AUTHORS NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! EVERYTHING BELONGS TO WARNER BROS AND J.K ROWLING!
Banished
Chapter 1: Alone
Draco Malfoy had never felt more alone in his life. He had been thrown out of the magical world he had grown up in, stripped of his magic, the girl he loved separated from him and falling in love with another. Thrown out into the muggle world like a piece of trash. Left to fend for himself with no idea how to. He had to create a life among these worms. If he didn't, he would surly die. The ministry was still tracking him. They would track him for the rest of his life. The warning they had given him before taking away his powers still rang in his mind.
"If you don't assimilate with these muggles, we will take it as a sign of defeat. And destroy you. You have two options, allow yourself to die, or create a new life. The choice is yours."
Draco figured he was somewhere outside of London. The air was clearer where he was but he could see haziness of the air over London to the west of him. He was obviously in a rural area; he had been walking for 3 hours and had come across 2 farms as the only sign of civilization. He already knew that he could never live in a rural or suburban area, he needed the city. He thrived on the pulse that ran through London. London was where he belonged. Now, he just had to find a way to get there. If he had is damn magic he would be there already and would be getting the best treatment available. But years on the run had taught him how to get by with little or no magic. Magic left obvious signs, signs the ministry could detect. When Draco had turned spy for what was left of the Death Eaters, he had put everything on the line. When the entire organization he had created crumbled to the ground, the ministry was after him like a house elf after freedom. 6 years, Malfoy had managed to stay out of capture for 6 years. But finally they brought in the pro, Harry Potter. Once he was assigned to the case, it was only a matter of time before Draco was captured and thrown into Azkaban. The only thing stopping him from getting the dementor's kiss was his status. Even shamed, his family name carried power. So they had taken his powers and thrown him out of the magical world. The only reason they didn't modify his memory too, was so he could remember what he had lost. Remember that once, he could do magic. But now, he was as lowly as a muggle.
Suddenly one of those loud, clumsy muggle vehicle things came clattering down the road. Not knowing what else to do, Draco stuck out his hand, signaling the car to pull over.
Draco approached the car and did his best not to puke at the thought of begging for a ride from a muggle.
"Excuse me Sir, but my car broke down a while back and I really need to get into London! Is there any way you could give me a ride?" Malfoy made his voice sound sickly sweet.
"Well, I don't usually give rides to strangers, but you look like you have been down on your luck lately and I'm on my way to London anyways. Hop in."
Draco spent 4 miserable hours in the car with a muggle who had a below normal intelligence level. He forced himself to not reach over and throttle the man and just drive the dang car to London himself. The ministry is watching, he thought. They are always watching. That thought alone kept him from committing the worst muggle crime imaginable on his first day as one.
In his mind, Draco kept using the term muggle. It ran through his head over and over and over. If he didn't find a new word to call them, he would go insane. The only time he had used that word when he was magical, was to abuse them. But now, he was one. And he could not bear to reference himself as a muggle.
As the car clattered to a stop along the curb of one of London's many side streets, Draco realized that he still didn't have a definite plan of what to do now. He was in London though, he had gotten that far.
"Well here ya go, London. You're a mighty quiet one, but who am I to judge. Good luck to you." The farmer said as Malfoy scrambled out of the car and closed the door, watching the old, beat up, blue pickup rumble away.
Malfoy found himself missing the ease of floo powder and brooms as a way of transportation. He forced himself to think of other things, any thought of the world he once knew pained him. He felt like a child in a candy store who had been running around in glee, only to have it all snatched away without a real taste of it.
Pushing aside all thoughts, Draco focused all of his attention on the current dilemma, what to do now. Aware that standing on the side walk with no destination would draw attention, he just began to walk, letting his feet lead him.
Lo and behold, the old trusty feet led him right to the street where The Leaky Cauldron was, and the entrance to Diagon Alley. Draco stopped in front of the two buildings that the Leaky Cauldron should be between. Of course he couldn't see it, and this made the pain in him even worse. Apparently, even if his head knew he needed to move on, every inch of his body was screaming in protest to stay in the magical world.
But it was too late for that, much too late for that.
He turned away from The Leaky Cauldron and set out for the next best thing he knew, a sleazy cheap bar. There he could gather information about the muggle part of London, where it was best to stay in order to maintain a low profile, where you could easily get a job, and where was offering housing.
He meandered down side streets looking for a hole in the wall spot that would serve his purpose. In the middle of this task, a thought stopped him. He had no money. How in the world was he supposed to pay for a drink, let alone housing? Before he found a hole in the wall spot, Draco needed to get some funds.
He was at a complete loss of how to do that though. What should he do? Rob a bank? Mug someone? None of these options seemed appealing or sensible.
The only muggle from of entertainment he knew was poker. It was something he had picked up on his years on the run, and he was quite good at it. That's it, that's what I'll do! I win money in a poker game! The place to find an illegal underground poker ring with some serious money on the table, was none other than a hole in the wall bar.
Malfoy immediately restarted his search with double the intensity. His careful eye was soon rewarded when he spotted a sign outside a grungy door that one could easily overlook saying, Chip with a picture of a mug of beer on it. Draco put up his guard and entered.
The place was filled with the usuals, burn outs and people looking to hide. Some glanced at Malfoy, but most paid no attention. He went straight up to the formidable looking bartender, and leaned in, whispering; "Know where I can make some money with the cards?"
The bartender glanced up, and replied; "You for real? You look like a sissy."
"Try me." Was the simple response Draco provided.
With a grunt that seemed to translate to, "follow me" the man led Draco through a nearly invisible door and through a curtain where a haze of smoke surrounded a group of men around a poker table. They were just dividing the cards and looked up, annoyed at the interruption.
"Who the 'ell is this bloke?" demanded a grungy man.
"He says he wants in." the bartender replied, turning heel and exiting.
"You got the money to get in?" the grunge man asked.
"I will by the end."
"Cheeky bloke ay! Watch your tongue you." Threatened another man.
But they pulled up another chair all the same. They obviously believed that they would easily be able to squeeze money out of Draco.
I'd like to see them try.
The clock ticked by, and Draco's pile of money grew larger and larger, and the men's temper around him grew shorter and shorter. Finally after clearing each man out, Malfoy rose from the table, bid the men goodbye, left behind his starting sum, and exited.
As he was walking down the street, in much higher spirits, too men stepped out from a side alley. Draco recognized them from the poker game.
"Gained that money awful quick, didn't he Jim?" Questioned the one who had called Malfoy a cheeky bloke.
"Sure did Bill, sure did." The companion replied.
"Almost like magic it was."
Even in this dire situation, Draco could appreciate the irony.
Both men began advancing towards Malfoy, cracking their knuckles.
"Listen boys, I didn't mean to cause you any harm. I just played a fair game, that's all." Draco said, trying to appease the men.
It didn't work.
"Let me rearrange that pretty little face of yours, ay?" that was Bill, the obvious leader.
"No thanks, I quite like my face just how it is." Draco threw out before turning tail and running. It may not be the bravest thing to do, but it sure as hell was the smartest.
Even though there were two of the men, Draco was faster than them both and quickly lengthened the distance between them before ditching them completely. Only then did he allow himself a breather.
BLOODY HELL! My very first day in the normal world and I already have enemies. Just my god damn luck.
AUTHORS NOTE: ok so I I'm pretty much in love with this story. The whole thing just came so easily to me and was so easy to write! Way easier then the avatars guards! But I'm still gonna continue that story; the updates will just be spaced out a little. But except more of this story soon, as I'm pretty much in love with it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! In my opinion, this story totally deserves a review!