The Contract : Book II [Draco/Harry]

Chapter 2: Et Leonem Stolide Ferocem

"No."

Narcissa waited for Harry to elaborate, but he was looking down at his scruffy sneakers in defiance. Draco tried really hard not to read too much into Potter's refusal. His mother cleared her throat exchanging a quick glance with his father, who was holding on to his wand so tightly his knuckles had gone white.

"Forgive me, but I must ask you to elaborate Mr Potter?"

"I refuse. You can't break it if one of us refuses, right?"

Potter was blundering through blindly as usual, he was grasping at straws, and his mother certainly seemed to think that. She was smiling pleasantly now.

"Mr Potter - Harry - after the indelicate events of the previous summer, I thought you would agree, that the Dark Lord learning of your marriage to Draco would paint a target on his back -"

"You put that target on his back, a long time ago."

Potter's angry interruption rattled Narcissa's monologue, she pursed her lips, touching Draco's father's wrist gently, lowering his wand slightly. Draco brusquely decided to get his say in.

"Potter -"

Potter looked up for the first time since Draco's parents had broken the news to him. Draco was taken aback by the look of hurt that flashed across his face for the briefest of moments.

"Is that what you think too? That being near me is dangerous?"

Draco thought about that. If he was honest, he hadn't even considered the dangers of being close to Potter. He could easily lie, make Potter think he was every bit the coward everyone thought he was, but he didn't want that anymore. He didn't want to examine that train of thought too closely.

"No."

"Then why?"

Lucius made an aborted sound at the back of his throat, but he was ignored by Draco and Harry. He was about to indignantly demand they focus on the issue at hand but before he could, Potter was dragging Draco out to the Burrow's garden.

"Lucius?"

Lucius grunted, too incensed to form words.

"Draco is not just our son anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Lucius managed to grit out as he watched Potter wildly gesticulating in Draco's face, with narrowed eyes. He swivelled around dramatically when he realized what Narcissa was hinting at.

"Cissy! It can't be -"

Lucius trailed off, before looking out at the garden where Draco was shouting something back at a grim looking Potter. He had suspected something when Potter had sent Kreacher last Christmas, but he had imagined it was Potter trying to win favour with Draco for - he hadn't thought much of it at the time. It turned out he hadn't been completely wrong.

Just this once, Lucius would have preferred to be wrong.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait."

Narcissa smiled, her eyes never leaving Draco.

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"Why would you agree with your parents? Are you so eager to be rid of me?"

Potter dared to look betrayed, but Draco wasn't going to indulge him. He scoffed loudly.

"Do you even have to ask? After everything that happened, I thought you would have rejoiced -"

"You're wrong! I never - I never -"