(HP Đồng nhân Eng) Seven Years Too Late

Chap 13

After the school event, Draco dropped the money they'd collected in the night depository at the bank and headed home. He couldn't relax, especially not after Harry's presence all that day. Not after what the Gryffindor had said.

Harry hadn't suggested seeing Draco that evening, hadn't done anything, but collect Eli and head out after he'd hauled bag after bag of trash to the containers behind the school building.

Draco made a few phone calls to eat up the time when he returned home. Unfortunately, his friends were too busy to talk for long and when he found himself dialing Harry's number, he quickly hung up the phone. Chasing after the Gryffindor was something he would not do. Not again. No amount of explaining the past could change his feelings on that score. He still had his pride, after all.

As he was preparing to use his wand to decorate his own place for the holidays, Draco's gaze kept falling on the recent purchases he'd made at the store he had taken Megan to. He'd gone back to the shop and had picked up every single item that the girl had seemed to like. They were already wrapped in festive Christmas packages. Only Megan would be gone before Christmas.

For all Draco knew, Harry could well be gone by then too, no matter how many free breakfasts he'd won. Knowing that the Gryffindor was at the root of his restlessness didn't stop the blond from doing at least one concrete, productive thing. He gathered up Megan's gifts and loaded them in the front seat of his car. The late hour didn't prevent him from driving out to where the girl and her protector were staying. He knew Brody and Megan would be there. He just didn't know for how many more days that would be the case.

The graded road out to the old farmhouse was passable. It had been snow plowed, but time and use had worn deep ruts that he wasn't entirely successful in avoiding. So he bumped along the miles, using a bit of magic when he found himself stuck, and was particularly grateful when the single light burning on the front porch came into sight.

Though it was nearing ten o'clock when he arrived, Draco hadn't even doused his headlights before several more lights around the house flashed on, startling him for a moment. Security lights, he realized. Probably motion-automated or magiced to appear so. He parked his car and gathered up the items he'd brought for Megan and headed toward the porch.

From inside his police cruiser that was well hidden in the darkness and shadows of the trees, Harry watched the front door of the farmhouse open even before Draco could knock. Brody Paine looked out and cast a quick look around before practically pulling the blond inside. The door closed.

"What the hell is Malfoy doing here?" Beside Harry, Ron's voice belied the tension suddenly emanating from him.

Harry knew how the red head felt. "Good question." They'd had this place under surveillance for more than a week, ever since an unusual money floo had been traced to Paine, the timing of which coincided too neatly with a major drug ring bust that had been made by the muggle authorities that week. Then, another package of the mysterious drug had been discovered just that morning on a trailer belonging to the owner of the house that Brody and his daughter were renting.

They'd been no unusual activity around the property though, until that afternoon, when a stranger had arrived in a Hummer bearing a false registration. The unknown man had left after less than an hour, and the tail Harry had assigned to the vehicle reported that it was left in the parking lot of the airport. Unfortunately, the driver of the Hummer had been lost inside the airport. Harry had the distinct impression that the man had probably apparated away.

"I prefer good answers," Ron countered. Harry knew his friend wasn't entirely convinced of Brody's involvement. "What was ferret boy carrying?" the red head questioned.