Despite being a far more logical and level headed man than Cornelius Fudge, Kingsley Shacklebolt found himself falling into the trap of feeling better for having told Harry Potter his problem. It wasn't a bad thing. He needed for feel a little better as he had felt so unhappy it had been hard to function. Harry had been able to shed some light on the situation too. Kingsley now knew that someone had said something to Draco which had upset him and that was why he had left. There was some comfort in knowing that Draco had told the truth in his letter and he hadn't actually run away because he didn't want to see him anymore.
If only Kingsley knew which little bastard had been unkind to Draco! His devastation was at the stage where it was beginning to turn to anger, and finding the little shit who had upset his precious Draco and doing them some serious physical damage would have made Kingsley feel a hundred times better! And that was before he even got to Aarion, the two faced rat! So much for his promise not to cause any more trouble! Clearly he had talked to his sister, the editor of Witch Weekly. This was how the paper had known to follow Draco and Kingsley from the apartment. As Kingsley had no way to find out for definite who had been unkind to Draco, he would have to content himself with dealing with Aarion at the next opportunity.
Logically Kingsley knew vengeance punches wouldn't make the situation any better, but Kingsley tended to be a man of action and he disliked feeling powerless. Harry was going to find Draco and all he could do was wait. There was nothing he could do to help as he had to stay calm and keep up appearances to avoid gossip and scandal. It was very frustrating and his frustration needed to vent somewhere. Preferably by rearranging someone's face!
Harry sat cross legged on his bunk in the trainee auror dormitory. A large map of magical London was spread out over his lap and he clutched a note book and pen in one hand. Hedwig was perched beside him expectantly as if awaiting instructions. Harry sighed crossly. He'd been sat there for an hour and he still had no bloody idea where Malfoy could have gone.
'OK...' He spoke out loud, possibly to his owl. 'We don't think he will have gone to Knockturn Alley, do we?' Because he was found innocent of being a death eater and very publically denounced any affiliation to Voldemort. So I'd say we can rule out any of the more traditionally dark neighbourhoods, can't we?'
Hedwig squawked loudly.
'But we also don't think he's likely to have hung around the New Town area either. It's too high society and he'd be seen and photographed there. The same is probably true with the nicer parts of the Old Town, like Diagon Alley. All a bit too public if you want to hide.' Harry mused.
Hedwig tilted her head on one side.
'With the manor gone, and no family he could hide with, it's hard to know where he might go.' Harry pondered.
Remus and Tonks were still in France and were not returning until the weekend, so he couldn't have gone to them. The rest of his family were dead, except a few distant half cousins who were in Azkaban. Harry thought for a moment how wretched that must make Draco feel. All his family dead or in jail. No wonder he worried that everyone would dislike him.
'Where would he go, Hedwig?' Harry asked hopelessly. 'If he wants to hide, where would he...' Harry paused...
'Muggle London!' Harry exclaimed at last.
Hedwig drew herself up tall.
'Muggle London...' Harry said again.
Yes, it would make sense. Draco had told Harry on Saturday that he and Kingsley had gone to muggle London at his suggestion, because he thought it would be safer and they would not be seen. They had been seen, however, but they had been seen because they had been followed from the apartment. That had been obvious from the photos, and from the article in Witch Weekly which had reported on Draco's living arrangements. Harry, who had been paying full attention at auror training camp, had begun his research by reading every one of the newspaper reports he could find about Draco and Kingsley. It was helping him to find a starting point. He felt quite proud. He wanted to go and tell Hermione that he was actually doing some research and drawing some logical conclusions! However, this had to be secret, even from his best friends. The fewer people who knew that Draco had gone missing, the better.
Muggle London... But where? Harry wondered. Muggle London was huge! Trying to find Draco in that vast, sprawling city would be near impossible. It was an effective place to hide, for sure!
'Think!' harry prompted himself. 'Think... Where would Draco go...?'
Harry knew London reasonably well and he thought about the areas that might attract Draco. Knightsbridge... Hyde Park... He shook his head. Draco may be rich, but he probably wasn't Knightsbridge rich these days.
Harry thought some more. Draco probably didn't know muggle London very well at all. He had looked so scared and confused on Saturday. He wouldn't know where to go without some guidance. Harry grabbed Sunday's Daily Prophet and turned to the article. It identified the places that Kingsley and Draco had visited. They would be the first areas that Harry would try.
Covent Garden... Harry could imagine Draco there. South Bank seemed less likely somehow... Westminster. That was a possibility. That was where they had gone for breakfast. It was a nice, up market part of town, the sort of place Draco would probably feel safe. It was probably the first place they had been to, Harry deduced, as that was where they were for breakfast.
Covent Garden and Westminster. They were the first places to try.
Harry called for Dobby the house elf. Dobby was good at finding things out for him, and he was always happy to help. He had been useful during the war and despite being free, he was always keen to serve, as was the very nature of house elves. Harry sent Dobby to Covent Garden. He instructed Hedwig to search Westminster.
Feeling a little more satisfied with himself, Harry sighed and began to fold up his map.
'What you doing, mate?' Ron's voice startled Harry. He hadn't noticed him come in.
'Nothing.' Harry replied a little defensively. 'I can't tell you. It's secret.'
'What do you mean, secret?' Ron asked.
'Secret.' Harry repeated. 'As in, I can't tell anyone. It's a mission I've been given, that's all.'
Ron laughed.
'A mission? Harry mate, we're not even trained yet! No one is going to give us missions! Whatever it is, I think you can tell me! Bloody hell! I helped you defeat the Dark Lord, remember?' Ron laughed.
He was trying to be light hearted, but on this occasion Harry did not appreciate his callousness.
'I've been asked to do something for someone, and it's confidential. You should understand that. You're going to have to get used to it in the aurors, you know.' He said a little coldly.
'OK! That's it!' Ron gasped. 'What's the matter Harry? You've been off with me since yesterday, what's up?'
Harry didn't answer and simply sat in silence looking cross as he remembered it was Ron's fault he was carrying out this task after all.
'This isn't because I had a go at Malfoy, is it?' Ron asked incredulously. 'You've been funny with me since then!'
'It was a dick-head thing to do!' Harry snapped, answering Ron's question.
'Yeah, alright!' Ron replied, sounding hurt. 'I know it was, ok? I told you that yesterday. It was nothing, just something I had to get out of my system. I didn't even mean most of it.'
Inside, Harry felt even more cross on hearing this. Ron was completely unaware of all the trouble his words had caused, and he hadn't even meant them!
'Well, think twice next time!' Harry mumbled. 'And I don't suppose you've seen the papers today, have you?'
'Not yet.' Ron confessed.
'We're supposed to look at them first thing!' Harry chided him. It was part of their auror practice, keeping up to date with current affairs. 'If you had, you'd have seen minister Shacklebolt confirming that he and Malfoy are seeing each other and talking about how happy they are.'
Ron looked puzzled. This was hardly a surprise after the weekend.
'So if I were you...' Harry continued, 'I wouldn't be so quick to announce that I'd shouted a load of horrible things at Draco.' He warned.
Rons face fell as the penny dropped.
'You don't think... You don't think he told him, do you?' Ron panicked. 'You don't think Kingsley knows what I said?'
'How should I know?' Harry replied, keeping all of the information he did know secret. 'But I do know that Kingsley would be pretty defensive of Draco if anyone had a go at him. And minister Shacklebolt isn't someone I'd want to get on the wrong side of!'
Ron looked terrified, and rightly so, as he finally realised that what he had done was a big deal after all.
'Look, when I next see Malfoy I'll apologise, alright? I'll tell him I didn't mean it.'
'Good plan.' Harry affirmed. 'But you'll be very lucky if minister Shacklebolt doesn't find out about it, and I wouldn't want to be in your shoes if he does. And all over a school yard fall out.' Harry concluded dryly.
'Look, Harry.' Ron said awkwardly. 'I'm gonna go see if Hermione wants to get out of here and go for lunch, somewhere a little further away from the ministry, you know? Don't suppose you want to come?'
'I gotta work on this.' Harry replied, although he respected Ron's decision to lay low for a little while. It was probably a good idea.
Ron slunk out of the dormitory feeling worse than he could remember feeling for a long time.
Harry spent the remainder of the day combing the streets of Covent Garden, calling into various letting agents and enquiring if they had let an apartment or a room to a young attractive blond guy recently. Mostly they were somewhat unhelpful, declaring they could not disclose details of clients under any circumstances. One rather camp estate agent simply laughed and told Harry if he had let a room to someone of that description he'd be keeping it a secret and calling round himself! Exasperated, Harry realised what had seemed like a sensible line of enquiry was actually proving to be rather unhelpful as these muggle estate agents thought he was simply a jilted lover looking for his run away ex.
On Wednesday Harry had a training session he couldn't miss and had to trust in Dobby and Hedwig to continue the search. He was distracted the entire day and came bottom in the class for the activities they were learning.
On Thursday he tried a different approach. He went to Westminster and approached letting agents telling them he himself wanted to let an apartment and then tried to find out what sort of places they had let recently to young men of about his age. His endeavours were as unsuccessful as previously. Feeling rather deflated he returned to the dormitory and sulked. Everybody else was out socialising. He was not in the mood.
Harry was just considering getting an early night when there was a sharp snap and Dobby appeared looking very excited.
'Harry Potter!' The little elf exclaimed. 'Harry Potter! Dobby has found him, Sir. Dobby has found Draco Malfoy!'
Harry jumped up from his bunk immediately and crouched down beside Dobby.
'Where is he?' He asked at once.
'Draco Malfoy is in a flat in Westminster, Sir.' Dobby announced, nodding his head.
'I looked all around there!' Harry exclaimed. 'Where about is he?'
'A quiet street near the cathedral.' Dobby told him. 'In one room. Dobby has seen him, Sir. He is living in one room and he just sits there... crying.'
Harry felt his throat tighten. The words might have been meaningless to Ron, but they hadn't been meaningless to Draco! He breathed a sigh of relief though. At least Draco was alive. He hadn't dared to show it in front of Kingsley, but Harry had been rather concerned that Draco might have done something stupid. At least he was alright.
'Well done, Dobby!' Harry cried. 'You've done brilliantly! Can you take me to him?'
'Harry Potter wants to go there now?' Dobby asked.
'Yeah. Yeah I do.' Harry confirmed. There was no time to waste. Who knew how long Draco was planning to stay there? 'Take me to the street please, Dobby and we'll make a plan from there.'
'Yes, Harry Potter, Sir!' Dobby squeaked and he took himself and Harry instantly to Morpeth Terrace, a quiet and elegant street in the Westminster district, a part of town with tall Georgian houses and wide tree lined streets.
'Very Malfoy!' Harry almost whispered. He should have known Draco wouldn't be in a dingy little flat above a chip shop.
Dobby gestured to a rather handsome building on the corner.
'Draco Malfoy is in there. In the top flat.' Dobby announced.
'Great! Thanks Dobby!' Harry enthused. Then he thought for a moment. 'OK Dobby, here's what's going to happen. You will have to get me inside, because I can't apparate yet. But fortunately neither can Draco. Even though he's turned 17, he hasn't got his licence yet, I checked the records.' Harry felt rather proud of himself for remembering to do this.
Dobby nodded, taking it all in.
'Once you've got me inside...' Harry continued, 'I need you to wait outside the building. It's possible that Draco won't want to see me and he might try to run away. If that happens I need you to follow him. Track him. If he runs, don't worry about me, I'll make my own way home, just follow Draco. Do you understand?'
'Yes, Harry Potter, Sir!' Dobby said seriously. 'Follow Draco Malfoy if he runs away and don't lose sight of him.'
Harry nodded and smiled. Dobby was excellent at things like this. Perhaps Dobby should be the auror, not him!
'I'm going to go in and talk to Draco. Hopefully he will be prepared to see me and he won't try to run. In which case, please wait for me and I'll see you when I come out.'
Dobby nodded.
'Can you take me into the building now?' Harry asked. 'Not into Draco's flat, but like, in the hallway outside it or something? So I can just knock on the door?'
'Of course, Harry Potter. Dobby can do that.' Dobby replied and with that he took the both of them into the building.
'That door there, Sir.' He said gesturing towards an apartment door.
'Thanks.' Said Harry, taking in his surroundings.
The building was nice. Clean, tidy, well appointed if a little featureless and cold.
'Dobby will be outside, Sir.' Dobby confirmed. 'Dobby will be ready to track Draco Malfoy.'
'Thanks Dobby.' Harry whispered as the little elf disappeared.
Harry sighed and braced himself as he approached the door. He knocked assertively and waited. When he heard footsteps inside, he ducked down below the viewer so that Draco wouldn't simply see him and refuse to open the door. His ploy worked, as the door handle slowly turned and the door opened a couple of inches, still held on the security chain.
'Who's there?' A defensive voice asked.
Harry leapt at the opportunity and jammed his foot into the doorway.
'Draco, it's me! It's Harry. Potter' He added, in case Draco had forgotten they were supposed to be on first name terms these days.
'Go away!' Draco hissed and Harry felt the door squashing his foot as Draco pushed his body weight against it.
Harry retaliated by doing the same and he had a clear weight advantage over skinny little Draco. There was no way Draco was going to be able to get the door shut with him leaning against it.
'Let me in, Draco!' He pleaded, tying to sound calm and non threatening.
'No! Go away!' Draco said, equally pleadingly.
'Look, it's just me.' Harry offered. 'I'm on my own. No one else knows you're here. Please, I just want to talk to you. Please let me in.'
'Leave me alone.' Draco almost sobbed.
'Please just listen to me.' Harry begged. 'Let me in and listen to what I've got to say. Then if you want me to leave, I promise I will...'
'Is there a problem here?' A broad London accent interrupted the conversation.
Harry glanced around. A well built man, with dark, middle eastern colouring had emerged from the flat next door and was staring at Harry with his foot in the door with some concern, his thick arms folded across his chest.
'No.' Harry replied at once. 'No, no problem.'
The man frowned at him.
'This guy giving you trouble, Dray?' He called through the door to Draco.
Harry heard Draco slide the security chain off the latch and he felt the pressure on the door lessen as Draco opened it.
'No. No, it's ok Asim. But thank you. I know him. He's an old friend.' A very tearful looking Draco offered meekly.
'Hummmm...' Asim seemed unconvinced. 'Well you leave your door off the latch if you're letting him in!' Asim instructed, eyeing Harry suspiciously. 'If he gives you any trouble, you just shout and I'll be over, ok?' He flexed his muscles.
Draco tried to smile.
'Thanks, Asim. It'll be alright, honestly.' He assured, stepping back and allowing Harry into the apartment.
Asim returned to his own flat, but Harry felt as though he probably had his ear to the wall trying to hear every word.
Draco shut the door behind Harry.
'I'm sorry about that.' Draco apologised.
Harry looked about him. The apartment was indeed, one open plan room. A kitchen at one end, a sofa in the middle and a bed at the other end with a tiny bathroom just off the bed area. It was nice enough, Harry supposed, but Draco wasn't someone who lived in one room! He could hardly consider this a permanent arrangement.
'So you're making friends with the locals?' Harry commented, a little shaken by the interaction in the corridor.
'He's been friendly enough.' Draco replied. 'But he's a muggle, of course.' He added. 'Not that I have a problem with muggles!' He added quickly, 'It's just that, well, I've never really met any of them before and a feel a bit... I don't know...'
Draco was digging. Harry could see how uncomfortable he felt. What he was trying to say was 'I'm scared of muggles because I was bought up to believe they were barbarians, but actually they seem quite civilised but I'm still a little uncomfortable talking to them because I've always been told they were so inherently different from me.' Harry smiled at him to let him know it was ok. He felt sorry for Draco who was probably terrified each time this friendly neighbour, who seemed to have a bit of a crush on him, popped by or said hello.
'Nice place...' Harry remarked. 'Nice part of town. You staying here long?' He said casually, hoping to draw Draco out.
'Sit down if you like, Potter.' Draco offered. 'I'd offer you tea but I don't have any.'
'No problem.' Harry replied, taking a seat on the sofa.
Looking a little reluctant, Draco sat beside him.
'So what is it you came to say?' Draco asked. 'You didn't practically knock my door down to tell me you like my apartment, did you?'
Harry looked at him earnestly.
'Draco, I came to talk to you about Kingsley, about Ron, about why you ran away...'
Draco sighed sounding tired and emotional.
'Please just listen!' Harry asked calmly.
Draco nodded reluctantly.
'Ron was an idiot to say those things to you.' Harry decided this was a good place to start. 'Even he admitted he didn't even mean them, he was just being nasty, to get his own back after school.'
Draco looked a little uncomfortable. He knew his behaviour in school had been bad, but he had grown up so much since then after everything he had been through he hadn't been prepared for the delayed comeback for his past behaviour. Part of him wondered if he deserved it after how he had treated people.
'I told him straight how out of line he was.' Harry continued.
Draco looked a little shocked. Potter had stuck up for him! Clearly he had done the right thing by trying to get him on side on Saturday. It had worked! But it didn't make a difference, not really. Potter might have challenged one person's low opinion of Draco, but if Weasley thought all that stuff about him, then probably the rest of the world did too.
'Thanks.' Draco said quietly, acknowledging the gesture.
'Kingsley's in bits, you know.' Harry said sadly. 'He's absolutely devastated, Draco.'
Draco's eyes filled with tears.
'He's better off without me!' He sobbed.
'I don't think he thinks so.' Harry said firmly. 'Seriously, Draco, he's a broken man. I've never seen him cry before.'
Draco gripped the edge of the sofa and sobbed.
'Why are you making this harder for me than it already is?' He asked tearfully. 'I didn't want to leave him, you know, but I had to. It was the right thing to do.'
'I don't agree.' Harry challenged.
'You don't understand!' Draco snapped. 'People hate me and they love Kingsley. I can't let my vile background and sordid reputation become a blot on his character! I... I love him too much to let that happen!'
'You love him?' Harry echoed.
'Of course I love him!' Draco exclaimed through his desperate tears. 'How could I not love him? But it's because I love him that I can't be the person who ruins his life and his career.'
'Draco, why are you so determined that you would ruin his career?' Harry asked. 'You ran away before you had a chance to see the Prophet article that ran on Tuesday, didn't you? People don't hate you, Draco, they really don't.'
Draco was crying properly now, his breathing was rapid and he was too distressed to form sentences. Harry wasn't quite sure what to do. He stood up and went to the kitchen where he found a glass and bought Draco some water. He sat down, much nearer to him this time and put his arm around his shoulder.
'Hey, it's alright!' Harry soothed. 'Please don't cry. I don't want your friend to come over here and beat the crap out of me!'
For a split second, Draco almost laughed through his tears. From his pocket he drew a wand and handed it to Harry, uttering the words
'Silencing... charm...'
'Oh, Yeah.' Harry replied, wondering why he hadn't thought of it.
He cast the spell with Draco's wand, to save getting his own out from his jacket. It felt odd, he could tell it wasn't his own, but it cast the spell as requested, perhaps because Draco had suggested it. He passed the wand back to its owner.
'Everyone... hates... me...' Draco stammered through his sobs.
Harry felt compelled to pull Draco into his arms and hug him. It was probably hugely inappropriate, but how could you sit with someone who was crying like this and in such distress and not hold them? It would have been inhuman.
Draco didn't seem to think it was inappropriate because he hugged Harry back and sobbed deeply and bitterly into his shoulder. Harry gripped him a little awkwardly. He hadn't quite expected this level of physical contact. It was ok though, after a few moments, but Draco just kept crying and crying.
Harry gently stroked his back. Draco was wearing only a light cotton t-shirt and Harry couldn't help but notice how thin he was. He really was a little bag of bones, the poor thing. Harry could feel his ribs through his shirt. He felt a little as if he were petting a skinny stray cat which he would be compelled to leave some food out for.
Eventually, Draco's tears began to lessen and his breathing became calmer. Harry decided to attempt to talk again.
'Draco, listen. People don't hate you. In face people mostly feel sorry for you for what you've been through, which they should!' Harry affirmed. 'Kingsley adores you! He so badly wants you to come home. He's talked to the papers, told them all about how he's fallen for you and the two of you are so happy together. People are happy for both of you.'
Draco didn't quite know how to respond. Surely, this was too good to hope for? People didn't really think that way, did they? He wasn't sure if he believed it.
'If only you would come home, I know everything would be alright.' Harry said comfortingly.
'How can I?' Draco asked sadly. 'After everything I have put Kingsley through, how could I possibly go crawling back to him? I don't deserve him, Harry. Think about it. Those things Weasley said to me, let's be honest, I deserved them. I was so horrible when I was at school, it's no wonder people out there hate me. I don't deserve someone like Kingsley, do I?'
Harry sighed and put his arm around Draco's shoulders again.
'That was school!' He said, shaking his head. 'It was a long time ago, well, at least, it feels like it was. We've changed haven't we. We've all grown up. We had to, didn't we? Especially you... And don't worry...' Harry added, noticing the fear in Draco's eyes, 'I'm never going to ask you about what happened to you... But you, and I, for different reasons, we're not the same people we were a year ago.'
Harry paused to gage Draco's reaction. Draco wasn't smiling, but he was sitting up a little more and was facing Harry, receptive and listening.
'Ron said what he said because of school yard nonsense, things that aren't even relevant now. He acted without thinking, but you took it to heart. I don't blame you, by the way, but you ran away for no reason! We aren't school children any more, Draco. You just told me you love Kingsley. You can't really be prepared to throw that away over a school yard argument? Especially not after everything you've been through. You've survived imprisonment and Merlin only knows what else! You stood trial, lost your home and your parents, survived and recovered from potion addiction... And you've fallen in love. Surely you're not going to give up on that over a few dumb comments from Ron Weasley?'
Draco sat silently as Harry's words sunk in. He felt very foolish. A tear rolled down his cheek.
'Why are you being so nice to me?' He asked quietly.
'I fought a battle, Draco.' Harry said flatly. 'I survived a killing curse, I honestly thought I wouldn't, you know. I saw friends die, and saw families torn apart... After all that, I'm not going to stay hung up on a schoolboy quarrel, you know. I risked my life and lost friends for the freedom of the wizarding world and I didn't do it to watch as my friends throw away the chance to be happy. And Kingsley is my friend, you know...' Harry told him plainly, 'and perhaps, in future, you could be, too?'
Draco looked gobsmacked. He hadn't thought for one moment that Harry would actually consider a friendship with him! He thought he'd done well simply to get to be on speaking terms.
'You'd be friends, with me?' He asked disbelievelingly.
'Yeah.' Said Harry with a smile.
Draco smiled too now.
'You know I'm still really spoilt and annoying?' He offered.
Harry laughed.
'Well Kingsley doesn't seem to mind, does he?' He replied.
'He's too good to me.' Draco smiled.
'So don't throw it away.' Harry urged. 'Look, you don't have to do anything tonight. Stay here, sleep on it. Think about what I said.'
Harry stood up and Draco followed him to the door.
'Thank you for coming, Potter.' Draco said sincerely. 'It means a lot to me that you did. I've felt so hated and despised, but knowing that you don't hate me, well, it's nice to have someone on my side, even if it is just for Kingsley's sake.'
'It's not just for his sake.' Harry clarified. 'It's for both of you. You're alive, you both survived the war. You have a chance to have a happy life together. There are a lot of people who don't have that, you know. Don't throw it away.'
With that, Harry affectionately squeezed Draco's arm for a second before he let himself out of the flat. He hurried down the stairs, feeling pleasantly surprised at his ability to talk to someone in distress and be comforting. He was 99% convinced that Draco would think about what he said and would come home again. The 1% doubt however prompted him to task Dobby with the job of watching Draco constantly through the night, just in case he decided to run away again.