Story Title: leaving the dark.
School: Durmstrang
Theme: Explore those that commit crimes or go against the rules but are not inherently evil.
Main Prompt: [Song] Run Boy Run - Woodkid
Side Prompt: [Setting] London Underground
Side Prompt: [Character Type] A Turncoat
Year: 3
Word Count: 1039
Beta(s): KeepSmiling1
Draco looked behind him; this was his worst idea ever. When he and Potter fought in the bathroom last year, he had wanted to kill Potter so badly. The one big problem had been the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord insisted that he be the one to kill the Boy-who-Lived, and that had nearly cost Draco his life. If Severus had shown up any later, Draco would have been killed by Potter. And what had the Dark Lord said? That it was his own fault, and maybe the blond should have died. That had been the first time that Draco doubted The Dark Lord.
At the end of the year, Potter had approached Draco, The blond had been given a way out. Draco had been stupid enough to ignore the help and had gone home with his parents. To say the Dark Lord hadn't been pleased was an understatement. His welcome home had been a Crucio, but no Dark Mark. The Dark Mark was for the loyal and those who could follow orders. Draco was neither.
Both Narcissa and Lucius had felt the disappointment of the Dark Lord. Both his parents had earned multiple Crucios. The Dark Lord had been clear: fail to live up to his expectations and your family shall pay the price.
Draco had tried to prove himself by acting in a manner befitting a potential death eater. When the first year Mudbloods were caught and brought for torture, Draco took part. It hadn't been enough. The Dark Lord had praised him, but still, torture had followed. It didn't take Draco long to figure out that, no matter what he did, a Crucio would be his reward.
It was the start of August when he began to plan. He had to get out and understood the risks. It wasn't until he remembered the conversation with Potter at the end of the previous year, that a real plan formed.
*hphphp*
Draco looked behind him again. He was certain that he was being followed. Was the Dark Lord using him as a trap? It was a sobering thought. He wondered if Potter actually would bother to show up. Draco honestly wouldn't blame him if he didn't. He was jolted out of his musings when a voice above him sounded: "Please mind the gap. Make sure to keep all luggage with you at all times. Pickpockets have been spotted around this area." Draco was confused. Mind the gap? What gap? He looked at the piece of paper that he had with him.
Circle line to South Kensington; Piccadilly Line to Covent garden. Don't take the lift, but use the stairs. Someone will meet you there.
To say the piece of paper added to his confusion would be an understatement, but he kept following the other people. If someone was waiting for him, he had to hurry up. Draco bumped into the person in front of him as the guy suddenly stopped. "Filthy Muggle!" Draco walked around the guy, further down the platform, ignoring the bewildered guy he left behind.
Why had everyone stopped? Draco looked left and right, wondering what the tracks on the floor were. Just as he was about to step forward, he was surprised by a loud noise coming from one side of the tunnel. Draco tried to see what was happening, but the darkness was too strong. He was totally caught by surprise when a sleek train appeared in front of him, and came to stop faster than the Hogwarts Express ever was.
Looking around him, he could see people getting into the train and wondered whether or not he should follow. Not knowing what else to do, he quickly got on but stood at the door. If something went wrong, he wanted to be as close to the exit as possible; he had to see the danger coming to avoid it. A second before the doors closed, Draco saw a black cloak in the corner of his eye, and, without thinking, a reducto spell flew out of his wand, hitting the floor right in front of the person wearing a black cloak.
Draco couldn't see what happened after, as the doors closed and the train started to move, and to be honest, he didn't care about the person in black. His own life was more important. When the train started to slow down, Draco realised that, once again, he didn't know what to do. Some people got off, others stayed on the train. It wasn't until a few stops down, that Draco decided to bewitch the muggle next to him, to show him the way.
Even though it wasn't a long journey on the Underground, it felt like ages to Draco who kept wondering if he was doing the right thing and if he had done enough to make The Dark Lord spare his family. He doubted it and wished he could have brought his mother with him, but it was too late.
When he finally reached his destination, or what he hoped to be the correct place—all of these places had looked the same to him—he left the muggle behind and started to follow the crowds. Hopefully, he would find out where to go. The note had said to take the stairs and not the lift. That was easy. Draco didn't trust the muggle lifts.
It didn't take Draco long to find the stairs and when he noticed the sign warning him about the amount of steps, he hoped that whoever was waiting for him, wasn't near the top. A quick glance behind him assured him that no-one was watching, so he quickly started up the stairs. If Draco had thought the stairs at Hogwarts were bad, he had been proven wrong. These stairs were so much worse. Just as Draco started to contemplate giving up, he noticed a pair of feet. Looking up, he saw the worn face of an elderly lady. "I didn't believe you would actually leave the dark, but blowing up your house was a nice touch." with that, an old shoe was given to Draco. As soon as Draco touched the shoe, everything became black as he was whisked away. Two seconds later, the stairs were empty again.