Security Detail

Harry should have known that Draco would surprise him. He was convinced that watching Draco read over his case files was more amusing than Ron trying to figure out how muggle money worked. 

“Honestly, I can’t even deal with this. Just-just…listen to this. ‘I wasn’t sure if the stains on the suspect’s clothing was blood or rust from working on his muggle truck, which I wasn’t sure what that was, so I took a sample as a formality anyway.’ Who the actual fuck thought it was okay to put that in an official report?! I now have to find a way to fight the defense on this because they’re going to claim that shithead was working on a truck of all things at three in the fucking morning!” Harry was having a hard time containing himself, he was beyond livid with the auror that made the report, but Draco waving his arms around wildly while he read was the funniest thing he’d seen in a very long time. 

“Alright, alright! I’ll talk to Robards about the report and make sure he does something about it because that clearly can’t keep happening. All we can do now is deal with it, make a plan and move on. Sure it’ll take more time, but there’s nothing to be done for it. The rest of the case is airtight, isn’t it? Amelia was working the case, there’s no way she’d let something like that slip more than once.” Draco flipped through a few more papers, mumbling something about how Harry must be right before he stopped. 

“Draco?” The blond’s brow was furrowed as he looked down at the pile of papers in front of him. “Draco?”

“I…No…Amelia wouldn’t have allowed this.” Draco went from deathly still to a flurry of movement faster than Harry could blink. “We have to go. Right now.” Draco made quick work of duplicating cases he had stored away in filing cabinets and shrinking them for easier travel. If Harry hadn’t had such quick reflexes, he wouldn’t have even seen Draco leave the office. He followed at a clipped pace, doing his best to look like nothing was wrong even though he was incredibly concerned for whatever was on Draco’s mind.

The two barely made it outside of the building before a loud BANG! went off. Harry grabbed Draco’s arm, pulled him close and apparated back to the Malfoy Manor just as heat licked at his legs. The two tumbled and fell onto the foyer floor. 

“Bloody hell, what just happened?” Draco seemed incredibly surprised he was in his home. 

“I got us out of there before anything bad could happen. The building exploded behind us I think.” 

“You think? You don’t know?”

“Well I wasn’t exactly looking and I was trying to make sure you got away safe. I’d rather be too safe than sorry.” The two stood up as Ron’s patronus appeared to Harry’s side. 

“Oi, mate are you alright? The entire building you were just in is rubble now, it’ll be in the evening paper. Robards just wants to make sure you’re both okay, but he says not to leave the manor until he gives you the green light.” The silvery light faded with the last of his message and Harry just stared, dumbfounded. 

“Why do you look like the world has come to a stop?” Draco’s voice broke Harry out of his stupor. 

“Ron doesn’t tell me that things will be in the evening paper or the morning paper. Just that they’ll in the paper. We agreed at the beginning of training that we would just say the paper instead of which edition so that if something really bad is happening we just say it’ll be in a specific edition. It’s a subtle form of code so we know if something is really wrong. To let us know not to contact each other until further notice.” Draco’s eyes went wide. 

“Exactly how many people in the ministry know you’re the one on guard duty for me?” 

Harry shrugged. “Probably most of them. It’s not exactly a secret I’ve been with you every second you’re out of the house and word travels fast when it involves me. Hey, where are you going?”

“I’m going to put a few things away in the bedroom. Are you coming or what?” Harry, sensing that Draco didn’t want to say too much, followed him. His eyes widened when he realized Draco was very quietly packing things away in his trunk. “Sorry, this must be boring for you. I haven’t cleaned out my closet in a long time, it’s time I donated some of the things I don’t like anymore.” 

“No problem, just as long as you’re happy I suppose. I won’t stop you from reorganizing. Never kept enough stuff to justify it myself.” The two carried on in relative silence, Draco clearly worried about something and Harry busy wondering why he didn’t want to talk about it in his own home. 

They ate in relative quiet, only exchanging a few words here and there about the weather. The two eventually moved back to Draco’s bedroom where Draco promptly tossed off his robes, threw on a tank top and shorts, and flopped into bed. Harry, unable to believe his eyes at what had just occurred before him, couldn’t stop staring at the strip of flesh that the shirt had ridden up to expose. It wasn’t much, but for some reason the pale skin there just hypnotized him. The idea that he was seeing something that no one else saw was messing with his mind, making it too difficult to tear his gaze away. 

Draco had fallen asleep like that, above the covers and all. Harry, deciding that just looking at him wouldn’t hurt anything, took his time to admire the man’s body. He kept his gaze away from Draco’s bits but he most definitely admired most everything else. 

He was just thinking about what it would be like to hold someone with that particular body type-namely a more slender one with less going on up top-when he heard an odd noise from the room below them. 

Knowing that sound traveled much better in large spacious places like Malfoy Manor, he tiptoed across the room to the door so he could catch the echoes of whatever was happening. 

“-ut the fuck up, they’ve…sleep by now…” Harry didn’t need to hear anymore before he leapt across the room, shrunk and grabbed their trunks and grabbed Draco around the waist just as he was waking up. They landed less gracefully than earlier that day in the safehouse Harry had focused on. It was dark, but Harry’s instincts told him it was too dark. The safehouse he’d brought them too should be out in the middle of a largely populated city with lights on all hours of the night. It shouldn’t be pitch black in the living room, even with the blinds closed. He could feel Draco take a breath to talk, but instead of letting him speak, Harry quickly covered his mouth. They’d landed so Harry was slightly lying on top of Draco, but he quickly pushed that thought from his mind. He felt Draco tense under him just as he felt a foot fall on the floor just to their left and apparated again, this time to his own personal safe house. 

The two landed in exactly the same position they were in before, but this time there was enough light coming in the windows for them to see. Harry stood and helped Draco up before stalking to the table to light the candles there. 

“Where are we?”

“We are currently at my personal safe house. My last resort before we go on the run. People got past your wards and my own without either of us knowing and managed to break into your manor. I heard them coming and apparated us to one of the ministry safehouses where, I’m sure you noticed, they were lying in wait. They set off some Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder hoping we’d make noise and give ourselves away. And you know something.” Harry turned to face Draco, only to see him looking like he’d shite himself any second.

“I suspected…but I never thought…” Harry, unable to see Draco look so vulnerable anymore, unshrunk their trunks and wrapped a blanket around Draco’s arms before leading him to the couch. 

“You need to tell me everything you suspect right now so I know how bad this might get.” Draco inhaled and started talking without argument.

“I’ve been working a lot of random cases lately and they all have a few similarities. Like odd reports being made with the aurors being approved and signed off by people who would never let so much as a misspelled word get by their eyes let alone a mishandling of evidence or less than detailed accounts. And when I brought it up to a recruit, he told me he’d pass the message along. Next thing I know I’m being threatened and attacked.” 

Harry sighed and rubbed his face before walking to the kitchen. He didn’t fail to notice that Draco trailed behind him while he started making tea. Harry topped his glass off with a finger of firewhiskey, repeating the same to Draco’s when he asked for the same. 

“I didn’t think that it was real at first, that it was all in my head. I’m a prosecutor, not an investigator.” Harry clapped him on the shoulder and guided him back to the couch. 

“Look, it’s not your job to figure out what’s really happening. That’s our job in the aurors. Clearly something is happening, or no one would have known where we would go once they broke into your manor. Now, the only thing we can do now is tell Hermione what we know and stay put. Tomorrow I’ll check on the gardens, they should be doing well at this point in the year.” Draco looked up in confusion. 

“Why would it matter what state the gardens are in?” 

“Because, when I say this place is one hundred percent self sufficient, I mean one hundred percent self sufficient. We will not be leaving the property, all the food we eat is grown and raised here. And don’t worry, it’s not exactly easy work but it’s not hard either. It’s just different.” He finished off his tea and stood before helping Draco to his feet and led him to the bedroom. “Sorry this place is a bit smaller than you’re used to. There’s only one bedroom, but I’ve got two twin beds set up so you have your own space to sleep.” 

“Honestly I couldn’t care less. Harry…you’re sure no one will find us here?” 

“Of course I’m sure. I wouldn’t have brought us here if I thought for even half a second that someone would find us here.” Draco seemed to relax at that. 

“Good. I just want to relax.” Harry chuckled and sat down on the edge of his bed. 

“Trust me, so do I.”