Title: Budgets
Author/Artist:
hp_darkangelPrompt: #
50 by
capitu Pairing(s):Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Word Count/Art Medium: 2468 words
Rating: NC-17
Warning(s): Bad Language
Disclaimer:Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Thanks to my beta
for your awesome advice and patience.
Summary: The new budget's in, and one of Minister Potter's Department Heads does not like the new numbers.
Budgets
Harry looked up from his paperwork as the door to his office opened to reveal a very soggy, windblown Head Auror. Harry had to suppress a grin that was threatening to erupt at seeing his friend look like he had taken a swim in Hogwarts Lake before wrestling with the Giant Squid. "Don't you dare, mate. You might be the Minister of Magic, but Merlin help me you laugh and I will be bringing the entire Auror Department down on your head," Ron Weasley told his friend seriously, as he shut the door and took a seat. Harry had been doing really well but when the redhead squelched as he sat, Harry couldn't hold it in any longer. He burst into a fit of laughter, the likes of which he hadn't enjoyed in Merlin knew how long.
"Harry! It's not funny," Ron said, annoyance quite clear in his tone. Harry tried to stop but then Ron moved to get comfy, causing another squelch and another round of laughter. "Harry! For Merlin’s sake man, get yourself together. It isn't funny."
Harry pulled himself together, his eyes streaming. "No you're right, you're right. I'm sorry. It's not funny. . . It's hilarious." Harry began to laugh again. Ron went red and folded his arms, reminding Harry of the Hogwarts days when Hermione was reprimanding them for one thing or another, it did nothing to help ease the laughter fits. Eventually though, he did manage to get himself back to some level of composure.
"I'm sorry, Ron. Really, I am. I just really needed that. I've had nothing but earache from the Magical Maintenance Department regarding their budget and I really needed a laugh. What can I do for you?" Harry asked, moving his papers into piles so he could concentrate on his friend. Ron just indicated to his clothes, almost setting Harry off again.
"Why don't you just cast a drying charm and be done with it?" Harry asked trying to hide his mirth.
"The bleeding charm won't work. Do you really think I would have come all the way down here like this if the blasted drying charm worked?" Ron asked him back.
"I suppose not," Harry smiled. "How did you end up so soaked?" Harry asked trying for serious. It was very hard to do.
"There is a blasted storm whirling through my Department. My office is completely flooded out, I'm just glad I have impervious cast on all my paperwork, otherwise I would be backlogged for a month."
"You already are that, " Harry smirked. Ron looked like he was going to retort, but Harry cut him off. "Why don't you go to the Maintenance Department? It's their speciality." Harry said logically.
Ron gave out an annoyed sigh. "I already have. Apparently there is a budgeting issue that is preventing them from fixing weather related issues amongst Departments."
Harry shook his head as he took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes and tilting his head back. He growled as he tipped his head back. "Bloody Malfoy, I knew that promotion was going to bite me in the arse."
"I did try to warn you mate," Ron smiled, having been proven right. "I told you if he got into any position of power it would go to his head and give you problems. but would you . . ."
"Ok Ron, I get it. You smart, me dumb. I'll have a word with him. In the meantime, you'll have to see about using one of the old courtrooms," Harry told him. He began to write on a note as Ron stood, recognising the dismissal from his Minister. It had taken a while for them to get used to the lines between being lifelong mates and Minister and employee. It hadn't taken as long as it might have done had they not been practiced with Harry taking lead back in the war.
Harry finished his note and made it into a paper airplane, throwing it toward the door, which opened and shut for the missive, sending it on its way to the Head of Magical Maintenance. With that sent, Harry got back to filling in his paperwork.
-x-x-x-x-x-
It had taken Malfoy two hours to get his message and decide to trundle down to meet with him, but Harry did eventually open the door to find Malfoy stood on the other side. In those two hours, he had received two notes regarding extreme weather in other departments and three other Department Heads coming to see him personally, in various states of disarray. The only commonality between incidents being that they were weather related, and that the Magical Maintenance Department suddenly didn't have the money to fix the problems.
"Malfoy, come in," Harry said from his seat. He had a headache from all the stress and really just wanted to head home. Instead, he had to deal with a sulking Malfoy.
"What can I do for you, Minister?" Malfoy asked, taking a seat without waiting for invitation. Harry ignored it. He wasn't as formal as some thought he should be and rarely made anyone stand on ceremony, but in this case he was seriously considering it.
"I hear we are having issues regarding extreme weather in some Departments, but your Department is unable to rectify them due to costs," Harry told him.
Malfoy inspected his fingernails. He had changed a lot since the war and losing some of his wealth, but that didn't mean he had stopped being an arrogant git, some days. "As I have told you before, this year’s budget is severely lacking, and that is causing me to make decision in regard to where to spend the pitiful amount I have left. These incidents, unfortunately, don't fit in with my budget."
"Malfoy, everyone has had to deal with a cut this year. You know that. Just get on with your job and stop being so bloody childish about it," Harry told his former enemy. Malfoy just smiled in return.
"My department took a 12% cut last year when, on average, the other departments took 7%, the year before that we took a 9% hit, when others took only a 4%. This year though, you expect my department to just absorb a 15% loss. It's not going to happen, " Malfoy told him.
"Look, I explained this to you during the last meeting we had. This year the prep school is being started and every department, mine included, is going to have to make some changes to help spread the cost of this school," Harry told him.
"But 15%, Potter?" Malfoy sneered, reverting back to their Hogwarts years. They had come quite far in the past two decades, but some days it was just easier to go back to the old habits.
"Yes. 15%, Malfoy. It's not ideal, but it's only for a year," Harry told him stubbornly. Malfoy stood at that.
"Well, come and see me in a year. if your Ministry is still standing by then," The blond told him before storming out. This was going to be a very long week, Harry concluded.
-x-x-x-x-x-
Harry sat down heavily in his office chair. The meeting between the Department Heads had been horrendous. Nearly all had been hit by abnormal weather phenomenon and blame was being shoved in the Magical Maintenance Department, whose Head not only missed the meeting, but was also ignoring every call to fix any of the weather related issues.
Harry had just taken his glasses off, to try and relieve the headache left over by the meeting, when a sudden downpour stunned him into standing once more. "MALFOY!!!" Harry bellowed, storming from his office.
His assistant startled as he marched through the waiting room and shouted over his shoulder "That’s enough! Cancel my appointments." She hurriedly set about sending paper airplanes and messages off to clear the Ministers afternoon as Harry stormed his way to the elevators. The occupants of the one that arrived took one look at him and proceeded to try and pretend not to exist.
While in the elevator, Harry attempted to dry his robes, to no effect. Once he reached the correct floor, he left the elevator heading straight to where he knew the Magical Maintenance Department was. Entering the small office, he saw the object of his fury. Draco looked over at Harry and almost laughed until he saw the murderous look on his face.
"YOU!" Harry bellowed, watching as Draco tried to gracefully retreat to his office.
"Now Minister, I'm sorry you seem to be having issues. If I had the funds I would gladly help, but unfortunately my budget just doesn't . . . "
"Fuck your budget! Stop this childish behaviour and do your fucking job!" Harry shouted as he got closer to Draco. He had had enough of all this. They weren't in Hogwarts anymore. Draco managed to get to his office before Harry finished closing the gap.
"I have no money to do my fucking job with," Draco hissed back. The five other members of Magical Maintenance that were in the department at the time watched eagerly. There had always been rumours of the fights and arguments the two men had had in Hogwarts. There were even several betting pools on the go, ranging from when they would have their next major argument and how much the damage would cost, to when the pair would finally get a clue and just fuck each other senseless.
"Get in that office, " Harry growled as he noticed the audience. Once the door was shut, he rounded on Draco again. "I don't know where you get off pulling these kinds of stunts but it has to stop now. You think the budget was harsh. So does everyone, get over it, work with what you have and stop being such a childish little shit."
"Childish?! I had to lay off two of my workers thanks to your fucking cuts and, if it doesn't get better, I'm going to have to cut another. I have workers fearing for their jobs while you sit in your cushy office, staring at pieces of parchment with numbers on them. Those numbers are people to us on the shop floor, you jumped up prick!" Draco shouted back, getting into Harry's personal space. Harry pushed him away. This just infuriated Draco more, who launched for Harry, knocking the Minister of Magic off his feet.
The pair fell to the floor in a jumbled heap of limbs. They rolled around trying to get the upper hand, knocking into the desk and chairs as they went, grabbing at each other. If they hadn't been so mad, the pair could have reminisced about the similarities between this one and their Hogwarts fights. Eventually, breathless and anger fading, they stilled, Harry pinned under Draco. Emerald eyes met silver, fires blazing in both. Draco's eyes moved down to Harry’s lips a second before his mouth descended and stole the breath from Harry. It was fierce and hot and angry and painful,. Harry moaned, opening his mouth as Draco's tongue tried to force its way through to explore.
Anger turned to lust quickly as the fire that had driven them to fight drove them to use their energy in a different way. Harry’s hand reached up to pull at Draco's blond shoulder length hair, forcing his mouth away. Draco growled at the rough treatment, causing Harry to smirk. "The budget stays," He said before pulling Draco's head back down in a bruising kiss.
Draco thrust down, crashing his cock into an answering hardness, pulling moans from them both. Harry’s hands moved to Draco's arse, pulling his pelvis down again as Draco moved to undo Harry's trousers. Both proved to be impossible to do while trying to do the other, so they pulled away long enough to remove their trousers.
Once divested of trousers, they came together again. It wasn't caring, it was harsh and hard and brutal. They weren't loving, they were punishing each other. Breath was stolen and lips were bit and nipped, as hands pulled and pushed, scratched and pinched, to get the most exquisite noises from the other. When the need to breathe overcame every other urge, they pulled apart. Harry was dizzy from the lack of air and blood going to his brain, and he almost fell when he was spun abruptly, only saved by the desk he was roughly shoved over.
He groaned when he felt something warm and pointed at his entrance. Hearing a muttered spell, Harry felt himself stretch and moisten, relaxed enough to allow an invasion. He grabbed a hold of the other side of the desk, purely to stay upright and have something to keep him grounded. His feet were kicked apart wider and he felt Draco step into the gap.
"Fuck!" Draco muttered as he looked down at Harry. Legs spread wide, ass dripping with lubrication, the skin pale and pulled tight over well-defined muscles, Harry looked positively debauched.
"Now," Harry responded, his voice rough with need. He didn't need to speak again because he felt something much thicker than a wand touch his hole. His eyes practically rolled into his head as Draco pushed his way past the tight ring of muscle and continued until he was balls deep. The pain mixed with pleasure pulled a groan from Harry as he was filled.
Draco couldn't believe how tight and hot Harry was below him. He pulled almost all the way out, before forcing his way past muscles still quivering from the loss. Harry practically screamed as he was invaded again. Harry threw his head back, as Draco set them both a punishing rhythm, the desk scrapping forward with each thrust. Neither lasted long, all it took was Harry reaching down to tug harshly on his neglected cock a couple of times, to spill himself over the dark wood. His orgasm grew almost torturous when Draco came, spilling his hot seed into Harry's abused hole.
For a few minutes there was silence, except for their panted breaths, then they heard a shouted "I won!" From the department outside, followed by a quieter "Dinner’s on you, Hermione." They quickly pulled apart and dressed, not looking at each other or saying anything as they did so. When Harry opened the door to leave, it was to find the department filled with people from all over the Ministry, all trying to look like they were working.
Harry ignored them, although a blush crept up his face, and turned back to Draco. "Your budget stays the same," He told the blond.
"We'll see about that," Draco smirked back.
“We certainly will.” And, just as he was about to exit, lightning flashed, thunder clapped and rain lashed down to soak them all through. Harry entertained a thought about casting a Silencio behind his shoulder.