Pairing: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione (side), Neville/Luna (implied)
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: EWE, dom/sub
Word count: 19500+
Summary: Draco is assigned to help Harry and Hermione find the Grangers in Australia. But along the way, the two are bonded, which changes everything.

"Remind me why he's here again," Harry whispered in Hermione's ear as they hiked across the Outback, where her parents apparently liked to spend all their free time since moving Down Under.

"Mandatory community service," she snapped back quietly, as Malfoy walked about fifteen feet above them on the trail. Considering how much of a crybaby he had been, he had been doing remarkably well, but even that got on Harry's nerves.

"But why with us?" Harry persisted. Understandably Ron had opted into staying behind, what with Fred's funeral and all, but Hermione had wanted to find her parents as soon as they could leave, which had been after the trials. Harry had naturally come. But right before they left, Kingsley Shacklebolt had sent them an owl telling them Malfoy would be coming, giving a rather slim explanation.

"He knows more magic about finding people, Harry," Hermione explained wearily. Camping had not been like this because they had Apparated, not hiked. And it was cold, as what Harry thought of as summer were actually the winter months on the other side of the world. "And," she continued, "it will help teach him about muggles."

"So that he can hate them from experience rather than in abstraction?" Harry continued whining. The muggles they had dealt with were not the most helpful.

"He's done better than you,' Hermione snapped, "You have no idea of trying to get information out of people. He politely inquired about them to the muggles working in their office. He was the one that found out they were out here."

"And I so appreciate being out here," Harry snorted.

"Finding them was never going to be a walk in the park," Hermione said.

"Compared to saving the Wizarding world? It should be," Harry rubbed his gloved hands together.

"It takes patience," she emphasized, as Hermione did every day.

"Potter, Granger," Malfoy called from ahead, "there's something here. Something magical."

"What? What is it?" Harry demanded as he sprinted up to Malfoy, except there was nothing around them. And he was looking at the ground. "Well what is it?"

"I'm not sure," he looked up annoyed, "I'm trying to figure it out." He crouched on the ground and brushed around, as if the bare ground would tell him something.

Harry tapped his foot impatiently. "Is this going to help us find Hermione's parents?"

"As I do not even know what kind of magic it is," Malfoy repeated, not looking up, "that would be a bit difficult to determine."

"You're the 'specialist,'" Harry spoke angrily, not appreciating spending any more time in the cold than necessary, "figure it out."

"We're across the world Potter, and I am eighteen years old," Malfoy replied sounding superior, "you cannot expect me to know everything about the magic here."

"Does it even matter? We just need to find her parents," Harry pushed.

"If you will not let me try to figure out what it is," Malfoy sneered, "I suggest you do not use your wand. There's no telling what might happen."

"Is that a threat?" Harry asked. He had been wary of giving Malfoy his wand back but did so in the end.

"It's the truth," Malfoy stated.