Chapter 03
Draco scowled at the note. Sandwiches under the cloche, food machine down the corridor. I'm in the library. The Doctor didn't want help. I knocked, you didn't answer.
He didn't know how long he'd laid down for a rest in the rooms the Doctor had given him.
Apparently Potter had not needed to rest as long as he had if he had left the sandwiches, and the pot of tea had cooled to tepid.
Departing the room he walked down the corridor to the dining space and the food machine. It was a strange device which he had first heard of from Ian and Barbara Chesterton, when they'd been in their company in the 1970s.
Even how he thought of that with such a strange calm simplicity, how he had come to be a traveller in the police box, the TARDIS that could travel in space and time...it was the stuff of madness.
Except he had already experienced very real, very visceral time travel, which had revealed quite the wizard Harry Potter was.
Such a wizard, beyond the gentleman, and beyond the friendship of most had pursued him across space and time, something Draco was not sure he could say any of even his most closest of associates would have such dedication.
Walking up to the food machine he flicked through the book that was lying on a lectern beside it. The machine was unlike the device Ian and Barbara described; a boxy device with a single wheel for inputting codes.
This machine had a muggle-like typewriter and a book as thick as a dictionary of codes and short descriptions, the output however did match Ian and Barbara's description of the food when he and Potter had first explored its simplest of outputs.
However, Potter had also mentioned that the Doctor had improved it, so perhaps he just needed to search for the correct sequence in the book of codes.
-/
Draco walked towards the library having extracted a delicious Croque monsieur from the food machine, and it having come out looking as he'd wished, and not as a cuboid...foil-wrapped object.
Pushing open the double doors he looked around.
"That...that you Draco?" Called Potter in an awkwardly, almost forced conversational tone.
"Yes Potter," he paused, his hand going to his wand.
"Oh, thank Merlin," Potter his voice full of relief, "Can you come and give me a hand, I think this book wants to kill me," Potter continued in a very casual tone, laced with slight panic. "Interesting as it has been."
-/
Draco briskly approached and found Potter surrounded by a pile of books, it appeared as though he'd been slammed into the opposing shelf, presumedly by the book that he had a foot on, tendrils of...something seemed to every so often escape from it causing Potter to hiss with annoyance.
"It goes on a cycle every twelve and a half minutes," he said as he extracted grabbed his wand to aim at it. "When it settles down it'll probably try and take both of us."
Draco nodded. "Presumedly you've tried all the regular spells to banish it Potter."
Potter gave him a scathing look. "Regular and irregular, short of apparating away," he paused "And who knows what might happen in here, whether the relativistic effects affect apparition or not, is not something I want to test with all theses around me," he gestured the books around him. "Even these ones weren't exactly friendly."
"How long have you been in here waiting for me Potter?" Draco asked curiously as the tendrils reached down towards Potter's legs.
Potter idly fired a stunning spell towards his feet with practiced aim neatly missing his leg and looked to him. "Longer than I think you've been resting, I gather from..." he paused and pointed at one book with a set of symbols on it and then shook his head and pointed to a different pile and then shook his head again. "A few of those have temporal warping built into the pages, which is mostly negated by a state of grace field...if it was working."
"That is a mechanism inside the TARDIS I gather from your inference?" Draco asked.
Potter nodded. "Yeah, I should have realised when the books were less than friendly," he smiled "I thought that meant I was getting to the interesting ones."
"And were they?" Draco asked, wanting to ask if it was worth it, but knew that things protected like this usually were.
"Very much so, knowledge is always useful," Potter answered in an honest tone. "I want to use this opportunity to the fullest extent."
"Even if it endangers your life Potter?" He asked of the other wizard.
Potter nodded eagerly with a smile. "I have put myself in danger a lot Draco, I've learnt plenty."
The tendrils started to withdraw into the book.
"In about 10 seconds should be our chance," Potter said and then added. "I'll count down once they withdraw so we can hit it at the same time."
"I will count, you can keep up with me," Draco paused Potter gave him a look. "You're fatigued Potter, keeping it at bay, keep your mental faculties clear and focused.'
"How kind Draco," Potter commented.
Draco tried to watch where the book, flung with the power of both his and Potter's combined spells went, but he only heard a vague 'thud' as it seemed to collide with a far wall. He put his hand out to Potter to help him up.
Surprisingly Potter took it. "Thanks."
"I'm likely to need to rescue you from your exploration again aren't I Potter?" He mused with half smirk.
"As I said Draco, I want to gain knowledge, by learning from this, and my experiences," Potter said looking around at the pile of books. "But maybe I'll explore something that isn't quite 'evils from the dawn of time'."
"Save those nightmares for tomorrow?" Draco quipped.
Potter laughed. "Exactly!"
-/
"How big is this craft Potter?" Draco wondered as he put down the book Potter had been looking through supposedly being a short history of vampires.
Potter looked up from what appeared to be an extremely old text; its spine seemed to have been repaired in several places, and then inexpertly repaired with whatever was to hand.
"Depends what you're asking," Potter answered obliquely before qualifying "I'm not being obtuse Draco. According to the Doctor and some of his companions in the past it's infinite, but I don't know what that means."
"Ian and Barbara said they didn't explore much of the TARDIS when they travelled with the Doctor," Draco tried.
Potter nodded with a smile. "That was nice, being there with them..."
Draco gave him a look. "I know you were focused on the device and other things Potter," he added in an understanding tone.
Potter smiled at him. "And now we're here, in the TARDIS," he grinned.
"And my question Potter?" He pressed.
Potter shrugged. "I don't know, it's bigger than the outside, except when it isn't, one woman I met her TARDIS was the exact same size on the inside as the outside," Potter paused. "Infinite I understand is a mathematical conceit, because it's all mathematics that writes the universe..." Potter half rolled his eyes. "Or something like that, when I was young I thought it was magical," he gave Draco a look. "And then I learnt more about the world."
"And now?" Draco wondered.
"We could explore," Potter offered in a half challenging tone.
"Infinitely?" Draco asked, not seriously.
Potter stood up. "Until we get bored, or until we get led back to the control room, the TARDIS is a living thing, or an intelligence, or something..." Potter shook his head.
Draco sighed standing up. "It is a benefit to one's health Potter not to sit around all day."
Potter smiled. "In that we are in agreement Malfoy," Potter looked to him with a somewhat dangerous smile. "Got to get our adrenalin up some of the time," then he led the way out of the library.
That Potter had not had enough adrenalin with the dangerous book today spoke volumes of the his personality, Draco mused as he followed him.
-/
"I wonder where Alison is," Potter wondered as they walked along the corridors.
"You tire of my company so soon Potter?" Draco wondered.
Potter turned around, continuing to walk backwards and looked at him with a smile. "No Draco, but when we were in the medical bay she came and talked to me," he paused and gave him a look.
"I must have been undergoing the Doctor's treatment," Draco mused.
Potter smirked in a satisfied way. "You were unconscious Malfoy," his features softened. "Understandable though it was something of trying day."
"Your powers of understatement astound sometimes Potter," Draco commented.
Potter returned walking forwards and after a few feet of walking he pointed to a door. "That's the door to the zeppelin hangar, let's have another look," he said opening the door.
"Why Potter this empty room?" Draco asked as he followed Potter into the vast space.
Potter looked back at him. "Because it's big..."
"And?" Draco prompted and looked over to Potter. "And we were interrupted by the Master the last time we were here?" He asked realising why Potter was eager to explore the space.
Potter turned around and grinned at him. "If we were interrupted maybe there's something interesting in here?"
Draco raised an eyebrow. "In this vast space, inside a vast space of the internals of the Doctor's craft you believe the Doctor's travelling companion has something within here."
"Draco, that the Doctor is travelling with the Master is...interesting, it's be like Grindelwald and Dumbledore travelling around world in a sailing ship together."
Draco exhaled. "That would be unusual, given they're both..."
"Dead?" Potter didn't dwell on their former headmaster's status, it did give him pause for thought considering he had witnessed Potter exist and interact in a time when Dumbledore was not dead, and seemed to continue to take this travelling in time, and space situation quite in his stride. For his part Draco was trying to do the same, after the encounter with Song he hoped nothing would be as brutalising as that. So far even with Potter near him when they'd stepped outside the TARDIS he knew he needed to remain aware, but not too alarmed, as Potter did.
Potter looked to him. "I mean when they were both alive, if they went off on a grand tour of the world or something," he paused, "Or maybe it's something more extreme, they were good friends and good enemies."
"Not like us then?" Draco wondered.
Potter smirked at him. "No Draco."
"No, I know what you do with your enemies," he said in a darkly humoured manner.
Potter gave him a look. "For the sake of the timeline Draco, some things had to be done," he commented in a dark tone. "Maybe I'll have a calmer life where I don't have to bump off anyone in the future."
Draco nodded, no one else he knew talked so casually of 'bumping off anyone', even though he knew Potter was speaking in jest it was a level of familiarity that was...his line of thought was cut off by a noise he most associated with the lifts in the Ministry.
Potter had already narrowed his attention in on the far all and what looked like lift doors. "I noticed those at the back of the control room," he said back to him as Draco joined him.
As they approached the doors opened and the Doctor stepped out looking around. "What are you two doing in here?" He asked in a curious tone looking between them.
"Looking for zeppelins?" Potter countered in an equally arch tone.
The Doctor raised his eyebrows and gestured into the lift. "It's the wrong day for zeppelins, come on."
Draco followed Potter into the lift as the Doctor stepped back in.
"We going somewhere?" Potter enquired curiously.
Draco could feel a slight shift in the weight in his legs, suggesting that the lift was descending down, which indicated that they were going down into the control room, even though as far as he could work out the control room was not directly below where they had been. Draco chanced a look to Potter who turned to meet his gaze and raised his eyebrows almost provocatively making him scowl at him.
Potter seemed to struggle not to laugh at this juncture, it at least made him feel better.
The Doctor seemed oblivious as to their challenge of gazes as the lift dinged a noise and the doors opened.
"Somewhere marginally better than our last stop over," the Doctor began seemingly talking to himself, or to them as they followed him out of the lift.
"Oh?" Potter seemed to prompt.
The Doctor turned around to look at them. "The TARDIS is..." he paused as he aimed his sonic screwdriver device at an open panel, somewhere above them something made a noise and some of the lights flickered. "Still having troubles within her dimensions and the systems for coordinate entry."
"And presumedly targeting where we need to go?" Potter wondered.
"Indeed Harry, indeed, I had intended to aim for the Gigamarket or Calibris for TARDIS parts, the TARDIS avoided the Boulevard of Alternate Brutalities on our way here."
"That's fortunate, the Boulevard of Alternate Brutalities doesn't exactly sound pleasant," Potter mused.
That was putting it lightly, for some reason even that phraseology of the name made him feel dread. He silently cursed Potter for saying it again.
"Indeed Harry," the Doctor praised again.
"So where are we?" Draco asked.
The Doctor turned to look at him.
"And when?" Potter mused ominously. "Not that it really matters I guess."
"No," the Doctor mused. "Vremnya, well after the trouble on Dellah at least."
"Oh good," Potter said as Draco looked over to him Potter quickly shook his head and shrugged as the Doctor seemed distracted.
"The University has proven to be quite the stabilising drawcard in this region of space, and Time Agents are known to trade technology here."
Potter was nodding but he didn't interject.
"Will we be safer outside than the last place?" Draco wondered as the Doctor flicked a switch on the control console.
"You'll still need your wits about you, but yes, here; some currency for you both, I'll call you when I'm done, come on."
-/
Harry followed the Doctor outside having slipped the card and bag into a secure pocket along with the phone. The Doctor had managed to slip off and disappear again, it was...weird.
Weirder than those he'd known in the past, but still, it was an odd feeling being a companion to him, especially one whom he seemed to not quite want to have around asking the 'what's going on' sort of questions.
"You alright?" He asked of Draco who was looking around him taking in the environment.
Harry likewise was doing the same, looking at the grass where the TARDIS had landed, they seemed to be on the outskirts of a city; there was an acrid smell in the air, sort of, though unlike diesel.
"Fine enough Potter," Draco replied.
"Vremnya," Harry tried saying the name of the location they were on, he assumed a planet and looked up. "The Doctor, and those he's travelled with in the past have said the TARDIS always went wrong..." Harry trailed off in thought.
"Different now that you're here Potter?" Draco wondered beside him.
Harry nodded. "Yeah, different sort of adventure now that we need to get home, even if it's an adventure I've always kind of wanted...but not really...?" Harry answered still not sure of his answer.
-/
Potter seemed to have discovered a clothing seller and was actively bargaining with the dealer with some sort of undershirt.
This was more towards his tastes he admitted to himself than the technological elements of the last location they had visited.
It was all rather eclectic for his tastes, the wandering traveller look far more suited Potter, even if it seemed they were both travellers now...in time and space.
"Something take your fancy traveller?" Asked a woman within the shop whose wares he was observing.
Draco shook his head. "Nothing exactly, my associate is far more in need of clothing options than I," he gestured over to where Potter was still talking animatedly it seemed.
"A traveller on the temporal winds you do not require attire?" Asked the woman smiling at him. There was something alluring that he hadn't noticed when she'd first spoken to him.
He smiled briefly. "No," looking back to Potter he shook his head. "My apologies I should see if he..."
"Of course traveller, you must do as you require..." she said turning away he couldn't help notice the waves and curves of her hair, how it accentuated the way she walked back into her shop, it was...strange in an enticing manner to which he wasn't quite sure why it attracted him.
Refocusing on where Potter was he headed in Potter's location, he needed to maintain focus on the here, now and everything around them. Being tempted was not something he should allow himself to have, not wherever they were. Vremnya apparently.
"You look positively happy Draco, anything the matter?" Potter greeted brightly.
"Nothing of concern I don't think, I-" Draco was cut off by a noise coming from Potter's pocket.
"Hold that thought," he said as he pulled out the phone the Doctor had given them. "Hello? Yes Doctor," Potter frowned. "Yes, I-" Potter paused as it was evident the Doctor was speaking. "And should we go back to the-?" Potter began. "Yes, well I guess as we can't get in without you," Potter paused as the Doctor spoke. "No, you didn't, yes I guess that would be helpful," Potter covered the mouth piece and said in a soft whisper to him "Doctor said he should've given us keys so we could go back to the TARDIS."
Draco nodded. "That would be of assistance."
"Oh," Potter continued. "I see, so we're off to Calibris anyway?" Potter seemed confused. "Not the TARDIS? Why?" He asked quizzically, but seemed to not get an answer. "Right, don't the Navarinos only use busses and stuff?" Potter wondered. "You told me, when you visited with Ace!" Potter exclaimed. "Bom-borradoh? No, maybe it's in my future," Potter commented in a deadpan tone. "Yes, I am being funny, so what are we, okay, do you have any recommendations?" Potter asked with a sigh before the call seemed to end. "Just a moment," Potter addressed him before going back to the merchant before returning. "There's delicatessen or something a block over that they recommends, let's go and talk there."
-/
Potter was apparently purchasing an undershirt impervious to many 'energy weapons' like the Cybermen utilised 'seems like they do a good trade here in stuff like that' he'd said as they walked.
"You are looking for a particular venue?" Draco asked of Potter as they walked.
"Somewhere that is good and," he paused pointing to the green and blue signage. "That one I think."
Once seated Potter explained the other side of his phone call with the Doctor, that apparently they would need to stay on this planet for at least two days, that he was arranging passage to a different planet.
"And why we can't use the TARDIS?" Draco wondered.
Potter nodded. "A good question, and one the Doctor wouldn't answer," he paused to sip the drink he'd ordered. Something fruity the menu suggested, he elected for a pot of what appeared to be a nice oolong.
"Have you known the Doctor to be this obstructionist in your past dealings with him Potter?"
Potter immediately nodded. "Especially in the 1970s when he was working with UNIT, saw that first hand, I'm not sure if he's deliberately hiding or hiding something from us, or..." Potter sighed. "Or it is just that the TARDIS is really unreliable and that he needs to get whatever it is that's gone wrong fixed before we can set off back to Earth."
"We are at his mercy, as you indicated Potter, better than we had been on Hyspero," he said.
Potter smiled. "You speak very calm and casually of this Draco, it's good."
Draco shook his head as he poured the tea. "I don't know if I am still in shock, or" he wrinkled his nose with a slight smile "Or just drawn into your madness."
Potter laughed. "A little bit of both Draco. Enjoy the superiority that you and I are likely the only wizards here, certainly the only ones from our era here and now."
Draco smiled. "You just like to raise my ego whenever you think I am considering the situation too much."
Potter nodded eagerly.
-/
Draco looked around the room, it was surprisingly classical in its design features, the booking automata proclaimed that none of the features were genuine and all hermetically produced utilising the 'the best nano-architecture constructions from the atomic level up'.
He didn't understand any of it, but the automata had read his card of credit and allowed himself and Potter to book rooms for the next two nights.
The room was opulent with a bedroom, bathroom and lounge, larger than he would stay in were he travelling abroad.
Looking out the windows; there were no curtains to draw or anything to impede his view he wondered and marvelled at the view out across Vremnya.
It was all dazzling, in a way it made him feel more than slightly giddy.
He had travelled extensively abroad, after Hogwarts he had needed to get away, from everything. Especially after Astoria and he decided it was best for them both to end their relationship, it had been hastily entered into with the scent of war and danger amongst everything that happened in that final year of Hogwarts and the year after...it had all been far too much.
Travel had broadened his experience and his view, and then...Potter and Greengrass and that...segue into the past, now this...
Draco drew in a calming breath and realised a chime was going off and looked around, the door he'd come through was flashing. "Enter!" He called from the window.
Potter walked in, his gaze sweeping around the room before settling on him. "Are you alright Draco?"
"The view is...dazzling," Draco managed as Potter walked over to a side pillar and hovered his hand over a panel turning it. The windows darkened so only a silhouette of the landscape outside could be made out.
"I had to ask how to do that in mine," he explained. "I was also dazzled, there's wide open views and then there's..." Potter shook his head.
"A whole other planet," Draco wondered as he looked from the darkened windows the lounge where a small bar area was located.
He let Potter fix his own drink and they both settled into chairs, quietly sipping their drinks in thought.
"I was going to go out later for a meal, see what the night life is like," Potter paused as he smiled. "See what-"
"Dangers there are Potter?" Draco wondered with a shake of his head.
Potter's eyes lit up as he broke into a grin. "Better than staying here for the next 2 days."
Draco sighed. "This fakery is somewhat gauche, if well appointed."
-/
Harry looked through the visitor's guide, or newspaper, or...whatever it was, it was a mix of all those things. They were sat having breakfast in an open air...restaurant, or something. They'd been out the night before, enjoyed the sights, sounds and...everything.
They hadn't been shot at, they'd been to a couple of bars after a nice meal. It'd all been nice.
They could be somewhere in Eastern Europe, were it not for the aliens. It was all kind of nice. Also somewhat disappointing that there had been no action or adventure. They'd bought some stuff, eaten, drunken, even danced a little bit.
It was all relaxing, disarming. He could kind of see why so many people had travelled with the Doctor, despite the maniacs bent on galactic domination or psychic water or temporal chess.
Looking up from his thing Draco was smiling, it was somewhat unnerving. He smiled back at the blonde wizard. "Nice meal? Draco?"
The other man nodded. "I have to say Potter, this is quite civilised."
"Albeit from a rocky start," Harry mused.
"Quite," Draco answered in a short tone as he poured himself another cup of tea.
A drudger drifted over and hovered near them. They'd already paid for their meals. "Very good, no more thank you," Harry said as it removed his and Draco's plates without a word.
"There is something missing of a human waiter," Draco said watching the drudger.
"They're less chatty than house elves," Harry pondered.
"So where have you plotted for us today?" Draco queried.
"After your night out last night?" Harry asked with a smile but didn't let Draco continue. "I've found several interesting places to visit on our grand tour," he finished in a teasing tone.
-/
Harry stood a comfortable distance from where Draco was being attacked by a woman he'd been getting to know. He apparently knew she was doing something to lure him and had requested Harry not get involved. He was also within easy gaze of the TARDIS which looked like it was being wrapped in a blue tarpaulin for its transport to 'Rishik' where they'd be able to get the necessary repairs.
"Why Rishik?" Harry asked as the Doctor approached him.
The Doctor raised his eyebrows at him. "Is Draco alright, does he need some assistance?" He continued to enquire looking over where Draco was.
Draco had told him he didn't want assistance, however Harry maintained a good eye on him and several spells in mind just in case. He shuffled his feet so he could still maintain aim on the woman and give the Doctor a look.
"Music festivals, that's what Rishik is apparently known for," he paused, the University of Vremnya which the Doctor had mentioned had not had a lot on Rishik when he'd enquired. "That and nuclear war, will we need anti-radiation drugs? Or a full suit, gloves and boots and all?"
The Doctor looked at him carefully. "You've used your time well Harry," his tone was full of praise.
"We've also been wining and dining and seeing the sights while you've been off getting parts," Harry commented as he saw Draco step away and the woman...disappeared in a cloud of ribbons and smoke. "Weird."
Draco walked over to him and the Doctor like nothing unusual had happened. "Thank you Potter for watching over me, even if I did not request it."
"We're the only two wizards from our time here," Harry chanced a look at the Doctor whose features did not reveal anything. "Probably. Gotta watch over one another."
"And of Rishik?" Draco wondered out loud.
"The Doctor was just about to explain why we're going by portal by the Bom-borradoh, and not TARDIS," Harry continued.
"I was?" The Doctor asked surprised and stepped away from them. "Oh look! They've finished wrapping the TARDIS, be back in a tick."
Harry frowned. "I feel like something's going on Draco."
"Is that paranoia or genuine suspicion Potter?" Draco wondered.
"Is there a difference Draco?" Harry wondered.
Draco chuckled. "For you and I Potter usually no, but we are in fantastical times."
"And unusual ones at that Draco," Harry mused as the Doctor beckoned. "Looks like we're off again."
"And did you discover how these Bom-borradoh convey us?" Draco wondered.
"While you were off being-" Harry was cut off.
"Exploring," Draco said in a short tone.
"Of course," Harry smirked. "Not much. Their time travel isn't as good as the Navarinos, it's probably maxing out at 100 years of time travel, not sure about space, I think I knew more about time travel than the university did, apparently they've got a good relationship with the Braxiatel Collection who do know more than a thing about time travel."
"Sounds exotic," Draco observed.
Harry shrugged. "Maybe we'll see it at some point?"
"Perhaps," Draco mused, seemingly not dismissing the idea outright.
"Ready?" The Doctor asked as they approached him.
Draco didn't say anything, Harry looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Travels in time and space, can go anywhere in the universe and possibly beyond," he paraphrased "100 years max and not huge amounts of range."
"You've been reading up," the Doctor praised and gestured to where the TARDIS was being pushed through a swirling portal.
"And we just step through?" Draco asked.
"Yes, it's marvellous isn't it?" The Doctor exclaimed.
Harry was still suspicious, but followed the TARDIS through as Draco followed him.
-/
How walking to another planet through a portal hanging in the air like a shimmering circle of water could become pedestrian Draco did not know. Yet here he was, stood next to a 'Police Box' and looking up at another sky.
"Another planet, buildings have got a sort of Japanese, Scandinavian sense to them," Potter was musing out loud to himself.
"Your cards will work here as well, we haven't gone that far temporally" he looked to Harry "Or that far in local space terms."
"Still in the same galaxy?" Potter asked in a tone that was fishing for more information.
The Doctor blinked at him. "I've only got a few things to sort out, see you back here at the end of the day, I'll call you if there's any trouble."
"And will there be any trouble I wonder?" Potter mused, seemingly to himself.
"Talking to yourself Potter?"
"First sign that there's no one intelligent who'll listen to you Draco?" Potter quipped.
Draco smiled a half laugh.
-/
Draco looked at the screens on the other side of the well appointed tent. Potter was apparently in the 'mosh pit' as far as he could tell, getting sweaty, and in close contact with the people jumping and throwing themselves around to the music that was being performed on stage.
He had elected not to join him, these tents seemed to be arranged for a different class of clientele, or perhaps for the partners or guardians of those so inclined to engage with the music.
He did not care, they were isolated with 'advanced noise cancelling shields' effectively eliminating the noise from the large shimmering screens apparently some form of advanced speaker horn.
He could feel the noise through the ground, and see the grass and other vegetation outside move.
He was content with reading the 'tablet' which was provided concerning the nuclear armistice on this planet and how the music festival outside assisted.
He could leave Potter to experience the visceral sensations, while he had a rather nice...it was some sort of wine made by the locals, it was a little too sweet, but with the ice provided it cut back the immediate sweetness. However he had elected to consume some sparkling water alongside it, it would not do to let his guard down too much.
He spared a look at the visions being broadcast in and wondered if he could focus in on Potter and wondered if he had let his guard down.
Putting the tablet down, which unlike the wine was the opposite, a rather dry account of the hostilities on this planet. Potter was an individual who seemed like he wanted to go and 'have a bit of a party', but he wondered if Potter did, completely relax or cease trying to learn all he could as he was within the Doctor's TARDIS.
Or was it, that without access to it, perhaps he wished not to simply roam the museums or universities as he did on Vremnya, while he had been...romantically indisposed.
There were fewer academic engagements on this planet, the music festival apparently the biggest 'for draw card tourism'.
Reaching forward for his water he almost jumped as he realised there was a woman sitting opposite him on the other side of the table.
That it appeared to be the same women from Vremnya was somewhat disconcerting.
He looked at the glass of water and elected not to drink it.
She looked at him challengingly.
"Hello," she said brightly.
Draco smiled.
"You elected not to join your companion in the throng?" She asked.
Draco continued to smile as he carefully drew his wand and wondered if anyone would notice him stunning her, or something more drastic.
She had after all tried the latter to him, it had been rather tantalising.
Afterwards she'd apologised, mostly.
"No," he paused and shifted his gaze from her to the water. "Have you poisoned my drink."
"Nothing so rash, we've known each other for mere-"
Draco cut her off with a shake of his head.
She laughed as she stopped talking. "Tantalising."
He elected to sip the water, it was chilled through some method that was not sorcery and remained so even outside of the flask the hovering automata dispensed it from.
Perhaps he could summon them and make his escape.
"Why are you here?" He wondered.
"Why are you here?" She wondered in the same tone, in the same phraseology in fact, it was odd.
When he'd first met her there had been something inquiring, engaging in a strange way, a sense of danger and control, of beauty and...something else he couldn't put his finger on.
It was only when Potter had been talking about occlumency during lunch on Vremnya had he decided what the woman's effects were.
Yet, there was still something tantalising in her attraction to him, engaging with him. Or, perhaps he thought he could just have a tête-à-tête with someone, someone of an incredibly foreign disposition, and yet...
Focusing on her he repeated his question, which seemed to puzzle her for a moment. He took the pause to summon the automata and ordered a glass of water for his guest. The distraction it afforded as it delivered the glass and carafe allowed him to clandestinely draw his wand.
"Are you scared of me?" The woman was asking watching him curiously. "Or tantalised by me?" She asked a zest of perspiration on her lips, it was...
Draco blinked. "If I feared you, I would have already done something," he lied.
She laughed and it felt like time stopped for several moments as their gazes met and it felt like thought and emotion were intertwined for the briefest of moment.
"Having fun Draco?" Said a voice and it took several moments for him to work out what was happening.
Harry Potter was pointing a wand at the base of her skull.
Potter raised an eyebrow at him as he stood.
"How long have you been away?" He forced himself to ask as he collected his thoughts.
"I tried to talk to you but she indicated I should leave you to whatever it was she's up to," Potter paused looking down at the individual, she looked different. "I have somewhat more experience with mental manipulation than the average person, and I know when it's happening, she didn't account for that."
"It was endearing strangely, especially when she tried to kill me," Draco mused as he slowly put his thoughts back together.
The woman laughed. "You did, and if your friend had not come to aid I would, it would have been glorious."
"And now?" Potter asked. "I'm not sure Draco would appreciate me killing you, nor those around here."
"No," she replied flatly.
"Perhaps we should just depart Potter?" Draco offered.
"And do you think the authorities would want to be be informed?" Potter wondered, it took Draco a moment to realise that he was not talking to him, but addressing the woman who'd followed him across two planets. It had felt like they'd shared intimacies beyond anything, and yet...he now felt that perspiration, that tantalising endearment fading.
"I think maybe I should have joined you in the throng of the music Potter," Draco mused as he felt like something was ebbing out of his being.
Potter laughed and stunned the being before him, as she was unexpectedly stunned Draco felt a pang of...? He wasn't quite sure he could associate what that sensation was.
"Come on, let's go and find one of the side tents and enjoy some retro music or something."
-/
Potter had been quite the gentleman in not asking what had happened only saying 'you look like you need to process', and promptly changed the subject to the quite visceral and unpleasant situation he'd been in with the mud and sweat in front of the music he was watching, listening, participating in, it was quite, quite awful.
He'd wanted to say surrounded by muggles but that concept was so far outside his normal experiences, his understanding of his life on Earth, he felt, it was all a bit too much, a bit too...
A vessel of liquid was pushed into his hands.
"Gotta look after you Draco, apparently it's beer, made out of fermented fruit, or something, drink up and we can go and find some food," Potter said casually.
"You're a good friend Potter," he admitted as he gulped down the contents of the glass.
He didn't see the reaction from Potter because as he spoke the lights in the tent they were sat in dimmed and musical group of harpists began to play while something that looked like a cactus started to approach the microphone.
-/
The sun had set and night was well into its stages as they walked back to where they'd left the TARDIS, the thrum of the music festival still in the background.
Harry chanced a look to Draco who caught him looking. "Just checking Draco."
"I am fine Potter, you have watered me with enough alcohol for me to be so," Draco mused in a slightly drunk fashion.
That was mostly deliberate, Draco Malfoy being seduced by a female person, he needed something to cope with that, and booze seemed like the best way to deal.
Harry himself had imbibed a little bit, but one of them needed to keep their wits about them, even if their path back to the TARDIS seemed pretty well lit and no one overly threatening.
Except the man who was slowly approaching said blue box, but that was the man who'd brought them here.
"Are you two quite alright?" He asked as he pushed open the door.
"I went to a music festival-" Harry began.
"Very good, best thing on Rishik. I learnt a really great opera from one of the roadies here, it went-" the Doctor began.
Harry shook his head continuing inside. "And Draco imbibed the local booze."
"Quite a bit, I think I might go up to my quarters Doctor?" Draco said as he began for the stairs before the Doctor could say anything more.
The Doctor looked from Draco to Harry. "Is he quite alright?"
Harry looked to the Doctor in thought for a moment. "He's fine," he lied. "Do you need any help with anything Doctor?" Harry asked looking around the console room. Everything looked like it had been hastily repaired.
The Doctor looked to him and nodded handing him his sonic screwdriver. "Very well, if you're sure about Draco."
"He doesn't need me to help him bathe," Harry chuckled.
-/
A/N:
There's a few planets, people and technobabble in this, all of it from the DW universe.
Vremnya is from a few Bernice Summerfield novels, as is Dellah. The Gigamarket is from a Bernice Summerfield audio.
Rishik is as described a planet of music festivals, and past nuclear war (from a Third Doctor short story).
Bom-borradoh is from an Eleventh Doctor novella.
Calibris is from a Tenth Doctor audio drama.
Thanks for reading.