Chapter Twenty-Eight

You Look Familiar

I was whooshed through fireplace after fireplace, barely seeing anything but flashes of light and whispers of sound. I fell out of a dusty and smoky fireplace, rolling over and over like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. I coughed up soot and grime, eventually rolling out into an extremely dirty fireplace, complete with burning embers nipping at my clothes and singeing my eyebrows.

'Ouch!' I tumbled out and sprawled on the floor, patting my head with both hands to extinguish the flames. 'Ugh…'

'My god, are you OK?' a tall, ice-blonde man ran over to me and took my upper arms in a vice like grip, pulling me up.

'Yeah, just a bit hot…' I shook myself out of his hands and turned round to face him, 'thank you.'

'You're welcome,' he paused for a moment while he studied my face carefully, 'have we met before? You look familiar.' He squinted his eyes and his eyes trailed to my forehead.

'Um, no, I don't think so; I've never been here before…' I raised my eyebrows and glanced around the store I was in, taking in the boxed items and draped windows.

'I'm Draco Malfoy, are you sure you didn't attend Hogwarts?'

'I'm pretty sure I didn't,' I gestured to the boxes and windows 'why is everything covered? How do I get out?'

'We're packing up, nobody wants this stuff anymore now the Dark Lord is dead. The Ministry will be here soon to take everything we leave behind – I guess if I can sell this on the black market I can get some money for it.' He smirked and shivered as wind rushed into the room. 'I need all the money I can get.' He whispered unintentionally.

'Why?' I asked, intrigued. It was rude, I know, but I was interested. This was the first wizard I've spoken to since actually becoming a witch myself.

Draco straightened up and ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly. 'Do you want a cup of coffee or something? It's not very wizardly, but lately I've become addicted.' He smiled sheepishly, gesturing to the little table in the corner.

'Sure, coffee sounds good.' I advanced on the small table and took one of the two seats facing each other. I saw Draco spoon two teaspoons full of dry coffee into two mugs, and turn the kettle on in a slow motion, doing so very clumsily. When he sat down, he pushed the mug toward me, slopping a bit over the side. He took a deep gulp of his own and shuddered.

'This stuff needs to grow on me.' He smiled, tapping the side with a finger.

'I'm used to it.' I said, sipping my own delicately. 'Why didn't you use magic to make it? It probably would have been easier.' I questioned.

Draco shifted in his chair nervously, embarrassed into getting onto this subject. 'I lost my wand for a while.'

'Don't you think you should find it? It's probably important.'

'I mean I've lost it to the Ministry.'

A silence echoed the room. 'Oh.' I started, shell shocked. 'Sorry. I didn't mean to…'

'It's ok.' He paused. 'I deserved a lot more.'

'Is that why you have to pack everything here?' I asked.

Draco laughed again, 'its part of it. You're very perceptive, has anyone ever told you that?'

I blushed darkly. 'No, no one.'

'Well you are.' He coughed, 'anyway, I did a lot of bad things which has resulted in my wand being taken away from me for a few years. At the least, three.' His eyes darkened. 'The owner of this shop was killed a long time ago. My father swept in and 'inherited' it. But when he was put in Azkaban, it got left to me. And before the Ministry realises that it isn't ours, it will be taken from me without a second thought. I've been packing up ever since the Dark Lord was killed and my father and mother were imprisoned. Without my wand it's a slow process.'

I nodded as he finished. 'Jeez, that's hard. You couldn't have done something so bad that they do that, could you? I mean, nothing's that bad.'

Draco's eyes flashed as he drained his coffee and looked up at me. He began to roll up his sleeve, shaking slightly as he did so. 'Please don't judge me…' he whispered.

I stared as the image of snakes and a skull glared back at me. 'What is it?' I remarked. It just looked like a tattoo to me. Maybe a sort of gang tattoo, but a tattoo all the same.

He gaped at me through wide eyes. 'You're joking, right?' he looked even scared exposing it, so to break the tension, I laughed. 'Not a clue.'

He shook his head. 'It's the Dark Lord's mark. The Dark Mark. Voldemort's mark. I was a Death Eater.' The words cut like a knife.

'You helped him?' I hissed, banging my coffee down on the table in aggravation.

'I didn't want to.' Draco whimpered. 'I had no choice. Please understand that.' The fear in his eyes was all too real.

'HOW COULD YOU?' I screamed, knocking my coffee flying with a sweep of my hand. A light bulb smashed somewhere above my head, sending the room into semi-darkness.

'You really remind me of someone.' Draco snivelled, rolling down his sleeve sharply. 'Someone great.'

I glared at him, my pity for him all gone. No job, no wand, no life. No wonder. 'Who?'

'Harry Potter.'

All of a sudden the front door burst open with a flash of light. 'I knew she'd be here if she was pulling a Harry.' Hermione stated, proud of herself.

'And of course, he would be here too.' Harry growled when his eyes set on Draco. He drew his wand, and Draco put his hands up in defeat.

'Harry.' I cut in, 'Draco doesn't have a wand.'

Harry lowered his wand with a glare as Charlie strode into Borgin and Burkes, protectively putting an arm around my shoulders. 'She's right, Harry.'

Ron sniffed from somewhere behind Hermione, and Ginny seconded Charlie's words. Slowly, Harry shoved his wand into his back pocket, still glaring.

'Wha-what?' Draco was looking from me to Harry with a look of surprise. 'You two look so familiar.'

'We're related.' Harry snapped, grabbing Ginny's hand and pushing her behind him. Ginny yanked her hand out and stepped into the shop. 'Nice to see you again, Malfoy.' She said coldly.

Draco looked like he was sweating horribly. He looked like he may pass out. My eyes softened at the sight of him, my pity returning to the place my anger had overcome. 'We should go. We shouldn't have invaded.' I turned to elbow Charlie out of the small shop. Ron was already out, swiftly followed by Harry. I went to Draco and took his hand, shaking it softly. 'Thank you for the coffee Draco.' I glanced behind me, to the others outside the shop. I quickly scribbled my mobile number onto a napkin near the counter, and handed it to him. 'If you need me.' He looked at me sadly. 'I'm sorry.' He said, looking down.

'I'm sorry too.' I gave his hand a squeeze and turned to leave.

'Wait!' he called and I glanced over my shoulder questioningly. 'What's your name?'

'Violet.' I said, closing the door behind me quietly.

'Let's get out of here, Violet; this place gives me the creeps.' Charlie motioned, taking me by the hand and sweeping me down an alleyway to Diagon Alley.