Hellllooooooooo!
A big, big THANK YOU to all who still support this story. I know it's been taking me a long time to get chapters out, and I sincerely thank all those who are still reading this story and taking the time to leave such lovely comments along the way. 3
I don't have plans to drop this story anytime soon—so even if it takes me a while to upload new chapters, please know that it's probably just life getting in the way as per usual lol.
Our two favorite boys have just been told that they have to go stay at a safe house together. (Gasp—alone together? How awful…) What awaits them when they arrive…?
Xxxx -DxH- xxxX
In the short minute that they had before the portkey took off without them, Harry and Draco were quickly ushered out of bed and tidied up. Wands and hands flashed as both boys were quickly wrapped in crisp new bandages. Draco's torn and bloodied hospital robe was swapped with a new one, and then he was lined up next to Harry, waiting for their departure.
"Are you boys ready?" Kingsley came to stand next to Harry in the huddle of people, hand outstretched on the portkey alongside the others'. He surveyed both boys. "I'm sorry for the rush, but it will be safer the sooner we're out of here. I'll explain the situation the best I can once we're at the safe house."
"Ah, that's right." Davies paused. "I best come along too, just in case. Blackwell—,"
Blackwell waved a dismissive hand. "I shall remain and analyze some of the data we've been collecting. I'll await your return."
"Sounds good, my friend!" Davies glanced at the clock on the wall before surveying the circle of faces. "Hold on tight—5 seconds!"
Harry counted down in his head, …3…2…1…!
The room around him suddenly began to spin—faster, faster, until everything was a blur of colors flying by in a whirl of wind. Traveling by portkey was always an exciting experience, to say the least. One that did take some getting used to, though. Harry tried to avoid focusing on the spinning around him. The vertigo was starting to make his stomach turn, but he resisted the urge to close his eyes—knowing that it would ultimately just make him dizzier in the long-run. It would only last a moment longer anyways…he hoped.
"Approaching landing!" Knightly called.
Harry had only a moment to focus his eyes on their new destination before the ground began to rapidly approach. He gulped. Nailing a proper portkey landing without falling on his face was…still not one of his strong suits. All he needed was to face plant and give Malfoy one more thing to gloat about… That's right—how did they land last time when they had been on their mission together? He strangely couldn't recall. He had been rather on edge at that time though.
Harry felt the magical force that kept him firmly glued to the portkey dissipate, and he was free falling towards the ground the next minute. He managed to slow his force enough that he landed—albeit a bit unsteadily—on his feet.
A tap sounded next to him as Knightly landed gracefully, not a hair out of place. "Alright there, Harry?"
"Uh, yeah…." Harry started to formulate a more complete sentence, but the suddenly sensation of smooth pavement beneath his feet gave him pause. He glanced up to see a that they were standing in the middle of a road in what appeared to be a small housing development. He frowned in confusion. Weren't they going to an Auror safe house? Weren't those usually in more remote locations like the middle of the woods? Or in a spooky swamp? Granted, his imagination may be stretching things a bit, but still—something felt…off.
"Right. It appears that we have all arrived in one piece." Kingsley surveyed their small band. Draco, looking a bit green around the gills, came to stand next to him alongside an ever-chipper Healer Davies.
Before Harry could give voice to his confusion over their location, an ever-familiar voice quipped, "Where the bloody hell are we, anyways?" Draco scowled—looking a bit worse for wear, if Harry was being honest.
Davies grinned at the snark that Draco had made no attempt to disguise. He was clearly not in top form if he was using such language in front of the Minister and Knightly. "We, my dear young Mr. Malfoy, are on the outskirts of a small housing subdivision about a mile from the safe house where the two of you will be staying."
"There are strong wards protecting the house, so it's only safe to approach from this distance," Kingsley explained patiently. "We'll set out the rest of the way on foot."
Harry could practically feel Draco's desire to roll his eyes—but he clearly didn't dare. He instead replied with a stiff nod.
Knightly grinned. "Ah, this way."
Xxxx -DxH- xxxX
The short walk passed by a menagerie of small houses—all of similar shape, appearance, and condition. They appeared tidy, well-kept. Lawns were mowed, flowers adorned porches in small ceramic pots, mailboxes with house numbers painted on lined each driveway. Draco glanced back and forth between houses with a frown. There was something that unsettled him about the uniformity of it all. Did people enjoy living in matching little hovels with such disgustingly tidy yards? Why did everything about this place feel so bizarre to him?
Thankfully, they soon crossed the road out of the creepy little neighborhood and headed down what appeared to be a more heavily frequented road. Cars populated both sides of the road. On the sidewalk opposite then, people walked with their dogs, or pushed strollers. It wasn't until then that it finally clicked to Draco. "We're in the Muggle district, aren't we?!" He hissed suddenly.
Kingsley smiled slightly. It may have been a grimace though, Harry thought.
"Yes, Draco. We're in an area of muggle residentials. Let's get inside first, though."
It was then that Harry realized they had stopped walking and were standing in front of a larger brick building. It was clearly old, but appeared to be cared for.
A flat, huh…. Harry surveyed the building with interest. He counted about half a dozen rectangular windows on the facade. Kingsley and the others had clearly kept saying an Auror safe house, but perhaps the term was loose.
What the bloody hell is a flat?!
For once, the voice that unexpectedly entered Harry's mind brought a smirk to his face. Draco's voice sounded equal parts confused and concerned.
This place looks like a bloody prison! I mean, it's much bigger than those depressing little cottages we passed, but why does it look like that?!
Harry shook his head, still smiling, and followed as Kingsley lead the way through the front entrance. While the outside appeared dated, the interior had clearly been renovated since construction. It was nice. Nothing overly glamorous, but Harry thought it already looked a good bit nicer than the flat that he had currently been renting.
Draco, meanwhile, surveyed the foyer with confusion written all over his face. The confusion only furthered as they began to climb the staircase to the correct floor.
Davies caught his expression and chuckled. "Never seen a flat, Draco? Ah…I suppose not. Well, the young master will have to learn how to be amongst commoners now."
Four words were being repeated in Harry's head, but he couldn't even bring himself to be annoyed. Sheer joy painted his face at the utterly bamboozled tone that colored Draco's normally cool voice.
What the bloody hell…..What the bloody hell….What the—
They reached the fourth floor—which was the top floor, as far as Harry could tell—and came to stand in front of a modest wood door, adorned with a metallic '4'.
"Welcome to your new home, boys!" Knightly exclaimed as he pulled a gold key from the confines of his robe sleeve—showing it off. He paused for a moment as Kingsley waved his hands in front of the door, mumbling under his breath. Must be disabling the wards…
Kingsley nodded and the key was inserted into the door lock, which gave way with a turn and a 'click'. The door creaked slightly on its hinges as it was pushed open. It sounded like it had been a while since it was opened.
Knightly gestured Harry in first. With little choice but to comply, he cautiously ventured into the unknown territory. The entryway was small, but quickly opened into a open and spacious living area. At a quick glance, he surveyed a large living room—completely furnished with even a television mounted to the wall above a rather cozy looking fireplace. Opposite, was a bar counter with stools framing a large opening with door-like shutters that opened and closed. The shutters were open at the moment, giving him a peek at what he was sure was the kitchen in the room behind.
"In, in!" Harry heard Knightly ushering Draco back at the entrance as he himself walked further into the apartment. Around the corner in the living room, to Harry's shock and amazement, was a staircase that led to somewhere up above them. He turned as Kingsley and the rest finally appeared. "There's another floor?"
Kingsley's eyes crinkled at Harry's boyish excitement and wonder. "Well, this is an Auror flat, after all. A bit of magic helps to make it more livable."
Harry grinned. There were some things that just made being a wizard so worth it.
Draco, on the other hand, seemed far less impressed.
"How is it, young master?" Davies teased. "I bet even your house elves had a bigger living space that this!"
Draco cast a loathing glare in his direction, but restrained himself from commenting.
Knightly sent his own admonishing look towards the healer. "Come now, Healer Davies. Stop giving Draco such a time."
The man feigned innocence. "Haven't the foggiest what you mean, my good man." His unabashed grin clearly told otherwise, though…
The group finished surveying the bottom floor—a quick walk through the kitchen, a few broom cupboards, water closet, and even a small laundry room—and then they were off to explore the upper floor. Though it was only as big as half of the lower floor, Harry was still pleased with the extra space. Another floor meant that much more space that he could put between Malfoy and himself.
"And this first door here is the bathroom. Nothing excessively grand, but there is a soaking tub along with a separate shower," Knightly pointed out.
Draco bristled. Why the bloody hell does St. Mungo's have a nicer bathroom than we do?!
Harry couldn't help the snicker that escaped at that remark, but he quickly disguised it with a cough. Draco's glare turned his direction—likely not buying the cover up.
A few storage closets were up next. They moved on.
"And, last up!" Knightly pushed the last door at the end of the short hallway open.
Both Harry's and Draco's heart sank when they saw the inside.
Xxxx -DxH- xxxX
Silence stretched for a moment as they took in the sight. Then they both exploded.
"THERE'S ONLY ONE BED?!"
"WHY IS THERE ONLY ONE BED?!"
Knightly cringed. "B-Boys, now listen—"
Harry ran into the room and looked around, desperately hoping that there was another bed hidden somewhere he couldn't see from the hallway. The suitcases that had been in their hospital room earlier were stacked here and there around the room—but other than that, the bed and a few odd furnishings were the only things to be found. Draco's search faired no better—aside from finding the average-sized (not walk-in) closet. Both turned to Kingsley and Knightly, wide-eyed.
"Oh my, Minister. How positively scandalous," Davies crooned, no small amount of amusement on his part.
Kingsley closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
"Kingsley, please." Harry tried to calm himself and speak rationally. "There's no way that I can survive if I have to sleep in the same bed as Malfoy. Living together is already bad enough! What if he tries to off me in the middle of the night?! I could wake up with a wand to my throat and be gone before any of you would even know it!"
Well…so much for calm and rational.
"I would attack you?!" Draco roared. "You're the one who's always had a problem with me. If anyone is endangered by this situation, then it's me!"
Harry scoffed. "Malfoy, you're unbelievable. You're a Death Eater, for Merlin's sake!"
The blood immediately seemed to drain from Draco's face. His eyes flashed dangerously. "You—!" He reached down to his waist for his wand before he remembered that he hadn't had it since he had been admitted to St. Mungo's. Harry made a similar motion before both of their eyes trained in on Knightly.
"Where's my wand?!" They synchronized.
Knightly's eyes widened and he held up his hands defensively. "Easy, there. The Minister took care of keeping them ever since we found you after your mission."
"Might as well get used to not having them, anyways." Davies grinned viciously. "Since you won't be allowed to use magic while you're here, after all." He shrugged his shoulders casually, but the weight that his words delivered sent a shock that instantly froze both boys.
"Damn it, Davies!" Knightly swore. "Why is it so hard for you to keep your bloody mouth shut?!"
"We won't have magic here?!" Harry trained wide eyes on Kingsley. The Minister avoided his eyes in favor of sighing at the ground.
Draco pulled at his blonde locks in disbelief. "NO WAY. Abso-bloody-lutely not!" There was no way that he was going to be able to survive. Stuck in the same house—Merlin, the same bed—as Potter, and not able to use magic? Impossible.
Harry looked between the faces of the older wizards. "How on earth are we supposed to be expected to get along in this situation?! I mean, this is Malfoy for crying out loud!" His voice was beginning to take on an edge of mania.
"Potter, I swear you—!"
"Boys." Kingsley's deep and normally warm timbre broke through the noise—edged with a coolness that he didn't usually use. Draco and Harry immediately quieted, eyes trained on the man. "The situation that we've found ourselves in is less than ideal, to say the least. However, I'd like to remind you that the two of you are partially responsible for this situation, and aren't the only ones who have to compromise until this situation is sorted out. We're placing you here because we're worried about your well-being—but we have far more pressing matters to worry about. All that we're asking is that you two remain here and stay safe so that we can protect you and hopefully stop the snatchers from harming others. It may not be the most comfortable scenario, but I ask that you think about the bigger picture and the lives that are at stake here."
His words swept away any last trace of noise and left the room in utterly stupefied silence. Even Davies was rendered speechless at the Minister's firm address. It was rare that he used such tone when speaking to anyone.
Once Kingsley was sure that the boys understood the severity of the situation, he continued, reverting back to his usual calm tone. "Let's go back down to the living room and discuss things."
Xxxx -DxH- xxxX
Harry and Draco sat on the couch, numb. They didn't even bother arguing about being forced to sit in close proximity—though Knightly did take the initiative to sit in the middle of the couch to separate them. Kingsley sunk gracefully into the recliner opposite them, while Davies perched on the arm of the other chair.
"Now then," Kingsley began slowly, carefully. "I'm going to explain this as best I can with the situation that we're in, alright?" He glanced between the boys.
Harry nodded wordlessly. Draco's eyes were glassy, unfocused as he stared through the fireplace in front of them. He looked like he was in shock.
"As Healer Davies so kindly divulged, we're restraining the use of magic in this house." He paused. "For now, at least."
Harry perked up hopefully. "For now?"
Kingsley nodded slowly. "You two are in danger—there's no doubt about it. So, for now, we're taking every precaution necessary in order to ensure your safety. This means that for now, until we say otherwise, the two of you won't be allowed to use magic in this house."
Draco gave a low, humorless chuckle, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. "You already took our wands, and what? Now you won't even let us perform what wandless magic we're able to?"
Kingsley looked at the boy sympathetically. "Draco," he called softly. "This is for your own good."
"It's the best we can do to keep you safe," Knightly agreed. "The wards here will keep you from performing magic, yes. But they'll also keep you safe. And that's more important."
"And on that note," Davies butted in, pulling several bottles from inside his medical robes. "Blackwell and I took the liberty of mixing up some tonics and the like to help with your pain." The glass bottles clinked as he placed them on the small coffee table next to him. "These won't do much in terms of actually healing you, but, as I said, they will help with the pain."
"We'll schedule days for Blackwell and Davies to come check on you every week and tend to your injuries," Kingsley added. "Other than that, I'll have Florence or someone else come to bring you food and other things as needed."
Harry grimaced. "So, in other words…"
"We're on house arrest," Draco finished flatly.
"…It really is what's best for you," Knightly replied softly. "As long as you two don't leave this safe house, there should be no way for the snatchers to get to you."
"What about…." Harry racked his brain for any possible situation that they may have overlooked. Anything that would necessitate them leaving the house. "Uh…garbage?" Harry tried hopelessly. The attempt was pathetic, really, but he was grasping at straws here.
"There's a simple vanishing spell set in place to take care of that," Knightly responded with an apologetic grin. "Anything in your trash can at the end of the day will simply vanish."
Harry let go of his last remaining thread of hope. He slumped back against the couch with an expression of defeat. "I hate this," he mumbled.
"It's only temporary, Harry." Kingsley rose, smoothing the front of his impeccable robes. "I know that you don't like sitting back and letting others fight for you. But please—do this for me."
Wow. Way to throw the guilt on there, Kingsley… Harry sighed but slowly nodded, not meeting his eyes.
"You should have everything you need for now," Knightly said brightly, trying to raise the mood once more. "I should be back in a few days, so let me know if you think of anything you'd like me to bring back for you."
Kingsley strode to the fireplace, grabbing a small handful of dark powder from the container on the mantle. Green flames sprang to life as he tossed the powder of the logs there. "You won't be able to use this fireplace to access the Floo Network, but it is connected directly to the fireplace in my office at the Ministry. If you need anything, or there's an emergency of any kind—send me a letter immediately." He pulled a piece of parchment from the breast of his inner robes, waving it slightly before tossing it into the fireplace. The letter was engulfed in a sea of green flames before it disappeared with a 'crack'. "I'll send someone as soon as I can to help with whatever you need."
"Isn't that nice!" Davies exclaimed, jumping up from his perch on the chair. "See? It's not like you're being abandoned—just consider this a well-deserved vacation! Trust me, I'd love to be grounded in a house with nowhere to go. You guys should just use this time to take a load off and relax for a change." He grinned, siding next to Knightly beside the fireplace. "Each of you should take one of those pills in the green bottle before you sleep tonight. You'll likely experience some withdrawals after being off the good stuff from the hospital, but these guys should at least keep the pain at bay. I'll work with Blackwell to get some more the next time I drop by."
Harry forced a half-hearted smile. "…Thanks."
"Anything else before we take off?" asked Knightly. He eyed Harry—who shrugged and shook his head—before he turned to Draco. "Draco?"
Draco's eyes were glued to the ground, his brow furrowed. He glanced up, opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again. His gaze wandered to Harry briefly before he released a quiet sigh and finally looked at Kingsley. "…My…my mother…," he began softly. "She's…all alone at Malfoy Manor…It was just the two of us before…and now…." He swallowed, gaze dropping to the floor once again. He wasn't one to swallow his pride and ask for help from others, but…
Kingsley's gaze softened, and his voice warmed soothingly. "We'll make sure that she's protected and well taken care of," he promised. "You don't need to worry."
"She'll be safe with us," Knightly agreed. "Everything will be fine, Draco."
The blonde bit the inside of his cheek and nodded—still avoiding eye contact with those in the room.
"Such a filial son, really warms the heart." Davies wiped an invisible tear from his eye before he was shoved by a clearly annoyed Knightly.
"Alright already, let's get going." Knightly grabbed hold of the back of Davie's robe with one hand, his other coming to rest on Kingsley's shoulder. "Don't worry boys—everything will be fine and over before you know it!"
"Ciaooo!" Davies waved.
Kingsley gave the two boys one last sweeping look before the room filled with a sudden 'crack'! And then they were gone.
Silence settled in the room.
Harry looked at the clock. The sun was still high in the sky and there was plenty of time to eat and still remain in the socially acceptable hours of what was still considered by the mass majority as "breakfast".
Draco sat on the couch, unmoving.
This was going to be a long first day together.