Chapter 8

They had fallen asleep on the sofa. Draco had woken up during his morning transformation with his head in Xander's lap. Severus had levitated him to his bedroom; they'd both fussed at him before leaving him to rest.

Regina had come about noon with chicken soup and teas that smelled and tasted only slightly better than his godfather's potions. She'd even started in on Severus, declaring he was entirely to skinny and needed some sunshine. She had also decided that Severus looked like he'd lived in a dungeon all his life. Draco had managed to contain his snickers, just barely, until after Regina left.

Xander had come in again about three. Severus had to go; they couldn't justify anymore time. The Ministry and Congress were arguing though. Xander had been highly amused at that. The Watcher's properties had immunity for the most part, due to the treaties and what they dealt with on a regular basis, as well as the fact that Watchers, Slayers, and Wiccas had been doing what they did for longer than any of the current Wizarding Governments had been around. The Congress was annoyed by a Death Eater Spy being in America visiting a Death Eater Spy/Werewolf and giving the Ministry a good earful. Evidently Giles had pointed out that it was entirely the British Ministry's doing and that the Council hadn't even been given notice to ensure proper steps for Draco's lycanthropy, thus creating the need for Severus' presence, and the fact that there would be no lycanthropy to deal with if not for the Ministry's incompetence.

When Draco had asked why Xander had found that so amusing, his answer had been "if the MoM and ACW are too busy snipping at each other, then they will be too busy to pester us." He grinned even wider when he informed Severus he was now officially a Council Employee. The Council needed a Potions Master. During Hogwarts summer holidays, he’d start supervising the Potions labs at the Continental HQs starting with Europe and North America. The Council had no problem being his "moonlighting" job if he wished to stay on at Hogwarts. His acting in an advisory capacity and brewing an occasional exceptionally complex potion were enough. The MoM and ACW both had in fits over that. Severus smirked at his newly acquired title of "Potions Master of the International Watcher's Council".

~*~

"If you ask me how I am again I will hex you," Draco said by way of greeting when Xander entered the house late that evening.

"Okay, is asking you if you had supper yet life threatening or not? I've got KFC."

Draco raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What is KFC?"

"Chicken."

"Edible chicken?"

"Yup, just greasy. Got all the fixin's too."

Draco stared skeptically a moment wondering what exactly "fixin's" entailed.

Xander laughed and sat two red and white bags on the coffee table. "I'm going to get plates. You want something to drink?"

"Tea. Proper tea. Not a medicinal potion called tea and most definitely no ice in it!"

"Ooookay your majesty," Xander snorted.

~*~

"Severus interrogated me about you today," Draco said after the meal was done.

"He better not have worn you out too much,"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm fine."

"So, a point to bringing up what Old Scowly said?"

"Other than he thinks you are a raving loon?" Draco smirked.

"That's old news. Everyone I know thinks that," Xander grinned.

"Somehow that isn't surprising," Draco said drolly. "Severus wants to continue making the potion. He's worried about the potions effects if a lycanthrope made it. Then there is the fact that several of the raw ingredients are deadly to lycanthropes."

"Okay--so you are not going to make the stinky wolf juice as long as you're here. We'll find another way for that. How much magic is actually involved in the making of it? I mean, there any spells that actually have to go into the potion, or does the maker have to have magic for some reason? If you don't actually have to be a wizard, maybe a few of us could learn how to make the stuff here just as a backup measure. I don't see Scowly letting anyone else make the potion while he's available. He's very protective of you; can't see him thinking anyone else good enough to make your potion. Just an emergency precaution. We also know a couple muggle weres that it might help. Not that they're in the area all that often."

Draco stared a moment. He'd argued with Severus that the risk was minimal, and he was willing to take it. He wasn't going to...well, it wasn't too bad here and he didn't want to be forced to leave to a wholly muggle place where he couldn't even do the little bit of magic he could here. "I--I would still--"

"You're not making the wolf-juice, the end. I ran your potions lab by G-man though and he thinks it's just a splendid idea. I told you that though--this morning."

Draco nodded slowly. Xander had, but he'd still been under the impression Draco could make his own Wolfsbane then.

Xander rolled his eye. "Just 'cause the Wolfsbane is off the list of what you can do doesn't mean we don't need a potions lab and someone who can make the potions for us. There are plenty of demons that need some sort of potion to either be tossed on them to kill them or special weapons dipped in the potion to kill them."

"There are anti-conception potions."

Xander laughed. "How much do the ingredients cost and how often do they need to be made? One pregnant teenage Slayer is enough thanks"

"One dose is enough for ten years, unless you take the antidote. At least for a witch..."

"So how is witch makeup different than Slayer or Muggle?"

Draco frowned. "I'm not sure."

"I'll put a bug in Giles ear and you can ask Scowly. Worth looking into if it won't hurt the girls in the long run."

Draco couldn't quite believe he was saying the words even as they left his mouth, "Granger might be another to ask. She likes research."

"Granger?"

"Weasel and Potter's friend?"

"Oh, her," Xander nodded. "Dawn's talked about her."

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Doesn't sound as if Dawn likes her from your tone," Draco smirked.

Xander shrugged. "She tried telling Dawn that demons were only myths and then she tried telling Dawn how to kill demons because she read it in a book."

"Granger reads everything in a book. She would be a good one to work on such a project. And she's Muggleborn, so she has a grasp on muggle science as well. Her parents insisted she keep up with Muggle schooling somewhat."

Xander grinned and turned his attention to the movie he'd put in the DVD player.

Draco loved seeing that grin...Oh bloody hell no! He was not going to fall for a Muggle! He wasn't. No.

He stifled a sigh. It was too late and he knew it, however infuriating that fact was. His father was probably spinning in his grave. The heir of the Malfoy line not only fell for a man but a Muggle man at that.

"You okay there, Drake?"

"I'm fine, tired is all,"

"Okay, but if you want tomorrow off, no big,"

Yes, just what he needed time to sit and think about what a bloody fool he was. "No, I'm fine,"