September 3th, 1997
Draco carried an arm full of wood closer to the flickering flame, setting it down near the fire with a plop. Blaise grabbed a log, tossing it into the fire. Crickets could be heard, the occasional frog releasing a ribbit. Draco sat down next to his friend, looking intently into the fire.
"What do you think is going to happen to us?" Blaise mused. "It's not like we have a place in this war."
"Stop being so depressed," Draco said, bumping his friends shoulder. "Seriously, if we could harvest your depression, along with Pansy and Potter's, we could keep London's lights on for centuries." Blaise rolled his eyes, looking to his right. Pansy was sleeping against his thigh, curled up into a small ball. Millicent was in the tent, sleeping as well.
Millicent hadn't talked much to Draco after his explosion at her when they first arrived. She seemed distant, and with Draco staying in a separate tent, it's not like they could talk it over. The entire group seemed scared of him, like he was some odd force they'd rather not deal with. Weasley was the only one treating him the same. Well, he was trying to, but with Granger constantly on his back, he did hold back a majority of the time.
"I'm not trying to be depressed. None of us are," Blaise said, keeping his head down. "The only one here that has any true reason to be with Potter is you. Millicent and Pansy are too scared to fight, and I don't have a wand to fight with to help them."
"You aren't going to need to fight. I'm here for that. I'm going to keep you safe."
"But is it worth it?" Draco sat up straight, taken back.
"Of course you're worth it! How could you think otherwise?" Draco demanded, eyebrows pointing downward. Blaise picked at his fingernails, refusing to make eye contact. Draco snorted at the man's silence, crossing his arms. "Just be happy you're still alive."
"Are you?" Blaise asked, looking up. Draco breathed in deeply. "Are you happy do be alive?" Draco released his breath through his mouth, a tight feeling developing in his stomach.
"No," Draco replied, returning his gaze to the fire. "I'd rather be dead right now. At least I'd be with my mother." Blaise nodded in agreement, pulling back some of Pansy's hair from her face. Blaise had a hint of a smile on his face, Draco rolling his eyes.
"So, when's the wedding?" Draco said, motioning to Pansy's sleeping form. Blaise choked.
"What?"
"You and Pansy? You can't tell me nothing is going on," Draco stated, smiling with a clever aura around him. Blaise had a small blush, still looking at Pansy. Her thumb was pressed slightly against her mouth, almost like a child deep enough in sleep to release their thumb. Her knees were pressed in her stomach, toes pointed outward.
"We've talked about it. The chances of us actually surviving this war are slim. Why die alone, knowing there was someone you could have married?" Blaise leaned down, kissing the girl's cheek. A small smile appeared on her face, Blaise chuckling. "We got together right before you left for the Cabinet that night. She wanted to keep it a secret since she had just broken up with Theodore. I understood, but having to be trapped in a dungeon with her and Theo at the same time was horrifying. I could tell he still wanted her, and she was trying to ignore him, and Millicent told me she wanted Theo. It was just this giant love square thing, and you being the only one not involved for once. And then..." Blaise trailed off. Draco pulled at the grass beside him, tossing clumps into the flame, watching it shrivel and burn.
"Then he died saving me," Draco finished in a whisper. Blaise nodded, picking up a leaf and tearing it into small pieces. He sighed deeply.
"I love her, you know." the man said, staring at the girl's face. Draco adjusted him place on the ground, smirking a little.
"You know, being a pureblood, I was trained to conduct wedding ceremonies." Draco said, puffing his chest out. Blaise blinked at him, brown eyes a mirror to the fire.
"You mean it? You'll marry us?" Blaise asked, voice airy in disbelief. Draco nodded, pulling his wand from his pocket,
"I have my wand, the chants memorized, and the documents, if the Trio inside is willing to let me use their parchment." Draco said, rolling the wand between his fingers. "And if the parental figure is needed to be present, I can send a letter to Severus." Blaise stiffened.
"Severus can't help us. One more slip up, and the Dark Lord will know he's a traitor." Draco groaned.
"Damn it, you're right." Draco placed his wand in his pocket. "You are both of age, so it's not like we need a parental figure."
"Then why did you suggest him?"
Draco shrugged, moving to lay on his back
"He was like a father to us when our own were busy at the Ministry day in and day out. He never had kids of his own, which surprises me because of the stories he told of that Evans girl. Yes, he was cruel and strict, but he was more attentive to us then our own fathers." Draco looked into the fire, refusing to let his eyes blink. He pulled his knees to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. "Even mine."
Draco continued to stare into the dancing flame, face heating up quickly. His toes in his shoes were already hot, and the heat continued up his foot. His arms wrapped around his folded legs, turning onto his side, curling into a ball.
"You miss them, don't you? Your aunt, father, Severus?" Blaise asked, a sympathetic tone passing his lips. Draco sighed, using his thumb to wipe away the tears collecting in his eyes.
"Of course I do. I love them," Draco said quietly. Blaise chuckled.
"Even after what they did to you, you can still say that." The dark skinned man grabbed another log, tossing it into the fire. Sparks flew into the air, an abundance of crackling sounds emerging from the pit.
"I really wish you showed this side of yourself to more than just us." Draco turned to face Blaise, eyebrows raised.
"What side?" he asked. Blaise smiled at his friend.
"The compassionate, soft, true you. Not the hard, emotionless, pureblood exterior you put up around everyone else." Blaise said, leaning back slightly. "Maybe then the world won't see you as a Death Eater and more like a human being."
Draco nodded in agreement. "True. But if I don't act that way, it's easier to get hurt." He fiddled with his pants, watching a beetle crawl toward the fire. The bug touched a piece of heated wood, falling onto it's back. Draco reached forward, placing the beetle onto his index finger. "If I get hurt, then I can't protect the ones I need to protect."
"If you are so worried about everyone else, then who will protect you?" Blaise asked, eyes on the bug as the shell around it's wings opened. The beetle flew into the air, flying away into the trees of the forest. Draco looked back at the fire.
"No one, I guess."
Draco stood to his feet, walking toward his tent, saying his goodnights to his friend. He tossed open the flap, unsurprised to find the Gryffindors sitting around a table full of open books.
"It feels so odd," Potter said, his face showing a sober sadness. Draco stopped by his bed, turning to face them.
"Is the Horcrux acting up?" the blonde asked, taking the few steps toward the table. Hermione shook her fuzzy head, her expression the same as Potter.
"It's nothing," she said, breathing heavily. "Harry is just feeling a bit homesick."
Draco snorted loudly, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "I would hope not. From Potter's stories, his home is more like hell."
"I would never call the Dursley's home," Potter said quietly, drawing circles on a piece of parchment. Draco thought a moment, his eyebrows pointing downward.
"Today is the first Monday of September." Draco said slowly, Weasley nodding.
"Ginny's on that train," the ginger murmured. Draco could see Potter physically tense, worry for the girl overtaking him.
"Neville and Luna, too." Hermione added, a small smile on her face. "Knowing them, they already started up the DA." Draco rolled his eyes at the mention of their dueling club from two years ago. Draco tried so desperately to catch them in the act of breaking the rules, and had succeeded in the end. But now, he regretted ever doing it. He may have disagreed with the club, but what harm was it doing?
"Astoria as well," Draco said, trying to add more to the conversation.
"Who is Astoria?" Potter asked, looking up from his circle-drawing.
"She's a pureblood Ravenclaw. My fiancee," Draco said calmly, inspecting his fingernails. "She's a real bitch, but I still care about her." Hermione gasped, looking as if she was insulted.
"How could you treat your fiancee so poorly?" the girl demanded, Weasley laughing into his hand as the blonde was scolded.
"We aren't getting married! We both already agreed on it," Draco said back. "It's an arranged marriage. The Malfoy and Greengrass families are closely related. Astoria is basically my cousin. They are also one of the last pureblood families. There are only six that I have interacted with: Malfoy, Greengrass, Black, LeStrange, Longbottom, and Potter."
"Harry isn't a pureblood. His mother was a Muggle-born," Weasley said, his laugh fading away. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Don't you think I know that, Weasley? I'm talking about his grandparents on father's side." Harry jumped up in his seat, suddenly interested in conversation.
"I have grandparents?" Draco snorted at the brunette's reaction.
"I wouldn't bother. They were worse than my parents about the whole 'Purebloods are superior' thing. They don't work for the Dark Lord, though. They are a mutual party." Draco explained. "Rumor has it James Potter, their first born, was disowned when he married a Muggle girl, but he had no choice but to inherit their fortune when they died. Their other three son's died in the first war before him. As for the Muggle girl, I have no idea who she was or where she came from. Not that I care." Draco stood from the chair, crossing the tent to his bunk. He sat on the third rung, bending down to remove his shoes.
"Lily."
Draco looked up, rage developing in Potter's emerald eyes.
"What?"
"Her name was Lily." Potter snapped, rising from his seat and storming from the tent, Weasley trailing after him. Hermione stood as well, leaning down to Draco's ear.
"You shouldn't have said that."
-:-
September 6th, 1997
"...oy. Malfoy. Malfoy!"
"What?" Draco replied angrily, pulling the blanket up over his head. Hands were on his side, shaking him occasionally in attempt to get him to wake.
"Get up. We're packing and you're the only one still sleeping," the person said, Draco mentally cursing who the voice belonged to.
"Potter, you are horrid at waking people up. You need to coax them gently, bribe them with tea and scones, and whisper sweetly in their ear." Draco teased, curling up into a ball.
"Well, we don't have that, so tough." Potter stated, pulling the blanket off Draco's body. "Up."
"May you burn in hell, Potter." Draco snapped, sitting up slowly. Potter snorted, climbing off the top bunk and handing the blanket to Hermione.
"You know, we could have just let him sleep. He did do watch all night yesterday till early this morning," Hermione mused out loud, taking the blanket and folding it over her knee.
"I want to check as soon as I can. The faster we get this done, the better."
"Where are we going?" Draco asked, prepping himself to climb down the ladder. Potter gave him a stern look, obviously sleep deprived.
"An orphanage. We think a Horcrux is hidden there," Hermione informed. Draco nodded, jumping down from the bunk.
"You're lively," Hermione noted, pulling her bag open and stuffing the blanket inside.
"I'm deciding to take some advice and lighten up a bit." Draco said, tugging his grey shirt from over his head. "Besides, being hung in some depression will only hinder the group."
"Just don't smile all the time," Weasley said from the table, a plate of toast in front of him. "It's creeping everyone out."
"I don't find it creepy," Hermione said, shooting a glare at the ginger.
"Neither do I," Potter added, casting a spell to shrink the bunk bed. Draco's eyebrows shot into his forehead, placing his hands on his hips. He gazed at the man, scanning him over, placing an index finger on his lip.
"Curious, the Chosen One defending the Death Eater poster child." Draco teased, Weasley choking on his toast. Potter shot a tough snarl at Draco, the blonde continuing to smirk. Draco turned back to his dressing, pulling the fresh jeans over his legs and fastening the zipper.
"Why do you try to be such a prat all the time?" Weasley spat, moving so he faced Draco directly. Draco kept his back to the ginger, his smile fading. He tossed his hair, grabbing the tube of cream and placing a generous amount on his finger.
"I don't try to be a prat," Draco said calmly, rubbing the creme over his blind eye. "You take everything so seriously, any joke I tell falls on deaf ears." Weasley snorted, Draco grabbing a comb and running it through his hair. He pulled his bangs forward, covering his eye in attempt to hide the scar. He placed the items in a pile, folding the clothing and handing them to Hermione. She placed them in the bag, Draco turning to leave.
"I'm going to check Millie and the others."
"We're leaving in ten minutes," Potter said sternly, his wand busy on the table and chairs. Draco gave him a nod, exiting.
-:-
"I can't believe it's gone," Potter moaned, his head against the table. Hermione was busy at the fire, the sizzling of bacon making Draco's stomach growl. Pansy and Millicent were in his bed, Blaise sitting on a rung of the ladder while the blonde took a chair at the table.
"It's been over sixty years since the Dark Lord would have been there. Stop blaming yourself," Weasley said, rubbing his friend's back as he moaned.
"We could have checked. We traveled all the way to London, put everyone in danger, only to find out it's replaced with an office tower. We were so close to finding another Horcrux," Potter said, running his fingers through his tasseled hair.
"Even if you did find one, how to you expect to destroy it? You can't even destroy the one we currently have," Draco said, motioning to Weasley's chest where the Horcrux laid. Potter looked up, anger covering his features.
"Why don't you contribute, Malfoy? Why the hell are you here anyway?" Potter demanded, jaw set. Draco scowled.
"I've already told you, Potter, I'm in as much danger as you are. You were so generous to give me a place to stay, for some unknown reason you refuse to tell me." Draco replied, crossing his arms. He looked Potter in the eyes, intent to not break the gaze. "As for my lack of contribution, every time I try, you and Weasley shoot me down like a wild goose."
"If you weren't such a prat, we'd let you contribute." Weasley murmured, smirking slightly. Draco turned toward him, anger starting to pulse in his veins.
"Do you have something to say, Weasley? How about saying it to my face?" Draco said, voice dripping with poison. The blonde stood, stomping toward the tent exit. "I'm going for a walk."
Pansy shuffled off the punk bed, a cloak and sweater in hand. "Here."
"Thank you." Draco leaned down, kissing the girl lightly on the forehead before exiting. He wrapped the cloak around his body, pulling the hood over his head. He pulled his wand from his pocket, thinking of Diagon Alley. He needed to find a way to relax, and there was only one way he could think of. He flicked his wand, a familiar tugging feeling staring in his navel.