REBORN

Painful Reunion

Draco sat stiffly in the carriage as it rumbled towards Hogsmeade. He didn't know what would happen when he met his cousin at the Shrieking Shack. Black wasn't exactly known for his sanity. Then again these days Draco probably wasn't doing great on that front either.

Draco breathed in through his nose staring at the bare trees as the Thestrals pulled them along the bumpy path. Draco wasn't truly feeling the anxiety he knew he should. His mental walls kept that separate, quietly locked away. Draco knew the longer he kept the walls there the more distant and unreal the world would feel. But was that so bad? It was so much easier this way.

Draco departed the carriage as soon as the wheels stopped turning. He avoided looking at the Thestrals. Draco pulled his grey scarf further up his neck and changed his hair color to a more unobtrusive muddy brown. If he kept his face mostly covered by his scarf he could be ignored by most people.

Draco strolled through Hogsmeade, showing urgency would be out of place and could attract attention. Draco glanced at shop windows even idling by at times examining sweets or brooms. Draco continued this pattern until he reached a deserted area and then finally the covered woods.

Draco trudged through the underbrush toward the vague direction he knew the Shrieking Shack resided. Finally, after nearly breaking an ankle Draco laid eyes on the leaning, splinter-filled, disgusting, possibly haunted, building. He examined it. It didn't seem different than when he last saw it. Somehow he thought he should have been able to tell that an insane killer awaited him inside. Draco put that thought aside.

Draco pushed open the door with slight resistance. The hinges squealed yet Draco pushed on allowing the door to slam shut behind him sending dust raining down from the rafters. Draco examined the room, it seemed to be the only one on this level and contained a large but decrepit four-poster bed. As well as a wooden splintered but firm-looking chair. Draco saw no sign of Black.

Draco looked back at the door. He would hear if anyone tried to enter from the awful screeching the hinges made. Draco approached the rickety staircase and climbed up it. As he reached the second floor of the building he could tell it wouldn't be safe to walk on, already there were holes near the staircase leading back down to the ground floor.

Draco carefully descended the stairs avoiding the areas where the planks looked fragile or were altogether missing. From the corner of his eye, he saw a blur of movement from the direction of the broken windows. Draco pulled his wand from his arm holster immediately turning to face it. Draco stood straight as he faced someone he assumed was Black.

Unfortunately, Draco didn't get much of a chance to examine the figure as it immediately threw a spell at him. Draco blocked it with a Protego and threw a stunner back. Had he been more prepared he might have noticed the figure through the window behind him. Draco fell from a stunner not a second later.

Draco jerked awake gasping, his head pounding. Draco's arms were bound tightly behind him to the very same chair he had been examining earlier. His arm holster was empty. Draco's lips pulled back from his teeth ready to attack in the only way he had left, scathing words.

He didn't get the chance. "Nice to meet you cousin!" Black said jovialy.

Sirius Black looked quite different than he had in third year on the cover of the Prophet. His hair was brushed and styled carefully, his clothing was clean and well-cut to his figure. Perhaps the most distinct change was his expression, his face was no longer twisted in a scream, instead a smile he recognized adorned his lips.

"I wish I could say the same." Draco snapped. "Why-"

Black cut him off. "You must understand, precautions must be taken. Especially now." Draco opened his mouth about to respond when Black nodded to someone behind him. Draco choked as hands pushed a vial between his lips before covering his nose and mouth.