Returning Home

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any characters in this book!

Pairings: HP/DM duh!

Note to readers: this is set from one of the books that I've read. I hope you all enjoy!

Prologue

"Hurry up and get me some drinks!" Blaise Zabini moaned. "It's so hot out here!" He toke a green cloth and wiped it across his forehead.

Pansy Parkinson scoffed and rolled her eyes, twisting her mouth in pure horror. "Blaise, there are so many times when I say this but I feel like you never comprehend what I'm saying: just because you think something doesn't mean you have to say it! Jesus Christ, discard that cloth right now! I don't want any sweat-filled towels touching me!

I sighed, seeing my friends arguing like this, yet again. Pansy is a stuck-up snob, yeah, but the types of girls that are strong-willed and determined attract me. Not in the romantic way, mind you, because I've known Pansy since three years now (since our first year at Hogwarts) and it'd be like dating my sister. Ugh!

Inside, I can completely understand what Blaise is going through. It is annoyingly muggy outside to say the least. The June temperature was boiling, and seeing the ducks swimming across the pond was aggravating.

"Oh – my – god," I cried out. Blaise and Pansy stopped at their quarreling and looked at me. "Are we just going to stay at the park all day and look at the nature? I'm bored and…I'm going to get a heat stroke any second now."

Pansy sighed. "To be honest, I guess it is pretty scorching out."

"There's an ice cream stand nearby," Blaise offered. "I saw it on our walk over here."

Pansy shrugged. "Works for me. Black raspberry, please."

Blaise shot up a finger. "Oh, and a rocky road for me!"

My mouth dropped. Since when did they decide that I, the almighty Draco Malfoy, was to buy their ice cream for them? "Oh, bugger that," I muttered hotly, marching off down the street to the ice cream stand.

I didn't mind doing things for my friends at all – they were the ones who helped me cope through when I discovered that Harry Potter and his teammates had beaten the Slytherins (AKA me!) in the Quidditch match just two years ago, during our second year. Now in three months, I would reenter Hogwarts again for my fourth year. I overheard my dad talking about some sort of "international game" that he and his fellow ministry "friends" were going on about. It probably won't even happen. To say the least, nothing happens at Hogwarts!

Seeing an old woman behind the ice cream stand, it took almost everything in will not to gasp. The horrid lady's hair was literally a bird's nest and she had no chin at all! Was that even possible? Oh, hold on, Crabbe and Goyle are authentic proof that it is.

I looked her up and down, sneering.

She grinned at me. "What would you like, dear?"

I cleared my throat. "I'd like to have a rocky road, a black raspberry, and…an almond joy." I tried not to watch as mosquito flew around her head.

She beamed. "You're greedy little thing, aren't you?" She giggled.

I glared at her in horror. Did she just call me a "thing"? That can't be possible. Mum is probably right – it is time for me to have my yearly checkup with a healer. "It's for my friends, thank you very much."

"Of course, of course."

I shook my head at her, growing impatient. A bee made way to her head now. I watched as it glided around her hair several times before landing directly on top of her heaped hair. "By any chance, you're not allergic to bees are you?"

She looked at me questioningly.

"Never mind."

She smiled. "Just a sec, dear." She scuttled to a freezer and pulled out a container. It was mostly likely rocky road. Taking her time, she scuttled back to the counter.

"Seriously, can you go a bit faster?" I asked.

Ignoring me, she scooped out a giant blob and mashed it into a chocolate covered waffle cone and handed to me. "One down, two more to go!" she chirped happily.

As I examined the tragedy that happened on the cone, she moved as fast as her tiny feet can take her. This time, she had trouble opening the freezer. "Oh dear, how did this happen?"

"Oh for the love of god, just use magic and open the stupid thing!" I all but shrieked.

"But the good old fashioned way is best," she said. "The hard work on the ice cream makes a difference in the taste."

"Yes, because it's all dripped with sweat!" I slammed the cone down with some knuts next to it. "You can keep the cone and the money, lady. It could do you some good."

I turned around and tramped down the narrow strip of road. "Stupid woman," I spat. Suddenly, I felt someone grab me from behind. My instinct to scream was cut off short when a rough hand swatted over my mouth. "Scream and you die now," he growled in my ear. I looked in front of me, and finally realized that there was nobody ahead to scream for. Before I could do anything, I heard a loud bang. The scenery of the park swirled before my eyes until I found myself dropping to the ground.

I looked up. He'd apparrated me to what seems to be the dining room of a shabby house.

"Don't look so surprised, boy," a voice said.

I snapped around and saw a man with greasy black hair and dark eyes. He was staring straight at me with such intensity that I nearly looked away. "Who are you?" I demanded. "Get me back home!" He looked to be around his late twenties, thirty-five at the most.

"No," he whispered, coming closer. I backed away. "I don't take orders from a teenager. You do as I say, got it?" He grabbed me by my gorgeous hair and yanked on it.

"Don't touch me!" I yelled. If only he knew how long it actually took for me to gell it back this morning…

"I said, got it?!" he repeated in the strained voice. His breath smelled of alcohol.

My eyes widened, if possible. It was clear that whoever this man was, it was obvious that he wasn't playing around with his words. Either I do something for him, or something worse will happen to me.

I gulped loudly and nodded, feeling tears threaten to fall. I mustered up my courage and kept them in. If only I knew how much longer my courage would be upheld…

I hoped you all enjoyed this so far! It was really fun writing it. Oh my god, did anyone spend time watching Dancing with the Stars at all this season? Go Aaron Carter, Mark Decascos, and Louie Vito! Wohoo!