Save The Date (A Drarry FanFiction)

Chapter Twenty Six

   Brandon's face split into a grin, and he started skipping down the woodland path. "Well come on then," he cried, clicking his heels as he hopped back and forth. "Follow me!"

The day was pleasant, and the cloudless sky particularly bright after the gloominess of Halloween Land. There was a colourful rainbow intersecting the blue, cutting from one edge of the land to the other, and despite everything else going on, it couldn't help but have a cheering effect. Draco took a deep breath as Brandon began leading them out of the forest, and tried to calm his nerves. They had hours to find Harry, it would be okay.

Brandon hummed to himself as he skipped along up ahead, and Bones indulged in peeing on as many trees, flowers, rocks and twigs as he liked. This allowed Draco to remain quiet as they made their way through the forest, thinking how strange it was that he was in this position after the couple of years he'd had.

Well, it was obviously strange he was in some crazy universe made up of different holidays where they stole people's memories and animals could talk and he was being chased by an army of skeletons. But that wasn't really what he was thinking about.

It was more how up in the real world, after all the misery Voldemort had put him through (and, admittedly, Harry more so) the two of them had finally started becoming tentative friends. After seven frustrating years, he was finally getting his wish to be closer to Harry. He had realised somewhere over the last summer, when he had enjoyed a few refreshing months of not thinking he was going to be murdered at every turn, that he'd gone about getting Harry's attention in all the worst ways possible over the years. It had been like watching a slow-motion car crash, unable to stop the carnage even though he knew it was humiliating and fruitless. But now, thankfully, Harry was seemingly open to this new version of himself Draco was forging, and it gave him hope for the future.

Not that he thought he'd ever get anywhere with his abysmal crush of course, but that he might be able to call Harry 'friend' one day. That would make it all worth it.

But first that meant finding him, restoring his memories, and getting them both back to the real world before the stroke of midnight. He sighed, at least he wasn't alone.

"So," he said, forcibly cheering up and strolling over to Bones, hands in his pockets. "Are we going to talk about the little leprechaun outfit?"

"No," grumbled Bones.

Draco smirked. "I think it's adorable."

"Say that again," the small dog warned. "And I'll bite your ankles."

Draco just laughed.

They passed several more leprechauns as they trekked through the woods, most of them chasing snakes, all of them waving tankards around in varying states of inebriation. But they mostly paid the odd trio no mind as they marched along the pathway, more interested in their quarry than what a boy, a dog and a drunken imp were up to.

Just as Draco was starting to get antsy, the edge of the tree line came into view, and they were greeted by a wide open meadow rolling down a hill, showing a small town in the distance that Draco guessed to be their destination. The meadow was filled with three-leaf clovers rather than grass, and Draco plucked one of the shamrocks from its stem to roll absently between his fingers.

He figured the chances of Harry making his way to St Patrick's Land would probably be quite an unlikely coincidence, so he figured they would most likely ask around to whoever might know about these things just to double check, then head on up to Christmas Land. His belly rumbled at the thought of mince pies, and he hoped they would have a chance to grab a snack along the way. Harry-hunting would be much less stressful on a full stomach.

As they walked down the hill towards the edge of the town they passed a harangued looking young man and woman, human like Draco, as they attempted to instruct a dozen or so children who were currently charging around in what might generously be called a circle. "No," pleaded the woman, pulling at her red hair and moving as fast as she could with them in her voluminous skirts. "Two steps forward, two steps back – the other way – the other way!"

The children looked to be having too much fun to really be listening to her though, and the man had his hands full with the drum he was banging in time to their instruction. Draco and his companions walked on by without so much as a glance from any of them.

The town was made up of a series of rambling houses that lead up to a sheer cliff face overlooking the sea. It was a beautiful vista and Draco breathed deep, taking in the salt air. The buildings themselves were mostly made up of large grey stones with slated roofs and big rectangular windows. As they drew closer and entered the town itself, Draco assumed that the homes were further out from the main street they were walking along, as every single establishment that currently lined the street seemed to be a pub.

"Top of the morning to yeh," several people cried out as they waved from their windows, and numerous leprechauns scampered from door to door, chuckling wickedly with brimming tankards clutched to their chests.

"Are you taking us to Tommy's?" Bones asked. That meant nothing to Draco, but it obviously did to him and to Brandon as well, as he nodded and swung his now empty mug around.

"He'll be able to help yeh out, and then I'll get me gold, yes?"

Draco sighed, not really enjoying the deception, even though it was necessary. Actually, what was bothering him was not having the money at all. He felt quite naked without a sizable amount of cash upon his person. One never knew when a good bribe would be needed, as this experience had shown him clearly, and he wasn't appreciating the sense of powerlessness it was giving him.