CHAPTER EIGHT

[Sorry]

DRACO

The Standard Book of Spell, Grade 6? Check.

Advanced Potion-Making? Check.

Confronting the phaseless? Check.

A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration? Check.

Advanced Rune Translation? Check.

Flesh-Eating Trees of the World? Check.

Draco huffed as he placed the last stack of textbooks on his bedside table. It was nearly eight at night and they only had just finished their shopping. Most of their time was spent either commuting back and forth from the inn or in various clothing shops. To say the least, he has exhausted. But he knew the biggest part of the day was yet to come.

"You ready?" Draco whispered to the smaller boy beside him. Harry was looking down at his feet with his jaw clenched and hands shaking mildly as they gripped the edge of his shirt. He was obviously nervous about returning to that ghastly place so soon. Draco couldn't blame him, he felt the same way about returning to the Manor. His stomach dropped at just the thought.

The blonde was still surprised by how much their behaviors had changed around each other so quickly in a span of twenty-four hours. One thing he learned after all these years was that your behavior was fluent in who you were with. With father, he was so uptight, focused on being the perfect son. Pansy and Blaise, although they were different, he still had to keep a reputation up around. Harry...was different. He didn't force him to change at all, nor molded into what he should be. He could be himself for once without any barriers holding him back.

"No." He answers simply, "But it's not like I have much choice, do I?" He chuckles and gives a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. Draco was about to comment on it when Harry cut him off.

"We better get going if we want to get to get there on time..."

"Oh! Yes. Right. My bad." Draco scratches the back of his neck. He didn't know why honestly. Perhaps it was just the awkwardness of the situation.

Harry raises an eyebrow. "That's a first."

"Oh, shut it Potter."

It didn't take long for the two boys to quickly change clothes and head downstairs. Bramble met them and sent them off with an embarrassing kiss on the cheek and a hug. Even Harry who barely knew him. By the time she was done he was blushing like mad.

"Come back safely or I swear to Merlin I'll tie the both of you up and let the shopkeeper's hounds next door have you!"

"We will, Bramble. Love you."

Draco didn't have the heart to tell her he probably wouldn't be coming back if all went to plan. He was going straight to the Manor after he was done. He was a deadman as it was already. He didn't want to drag on his punishment more than he had to.

But the tiny voice in his head had given him a little bit of hope. Perhaps this is the miracle she had mentioned? If they could find you they would have already. Going back would be such a waste, wouldn't it? To finally get your dreams fulfilled to foolishly throw it back at the universes face. Maybe you could be safe. Safe with Potter.

"Let's go Malfoy."

Draco snapped out of it and followed the smaller boy down the darkened ally towards the Leaky Cauldron. There were still a few stragglers roaming the streets so Harry quickly pulled down the hood from his sweater to cover his face. Draco only wished he could do the same.

The stench of mead and firewhiskey hit him as soon as they entered the small pub. It wasn't as crowded as the night before but still proved to be a challenge to navigate. Especially with both of them trying to keep their identity secret. 

Draco spotted an open pathway towards the door and hurriedly grabbed Harry's hand to pull him through. The brunet gave a surprised yelp at first but calmed when he saw who it was. 

He immediately relaxed as soon as they were out. Harry had let a long relaxed sigh before reaching into his pocket to bring out some galleons. Draco knew he was calling for the knight bus.

The two waited in comfortable silence. Harry had been taken to using a nearby bench under the bus stop. He could have been mistaken for a sleeping homeless man if Draco didn't know any better. For the secound time that day, he couldn't help but stare in pure wonder of the beauty of the boy. He had curled my dark locks, that always danced in between a black and brown so that they hung in more waves than curls. His features were small and perfectly related; his nose deliciously interrogative at the tip. Harry's brows and lashes, drawn in a darker hue, gave touches of character and distinction.

"Like what you see?" Harry mumbled out. Draco nearly choked on thin air. He probably looked like a pop-eyed goldfish with how wide his eyes went.  He quickly regained himself though, coughing as if nothing happened.  

"I was waiting to see how long it took for the ketchup in your eyebrow to fall into your eye." 

It was Harry's turn to be embarrassed as his eyes flew open to see what he was talking about. He glared at the other when he felt nothing there. Draco only gave a mischievous smirk back. 

וווווו×

Draco hurriedly slurped up the rest of the hot chocolate before chucking the plastic cup in the bin outside of the seemingly empty household. It seemed that they had seemed to take the bait after all. Potter was right after all. 

Looking at the house you would never expect to find anything inside other than a perfect family. The house was tall and narrow, perhaps only twelve feet wide at the front, but it stretched some thirty feet back like a giant shoebox. It was two stories high and had a one-story extension at the rear for the kitchen. The wooden framed sash windows had no light emitting from them as far as he could see.   A small rose garden had been planted in front carefully planned and loved, though he doubted any of the inhabitants had done any real work on it.

Harry was staring up at it nervously. He was cradling his right arm as if old memories were resurfacing. Draco went to place his hand on the boy's shoulder to get his attention but stopped himself. Maybe that wasn't the best option right now. 

"Potter," Draco whispers softly, his words echoing throughout the quiet neighborhood.  "We need to hurry if you want to get done before they get back."

"Yeah...yeah, let's go."

Harry started walking ahead of him towards the gloomy household, not even bothering to look behind to see if Draco was following him.  The blonde watched him worryingly. He didn't want Harry to push himself into something he wasn't ready for, even if had only been a day since he had left. 

Draco caught up to him easily seeing as he was taller. He had been expecting the boy to stop when he got under his bedroom window, but no. He had continued to the gate leading to the yard behind the house. 

"What are you doing? I thought we had a plan!" 

Harry sighs. "We do, Malfoy. But how do you expect us to get up there?  We have to this the muggle way. Here it is- hold on." Harry crept around the house and led them to a small wooden shed in the backyard.  Draco winces loudly when a loud shriek from the rusted hinges sound through the night air as Harry pulls the door open. 

He waits impatiently at the edge of the fence as Harry digs around inside the tiny building for Salazar know what.  He had to bite his tongue in order to snap at the boy for taking so long.

Finally, Harry's head pops out with a small grin. He was holding a rope and a small step stool in either hand.  He briefly handed them to Draco as he relocked the shed to erase any evidence they were there. 

Smart.

The two wandered back to the front of the house where Harry's window was. The bushes they had jumped into the previous night to cushion their fall were still flattened from their landings. Draco had to stifle a laugh looking at their failed attempt to cover it up. 

 Harry set down the stool and was now holding the rope, staring above where a hook you would usually see holding a flag empty. Draco admitted the boy had this much more planned out than he thought. Or maybe he had done this before, he thought sadly. 

With the skills of a professional quidditch player, he threw the looped side of the rope around it in his first try. Draco had seen him play countless times but they didn't stop him getting impressed. Throwing wasn't even a seeker skill. 

"Ok, I'll climb up first and just open the door for you, okay?" Harry asked. Draco was hesitant. Harry might look healed but he doubted he had regained enough of his strength to climb the rope. Draco had seen how much he had struggled to carry his books back to the inn earlier that day. He was still weak and no doubt suffering some sort of fatigue from the fast-paced medicine.

"No, I'll do it." 

"...you?"

Draco felt déjà vu wash over him. "Yes. Me. You're still weak. If something goes wrong, I need you in your best condition when we run away."  

Harry huffed but otherwise stayed silent as Draco took the rope from his hands. He analyzed how far it was up. He didn't have much arm strength himself but if he stood from the top of the stepstool he just might be able to make it. 

He took in a long breathe before placing one foot on the wall and pulling himself upwards. Draco just hoped there weren't any noisy neighbors watching from there windows or they would be in much more trouble than he had signed up for. 

His muscles ached as he pulled himself up on the window seal. Thankfully, all he had to do was slipe the panel up to get in. Five years of Quidditch and not a single muscle built. Bloody unfair, he thinks, throwing himself on the hard floorboard.

Standing back up, he wipes himself off and looks back out the window to see Harry waiting for him expectantly. The boy gives him a little thumbs up and he can't help but chuckle a little bit. 

Now for the easy part, Draco muses. The room was perfectly clean cleaned as if yesterday had never happened. The door was backed on its hinges and the screw sized indents in the wall were already patched it. Draco scrunched up his nose. These people were more intent or orderliness than his own parents. That, or they were just very intent on forgetting Harry ever existed. 

Despite the house being empty, Draco couldn't help himself to try to make his steps as quiet as possible. Nonetheless, he opened the door and tipped toed through the dark hallway. The cool banister at his fingertips as he went down down the stairs sent shivers down his back. It reminded him of the time he had tried sneaking out when the abuse first started. He had been caught and not let out of the darkened dungeons for days.  Maybe it was his paranoia, but he felt the same eyes on him as he did that night.  Fear built up in his throat.   

Draco decided he needed to get out of there as soon as possible. Harry had told him where his trunk was, so if he could hurry up and grab it, there wouldn't be any need to stay longer than needed. 

Draco let out out a sigh of relief when he left the smooth surface of a light switch on the wall. He quickly flipped it on and turned around to make sure no one was watching him. Of course, just as he thought, nothing. It didn't help the sinking feeling in his stomach though. 

Getting on his knees, he examines the cupboard Harry had described. It was usually small with golden vent gates. He could barely make out a child's handwriting that had been painted over.   He quickly tried the handle to find it locked. He cursed. Of course, the blasted muggles had to go and make things difficult for him.  It was one of those rare moments he appreciated his father's countless lessons on wandless magic as a child.   

"Alohomora," he whispers at the golden nob beneath his hand. The gears inside turn and come lose with a small click.  He tries the nob again and smiles slightly when it opens. 

Draco was so focused on getting the large trunk and broom out of the cupboard he hadn't even noticed the large figure looming above him.  

~~~

So I'm sorry to my unknown lover

Sorry that I can't believe that anybody ever really

Starts to fall in love with me

~~~

Lmao sorry, y'all. I gotta find a way to end chapters in ways other than cliffhangers. Also! I'm back in school again plus robotics every day after school so updates might get even funkier.  Sorrrry D:

Words: 2256

Published: 8/25/19