𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐒 2008

Secret Heart

Author: alaana_fair
Title: Secret Heart
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Draco had long ago admitted to himself that he'd fallen in love with the tiger, but he still refused to admit that he'd fallen in love with the man. That admission would simply cost too much.
Warnings: EWE
Total word count: ~4,100

Secret Heart

"Oh, bloody hell, not again!" Draco railed when he saw the two annoying Aurors at his front door.

Ron and Blaise both exchanged knowing smirks.

"Fine," Draco huffed indignantly. "Bring the beast in. I've finally managed to repair the furniture from the last time he was here anyway. I was getting a bit bored."

With a flick of his wand, Ron lifted the huge cage that held the sleeping tiger, manoeuvring it through the wide door and down the hall to the sitting room.

"What happened this time?" Draco asked as he plopped ungracefully onto his lush new sofa.

"Er," Ron began hesitantly, glancing again at his partner. "A chase in Muggle London."

"In Muggle London? He turned himself into a tiger to chase down the bad guys in Muggle London?" Draco huffed. "Idiot."

"Well," Blaise added with a grin. "He did catch them."

Ron's chuckle earned him a severe glare.

"Oh, good. Well, as long as Wonder Tiger caught his man, all is right with the world." Draco huffed again and stood with a flourish, his long, purposeful strides taking him to the drinks cabinet to pour himself a tall glass of whisky.

"A bit early to be drinking, isn't it?" Blaise sniggered.

"Fuck you, Zabini. It's not early enough. You should have owled ahead and I'd have been drunk before you arrived."

"Oh, come on, Draco. It's not that bad. He'll change back in a week or two. You know the Manor's the only place safe enough to keep him."

Draco didn't bother to offer the two men a drink. They were obviously still on duty – not that he would have anyway, under the circumstances. "What about Hogwarts? Plenty of room there for him to roam."

"Sure, Malfoy, a three hundred pound tiger roaming the school, terrorising schoolchildren. No harm could possibly be done."

Blaise punched Ron in the shoulder to shut him up. "Draco," Blaise said more calmly, "you're the only other Animagus tiger in Britain. You can handle him, right? You've proved as much. And you owe him, remember?"

"Yes, yes," Draco answered with an annoyed wave of one hand as he used his other to down the contents of his glass and pour another. "How many times do I have to babysit the beast before I've paid for that blasted life debt?"

Blaise grinned and moved to where Draco stood, taking the glass from his hand. "You know the drill. He'll wake up in a few hours and he'll be hungry."

Draco huffed and fell dramatically onto the sofa, throwing his arms over his face with a groan.

"We'll come round later to check on him. Just let us know if he tries to eat you, all right?"