Potter growled and looked away, blushing. Potter was probably dead asleep when they broke into his place. They didn't even magically dress him. Damn Aurors. Draco went to his closet and pulled out an extra set of robes. He had muggle clothes, too, for emergencies, but he was going to portkey directly to Potter's house.
When Potter was put under probation, a portkey terminal was installed in his home, with blocks to prevent tempering. Aurors had to request access to the portkey to use, but normally they just break in. They also needed permission from the probation officer to use it or enter the residence. Draco, as his probation officer (and guardian) had unrestricted access to Potter's home. It was supposed to offer the probation officer a chance for a surprise inspection.
"Put these on and I'll be right back. Don't touch anything. It's all hexed as it is confidential."
Potter gave him a look, but Draco just dropped the robes in his lap. He went out to the hallway to reception and asked Maxwell to pull Potter's wand from Security. The man nodded and sent up the request. When he went back to his office, Potter was shaking his hand out. It was a mild Burn Hex that would increase in severity the longer Potter touched the files.
"Didn't believe me, huh? It doesn't matter if it's your file. You don't have permission. Be thankful or those dicks upstairs would be reading it and probably selling bits to the media. Lucky for you, Penelope and Kingsley laid down the law about your escapades."
Potter glared. "I don't care," he mouthed.
"Yes, you do. Maybe not when you're skunked, but right now, when you're sober, you care. You know there are still people who think the world of you, some who know that you aren't right in the head right now. You don't want to let them down, do you?"
Potter's shoulders tensed, he stood up and he spat, silently, "Fuck you!" And then he spit on the floor in anger. Draco's hex activated and it stopped before it hit the floor and went straight back into Potter's eye. He rubbed it away furiously.
"I warned you, didn't I?" Draco said, smirking. "You can thank Lupin for that idea."
Potter went from angry to confused.
"Third year? Waddiwasi? I adapted it."
Potter's eyes went distant. Lupin had passed during the battle. Draco knew that they had been close. He wasn't sure how much so until this point.
"Sorry. Come on, Potter. I'll take you home," Draco said, holding his hand out to the door.
Potter looked at him and shook his head.
"Sorry, Potter. It's home inspection-time. If you want, I can go alone and I'll have the Aurors put you in a holding cell."
He growled and stared, cursing him mentally, surely.
"There aren't cells down here and no one else will babysit you. Your choice. With me or stay with the Aurors."
Potter got up, gave him a smirk and waved his hand forward.
Draco led the way to reception and Maxwell handed him Potter's wand. Potter held out his hand for it, but Draco shook his head. No way was he handing over his wand to him. He pocketed it and led Potter to the portkey room. He logged their jump, as required, and pulled the requisite portkey from its locked and warded container. After they use portkey, the automatic retrieval spells activate to bring it back to the prescribed container. It was to prevent misuse.
"Just touch it and it will activate in about ten seconds, okay?" Draco said, and Potter nodded, though a little curious.
They were pulled to Potter's den and Draco had to steady himself as he landed in a cesspool of rubbish. Empty spirit bottles, half-eaten takeaway food containers and soiled clothes littered the floor. The smell was horrible. Potter gauged his expression with some laughter.
"What the heck, Potter? I realize that your life is in shambles right now, but seriously...?"
Potter shrugged. "I don't care," he mouthed, though he was blushing a little.
Draco noted that the couch in the middle of the room was nearly free of crap. That probably was where Potter passed out. Draco resisted the urge to start Vanishing everything. He could. He should, really, but he needed to give Potter a chance. He shook his head and made his way to the kitchen where there was even more rubbish and moldy food. Draco even saw mice and insects in the debris. Maybe he would have to condemn the building. His eyes noted the holes in the walls, the torn and frayed carpet, and peeling paint on the ceiling.
Draco could even feel the... oppressive, ominous feeling of the very soul of the house. It was a wizard's home. There were charms and wards on the house, but it had been neglected for decades if Draco had to guess. It had once been luxurious, but it was infested with both magical and muggle vermin. Draco was trying to decide if it was worth saving. It would surely cost thousands of Galleons to renovate and clean. He'd have to look into Potter's finances, first. To make the determination.
He swept the mansion, floor by floor. Some rooms were worse, others hadn't been used at all. He found Potter's room. The smell of stale liquor and bad BO lingered in the air. There weren't any dishes up here, but there were plenty of dirty clothes, some with blood, vomit and piss on them. He didn't want to know. He ended his inspection with the attic/loft. It also had once been a nicely decorated room, but there were old boxes of hexed items and cobwebs everywhere. Potter didn't even enter the room.
Draco returned to the main floor and summoned all potions, muggles drugs and alcohol he could think of and Vanished them all. There had been a lot, as well as quite a few injection needles. Potter sighed and sat on his torn and dusty couch.
"Potter. This is your last freebie. If I find any more illegal items at your home, I will impose more sanctions, got it?"
Potter crossed his arms and gestured to his throat, again. Draco had no intention of giving his voice back.
"As you clearly broke your restrictions last night, your curfew is now nine o'clock. That means be back here by then."
Potter glared at him. Draco could only imagine the swear words going through his head.
"Don't break curfew. I will check in on you."
Potter rolled his eyes and gestured to his den. "Enjoy."
"You have a week to clean this up, Potter."
Potter snorted and looked incredulous.
"I'm not just your probation officer. I'm your guardian. Your court-appointed parent. Congrats. I'm telling you to clean your house or I will look into alternatives."
Potter mouthed. "You clean it."
Draco stared. "Potter, this isn't a fit place to live. I'm responsible for your health, too. So, clean up your mess, cause you won't like the options that I decide on to handle this."
He just shrugged. Draco sighed and set Potter's wand on the side table out of his reach.
"Tomorrow at ten, Potter. Don't be late," he said and Potter flipped him off, as he Apparated out of that rubbish heap.
He landed outside of the Ministry, determined to clean himself off, lest something had attached to his robes. Then he went into the Auror entrance, he took the lift down to his office and sat back down at his desk. He whisked a letter to Gringotts to external mail and then prepared for his appointments for the day.

YOU ARE READING
Rock Bottom
FanfictionDraco becomes a well-respected member of the Parole and Probation Department at the Ministry after the war. Burdened by guilt over his shady past, Draco does his best to try to reform the people he oversees. But what happens when the most uncompromi...
Chapter 3 - Home Visit
Start from the beginning