Chapter Three - London Rain
"I still think it would have been a better idea to stop and wait somewhere else and get him before he gets off," Fred muttered into the collar of his jacket. "That woman could be anywhere along here."
"She won't show up until after the bus gets here," Kingsley said confidently. "Or else Draco Malfoy will have to meet her somewhere else. She wouldn't risk being caught."
"Yeah, right. Isn't this the child prodigy Death Eater? Her only little darling nephew?" Ginny said sarcastically so only the boys could hear.
"Great," Ron muttered. He hadn't brought a jacket, and stood on the side of the road shivering. "You have the handcuffs, don't you, George?"
"Yep," George replied, pulling them a small way out of hhis pocket so that Ron could see them. "We'll get the little bastard before anyone else, don't you worry."
Draco pulled the piece of parchment from his robes and tapped it gently with his wand. Slowly, the blank parchment started to relfect words and Draco reread it.
Draco,
I received your owl yesterday and am only too happy to allow you to stay until you return to school. I would prefer you to stay here permanently, as your education is not all it could be while Albus Dumbledore is Headmaster. - Draco snorted. -
However, it is my understanding that your father, though he is in Azkaban, is still your legal guardian and he wishes you to stay at Hogwarts.
I have also written to my sister, informing her of my disappointment in not allowing you to remain in your ancestral home. She has not yet replied, and since your letter did not detail why you have been forced to leave, I have formed my own ideas on the subject.
You will have to meet me in Muggle London. Take the Knight Bus to Charing Cross Road, and wait there until midnight. I realise it will be uncomfortable, and staying in a Muggle habitated area is both a strain and boring almost beyond endurance, but it is the only way to avoid undue Ministry interference. Rumour has it they are conducting random checks in Diagon Alley, and the Knight Bus is also being monitored.
DO NOT reply to this owl. If you can, take the Knight Bus. If not, I will know when I get to our agreed meeting place.
Bellatrix
Draco tapped the parchment again and it went blank. He was then flung to one side and hit his head soundly against the window. Rubbing his head and glaring at Ernier Prang, the bus driver, he tried to straighten his robes, bags, and catch Chopin, who was sliding down the aisle.
"We'll be in Charing Cross Road in a minute," Stan said, coming up the aisle. "Just gotta let a couple o' others off first."
Draco nodded, but said nothing. It was Chopin, who, having recovered his balance, said in his squeaky voice, "thankyou, sir."
"You shouldn't have called him sir," Draco hissed when Stan was back out of earshot. "You of all things should know a servant from a person."
The elf hung his head and apologised.
Harry was starting to grow impatient, though Kingsley and Mr. Weasley weren't worried. He sidled up to Fred and Ginny, who were talking quietly, and said, "what if we've missed him? What if he's already gotten off - or if he got off somewhere else?"
"He wouldn't do that," Fred said confidently. "He's not smart enough. Oh, ass, it's starting to rain again. This is going to drive me mad before long."
It was raining again, a steady drizzle that bathed the lights of Muggle London and made them appear as a watery glow. Harry hunched his shoulders against the cold drips and sighed at the slight protection.
Why had Malfoy been kicked out of home? From what he knew, Draco Malfoy had been the most important thing in Narcissa Malfoy's life, possible even more so than her husband. It was odd that she would just turn around and make him leave.
Unless - what if he wanted to become a Death Eater, and she didn't want anything to happen to him? No. It didn't make sense. If he did want to join Voldemort's ranks, and she disagreed, she would keep him under lock and key. Sending him out into the world would just be a way of garanteeing his wishes. Especially when he went to live with Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Harry!" George said sharply. "The bus is coming! Get over here and give us a hand!" Harry went over, and George said in a whisper, "we have to get to Malfoy before the rest of them do. Ginny has a bag she's going to shove on Malfoy's head so he can't see where he's going, and I've got the handcuffs. Fred's going to put a Stunner on him, and you and Ron could probably hold him down if that doesn't work. Are you ready?"
"Yes," Harry said firmly. "Won't everyone else kill us, but? You mum and dad, and Kingsley Shacklebolt?"
"They'll get over it," George said, and put a hand in his pocket. Harry could see his other fist clench as the bus careered over the pavemtn and came to a crazy stop, slewed halfway across the road about fifty feet away. Two figures, one short and held straight with arrogance, the other stooped and shivering in a filthy rag, stumbled down the steps, and three trunks were thrown out after them. Harry felt his throat go tight. There he was, it was Malfoy...
"Now!" Fred snapped, and the five of them raced towards Malfoy. Fred seied him in a pefect flying tackle, and Ginny whipped the bag over his head and tied it on with her hair ribbon before he could do anything.
Snap! The handcuffs were fastened to his wrists, and Harry, changing his mind, left Ron, Fred, and George pinning the struggling form down and went for the house elf. Grabbing it from behind, he twisted it's arms behind it and felt it sturggle against him.
"Stupefy!" two voices shouted. One was George, and the still fighting form of Malfoy went still. The other had been Mrs. Weasley, and Harry slumped as the house elf stiffened in his arms.
Harry lifted his head. Ginny was bent over, breathing hard and pinching her nose. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Ginny nodded. "Malfoy hit me, that's all. It's just a bloody nose." She looked around. "We've done it, but," she said with obvious satisfaction. "We have Malfoy, the son-of-a-bitch."
"Ginny Weasley! Will you watch your language!" Mrs Weasley shouted. "Now, let's get the boy out of here. No, Fred, don't punch him."
"But he deserves it, Mum!" Fred protested in the voice of someone who had been denied a big treat.
"I still think it would have been a better idea to stop and wait somewhere else and get him before he gets off," Fred muttered into the collar of his jacket. "That woman could be anywhere along here."
"She won't show up until after the bus gets here," Kingsley said confidently. "Or else Draco Malfoy will have to meet her somewhere else. She wouldn't risk being caught."
"Yeah, right. Isn't this the child prodigy Death Eater? Her only little darling nephew?" Ginny said sarcastically so only the boys could hear.
"Great," Ron muttered. He hadn't brought a jacket, and stood on the side of the road shivering. "You have the handcuffs, don't you, George?"
"Yep," George replied, pulling them a small way out of hhis pocket so that Ron could see them. "We'll get the little bastard before anyone else, don't you worry."
Draco pulled the piece of parchment from his robes and tapped it gently with his wand. Slowly, the blank parchment started to relfect words and Draco reread it.
Draco,
I received your owl yesterday and am only too happy to allow you to stay until you return to school. I would prefer you to stay here permanently, as your education is not all it could be while Albus Dumbledore is Headmaster. - Draco snorted. -
However, it is my understanding that your father, though he is in Azkaban, is still your legal guardian and he wishes you to stay at Hogwarts.
I have also written to my sister, informing her of my disappointment in not allowing you to remain in your ancestral home. She has not yet replied, and since your letter did not detail why you have been forced to leave, I have formed my own ideas on the subject.
You will have to meet me in Muggle London. Take the Knight Bus to Charing Cross Road, and wait there until midnight. I realise it will be uncomfortable, and staying in a Muggle habitated area is both a strain and boring almost beyond endurance, but it is the only way to avoid undue Ministry interference. Rumour has it they are conducting random checks in Diagon Alley, and the Knight Bus is also being monitored.
DO NOT reply to this owl. If you can, take the Knight Bus. If not, I will know when I get to our agreed meeting place.
Bellatrix
Draco tapped the parchment again and it went blank. He was then flung to one side and hit his head soundly against the window. Rubbing his head and glaring at Ernier Prang, the bus driver, he tried to straighten his robes, bags, and catch Chopin, who was sliding down the aisle.
"We'll be in Charing Cross Road in a minute," Stan said, coming up the aisle. "Just gotta let a couple o' others off first."
Draco nodded, but said nothing. It was Chopin, who, having recovered his balance, said in his squeaky voice, "thankyou, sir."
"You shouldn't have called him sir," Draco hissed when Stan was back out of earshot. "You of all things should know a servant from a person."
The elf hung his head and apologised.
Harry was starting to grow impatient, though Kingsley and Mr. Weasley weren't worried. He sidled up to Fred and Ginny, who were talking quietly, and said, "what if we've missed him? What if he's already gotten off - or if he got off somewhere else?"
"He wouldn't do that," Fred said confidently. "He's not smart enough. Oh, ass, it's starting to rain again. This is going to drive me mad before long."
It was raining again, a steady drizzle that bathed the lights of Muggle London and made them appear as a watery glow. Harry hunched his shoulders against the cold drips and sighed at the slight protection.
Why had Malfoy been kicked out of home? From what he knew, Draco Malfoy had been the most important thing in Narcissa Malfoy's life, possible even more so than her husband. It was odd that she would just turn around and make him leave.
Unless - what if he wanted to become a Death Eater, and she didn't want anything to happen to him? No. It didn't make sense. If he did want to join Voldemort's ranks, and she disagreed, she would keep him under lock and key. Sending him out into the world would just be a way of garanteeing his wishes. Especially when he went to live with Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Harry!" George said sharply. "The bus is coming! Get over here and give us a hand!" Harry went over, and George said in a whisper, "we have to get to Malfoy before the rest of them do. Ginny has a bag she's going to shove on Malfoy's head so he can't see where he's going, and I've got the handcuffs. Fred's going to put a Stunner on him, and you and Ron could probably hold him down if that doesn't work. Are you ready?"
"Yes," Harry said firmly. "Won't everyone else kill us, but? You mum and dad, and Kingsley Shacklebolt?"
"They'll get over it," George said, and put a hand in his pocket. Harry could see his other fist clench as the bus careered over the pavemtn and came to a crazy stop, slewed halfway across the road about fifty feet away. Two figures, one short and held straight with arrogance, the other stooped and shivering in a filthy rag, stumbled down the steps, and three trunks were thrown out after them. Harry felt his throat go tight. There he was, it was Malfoy...
"Now!" Fred snapped, and the five of them raced towards Malfoy. Fred seied him in a pefect flying tackle, and Ginny whipped the bag over his head and tied it on with her hair ribbon before he could do anything.
Snap! The handcuffs were fastened to his wrists, and Harry, changing his mind, left Ron, Fred, and George pinning the struggling form down and went for the house elf. Grabbing it from behind, he twisted it's arms behind it and felt it sturggle against him.
"Stupefy!" two voices shouted. One was George, and the still fighting form of Malfoy went still. The other had been Mrs. Weasley, and Harry slumped as the house elf stiffened in his arms.
Harry lifted his head. Ginny was bent over, breathing hard and pinching her nose. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Ginny nodded. "Malfoy hit me, that's all. It's just a bloody nose." She looked around. "We've done it, but," she said with obvious satisfaction. "We have Malfoy, the son-of-a-bitch."
"Ginny Weasley! Will you watch your language!" Mrs Weasley shouted. "Now, let's get the boy out of here. No, Fred, don't punch him."
"But he deserves it, Mum!" Fred protested in the voice of someone who had been denied a big treat.