Author: Lady B
Pairing(s): Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape/Remus Lupin, other pairings to follow
Genre: AU Fantasy
Rating for this chapter: R
Warnings: M/M relationship, character death, OOC, descriptive sexual acts between persons of the same sex
Challenge: 50harlequins prompt #45: Running from an arranged marriage and falling for a stranger who turns out to be the groom.
Summary: Space...the final frontier...In the year 4437 A.E. (After Earth) Prince Draco Abraxas Lucien Malfoy of the planet kingdom Slytherin is being forced to marry the enigmatic Prince of the neighboring planet kingdom Gryffindor. He hates the fact that he has to marry someone he's never met and runs away. His father, King Lucius, sends one of the best Retrievers in the galaxy after his wayward son, to be delivered to the Prince of Gryffindor personally.

Harry Potter was the best star pilot to ever come out of Hogwarts Academy. Known to his friends and crew as Captain Evans, he was also one of His Majesty's Retrievers, a band of men and women who searched the galaxies for the lost or stolen, whether they be people or objects. The Queen sends him on a mission requested by King Malfoy of Slytherin: find and retrieve his son to be delivered to the Prince of Gryffindor for a marriage ceremony.

Once he crosses paths with the Ice Prince of Slytherin, he does all he can to melt his heart of ice, and to make Draco his very own at personal cost to himself and the kingdom he serves.

Of course, things don't always go according to plan (-cue Darth Vader's Imperial March-)...

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plots from the Harry Potterverse belong to JK Rowling and various publishing companies and movie studios. I am not making any money from this. I am simply doing this for the fun of it. Any plot devices and original characters belong to me alone and are simply a figment of my imagination.
Author's Note: (in a sing-song voice) Draco's gonna be in trouble! Draco's gonna be in trouble!

---

Chapter 7


Was it possible to be aware of someone, sexually, that it silenced the rest of your thoughts whenever that someone stepped into a room?

This was the question that plagued Draco the following morning when he joined the rest of the ship's occupants for breakfast. Harry was the last to arrive and Draco's whole body tingled. Harry walked behind Draco's seat and Draco nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt what he thought might have been fingers graze the back of his neck. His cock hardened instantly and he bit his lip.

"Are you all right, Your Highness?" Luna asked as she sat across from him.

"I'm fine." Draco told her.

"You look a bit flushed. Are you sure? Could be the onset of Space Flu."

"No. I'm fine. Thank you for asking." Draco replied, putting her off.

Harry sat next to Draco (to his chagrin) and began dishing himself up some eggs and bacon.

"Good morning, Your Highness." Harry stated to Draco in a tone of voice Draco's never heard before. It was purely sexual and Draco felt the tips of his ears grow warm.

"Good morning, Captain." Draco mumbled, refusing to look at the man. Remus was staring between the two of them and resisted the urge to snort. He was going to corner his charge later to find out what happened the night before. The smile died on his face a moment later when Severus entered the dining room. Remus felt his heart pound fiercely against his ribs and he gripped his chair with both hands to keep himself from jumping up and claiming the man right then and there.

For his part, Severus looked unaffected by the stares he was receiving from Remus, but inside he was a mass of nerves. He had known the moment he had seen the werewolf that he was his mate and it took all of his self-control not to run into the man's arms and be claimed. There was too much bad history between them that they needed to get through first before they could even think about having a relationship. Severus had no doubts about being in the relationship, he wanted it as much as Remus, but they needed to have a long talk first – if he could get the man alone for five minutes.

He greeted everyone before seating himself on Harry's left, directly across from Remus, and pouring himself a cup of tea. Harry stared at him.

"What?"

"How can you drink that swill?" he wondered, pointing to Severus's tea.

"I've been drinking it since I was a child. No sense in changing my habits now that I'm an adult." he replied. "You should try some."

"I'll stick to coffee, thanks. Ron's brew will put hair on your chest, that's for sure." Harry grinned at his friend, who saluted him with his own mug of coffee.

"As if you haven't got enough of that." Draco mumbled, but not low enough. Harry stared at him, a look of feigned surprise on his face (not that Draco could tell the difference).

"And how do you know how much hair I have on my chest, Your Highness?" Harry asked loudly. Draco was beyond mortified.

"Nothing. Forget I said it." he returned, picking up his fork and shoving some eggs into his big mouth. Everyone laughed then and random conversations resumed.

Draco thought he was off the hook...before he felt a warm and masculine hand land on his thigh. He nearly bit his tongue in shock. He looked at the man sitting to his left, who was having a conversation with Severus on his other side. Quickly casting a look about the table, Draco pushed the offending body part away from him. Harry gave no indication of having to have felt it and Draco breathed normally again.

The hand returned a moment later, slightly higher up then the last time. Draco's breath hitched. He shoved the hand off once more.

Again the hand returned, this time on a part of his body that was taking an active interest in what said hand was doing. He really, really wanted to moan...but there were too many people in the room. He shoved the hand off once again, directing his meanest glare at the man beside him. Of course Harry wasn't even paying any attention.

The next time the hand landed on him, he was ready. He took his fork and poked the meatiest part of the offending hand. Harry, to his credit, didn't even flinch, there was no pause in his conversation with Severus. The only indication that Draco had that he'd felt any pain was the crinkle around the edge of Harry's eyes and the hand that left his thigh as quickly as it had been there. Grinning in self-satisfaction, Draco turned back to his breakfast.

- - -

"Is there something going on between you and the Captain?" Remus asked when he finally cornered Draco in one of the cargo bays.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Because your face got really red when he showed up at breakfast. You practically jumped out of your skin when he touched your neck and I saw you stab him with your fork when he touched your leg." Remus ticked off the facts on his fingers.

"You saw all that?" Draco gaped.

"I'm a werewolf. I can see and smell everything."

"Everything?" Draco gulped, knowing what Remus was alluding to.

"Everything, My Prince. And you were hornier than one-eyed toad. What gives?"

"I don't know Remus. Until last night, I wanted to avoid the man as much as possible."

"What happened last night?"

"I-uh...walkedinonhimwankingintheshower." Draco mumbled.

Remus took a moment to dissect that sentence and when he did, his bark of laughter echoed throughout the bay.

"It's not that funny, Remus." Draco hissed, glancing around to see if they had been overheard. The twins and their sister were on the other side of the bay, checking over weapons.

"I'm sorry, but that's the funniest thing I ever heard!" Remus choked out.

"I really hate you right now." Draco scowled.

"Draco, you are not the first man to notice another man and you certainly won't be the last. Have a little fun, live a little."

"Are you forgetting that fact that I'm betrothed to the Gryffindor Prince?"

"Nope." Remus grinned.

"You're actually condoning that I cheat on the man?"

"You've never met him. Your words, not mine."

"I can't believe you Remus."

"Draco, life is too short for what ifs. This could be your one and only chance to grab a little bit of happiness for yourself before being shackled to a man you don't love. I say take it while you got it."

"No. I'm not going to do it and how dare you suggest such a thing! I have principles you know. No, my only chance to get to L'gnorie."

"Why?"

"The Soul Stone."

"That's a myth. You don't know if it exists."

"I have to try, Remus."

"Draco, that's a fool's mission and I didn't think you were a fool."

"If you had one chance to find your soul mate, would you take it?"

"What are you getting at?"

"If I sleep with Harry, and I'm not saying I'm going to, I could ruin any chance I have of finding out if the Gryffindor Prince is honestly and truly my soul mate. I may not like the fact that I have to marry the guy, but I am going into this marriage with an open mind and open heart."

"At the expense of your happiness?"

"If need be." Draco's voice was firm.

"Then you're a fool." Remus scowled, walking away.

Draco stared after him in shock before turning in the opposite direction.

- - -

"Remus is angry at you for some reason." came a deep voice behind him. Draco sighed and pressed his forehead against the viewing window he was at. He had found his way to the Observation Deck after his argument with Remus and simply sat there, staring out at the stars.

"Please, leave me alone. I just want to be alone for a bit." Draco replied, not turning around. Instead of complying, Harry stepped closer until Draco could see his reflection.

"I wanted to apologize for molesting you at breakfast."

"Fine, you apologized, now you can leave." Reflection Harry stared at him for a moment.

"Why is so important that you get to L'gnorie?"

Of all the questions to ask... "None of your concern."

"If it concerns my crew and ship, then it is."

Draco sighed again and turned to look at Harry.

"If you must know, I go to seek out The Soul Stone."

"That's a myth. Everyone knows that."

"I don't think it is." Draco argued. "Legend states that one who is pure of heart and mind, shall find The Soul Stone. It stays hidden until one who has a need can find it. This is why I have to go. Can't you see that?" Draco was begging at this point but he didn't care.

Harry stared at him for a long moment and a small light of hope ignited in Draco's heart.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I cannot risk your safety or that of my ship and crew for something that may or may not be real."

And just like that, Harry crushed that bit of hope, turning and walking out of the room.

Draco's expression was fierce once he was alone.

"Fine! If no one will help me, I'll just have to get there on my own."

- - -

Sticking to the shadows, he stealthily made his way across the hanger to the small shuttle he had spotted earlier. Climbing inside, he started up the engines, holding his breath that the access codes he had stolen earlier would work. After entering the code on the console, he waited nervously for the okay to go.

Access granted.

Smiling widely as the hangar doors opened, he maneuvered the ship into space and into the stars.

- - -

The first he was aware that something was wrong was when he entered the bridge and not one person would look him in the eye. Harry groaned.

"Is this something that I'm really going to be pissed off about?" he immediately asked.

"Now, Harry. It's not that bad, really." Hermione began.

"That means I'm going to be pissed." Harry nodded. "Ron?" He turned to his friend, knowing he would tell him the truth.

"Well...it seems the Prince somehow managed to steal the access codes to one of the shuttles and the hangar doors last night." Ron told him with a certain amount of glee.

Harry was silent for a full five minutes.

And then in a calm and controlled voice, that the others knew meant he was extremely pissed off, said "Get the other shuttle prepped and ready to go in ten minutes."

"Evans, you're not going to do something rash, are you?" Severus asked.

"Haven't thought about it...much." Harry replied.

"I'm sure he had a good reason for leaving." Remus tried. Harry glared at him and Remus gulped. "At least, I hope so."

"Hedwig?" Harry called.

Yes, Captain.

"Input the Prince's destination coordinates into the shuttle's nav system please."

As you wish, Harry.

"Harry, you're not going by yourself, are you?" Ginny exclaimed.

"I must Ginny. It's safer this way. Voldemort is looking for us and I have a better chance of getting him safely, alone."

"Please be careful. Your parents would kill us if something happened to you." Blaise stated.

"You know me, Blaise." Harry smirked, leaving the room.

- - -

Once he was settled in the spare shuttle, he patched into the comm unit.

"Blaise?"

"Here, Captain."

"Get everyone safely back to Gryffindor. I'm counting on you."

"On my honor, as a Slytherin, I will get everyone back safely." Blaise stated solemnly. "Any messages for the family?"

"Tell them I love them and I'll see them as soon as I can."

"I'll be holding you to that promise, Harry." Blaise said. "Safe journey, my friend."

"Till the last star burns bright in the sky." Harry intoned.

On the bridge, the crew of Hedwig watched as the small shuttle left the hangar and sailed off into the stars.


TBC...


Oooo...lookie...a nod to Star Wars right there. -grin-