Windbound - 5/??

[herumtreiber]

Title: Windbound 5/??
Chapter: five
Author:herumtreiber 
Genre: post DH, slash, romance, adventure
Disclaimer: The world and characters of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. Nor do I make any money from the writing of these stories.
Rating: R
Warnings: Sexual content
Epilogue compliant? Epilogue complaisant
Chapter length: 1877 words
Beta: None.
Summary: Draco/Harry, Ron/Hermione, Hannah/Dean, Justin/Daphne, Ginny/??? My take on the Marriage Law. Should they obey the government’s edict or fight it the Muggle way? This leads to marriage equality. Plus there’s a twist exploring how a Horcrux operates. Good!Lucius, finally:) Hufflepuff house is amply represented here.

Table of contents

Chapter four - part 2

October 3rd, 1998

Hogwarts

Draco waited ten minutes for Harry before the Gyffindor showed up for their Hogsmeade outing, whilst the Hufflepuffs smirked at him. The Slytherin huffed, realising he was a bad influence on the Puffs. He sat up and moved towards his trusty Slytherins; at least the Snoopy Duo – also known as Hannah and Justin – wasn’t there. The two had nagged him enough that he’d blurted out he was going out with Harry.

Draco’s nifty transfiguration spell didn’t work against the former members of the DA – they managed to retain their features, though Draco thought they would’ve looked nice with elephant ears.

The Slytherin cut a dashing figure in skin-tight black trousers and a grey button-down shirt. His hair was free, and sometimes a curl or two would obscure the vision of his right eye.

Draco was talking with his remaining friends in Slytherin, waiting for the unpunctual Harry, when he was approached by Zacharias and Weasley.

“Look, Ron – no one wants to sit near the Ferret,” drawled Smith, nudging Weasley’s elbow.

“Doesn’t surprise me, I wouldn’t sit near a Death Eater” - replied Ron, he turned to wink at Smith – “no wonder he wants to marry poor Lavender. No sane witch would tie the knot with a traitor like him.”

Draco noticed Weasley’s hand moving towards his robe, and before the redhead could whip it out, Draco took his hawthorn wand which was lying on the table and shot  Expelliarmus towards the astonished Weasley. Ron’s wand hit the floor.

Zacharias tried to help the redhead but he was hit by a curse that transfigured him into a mammal – he became a yellow weasel.

Ginny put her wand back on her pocket and tried to pick the furry animal which glared at the redheaded girl, shaking his whiskers threateningly.

“You’re a weasel now, like your prat of a friend,” drawled Draco as the mammal frowned cutely at him.

Draco nodded his thanks to the Weasley girl who stood up and bowed mockingly to the blond.

Alerted by the house-elves about the commotion, McGonagall arrived. She took the scene with a frown and angrily whipped out her wand to change Smith back into his obnoxious self.

After she heard Weasley and Smith, she took 50 points each from Slytherin and Hufflepuff. She also gave one month’s worth of detentions to Ginny and Draco.

Whilst Ginny fumed and scrunched up her face, Draco just shrugged – he was used to McGonagall favouring her house.

Ombudswoman Lehmke arrived just when Ginny had been explaining why she transfigured Smith. She leaned back on a chair and heard the students.

Draco pleaded with his eyes to Liz Lehmke after McGonagall’s harsh verdict, hoping that she’d overrule the Headmistress in this case.

“What is your opinion, Ms. Lehmke?” drawled the Slytherin.

McGonagall turned and looked at the woman who had the power to review students’ complaints at Hogwarts. The students at the Slytherin table waited expectantly, clearly expecting the ombudswoman to side with the anti-Slytherin mood that had been prevalent at Hogwarts ever since Dumbledore was the head.

"I think the punishment was correctly meted out,” replied Lehmke with a soft voice. “As a matter of fact, I think it was a bit too soft."

Draco looked at the table and shrugged dejectedly. Apparently the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

"Miss Weasley, transfiguring a human being into an animal is a degrading and painful thing to do,” said Lehmke.

Ginny looked at the floor and sighed. If Molly got hold of the story, she was done for.

“If we have great gifts, we must also use them judiciously,” continued Lehmke. “As teachers, we can do nothing but object most vociferously to this mode of thinking.”

“Therefore I'd like you to take counselling sessions until the councillor deems you fit,” continued the ombudswoman.

Ginny looked up hearing that. She shook her head – hopefully the sessions wouldn’t interfere with Quidditch?

“…. could happen if you transfigured someone and left them alone, let's say, in the baggage compartment of a train?” Hearing Lehmke say that, Ginny frowned. What was the woman on? Ginny wasn’t among those who ganged up on Draco on the train – though she wished she’d been, the Slytherin was so insufferable sometimes!

"Mr. Weasley and Mr. Smith” – Lehmke shifted her gaze to the two boys who’d been smirking, sure that the Slytherin would be chastised as usual – “your opinions about Mr. Malfoy's involvement with Death Eaters are just that, your personal views.”

Draco snickered hearing that, and instantly shut up when Lehmke’s censorious gaze fell on him.

“They don't tell us much about Mr. Malfoy's current outlook. That you express them so hatefully paints a bleak picture of your mind,” Liz Lehmke continued. Her pursed lips and tight bun gave her a slight resemblance to McGonagall, who was listening to the woman with a pained expression. “Therefore you will also have counselling sessions where you will learn to live with the past.”

Draco smirked, seeing Ron’s red face. The Gryffindor obviously did not expect that.

The Slytherin espied Harry walking towards him. The brunet wore a dashing black jacket, white trousers and a beige shirt with some smudges on it.

Draco shook his head; Harry’s hair was his usual unruly mop, he’d have to lend him his conditioner made from fire slug powder. He missed Lehmke’s next words.

"… the need to defend yourself, Malfoy - but it’s better to avoid confrontations. Sometimes the better part of valour is discretion,” said Lehmke whilst she fixed Draco with a stern gaze, not unlike McGonagall’s.

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. He could surely understand that, it was what dictated his actions during the War - the need to endure in Voldemort’s hell, trying to ensure that his family survived and he wasn’t the cause of his parents’ deaths.

“Therefore Slytherin loses 60 points.” Draco looked alarmingly at the ombudswoman, frankly he didn’t expect that.

Lehmke scowled at Weasley and Smith, adding, “Gryffindor and Hufflepuff will lose forty points as well for starting this confrontation.”

Draco exchanged a nod with Hannah, who’d observed the confrontation from the Hufflepuff table – at least Weasley didn’t get off scot free.

HDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHD

On the way to Hogsmeade, Draco said he wanted to visit Puddifoot's. After using Imperio on Rosmerta, the blond felt there was no need to further aggravate the innkeeper by his presence.

Draco didn’t want to visit the Hog's Head, because Aberforth might decide to strike a conversation with his friend Harry and spill the beans on their secret rendezvous.

There was something about Harry’s behaviour of late that was a bit upsetting to Draco, and he’d rather avoid the Gryffindor knowing their plans concerning the Marriage Law.

So that left Madam Puddifoot's. Draco tried to sell the idea to Harry mentioning that he wouldn’t have to face angry housemates, like Weasley.

When Draco mentioned Puddifoot's, Harry shuddered. He recalled when he and Cho were there – the Ravenclaw Seeker crying non-stop, her cheeks red and her nose snotty – the pink confetti and the wet kiss.

Harry turned to look at the Slytherin. The first thing he noticed wasn’t Draco’s hair, impeccable as always, or his grey eyes sparkling with mischief – but his full, pouty lips. He felt compelled to lean towards the Slytherin and kiss him, but he wasn’t sure of his reaction. The blond might think him too forward. He wondered if a kiss with Draco would be as wet as Cho’s or as soft as Ginny’s. Kissing either girl, Harry felt something missing – the spark, the passion that the blond walking next to him always evoked. For bad or good.  

The idea of seeing Ron’s condemning face convinced him to go where Draco wanted.

After Draco explained the fight with Weasley, he had to listen to Harry’s lecture about the benefits of living peacefully.

Draco shrugged, turning sideways and rolling his eyes. Harry had become even more of a stickler for rules since the last battle, it seemed.

The blond looked to his right. The post office seemed full of chaotic owls – their raucous hooting seemed so uncouth to the Slytherin’s ears.

“… as always we must seek out the common good, Draco – that is what you often fail to consider, especially wh….” Harry interrupted his speech and pointed towards his left. Draco squinted, seeing an owl passing above Zonko’s and heading straight towards them.

When the owl spread his wings and prepared to land on his shoulders, Draco recognised the plumage and orange eyes of Lucius’ eagle owl.

“Sorry, Noceur – I don’t have treats,” explained Draco before the owl could bite him – it was as temperamental as Lucius.

 When Harry lifted an eyebrow and pointed at the letter Draco took from the owl’s claw, the Slytherin shrugged. “Father’s busy, I guess.”

Draco grabbed his wand and murmured the incantation that would decrypt the missive. He frowned as he read the contents of the letter.

Son, I have just talked with our solicitor in London. I have received grave news. There was a secret codicil in Abraxas’ testament I was not aware of. Arvandus tells me it became operative the moment the Dark Lord truly died. To wit, in order to receive the Malfoy fortune the heir must be lawfully married by the time he is thirty. Needless to say, a divorce would mean he would lose the entire fortune.

I’m sure I don’t have to point out how this complicates matters regarding the Marriage Law.

Your concerned father,
Lucius M.

Draco couldn’t believe his eyes. Bloody grandfather was so worried about laws and morals. Abraxas plundered and killed in the service of the noseless bastard; he poisoned father’s beliefs and mine. But the upright bastard had to ensure that his descendants followed his narrow morals. Fucking hypocrite! thought Draco.

His left fist made a ball of the letter and Draco threw it to the cobbled street. With an imperious swish of his wand he destroyed it.

Harry lifted an eyebrow, looking down at the small fire. “What’s the matter, Draco?”

The Slytherin pointed at the floor. “That was a letter from father. Turns out Abraxas, my fucking ancestor…” Draco went on to the sweet shop which was a few yards farther.

Whilst he walked, Draco mussed his blond hair, trying to calm down. “My bloody murderous but oh… so moral grandfather!”

At the door of Honeydukes Draco turned to face Harry, disgust marring his features. “He ensured that the Malfoy fortune could only go to his lawfully wedded descendant. Fucking prick!”

Harry lifted his eyeglasses with his index finger. Looking back at the trees that obscured his vision of the railroad station, the Gryffindor tried to calm the enraged Draco. “Perhaps he had a reason, Draco.”

Unmindful of the Slytherin’s heated glared directed his way, Harry continued in a calm voice. “Tradition is a good thing sometimes. I reckon it helps keep our world stable, even in the midst of mayhem. It helped us rebuild our world after Voldemort’s chaos.”

Draco entered the shop and closed the door with a crash, without waiting for Harry. What’s wrong with Harry? What the fuck is wrong with the world that won’t let me live the way I want to? thought Draco despairingly.

Chapter six