Chapter Twenty-Five of 'The Long Defeat'- Settling One Matter

[lomonaaeren]

Chapter Twenty-Four.

Title: The Long Defeat (25/?)
Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling and associates own these characters. I am writing this story for fun and not profit.
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Lucius/Narcissa, mentions of Ron/Hermione
Rating: R
Warnings: Some violence, some angst, ignores the epilogue.
Summary: Harry thought that becoming a slave to the goblins was about the worst thing that could possibly happen, except the sinking of the wizarding economy that the goblins had threatened if he didn’t. Then Lucius Malfoy showed up and offered to buy him instead, and maybe that was the worst thing. Or maybe not—at least, not if the Malfoys are sincere in their efforts to help him fool the goblins.
Author’s Notes: This is being written as a thank-you fic for helenadax, who’s given me several virtual gifts and a lot of reviews over the years. She left this prompt of Harry being enslaved by the goblins and the Malfoys stepping in to help for the Draco Tops Harry fest a few years back, but although I intended to claim it, I didn’t get around to doing so before time ran out to submit fics for the fest. She asked for a happy ending and focus more on the con side than the angst side of the story. It does eventually get there, although with some angst at first. This story will be updated every Saturday evening.

The title is a phrase from The Lord of the Rings: “And together through the ages of the world we have fought the long defeat.”

Chapter One.

Thank you again for all the reviews!

Chapter Twenty-Five—Settling One Matter

“I still can’t believe that you gave up a fortune just like that.”

Harry shook his head. He and Draco were in Draco’s room, although Harry had offered to bring Draco to his own bed. Draco had wanted to recover on his own sheets and pillows, though. He said they were softer. Harry wasn’t in the mood to deny him.

But he would feel better himself if Draco gave up the impulse to moan that Harry had lost a whole fortune by giving up the Potter vault he had used during school.

“Listen,” he said quietly, leaning near so that Draco, who kept turning his head restlessly as if he had a fever, had to focus on him. “You’re acting as though I surrendered a huge amount of money. I didn’t. I know it, and the goblins know it. I wish you could accept the same thing.”

Draco stopped turning and stared at him. Harry didn’t nod, because he knew better, but he was quietly pleased. Yes, that had been a good tactic. Draco really was upset because of the money he thought Harry had sacrificed, not because the goblin potion had lingering side-effects. Of course, that didn’t lessen Harry’s desire to stay with him.

“But you had a lot of money in that Potter vault,” said Draco. “You gave up everything for me.”

“No,” said Harry. “I mean, I wouldn’t have been displeased if that was the price I had to pay to get you back and remain free from goblin vengeance, but it really wasn’t.”

Draco gave him another skeptical scowl. Harry nodded encouragingly, and finally Draco said, “I’m listening.”

“I told them that I’d give them the money and space in the vault I used during school,” said Harry. “That was the only one I knew about at the time. I did learn immediately after the war that there are some vaults I never touched. One of them was one my mum set up before she married my father, so it’s under the Evans name. And there are two others full of artifacts that I didn’t care that much about because I never saw a need to use artifacts.”

Draco opened his mouth, then closed it. “But there can’t be as much money in those as there was in the original.”

Harry shrugged. “That vault was only established by my parents to get me through school. It was never enough to live on permanently. I don’t know how much it had left in it, but it was nowhere near the amount of money the goblins are going to send here when they clean out the Black vaults.”

“So you’re not absolutely poor,” Draco said, eyeing him as closely as if he thought this was some sort of trick and Harry was going to break out sobbing and confess that he needed the support of the Malfoy family to get through life after all.

“No,” said Harry, with a grin. “Not as rich as I was, but I wouldn’t have had access to that money for the next year anyway.” He took Draco’s hand. “And just think. The goblins were the ones that we had to hide my freedom from, and the ones that we made a deal with. That means that we don’t have to hide from the rest of the wizarding world.”

A painful hope crept into Draco’s eyes. Harry leaned over and kissed him in response. He hadn’t realized how much their deception of everyone else was costing Draco, though he really should have.

“I didn’t think of that,” said Draco. “And you’re really content to sacrifice money and vaults to get that?”

“Yes,” said Harry firmly. “If I stay in the wizarding world—and I can’t make a promise yet—”

Some of the hope was snuffed in Draco’s eyes, but he nodded to indicate he understood and gestured for Harry to go on.

“I want to stay on the terms we originally talked about,” Harry said. “Where I could use my magic to frighten people and scare them away if I had to, but where people didn’t think I was your slave and had to be controlled by you.”

“But we already started the lie,” Draco murmured. “That means that there’s always going to be some people who believe it no matter what retractions we offer.”

Harry shrugged. He couldn’t believe that was the part that was disconcerting Draco, but clearly they would have to talk a little more before they got to the part that really was. “That’s fine. That’s the same kind of shit they always believe about me. There’s still people out there who think I’m going to marry Ginny, or that I was secretly dating Hermione during fourth year, or that I’m the next Dark Lord. It’s not worth the struggle to change their minds. What I want is for most people to accept that we were lying to them to get my freedom from the goblins and that this is the way I want to live for now.”

“You,” said Draco, and shook his head again. “So we’ll just admit that we lied? And that will have no consequences?”

Harry laughed, and delighted in both the way Draco’s eyes widened and the way he half-tilted his head, as though he didn’t know what was going on but liked it. “What consequences? There can’t be legal ones. We’ve settled everything with the goblins, and they won’t take any other action against us. Everyone except my friends and your family was content to step back and leave me to the tender mercies of the goblins when they thought I’d be their slave for a year. Objecting now might make them look stupid and cause us some trouble, but it can’t bring us any permanent problems.” He reached out and squeezed Draco’s hand. “I love you, and I want to live with you openly. That’s what I really paid the goblins for. Your freedom, and mine.”

“You love me?”

Harry paused. He supposed he hadn’t said that to Draco before, or not in such a way that he understood it beyond all doubt.

But unlike his decision to stay in the wizarding world, he had no reason to delay this expression of his desire for Draco, and he smiled and leaned forwards until his head was right above Draco’s. Draco tilted his head further back, an absurdly vulnerable position, but his eyes were the most powerful things in the world to Harry right then.

“Yes,” Harry whispered, and kissed him.

Draco didn’t act feverish or weak or like he was having side-effects of the potion when he hauled Harry into bed with him, or when he started scrabbling at Harry’s robes. Harry chuckled and helped Draco get them off, then the simple shirt and pants that had been all Draco wanted to wear for pyjamas after they got him back into bed.

Naked, Draco was a lot paler than Harry had thought he would be, even after years of looking at his pale face, and he worried for a second that this could be another side-effect of the potion Narcissa hadn’t told him about. But unless it also made someone really want sex, he thought as Draco knocked him to his back and climbed on top of him, then it probably wasn’t. Harry kicked his legs open and groaned when Draco reached down, slipping his fingers into place around Harry’s cock as if they had always been there.

They hadn’t. They wouldn’t have been, if not for such a strange and unusual combination of circumstances that Harry would have laughed if someone had tried to prophesize it for him.

But maybe he was finally free of prophecies, and he could live his life by chance and coincidence just like anyone else.

And choice, Harry thought. Right now, his choice was to fuck up into Draco’s fist, and then to reach up and try to get his hand around Draco’s cock at the same time. Draco was straddling his lap in a way that made it difficult.

Draco shifted to the side a second later, and gave Harry a beaming smile that Harry had to return, although it didn’t feel as if his had as many teeth or as much lust behind it. Probably nothing could have more lust behind it than Draco’s smile. “No,” Draco whispered. “I don’t want to do that. We already did that.”

It made Harry blink, but he recognized a second later what Draco was talking about. He nodded and said, “All right, then. What do you want to do now?”

Draco sat back and gave him a leisurely survey. A second later, he leered, and Harry felt as though every inch of his exposed skin was blushing. Well, he was naked and in front of his lover for the first time. That was allowed.

“I want to fuck you,” said Draco. “Really, really hard.”

Harry felt his mouth fall open a little, and while he was stirring below his waist, he didn’t know what to say. Draco promptly eyed him and chewed on his lip, and added in a lower voice, “If that’s—if you want it.”

“It’s hard to convey how much I want it,” said Harry, and kissed Draco in a way that he hoped would leave his lips permanently imprinted on Draco’s. Then he pushed Draco a little off him, because that smug expression of his couldn’t continue, and looked around. “What do we—use for this?” He knew they had to use something, that Draco wouldn’t just fit inside him, but it wasn’t like he’d had the time to do lots of research or fantasizing.

“Fetch me my wand,” said Draco, waving one hand languidly, “and I’ll show you.”

Just for that, Harry concentrated and made a burst of his own wandless magic blow Draco’s wand across the bed to him instead of using his own to cast the Summoning Charm. Draco watched him with eyes driven dark by lust, and only cast the spell he needed when Harry waggled an impatient eyebrow.

The stuff he had was orange and smelled sweet. Harry sniffed. “Is that stuff safe to use—you know, inside someone?”

“I’ll have you know that it’s the stuff I’ve used to clean myself for years,” said Draco, and put his nose up. “Inside and out.”

Harry murmured an apology and watched intently as Draco wiped it carefully along his cock. It did seem to be thinner than he’d thought it would be, instead of a creamy gel that wouldn’t ease the pain much. It became nearly transparent as Draco smoothed himself up and down, and then he opened his fluttering eyes and focused on Harry.

“Your turn,” he said, his voice coming from a deep place in his chest that made Harry squirm.

Harry lay back and opened his legs. He thought that was what he needed to do, but Draco lingered, staring, for long seconds, and Harry finally coughed and asked, “Draco?”

“Right!” Draco all but blurted, his eyes rising to lock on Harry’s. Harry hid a smile and nodded, his legs opening further. Draco leaned in and began to circle a finger slowly around Harry’s entrance.

Harry thought about telling him that he didn’t need that, but it turned out that the motion soothed and relaxed him. Soon he was letting his legs fall open through sheer languor rather than because he had to. Draco smiled and said something under his breath that made his wand glow. Harry thought it made the gel even thinner and coated Draco’s finger with a thick, shimmering layer of oil.

Harry wriggled a little, invitingly.

Draco met his gaze and held it as he eased a finger into Harry, moving slowly but not so slowly that Harry couldn’t see the fluttering of his breath and the brightness of his eyes. Harry had to grimace, and the minute he did, Draco reached out and petted his hip.

“I’m all right,” Harry said.

“And you sound so convincing, muttering that between gritted teeth,” Draco said lightly, but then his face turned serious. “No, Harry, it’s all right. We can afford to go slowly. I want to, to make it pleasant for you, too. After all—” He hesitated for one moment. “I love you, too.”

Harry felt as if a sunrise was taking place in his chest. He raised one hand from the bed and clasped the hand that Draco had on his hip. Draco bent over and kissed him, and Harry sighed and turned to the side.

“This may be easier with you on your knees,” Draco whispered, sliding a second finger inside.

Harry thought about it, and nodded. He wanted to enjoy himself not only for his own sake but Draco’s, after what Draco had whispered to him, and anything that made it easier was good to hear. With Draco’s help, he got in the right position, on his knees and with his hands comfortably braced on the bed. He let his head hang down and looked at Draco between his knees, catching his eye and winking.

“Go on with you,” Draco muttered, and put in a third finger.

It took a long time for Harry to adjust to that, and longer for the fourth. But at last he was gasping more with eagerness for Draco than with pain, and he heard Draco rise to his own knees behind him.

The entrance was slow, painful, and heavy. Harry opened his mouth and panted around the pulse of it. He hadn’t known he could survive having something like that inside him. It reminded him of the first meals he had eaten after coming to Hogwarts, when he had never known that he could be that full.

A second later, he smiled. Yes, indeed, he had never known. But that had been a wonderful experience, in a new place where he could be free of the troubles and taints of his childhood. And this was going to be the same way.

He was determined. He wouldn’t let it be anything less.

*

Being inside of Harry was deeply satisfying.

Draco could think of it other ways, of course. He could think of it as warm, and tight, and all-encompassing, and likely to drive him out of his mind with pleasure. But satisfying was really the best way to think of it.

He dug his fingers into Harry’s hips for the pleasure of watching his skin wrinkle and bruise under Draco’s touch, and he rocked because he wanted to listen to Harry gasp, as well as be further inside him. Knowing that he was there, and Harry was there, and they were locked together, made his heart want to explode.

Since he couldn’t do that without dying, he did the next best thing, and set about making them both explode instead.

Harry began to grunt beneath Draco, quiet sounds that never rose any higher than they began with. Draco had wanted to make him scream, but he thought this noise might be better, since it was so distinctly Harry.

Draco locked his hands into place again and leaned forwards, making Harry nearly collapse to the bed. When Draco went on fucking him, Harry panted and said something incomprehensible, given that his mouth was open and his tongue was hanging out.

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you,” Draco said—also taking more time to force the words out than he would have liked—and then began to fuck Harry hard enough that Harry was swearing and sounding winded in a few seconds.

It couldn’t last after that, and it didn’t. But the pleasure that began as a spiral in Draco’s chest, spreading lazily down to his groin, was more than matched by the way that Harry moaned out beneath him and began to come. Draco was smug about that for the smallest of moments, that he was the one who had made Harry do that.

He felt the tremors that raced through Harry from inside—the most intimate place, the place he would have wanted to be years ago if he had understood them both the way he did now—and he succumbed to his own orgasm with a soft cry. Harry was grunting again, and he reached a hand back and touched the middle of Draco’s back.

Draco valued that, even though Harry doing that also unbalanced them and made him collapse to the bed. It was enough to tell him that Harry was utterly in love with him and utterly uncaring about little things like balance.

He finished with a quiver, and pulled free before he could do something silly like fall asleep inside Harry. From the grunt Harry made, he regarded Draco slipping out as a loss, and might not have been unhappy about that.

Draco panted too hard to say anything for a moment, and then he reached out and ran his hand down Harry’s forehead and said, “I told you the gel would work.”

Harry opened his mouth and produced the strangest sound, somewhere between a laugh and a yawn. “I won’t doubt you again,” he said, when he had words back.

“Don’t,” Draco said. “Not about things that concern your happiness.” And he leaned over and kissed Harry, making Harry grunt and smile and close his eyes in exhaustion.

Draco cleaned them up and managed to put his wand out of the way and draw the sheets over them. That was honestly the last thing he remembered.

Well, that and the warmth of Harry’s steadily rising and falling chest beneath his hand.