The Talented Mr. Malfoy

Chapter 1 - Harry Potter and the Confidence Man

A/N: A huge thank you to my amazing alpha/beta team (aka my new besties): LeilahMoon, who is a genius editor... why didn't I find her sooner? And Lilithmorningstar69, who is wonderful at all things plot! I am beyond lucky to have found them!

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Of all the ways Harry Potter could have been interrupted, this was certainly one of the most abhorrent. He disapproved of it greatly. He lifted his gaze, not bothering to raise his head, and trained his eyes on the source of the disturbance. It only marginally satisfied him that the target upon which he focused his wrath seemed equally – if not more – displeased. The grey eyes that rested on him so indifferently looked bored. They could very well have picked an entirely different spot to examine without much consequence. And yet, they'd elected him as their mark. He was the chosen one.

He was cuffed – the silver bonds wound around his wrists like glowing wires, illuminating the pale skin underneath. Still in Azkaban robes, Harry noted. He had expected his arrival and yet it was nonetheless an unwelcome intrusion. Harry sighed, shoving aside his paperwork, and laying his arm down over his desk resignedly. With his other hand, he gestured for the two guards to bring forth the prisoner. Considering he himself had been the one to sanction Draco Malfoy's release, Harry was terribly irked at his presence. It seemed, somehow, presumptuous.

"Leave us," Harry said to the guards in the kind of monotone he typically directed at novice trainees assigned to his division in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Once the officers were distinctly out of ear shot, Harry looked back up at his visitor. "You going to sit?" he said finally. Malfoy's gaze narrowed in what Harry presumed was mistrust. Harry rolled his eyes, adjusting his spectacles to occupy his restless hands. It's not like he'd jinxed the seat. "Relax, Malfoy," Harry said impatiently, "I can't catch you again."

Reluctantly, Malfoy used one hand to drive the chair out from under the desk. His other hand naturally followed, being attached to the first, and it hung limply while his right did all the work. The legs of the chair scraped disgracefully against the tiled floor of Harry's office. Harry let out a silent, but shuddering, sigh, reminding himself that he's been through worse.

Slowly, not unlike an adolescent miscreant, Malfoy lowered himself into the seat, spread his knees, leaned back considerably, pushed his chest out to reposition, until he finally settled in. His blank eyes were still resting on Harry's face, provoking him.

Harry lifted his eyes momentarily to the ceiling, willing some higher power to strike Malfoy down where he sat, or at least create yet another disruption that might let him off the hook. Alas, there was no such luck. Harry looked back at Malfoy, who appeared considerably more bored than one ought to be for someone just released from the Wizarding World's highest security prison. "I take it you're wondering why you're here," Harry said.

Malfoy's jaw jerked and his lips curled into his mouth. His eyes trailed along the back wall of Harry's office. Trophies, photographs, stacks of file folders lined the tops of the cabinets. "Not particularly," Malfoy said, his bored tone coinciding with the expression he wore on his face.

Harry ignored the comment and took a moment to scratch his nose, detach himself from the situation. He was only a Senior Auror talking to a convicted criminal. Not Harry Potter talking to Draco Malfoy. This was not a personal matter, and it was certainly not a personal conversation. This was strictly business. "The Department of Magical Law Enforcement has been merciful enough to grace you with an opportunity." At this point, Harry looked back up to see Malfoy's reaction to this statement.

Malfoy shifted in his seat, but only slightly. He could have just been adjusting his posture. His hand twitched in his lap and Harry thought that perhaps Malfoy wanted to bring it to his face but reconsidered, given his hands were a package deal as of late. "Merciful?" was all he said.