𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐓 2008

Hades Paradox

Author: romaine24
Title: Hades Paradox
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Rating: NC-17
Summary: For reasons unknown to most, Draco Malfoy came to Hogwarts soon after the battle and for five years had never left its premises. Auror Harry Potter comes to Hogwarts to deal with his psychological daemons, but soon realises Professor Draco Malfoy has his own magical and physical daemons to deal with. However, much to Harry's surprise, Draco is coping well with help from the person Harry aspires to be.
Warnings: rimming, snowballing, threesome, med-light BDSM
Total word count: approx 32,500

June 10, 1998

The mid-morning sun's rays streaked into the room through the stone arched window and advanced towards the four-poster bed, only to be blocked by the thick, black velvet curtains. Draco fitfully sleeping inside was grimacing and moaning with pain. His blond hair stuck to his forehead, his thin cotton nightshirt damp with sweat.

Narcissa came through the bedroom door holding bottles filled with coloured liquids, some producing voluminous amounts of smoke. She set them down on a silver tray on the bedside table. She slowly drew the curtains, tying them to the posts with silver tasselled ropes. She sat by Draco and wiped his face with a cooling cloth. "Draco, love, it's Mother. Please wake-up. You need to take your medicine."

Draco whimpered as the sunshine found his face. "Mother?" he mumbled.

"Yes, dear, it's Mother," she replied, her voice cracking with despair. "You need to drink your potion and then take a bath. To bring down your fever. The elves are preparing it."

"Mummy, no more. Please, no. It hurts," he whinged. Narcissa Malfoy removed her hand from his forehead, covered her face, and wept.

"Ahem," a deep voice sounded from the bedroom door. Narcissa looked up. Lucius stood in the doorway with a thin rectangular package. "It came in the post."

"Oh, thank Merlin!" she cried and ran towards the door. "Open it!" she said impatiently.

Lucius Malfoy looked down upon his wife's distraught face and nodded. "I think we should do this in the study. It will come as a shock to him, and we'll have some privacy explaining the situation." Narcissa followed Lucius out of the room, leaving Draco whimpering in pain.

Lucius stood behind his desk with Narcissa by his side. He tore open the brown wrapping. A tall gangly boy with stringy black hair frowned at the two staring at him as if he were a ghost. "May I ask how I came to be here?"

"A fair amount of Galleons, Severus. I took a chance that your mother would have had one made on your coming of age birthday, as we did with Draco. It was hidden in your basement."

The young Severus in the portrait snorted. "I know where it was located, Lucius. I put it there. I'm sure Draco was donned in regal attire for his...."

"Severus, please, your portrait is fine. It brings back fond memories seeing you this way," Narcissa said, trying to appease the wizard pacing the dusty black background.

"Don't placate me, Narcissa. You barely knew I was in the same Hogwarts’ house as you. Now tell me why my slumber in darkness has been disturbed. I'm sure you didn't bring me out of the basement of my home to be placed on your mantle."

"It's Draco. He was injured during the Hogwarts Battle. You do know that the Dark Lord was defeated?"

Severus Snape sighed. "I do have a portrait at Hogwarts, Narcissa. I haven't been deemed fit to hang in the Headmaster's room as of yet, but I do reside on the wall in my old quarters. Slughorn calls upon me often. I'm well aware of what has transpired."