I agonized over this chapter the whole time I was offline. The muse was not cooperating with me.


Author: Lady B
Pairing(s): Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape/Remus Lupin, other pairings to follow
Genre: AU Fantasy
Rating for this chapter: NC17
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: mentions of rape and torture but no graphical descriptions.

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Chapter 9

Some time later there was a knock on Draco's door. He sat up quickly, noting it was dusk. He must have been more tired than he thought.

"Come in." he called out, getting to his feet. A young girl, no more than twelve years of age, stood before him.

"You Highness, my mistress has asked me to take you to the dining hall. If you are hungry?"

"I am. Thank you." he nodded. She executed a short bow and turned to lead the way.

- - -

The dining hall was huge! Looking around, Draco easily counted five thousand men, women and children, who all greeted him by title. He was led to a long table that sat higher up then the ones in the hall and assumed this was the main table. Sidora appeared and directed him to sit at her right. After a prayer to bless their supper, everyone set about filling their stomachs and catching up on their lives.

"I sense you are conflicted about something, young prince. May I ask about it, if it's not too personal?" Sidora asked.

"Um...well...I know I'm supposed to marry someone of my own station, but lately I find myself attracted to someone else." Draco answered, a blush staining his cheeks.

"I take it this is not a good thing."

"No, it's not. He's a bit...rough around the edges."

"They say you can oft times find the most gorgeous diamond amongst the ugliest rocks."

"Hm. If you've seen this rock, you'd think otherwise."

"Tell me about him."

"He's rude, brash, uncultured, likes to invade my personal space often, totally unpredictable. But he's loyal, brave, and he believes in what he does. He's rescued me from some pretty tough situations a couple of times."

"But you want nothing to do with him? He sounds like a Prince among the stars."

"But he's not the Prince I'm supposed to marry."

"What's his family like?"

"I don't really know. From what I gather, they're a close bunch. He doesn't really talk about them much."

"Maybe he has a reason not to."

"Maybe. I don't know. He just confuses the hell out of me sometimes but I really like him."

"Then maybe that should be enough."

"I can't break my engagement and any other pursuits would be dangerous right now."

"Life is about taking chances, my liege. Hiding behind your duties and responsibilities can only do more harm than good."

"I don't want to needlessly hurt anyone, especially the one I'm supposed to marry. What if he finds out I cheated on him before our vows are even spoken? It goes against everything I've learned."

"Then you need to unlearn and live a little. Besides, appearances can be deceiving." And then she winked at him. It was the strangest conversation Draco's ever had.

After dinner, The High Council convened in Sidora's rooms with Draco as guest of honor.

"The Prince of Slytherin wishes to visit The Sh'la'dohn to see what is in his heart. Are there any objections to this?"

"Why does he seek its wisdom?" a short man to their left asked.

"He is to be married and he wants to see if he is marrying his Ma'thal'she."

"Soul mates? Those are hard to come by. What makes him so sure he will see his?" an elderly female asked.

"I'd like to answer that, if I may." Draco replied. Sidora nodded. "I don't know if I'll see him. I just want to be sure I'm doing the right thing, for all involved."

"Uncertainty can only lead to danger."

"Someone told me life is about taking chances. This is a chance I'm willing to take." Draco pleaded.

The Council conferred amongst themselves for a moment and Draco waited nervously. Finally, they turned to give him his answer.

"Permission granted. May you find what you are searching for, Your Highness."

"Thank you, so very much." Draco smiled. A young page stepped forward.

"Liam will take you to the Hall of Ages, where The Stone is housed. Good luck." Sidora bowed. Draco returned her greeting before following Liam from the room.

- - -

The Hall of Ages was a cavern of ice and snow. Draco pulled on his cloak and stepped inside. There was a white pulsating glow coming from the center of the cavern and he moved closer, alert and on guard. But nothing sprang out at him and soon he was standing before The Soul Stone.

It was pale blue in color, easily camouflaged with the ice and snow beyond. He walked around it, examining it from all sides.

"I wonder how I use it." He touched the stone gently and a strange tingle raced through his body. The Stone's glow increased in intensity until Draco was almost blinded by the light. There was a bright flash and a very clear picture appeared within the prism. It was almost like looking into a viewing globe and what he saw horrified him.

It was Harry, chained to a wall, cuts and bruises littering every inch of his body. As Draco looked on, a man in a black hooded cloak entered the scene, carrying a laser torch. The torch was applied to Harry's already damaged skin and Draco could almost smell the burning flesh, could almost hear Harry's screams.

"No! Why are you showing me this?" he shouted to no one in particular.

Because he is in need of you. Only you can set him free of his prison. A voice spoke.

"Where is he? How am I supposed to save him if I don't know where he is?"

Look to your heart. For it has all the answers you seek.

There was another blinding flash of light and The Stone went dark.

Draco stared at it for the longest time before a light bulb went off in his head.

"Voldemort!" he exclaimed, running from the cavern.

- - -

Harry had been a prisoner in Voldemort's keep for nearly a week and he was simply amazed that he was still breathing. He knew it had been a week because that's how many days in a row he had been stabbed, beaten, cut, had bones broken and healed only to be broken again and nearly raped in the days since. All by Voldemort's lackeys, never the man himself.

He heard his door open and raised his head up long enough to see his favorite torturer, Walden McNair, enter the room. He never spoke a word to Harry, no matter how much he tried to goad him.

"Hello, McNair. What's it to be today? Hot wax? My legs could use a good dose of it."

McNair simply walked up to him and backhanded him across his already bruised and swollen face. Harry's head snapped back and cracked against the unforgiving stone wall and a headache bloomed behind his eyes.

"Another beating it is then." Harry groaned. McNair went back to the table he was working at. After a moment, he returned with two clamps and attached them to Harry's nipples. Harry looked at them critically.

"Not really my style, although the color is nice." Harry told him. McNair wheeled his table closer to Harry and attached wires to the clamps. He never spoke a word. He turned to the table and flipped a switch on the small box Harry could see. A low hum echoed through the room.

"Well that can't be good." Harry stated. And it wasn't. McNair turned the dial on the box one notch to the right and a jolt of electricity surged through Harry's body. He gritted his teeth against the pain. McNair turned the dial back down and wrote something down on a clipboard. The dial went up another notch and a low moan escaped him.

McNair did this each time, each turn of the dial until Harry screamed himself hoarse with pain. After twenty such sessions, Harry finally passed out. Satisfied, McNair wrote down his observations and went to make his report.

He was in an out of it for some time, imagining a different person standing over him each time his eyes opened. At one time he saw both his mother and father and even his mentor. He knew he had to be dreaming when he saw Draco standing over him. He smiled then. He imagined reaching out his hand and touching that pale blond hair before him.

"So pretty. Wish you were mine. All mine." he whispered, losing consciousness once more.

- - -

Draco stared down at him, his eyes bright with unshed tears.

"I'll get you out of here, Harry. I swear it."

- - -

Earlier that same day...

With the help of the L'gnoirians, Draco secured a faster ship with cloaking capabilities when he had discovered what planet Voldemort's keep was located on. He landed the ship in the desert and took a small shuttle the rest of the way. Finding a way into the castle was easier. He found a small river that flowed directly beneath the castle walls. Once he was inside, he found a hidden alcove where he watched the daily happenings of the people around him. He caught glimpses of Voldemort himself once or twice. He would have killed him then, but Harry needed him more so he remained hidden. For a week he watched several people enter and leave the room via a hidden set of stairs just below him and knew that must be where they were keeping Harry.

He made his move one night while everyone was sleeping. And when he finally found Harry, he had to resist the urge to cry. To see such a beautiful man, reduced to a beaten and broken wreck, broke his heart. Harry came to at one point, smiled at Draco and mumbled something Draco didn't understand. He even touched Draco's hair before passing out again. Draco made a promise to get him out and he always kept his promises.

- - -

Carrying an unconscious man who weighed more than you do was not an easy thing. Draco thought for sure he might have strained something as he carried Harry through the catacombs beneath Voldemort's keep.

He tripped over a rock and sent them both crashing to the ground, scraping his elbow in the process.

"Ow! Fuck!" he moaned, clutching his elbow. His hand came away bloody and he tore a strip off his tunic to wrap around the injury. Beside him, Harry moaned lightly. Draco immediately moved to his side.

"Harry?"

"Draco?" Harry asked, his voice hoarse from screaming.

Harry opened his eyes and looked at the man leaning over him.

"Are you real?" he wondered.

"As real as you." Draco smiled. Harry reached out to touch Draco's hair and got another smile in return.

"You found me?"

"I did."

"You shouldn't be here."

"I know." Draco agreed, knowing how much danger they both were in.

"Why?"

"I don't know." Draco replied, looking down.

"I'm glad you did." Harry told him. Draco gave him a wan smile.

"We've got to get out of here before we're found. Think you can move if I help you?"

Harry tried to sit up and winced with pain. He lay back down, sweat beading his brow.

"I think some of my ribs are broken."

"Damn!" Draco growled, angry enough to go back inside and kill Voldemort with his bare hands.

"Funny thing is...they didn't even ask me any questions." Harry whispered, losing conscious once again.

"Harry? Harry! Shit!" Draco sighed. "How am I going to get you out of here now?"



TBC...