Transfixed: A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

Chapter 45

We landed about half a mile from the train tracks amongst a quaint neighborhood of thatched cottages. It was a small cul-de-sac of houses with brightly colored flower boxes and windows wide-open to catch the morning breeze. I looked over my shoulder to get my bearings and saw the tracks in the distance, across a wide wheat field.

"Let's go," I said. "We shouldn't linger here."

Draco nodded, and we set off across the field. He checked his watch. "It's almost noon. The train will have left Kings Cross about an hour ago. It should be here any minute."

We walked to the edge of the tracks and sat down. The sun was beating down on us, but I dared not complain. It was better than freezing.

"Are you nervous?" he asked quietly. I looked straight ahead and nodded.

"My sister's going to be on the train, and I have to act as if I hate her. That terrifies me."

"And if we find Potter?"

I grimaced. "That terrifies me, too."

The whistle started soft and high in the distance, barely loud enough to hear. We stood and looked to the left, but could see nothing yet.

Then it got louder.

"Audrey, you do realize how we're going to have to stop this train," Draco said, his voice soft and low, almost like a growl. I looked at the train and felt all the color drain from my face. Yes, I did realize. There was no spell powerful enough to halt it. We were going to have to do it the hard way.

"Do you think the conductor will see us?" I asked worriedly. Draco stepped forward onto the tracks.

"God, I sure hope so."

Against my better judgment, I joined him, grabbing his hand.

"Remember when we were on the train last year?" I asked. "I was sitting with my sister, and you came to our cabin to bicker with me."

"Wow." He looked down and shook his head. "Seems like another life."

"It sure does."

Then we saw it.

It was barreling towards us, and I instinctively took a step back before regaining my footing. We raised our wands, making sure our Dark Marks were visible.

"We're about to get run over," I muttered.

"No we're not," he said defiantly, as if he were willing it to be true. "We're going to stop it."

It got closer, and the whistle was now a vicious screaming in my ears. Five meters, four meters, three meters, two meters...

Then it stopped, well, more like screeched to a halt. I had no doubt the students on the train were thrown from their seats. I stood rooted to the spot like a statue, and Draco was the first one to snap out of it.

"C'mon, we have to go," he said, his face furious and determined. It was such a contrast from the demeanor I had gotten used to at the Manor. In that moment, he reminded me of a soldier, a look I only hoped I would be able to replicate.

We walked to the side of the train to see the door already open, the conductor apprehensively peering out to look at us. Draco extended his arm to show his Dark Mark, and I did the same.

"By order of Lord Voldemort, we need to search the train," Draco commanded, his voice booming into the stiff silence. The driver was a skinny man of about 40 with thick round spectacles and a black mustache. He opened his mouth to protest, but we had our wands raised, and he had no choice but to oblige. He stepped aside, and we climbed aboard.