Ya'll so lucky I wasn't too lazy to continue this owo. Pray I finish this fic because, oh lord, it needs praying.
He had to remind himself. This battle was not won yet. He had to keep his composure, to not give in to the notion that it was all ended. It would take much more effort and mental exertion to get to their goal. Draco still had a long night ahead, and with the nearness of the wizard looming somewhere in the house and the threat of his cover being blown, he was on edge. He took a deep breath and pinched himself, just to make sure that yes, he was there, and yes, this is actuality.
After the pig came back nothing much really occurred. A one-sided awkward conversation took place, making Draco desire to punch the blob of fatness in the profile. Time dragged so hard and everything appeared terribly slow. It was getting him nervous. He felt that something was going to happen soon enough. He wasn't looking forward to it. He just wanted a normal and quiet life for once. Just once. But look at the situation he got himself into. It was all Potter's fault! With his hero-ey character and revolting sense of justice and stupid passion evident in those, misty, green eyes. It all brushed off on him and now, here he was! Diving headfirst into rescuing an unknown wizard that could be his greatest rival for all that he knew. It wasn't like him at all. Oh, why did he get inside this mayhem ...
His thoughts were obstructed by the horsewoman ushering him into the guest bedroom. For how long has he been on autopilot? How was it so late already? It constantly happened when his mind gravitated to a certain bright-eyed wizard. He just couldn't help but succumb himself in those eyes. He swore that there was a curse cast on them. If you took even the tiniest peek at them, you would be eternally trapped in the endless green. Oh, he was rambling to himself again. Potter had nothing to do with this.
"I'm sorry you can't sleep in the same room as Dudley, but he takes up all the bed space and we don't have any extra mattresses." the horsewoman spoke with that irritating voice Draco despised " The spare bedroom should do, I'm afraid " she continued while showing him to the door full of locks. She pulled out a set of keys and began unlocking them one at a time. When the last one was finally unlocked, she harshly flung the door open and urged him inside.
The room was tiny, almost smaller than the broom closet back at Malfoy Mansion. The wallpaper was worn and in some areas, it was beginning to peel off, and, if you squinted a tad, you could notice small specks of something that looked like dried blood on it. Only a small, creaky bed, a rotten wood desk and a miniature wardrobe resided in the room, along with a trunk alike to his own settled at the base of the bed and an unoccupied birdcage on the table. The sheets on the bed resembled rags and he was pretty sure they had fresh blood on them. Or just a really intriguing pattern. He couldn't say.
"I'll fetch you new beddings and a pair of smaller pyjamas. Please, overlook the mess, we haven't been in here for ages " the woman attempted reassuring him, but he wasn't convinced. He stared at her retreating back while she tugged the trunk and the cage behind her.
While he had the opportunity, he reached out for his magic and attempted exploring around for any trace of a wizard in the bedroom. And he did sense something. It was faint, but the magical signature saturating the air was there, and, somehow, Draco recognised it. He couldn't put his thumb on whom he identified it from in the first place. It ought to be someone who he had common contact with because he didn't ordinarily have an affinity for recognizing a lot of people's signature. He could vaguely recollect some of the constantly present students' in the library, but not anything resembling enough to the one lingering about now.
A yawn made its way out of his mouth, signalling that the adrenaline he felt before was beginning to fade off. Tiredness abruptly overtook him, and he really wished that the woman would return already. He WILL NOT sleep on bloodied coverings, just to be clear. As if reading his mind, Mrs Dursley returned with a handful of clean cloth and promptly made the bed.
When she left once again after saying good night, Draco hurled the pyjamas away and climbed in bed, only wearing his shirt and underwear. The pyjamas were way too large for anyone human-sized. Perhaps they would fit on Hagrid. However, he doubted that.
It didn't take him long to fall asleep, after such a tiring week. And, even if it wasn't his own bed, something remained in the air, causing him to feel protected despite the circumstances. But then he woke up in a cold sweat. It was dark, so, so dark. He couldn't see anything. He felt so very tiny and dainty and like anything could strike him from the infinite darkness around him. His entire frame was shivering and throbbing with scorching agony that seared through his soul. And he knew nothing else. Just pain pain pain pain pain pain pain and fear and pain. A whimper slipped past his lips and he curled even tighter on himself. Tears dropped countless on his sunken cheeks filled with bruises and dried blood. Maybe if he hugged his knees even closer to his frail body, he would just disappear. And with him, the pain would go away as well. He didn't want to feel anymore. Maybe he would finally die this summer. Maybe his uncle would finally kill him... Draco jolted conscious with a muffled shriek. He could still feel the intense fear rooted in his bones and the fierce ache in the middle of his chest. Why would he have a nightmare like that? Who was the boy from his vision-like nightmare? Why was he capable to feel the same suffering as him? He glanced towards the barricaded window. It was still dark outside and only the first rays of dawn seeped through the bars outside. He should still get some rest, but after that dream, he simply couldn't. He stared at the ceiling, pondering what he should do next, how he should proceed. Would it be better to attempt to force himself to sleep so he would be psychologically prepared for what will occur later that day, or to begin investigating the house while the muggles were asleep? He had to decide quickly and to get moving or in the other case, sleeping.
He concluded he had sufficient evidence and that it would be better to get more sleep after such a tiring vision.
Time passed at a snap of a finger and it was the time when the inhabitants of the house with the number 4 began to stir awake. Draco had an uneasy sleep and was glad he could finally move around.
He looked a bit about the bedroom but didn't really observe anything out of the ordinary besides the occasional speckle of dried blood on the wallpaper.
However, he noticed something under the bed. It was bright red, so he questioned how it hadn't piqued his attention before in the first place. He kneeled beside the bed and tugged at the red cloth. He inspected it and was horrified to comprehend that it was a Gryffindor scarf, battered and tainted with blood. He took another look under the bed to be certain that there wasn't anything else. It was empty.
The scarf felt familiar, and he was 100% positive he recognized the scent from somewhere.
He was presuming that the wizard would be a Slytherin or maybe a Hufflepuff because these were the typical houses where students with home difficulties winded up into, not in the house of lions. It was a bit shocking because he hadn't contemplated the possibility before, but it made sense.
A knock disrupted him, and, as he hastened to hide the scarf beneath the bed once again he uttered a 'come in '.
He dressed long ago, but he tried to straighten his clothes a bit so he seemed more presentable. It was his mother. Draco breathed in relief and rushed to embrace her, burying his nose in the crook of her neck.
"Mom... I think this is his room ..." his voice crackled a bit " and I found a Gryffindor scarf .." the last part of his sentence was merely a whisper. His mother remained speechless, a grim expression settling on her delicate features. "Your father is downstairs, waiting " she spoke softly and if you were listening for it, you could catch a slight waver in her voice "let's go and greet him, shall we? "
She guided him with a hand on his shoulder, not letting go while going down the stairs. Draco eyed the kitchen door where his father and the muggles were and took a deep breath. He could sense the familiar buzz of anxiety building quickly and his lungs felt heavy. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes while he told himself over and over again that everything will be alright. His parents were there, they had control over the situation. It would turn out ok. He would be fine.
His mother gently took his hand and pressed a vial in his palm. He granted her a thankful expression, let out a lengthy sigh and downed the bottle as fast as he could. The daze in his mind began to fade and now he could think coherently. But anxious Draco was correct. They had the situation under control.
After another set of deep breaths and encouraging thoughts, he nodded towards his mother who was patiently waiting for him, signalling he was ready.
Ok, so all this mess with the pandemic kinda slowed me down a little. I also edited the first two chapters ! Go and check them out. owo
YOU ARE READING
6 Privet Drive ( rewritten )
Fanfiction*under heavy editing * *first chapter edited * Draco Malfoy's life is drastically changed by his parents' decision to hide in the muggle world as the war between the light and Dumbledore begins and puts everyone in great danger . He discovers he's l...
