Chapter 2 –– A Better Catch
Draco wondered if he should've used some sort of Tracking Spell when he emerged in a sea of gray. Buildings jutted out like rocks in the ocean while cars flashed in the afternoon sun. Windows black and gleaming winked at him from afar while streets and pavements unfurled like a scroll.
He distinctly heard a little boy say, "Look mama, a broomstick!"
"Yes, yes, there are broomsticks everywhere," the woman wearily said.
"There's a wizard on the broomstick!"
The woman glanced at Draco before ignoring him and saying, "You'll get used to it, son."
Laughing at himself for being unrecognized, Draco gleefully climbed up the billboards and skyscrapers, relishing the air around him. It's fresh, it's modern, it's––well, not that fresh––but still! It was a hundred times better than that stuffy old smell in the palace.
A group of twelve-year-olds riding on Comets and Cleansweeps glanced at his Nimbus in awe before shyly ducking away when he saw them. They didn't recognize him again, and that gave him heart. He rose and dove around towers and construction sites, weaving past cranes and beamed as a Muggle inside one of them smiled at him. He spotted a few wizards in construction gear in another site creating an illusion of a building for Muggle architects and engineers to identify the flaws of the design. Whizzing past the area, he caught a whiff of something delicious.
He looked down and saw a marketplace teaming with Muggles and witches alike. A half-elf came out of a store carrying a big tray of calentita. A trollish brute emerged from the butcher's and sneered at the passersby, only to be reprimanded by the tough Muggle running the shop. Draco left the place hungrier than ever and ascended to find more buildings and billboards.
"I'll never find the Snitch at this rate," he thought, though he seemed to not mind. His expression glowed when he saw little wizards playing with Muggle children, exchanging Gobstones with marbles and jackstones on the pavement. He immediately swerved, however, when three gossiping witches on brooms passed him.
After establishing some distance between them, he soared over a park and once again relaxed. The trees weren't as green as the palace ones, but the people and the laughter made up for it. Dogs barked at him as he passed while bubbles from a child scattered. Bicycles and joggers rushed past him while families walked in leisure. Draco ducked under a street lamp, disturbing a bloke who's reading a newspaper on the bench.
Draco chortled in a way his mother wouldn't approve as he glided above a river. He saw his reflection on the water and studied it. He realized now why no one managed to recognize him. He was wearing jeans, a light gray button-down, and an ecstatic smile he knew wasn't there in public appearances. No camera would've captured this when he'd never felt this way before.
He left the river, elated, and reached the quainter village of Hogsmeade with Godric's Hollow a little far off where everyone strolled quietly with soft smiles on their faces. The plants shimmered and sighed in the sun before they once again disappeared in a blur of buildings.
A large Quidditch stadium caught his eye and he flew to it in curiosity. The stands were all but cold white metal, but he remembered the soft golden light that bathed them during a professional Quidditch match. The gold hoops on either side of the field shone like eagle's talons. He spotted the Top Box where his family and friends would sit with other nobles and watch the game. He looked away from it before settling on one of the benches, content to sit like a normal citizen for once.
Luckily, he wasn't alone. Muggles and magical folk were exploring the stadium or simply sitting on benches like him. He glanced up and wasn't surprised when a group of witches and wizards laughing and riding on broomsticks settled on the benches a few meters away from him. He was startled when a middle-aged wizard rode a large broom full of Muggle children and landed in front of a line of other kids. "All right, off you go, sunshines," he smiled as they dismounted and thanked him before sprinting to their waiting families. "Who's next?" A rush of squealing, hyperactive kids crowded around him, jumping up and down to get on the broom. "Three at a time, three at a time––two if you're coming, young man, you've really grown…"
Draco chuckled when a big little boy jumped up and down as he said, "Please, please, please…"
If only he had been allowed to act like that when he was young. Jumping was almost a crime in the presence of nobility.
As if on cue, the royal crest appeared on a flashing billboard in the stadium. It wasn't in the shape of a shield like all other insignias, but a diamond, faithful and strong, with its four points uniting the runic symbols of each faction in Viribintra: Muggle, Wizard, Creature, and Fate, the latter being a form of sentience that governed the people and kept its kingdom in a large bubble, trapped in its own universe. It is unpredictable and would sometimes reach the Outside bringing strange magic and beings inside, and possibly new technology. No one dared question it, and Draco would store that information in the back of his mind for later. For now, he was gazing at the words under the crest:
Viribintra: a viribus intra
A FORCE INSIDE
They disappeared and were replaced with:
We hope you enjoyed your stay!
Draco shook his head at the implication. He had gone on a bloody tour in his own bloody kingdom as though he's an outsider––a tourist, no less––when he lived here for more than sixteen years. Seventeen now, he reminded himself, in less than a few weeks. His stomach churned when he remembered the balls his parents prepared with the third night celebrating his coming-of-age. Three nights… Fred ever so kindly reminded him that the Grimm brothers' Cinderella had three balls as well. He knew his parents had given him time to choose a bride, but he wished it didn't have to be a ball and it didn't have to be three nights only.
"Well, it's counterproductive to mope about it," he thought to himself, getting back on his feet. As much as he wanted to stay in the stadium, he knew he had to get moving. His luck would run out, and the stadium's too crowded. Someone would recognize him eventually, even with his outfit. He repressed a sigh as pulled out his wand. He hasn't seen Hogwarts yet, the school where his friends studied (he had been home-schooled, unfortunately) and he hasn't seen the fields, the mountains, the dragon reserves or even the Forbidden Forest. He hasn't seen anything yet, but saying so would imply that he took the things he already saw for granted. No, he is not going to think like that, and he would rather treasure these moments as much as possible. Someday, he's going to leave the palace again, and explore some more.
And so, with that thought in mind, he went back to looking for the Snitch.
He remembered the spell he invented with the twins and nearly cursed himself for not thinking of it sooner. "Inveniet Snitch!" he muttered as a trail of golden light snaked from the tip of his wand. He was the only one who saw it, and he followed its path as it coiled upward. He got back on his broom, kicked off the ground, and followed the trail.
It wound past buildings and alleys, slipping on cracks and shadows. After meandering around for some time, the trail stopped in a school––a high school, no less. The words "Stonewall High" flourished in steel framed the old gray building. Draco immediately cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and hovered above it. The Snitch was easy to spot. It was chased by a horde of teenage boys, leaping like donkeys with the voice of gorillas. He can't possibly hope to catch it without being seen, and he's not in the mood to entertain these hooligans. He thought of swooping in at the last moment and fly away with the Snitch, but it was dashed to pieces when the boys started climbing a tree. Then they used sticks and open backpacks to swat and snatch the Snitch. Draco cursed under his breath as he hung at a distance, struck by uncertainty and frozen in place. He looked around for something he could use when he spotted something strange––something unusual.
A great black dog came marching toward the school. Despite its massive size, and Draco could see it's as big as a bear and around the height of an average adult, no one seemed to mind it. Some students averted it of course, and a few girls screamed and stumbled when it passed them, but they laughed it off in relief when they recognized it. Come to think of it, Draco wondered if he should've recognized it. He knew he'd seen it before, but he couldn't remember.
The dog barked toward the entrance of the school building. He squinted and saw a horrible tuft of black hair and an even more appalling pair of glasses covered in tape, peeking out behind an elephant-skinned sleeve and a wall. Draco blinked and lost sight of that atrocity as he ducked out of sight. The dog barked again before trotting forward and slipping behind the wall. Moments later, a skinny child fell into view, determinedly pushed outside by the dog.
"Hey, knock it off, Padfoot!"
Two things registered in Draco's brain. One, is that the boy is not a child, and two… did he call him "Padfoot"? The prince smacked his head in realization. Of course, who else would that dog be other than his dear old cousin? He should've known. Lord Sirius, Heir of the Noble House of Black, obviously came here to visit his husband, a professor in Stonewall High. What's his name again? Lupus… Lupin?
The man in question followed behind, wearing a tired smile and a simple gray suit. He remembered seeing him the first time. He used to have rags and a ghastly old suitcase. Now he's wearing nicer clothes and he still carries that thing around, if he could even call it a suitcase. He had more gray hair on his head and more scars than before, but he still bore the air of a cheerful mentor.
"You don't have to do this, sir."
Draco turned his attention back to the boy. It belatedly occurred to him that he was relatively good-looking once you overlook the uniform and oversized pants. He had a short and slender build, magnified by the outfit and further emphasized by the way he hunched and kept his hands in his pockets. A natural blush enveloped his cheeks as he stubbornly kept his gaze down.
The dog barked as the professor said, "Padfoot and I are more than happy to escort you out of the school and keep you safe."
"Escort me?" the boy repeated in disgust. "And what did I do this time?"
"Nothing, Harry, but the way you sneak past the electrical and crawl through the vents just to get home––"
"No need to say that out loud," he said with a snap in the surface as he furtively glanced around.
"The other teachers have been informed, of course, so there's no need to keep it a secret."
"You do realize I can't get home anymore?"
"I understand you want to avoid someone after school hours but if you allow Padfoot and I––"
"I don't need an escort, and I'm not giving you my address," he snapped through gritted teeth.
"Will you allow us to drop you off in the nearest landmark?"
"No, thank you," he irritably said.
"I suppose you don't want me to tell the teachers what's troubling you?"
"Yes. I don't need other escorts and chaperons keeping me safe."
The teacher glanced around before lowering his voice. "Listen, I know some of the students here are bothering you in more ways than one. If you could tell me their names, I will see what I can do to help."
"I don't want your help and you're bothering me in more ways than one!"
The teacher sighed and Draco wondered how much patience he had and what on earth drove him to help this stubborn git. "Very well," he said. "We'll leave you alone then, if that's what you want. But Harry… if you ever need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to approach us."
The dog whimpered as it nudged his face with its nose and licked his cheek. A tiny twitch was the only indication of a smile as the boy rubbed its head. "Thank you, sir," he mumbled. "But like I said, I don't need help."
He waved goodbye as he mutely walked down the pavement away from school. Draco shook his head and returned to his Snitch––and found nothing.
Eyes widening, he looked around and saw no sign of it. Even the boys who once chased it slung their backpacks on their shoulders and joked about their failure in catching it. Cursing once again, he reused the spell and followed the trail out of school.
After wandering around in a labyrinth of streets, the trail stopped and he finally saw the Snitch fluttering above the buildings. He was about to lean forward like a javelin when something pulled him back: the sight of untidy black.
The boy he saw earlier was rushing in an alleyway, stumbling past trash bins and large pipes. Yelling right behind him was a group of boys wearing a mixture of uniforms: Stonewall High's drab gray and a private school's maroon tailcoats and straw boaters. Torn between two things, the Snitch and the boy, Draco wobbled on the tightrope. He could catch the Snitch and leave or save the boy and waste his time.
Wait… any excuse to delay his return to the palace would do.
Without a second thought, he plummeted toward the boy, whizzed past the heads and boaters, and snatched him up.
The world swiveled up as he skyrocketed, paralyzing the boy before his sense took over. "Hey, put me down!"
His violent thrashing forced Draco to descend in case both of them fall. "Not when we're this high––oh!" The back of the boy's arm had hit him in the face.
"Let me go!"
"You want me to drop you?!"
"Just do it!"
"Okay." He silently cast a Feather Light Charm on the boy and lowered him slightly, holding the scruff of his sweater as the boys down below attempted to jump up and snatch him like sharks.
"W-w-wait, on second thought, maybe just drop me off somewhere!"
"Thought so." He pulled him up and held onto his waist, unwilling to place him on his lap or on the front of his broom because that would be… awkward. "Look, just climb on my back and hold on."
"Look, there's a gas station! Just drop me off there and…" the boy faltered when half of the goons who were chasing him saw where he's pointing and ran in its direction.
"Who are these people, anyway?" Draco asked as he steered the broom in the opposite course.
"My brother and his friends."
The prince spun his head in surprise at the casually dejected tone of this boy. "They're what?!"
"Let go of my brother, you freak!" the largest one shouted as he jogged after them. "Unless if he wants to join you!"
The boy had a profound reaction to that word and started to struggle once more.
"Hey, don't start that again," Draco told him off as he adjusted his grip.
"Why are you doing this?!" he yelled.
"I'm trying to save you!" the prince shouted to no avail.
"How should I know?" he spat. "You're obviously kidnapping me!"
"And why would I do that?" Draco swiftly increased their altitude and hoped to distract him with his questions.
"You're a wizard, so you'll probably take me to your potions lab and conduct experiments on my Muggle anatomy!"
Draco's plan of distraction instantly backfired. "What?!"
"You're one of those creeps, aren't you? The ones that make frankensteins and vampires and––"
"Where the fu # are you getting all this?!"
"I know you secretly exploit Muggles and learn their weaknesses while harnessing their blood and souls just to increase your magic and––"
"Tone down the conspiracy theories, you prat!" Draco snapped, slowly regaining his composure as he weaved past buildings, successfully losing their pursuers. "Just tell me where you live so I can take you there. No wild experiments involved!"
"Are you going to curse my family?"
"What?" Draco's head was starting to burst.
"I will not take you to my house so you can plant a curse bomb on me and kill everyone I love!"
"I just saved your life, you ungrateful bit #!" Draco said, not caring how he sounded like a teenage girl.
"And I will end yours if you don't put me down!"
"Fu # you, stupid tosser," Draco grumbled as he brought the two of them down on an alley. He straightened up and released that unappreciative git. "There, happy? No curses, no trackers, no evil eyes or whatsoever."
"Where am I?"
The two of them looked around and found themselves on a crowded cobblestoned street with shops on either side of them. The colorful displays on windows glittered with magic as spellbooks, potion ingredients and magical creatures winked at them. A sign hanging from a store nearby told them where they are.
"Diagon Alley."
The boy spun around as he faced him, and the prince was alarmed by the dangerous flash of vivid green eyes behind glasses. He now wished the lens were thicker to protect him from those emeralds.
"I'm going to kill you," he snarled.
A/N: Whoa, that was quick. 57 views? I mean, how on earth did you guys find my story? You're seriously interested? How?
Anyway, thanks for reading this guys, and for making this story a Favorite skyjadeprincess and for writing a review cyrilalbar06. Please continue to read and review guys! Tell me if you think the romance or the worldbuilding's too fast or something. Everything will be explained in the story and its sequels in the future. Remember, this is gonna be a trilogy. It'll probably be a pile of Umbridge though, unless someone guides me or something.
I'll try updating soon, ok? Thank you so much for reading! Byeeee! 3