A/N: I just want to thank all of you who have reviewed. They've all been
very nice. I also want to thank you guys for putting up with me as I
changed the story so much. IN CASE YOU SKIPPED THE FIRST CHAPTER, I CHANGED
IT ONCE AGAIN. This should be the last and final change as I am actually
quite happy with it; boring though it may be.
I also want to apologize for the delay in updating, but I was traveling overseas for a couple of weeks. It was great! Went to the Harry Potter premiere in London and got to see most of the stars. Got to see the movie the next day in the same theatre as well. It was really very exciting. But, I am back now and hope to get a few chapters out before I leave for my equestrian camp job in Connecticut which will keep me from updating for seven weeks.
Please enjoy and review.
Chapter Two: Recapture
"How is the boy doing?" Cornelius Fudge asked as he sat down in the chair offered to him by Mrs. Garron.
"Fine." Mrs. Garron answered as she set her armful of laundry on the couch and took a seat herself.
"He hasn't been any trouble then has he?"
"No more than you could expect."
"Good." Fudge replied as he relaxed back into his seat. "I've been a touch worried about you being here alone with him so much. Even though he is just a child, being the son of two convicted Death Eaters, I wouldn't put it past him to try something stupid."
"Oh, don't worry yourself, Minister." Mrs. Garron said as she waved her hand dismissively, "It's been difficult but we've kept his wand locked up and we always keep a sharp eye on him." She conveniently left out the fact that Draco had been kept locked up as well.
"Ah, splendid. Is Michael around?"
"He should be here very shortly."
"That's good because I have some news that the two of you might enjoy."
Cornelius Fudge and Mrs. Garron chatted away about nothing in particular until they heard the sound of Mr. Garron entering the house.
"Michael!" Mrs. Garron called out. "The Minister is here to speak with us."
After greeting the Minister Michael sat down in a chair and listened as Fudge spoke.
"Well, I'd like to start off by formally thanking the two of you for taking the boy in on such short notice. I know it must have been rather difficult allowing such a boy into your home, so the Ministry and myself are very grateful."
"Yes, it has been rather trying having a boy like that in the house. I've never really felt safe since the moment he stepped through the door, but you know we are only too happy to serve the Ministry in any way we can." Mrs. Garron said a bit dramatically.
"I'm sure the money helped." Fudge replied riley.
"Of course the money helped." Mr. Garron matter-of-factly stated.
Mrs. Garron had the decency to look slightly embarrassed, however Mr. Garron never attempted to hide the fact that he had taken Draco in, not out of the goodness of his heart, but because the Ministry had offered a good sum of money to anyone willing to take on the temporary responsibility.
"Anyways, back to reason for my visit. I'm sure that you will be pleased to learn that you will no longer be hosting Mr. Malfoy. We have discovered that he has an aunt living in the States. She's his mother's sister. Apparently she was disowned from the family many years ago for some sorted reason and moved to America. As far as we can tell it's because she married a muggleborn wizard. Ridiculous reason to disown someone if you ask me."
Mr. and Mrs. Garron both nodded in agreement.
"The Ministry has decided that she is perhaps our best option concerning the young Malfoy, so we contacted her. It seems that she and her husband will be only too happy to take charge of their nephew and therefore we will no longer need to burden you with his presence."
"I'm sure that that is a great relief to my wife."
"I'm sure it is." Fudge nodded towards Mrs. Garron. "Well," he added after a few moments of silence, "I suppose I should go up and inform the boy as he is to leave very early tomorrow morning."
Mr. Garron stood and proceeded out the door and up the stairs; closely followed by Fudge. As he reached the top of the stairs he looked up and stopped suddenly which caused the Minister to bump into his back. Mr. Garron rushed forward and violently pushed the unclosed door completely open. His eyes quickly roamed around the room but there was no sign of Draco; not that he had really expected there to be. Garron let out an angry growl as he reeled about and pushed past the befuddled Minister.
"I say, what on earth is the matter?!" Fudge gave a quick, confused glance in the empty room and then followed Mr. Garron as he practically charged down the stairs.
"Edith!! EDITH!!"
"Yes, Michael, what are you bellowing for?" Mrs. Garron poked her head out into the hall and glared at her husband.
"He's not in his room!" Mr. Garron yelled as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
"What?! Are you sure?" Mrs. Garron had now stepped fully into the hall.
"Yes! You left the door open, you idiot woman!"
"I did not! And don't you dare yell at me like that!"
"Well, the door is open and he's gone!"
"Mr. Garron, what is the matter?" Fudge asked impatiently.
"Minister, this really is very embarrassing, but the boy is gone."
"How do you know for sure? He could just be somewhere else in the house."
"No," Mr. Garron answered in an agitated manor, "he isn't. He's run off he has."
"He can't have gotten far," Mrs. Garron said, "because I only just gave him his dinner about a half-hour ago."
"I wouldn't fret over it." Fudge added calmly, "It won't take much to find him. He has no wand and no money, so he can't possibly get too far or last too long out there. We'll find him quickly."
Mr. Garron visibly calmed as he nodded his head. "I just apologize for the mess, Minister."
"Don't apologize." Fudge replied as he held up a hand, "This isn't your fault."
Mr. Garron sent an accusing glare at his wife.
Draco had no idea where he was or where he was going; all he knew was that he just wanted to get as far away from the Garron's house as possible. However, as he became increasingly wet and cold from the drizzling rain, he became increasingly concerned of exactly where he was going to find himself that night.
He shivered as he looked up at the dark and foreboding buildings which surrounded him on either side of the street. Many buildings, he noticed, were abandoned or should at least have been abandoned. Dirt covered the windows that weren't broken and the red-brick walls had turned black. Each one looked menacingly down at him and he felt like they somehow knew who he was and that he wasn't supposed to be out there.
It seemed like hours must have passed since he left the Garron's. He was thoroughly soaked and chilled to the bone, not to mention exhausted. He had wandered about aimlessly and had found himself nowhere. He attributed it mostly to the fact that it was so dark out and decided that it was probably best if he just found a nice dry place to sit and wait for daylight.
He turned down the next alley he came to and found a semi-dry spot to sit. To his amazement the air was quite a bit chillier in the alley and a putrid smell was emitting from the dark shadows where there was most likely a moldering pile of garbage. Draco's face screwed up in disgust and he realized that there was no way he was going to be able to stand the cold and the smell in that alley all night. He decided that he was just going to sit there for a few more minutes but immediately leapt to his feet with a cry as several rats came scurrying out of the shadows and in his direction.
"God I hate rats!" he said as he watched the nasty little creatures disappear into the holes in the walls and the empty crates.
"Hey! I think I heard something over this way!"
Draco froze as he heard the voice and stared in horror at the entrance of the alley. He heard heavy footsteps approaching and he realized that he'd have to act quickly. He reeled about and ducked into the shadows; hoping against hope that they wouldn't be able to see him. He looked over his shoulder and saw the outline of two figures standing at the mouth of the alley. They held their lit wands out in front of them and slowly began to enter the alley. Draco slowly and quietly crept further down the alley, hoping that he would reach the other side soon and be able to make a run for it.
"Are you sure that you heard something?" one of the men asked gruffly.
"Yes."
"I'll bet it was just some rats or a cat."
"No, I distinctly heard someone speak."
"Well, all I can say is that we had better find that Death Eater boy soon because I am wet, chilly, and very tired."
Now Draco knew for sure; these guys worked for the Ministry, they were out to find him and they were very close. He crept sideways, keeping an eye on the two lights, and didn't realize that a pile of crates lay stacked behind him. He bumped into them causing the entire pile to go crashing on the street. For a moment his heart stopped and he remained frozen to the spot, unable to move.
"That's got to be him!" one of the aurors yelled as they both shined their wands in Draco's direction.
Draco turned and bolted down the alley. He could hear the aurors behind him, yelling as they ran, and it seemed that they were getting closer. He ran as fast as he could but it was so dark in the alley that he couldn't really see where he was going and kept tripping on crates, bags of garbage, and "Was that a body?!"
"Hey! Watch it!" came an indignant cry from the ground.
"Yep, it was."
Draco saw an opening to another side alley and turned down it. This one was quite a bit narrower and crooked. The side alley led into another alley and then into yet another. As he quickly rounded a corner he collided with something very tall and very solid.
The man gave a surprised yell, but was very quick to make a grab for Draco, however, he was not quick enough. His fingers closed around Draco's sleeve, but it wasn't enough to hold him. Draco managed to wrench his arm free and fled, but he wasn't quick enough to avoid the auror's wand. In and instant he was knocked to the ground and before he could react he felt a pair of large hands grabbing his arms and hauling him up.
"Got you!"
Three more aurors trotted up to where the captured Draco stood glaring up at the man who kept a steely, almost crushing, hold on his shoulder. Draco didn't even struggle as he knew that it would be utterly useless. Even if he was able to break the death grip that the auror had on him he would never be able to outrun the range of the aurors' wands. It was over; he was caught.
"Finally." One auror said as they approached.
"What are we to do with him now?" Another asked. "Do we take him to the Ministry?"
"No," replied the auror who held Draco, "the Minister wants us to take the boy back to Michael's house. They'll deal with him there. Come on, you." The auror proceeded to take Draco's upper arm and pull him roughly down the alley. "And don't you dare try anything because I won't hesitate to hex you." As if to emphasize his point, the auror waved his wand menacingly in Draco's face. Draco said nothing but merely glared back as he struggled to keep up with the man's long stride.
I also want to apologize for the delay in updating, but I was traveling overseas for a couple of weeks. It was great! Went to the Harry Potter premiere in London and got to see most of the stars. Got to see the movie the next day in the same theatre as well. It was really very exciting. But, I am back now and hope to get a few chapters out before I leave for my equestrian camp job in Connecticut which will keep me from updating for seven weeks.
Please enjoy and review.
Chapter Two: Recapture
"How is the boy doing?" Cornelius Fudge asked as he sat down in the chair offered to him by Mrs. Garron.
"Fine." Mrs. Garron answered as she set her armful of laundry on the couch and took a seat herself.
"He hasn't been any trouble then has he?"
"No more than you could expect."
"Good." Fudge replied as he relaxed back into his seat. "I've been a touch worried about you being here alone with him so much. Even though he is just a child, being the son of two convicted Death Eaters, I wouldn't put it past him to try something stupid."
"Oh, don't worry yourself, Minister." Mrs. Garron said as she waved her hand dismissively, "It's been difficult but we've kept his wand locked up and we always keep a sharp eye on him." She conveniently left out the fact that Draco had been kept locked up as well.
"Ah, splendid. Is Michael around?"
"He should be here very shortly."
"That's good because I have some news that the two of you might enjoy."
Cornelius Fudge and Mrs. Garron chatted away about nothing in particular until they heard the sound of Mr. Garron entering the house.
"Michael!" Mrs. Garron called out. "The Minister is here to speak with us."
After greeting the Minister Michael sat down in a chair and listened as Fudge spoke.
"Well, I'd like to start off by formally thanking the two of you for taking the boy in on such short notice. I know it must have been rather difficult allowing such a boy into your home, so the Ministry and myself are very grateful."
"Yes, it has been rather trying having a boy like that in the house. I've never really felt safe since the moment he stepped through the door, but you know we are only too happy to serve the Ministry in any way we can." Mrs. Garron said a bit dramatically.
"I'm sure the money helped." Fudge replied riley.
"Of course the money helped." Mr. Garron matter-of-factly stated.
Mrs. Garron had the decency to look slightly embarrassed, however Mr. Garron never attempted to hide the fact that he had taken Draco in, not out of the goodness of his heart, but because the Ministry had offered a good sum of money to anyone willing to take on the temporary responsibility.
"Anyways, back to reason for my visit. I'm sure that you will be pleased to learn that you will no longer be hosting Mr. Malfoy. We have discovered that he has an aunt living in the States. She's his mother's sister. Apparently she was disowned from the family many years ago for some sorted reason and moved to America. As far as we can tell it's because she married a muggleborn wizard. Ridiculous reason to disown someone if you ask me."
Mr. and Mrs. Garron both nodded in agreement.
"The Ministry has decided that she is perhaps our best option concerning the young Malfoy, so we contacted her. It seems that she and her husband will be only too happy to take charge of their nephew and therefore we will no longer need to burden you with his presence."
"I'm sure that that is a great relief to my wife."
"I'm sure it is." Fudge nodded towards Mrs. Garron. "Well," he added after a few moments of silence, "I suppose I should go up and inform the boy as he is to leave very early tomorrow morning."
Mr. Garron stood and proceeded out the door and up the stairs; closely followed by Fudge. As he reached the top of the stairs he looked up and stopped suddenly which caused the Minister to bump into his back. Mr. Garron rushed forward and violently pushed the unclosed door completely open. His eyes quickly roamed around the room but there was no sign of Draco; not that he had really expected there to be. Garron let out an angry growl as he reeled about and pushed past the befuddled Minister.
"I say, what on earth is the matter?!" Fudge gave a quick, confused glance in the empty room and then followed Mr. Garron as he practically charged down the stairs.
"Edith!! EDITH!!"
"Yes, Michael, what are you bellowing for?" Mrs. Garron poked her head out into the hall and glared at her husband.
"He's not in his room!" Mr. Garron yelled as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
"What?! Are you sure?" Mrs. Garron had now stepped fully into the hall.
"Yes! You left the door open, you idiot woman!"
"I did not! And don't you dare yell at me like that!"
"Well, the door is open and he's gone!"
"Mr. Garron, what is the matter?" Fudge asked impatiently.
"Minister, this really is very embarrassing, but the boy is gone."
"How do you know for sure? He could just be somewhere else in the house."
"No," Mr. Garron answered in an agitated manor, "he isn't. He's run off he has."
"He can't have gotten far," Mrs. Garron said, "because I only just gave him his dinner about a half-hour ago."
"I wouldn't fret over it." Fudge added calmly, "It won't take much to find him. He has no wand and no money, so he can't possibly get too far or last too long out there. We'll find him quickly."
Mr. Garron visibly calmed as he nodded his head. "I just apologize for the mess, Minister."
"Don't apologize." Fudge replied as he held up a hand, "This isn't your fault."
Mr. Garron sent an accusing glare at his wife.
Draco had no idea where he was or where he was going; all he knew was that he just wanted to get as far away from the Garron's house as possible. However, as he became increasingly wet and cold from the drizzling rain, he became increasingly concerned of exactly where he was going to find himself that night.
He shivered as he looked up at the dark and foreboding buildings which surrounded him on either side of the street. Many buildings, he noticed, were abandoned or should at least have been abandoned. Dirt covered the windows that weren't broken and the red-brick walls had turned black. Each one looked menacingly down at him and he felt like they somehow knew who he was and that he wasn't supposed to be out there.
It seemed like hours must have passed since he left the Garron's. He was thoroughly soaked and chilled to the bone, not to mention exhausted. He had wandered about aimlessly and had found himself nowhere. He attributed it mostly to the fact that it was so dark out and decided that it was probably best if he just found a nice dry place to sit and wait for daylight.
He turned down the next alley he came to and found a semi-dry spot to sit. To his amazement the air was quite a bit chillier in the alley and a putrid smell was emitting from the dark shadows where there was most likely a moldering pile of garbage. Draco's face screwed up in disgust and he realized that there was no way he was going to be able to stand the cold and the smell in that alley all night. He decided that he was just going to sit there for a few more minutes but immediately leapt to his feet with a cry as several rats came scurrying out of the shadows and in his direction.
"God I hate rats!" he said as he watched the nasty little creatures disappear into the holes in the walls and the empty crates.
"Hey! I think I heard something over this way!"
Draco froze as he heard the voice and stared in horror at the entrance of the alley. He heard heavy footsteps approaching and he realized that he'd have to act quickly. He reeled about and ducked into the shadows; hoping against hope that they wouldn't be able to see him. He looked over his shoulder and saw the outline of two figures standing at the mouth of the alley. They held their lit wands out in front of them and slowly began to enter the alley. Draco slowly and quietly crept further down the alley, hoping that he would reach the other side soon and be able to make a run for it.
"Are you sure that you heard something?" one of the men asked gruffly.
"Yes."
"I'll bet it was just some rats or a cat."
"No, I distinctly heard someone speak."
"Well, all I can say is that we had better find that Death Eater boy soon because I am wet, chilly, and very tired."
Now Draco knew for sure; these guys worked for the Ministry, they were out to find him and they were very close. He crept sideways, keeping an eye on the two lights, and didn't realize that a pile of crates lay stacked behind him. He bumped into them causing the entire pile to go crashing on the street. For a moment his heart stopped and he remained frozen to the spot, unable to move.
"That's got to be him!" one of the aurors yelled as they both shined their wands in Draco's direction.
Draco turned and bolted down the alley. He could hear the aurors behind him, yelling as they ran, and it seemed that they were getting closer. He ran as fast as he could but it was so dark in the alley that he couldn't really see where he was going and kept tripping on crates, bags of garbage, and "Was that a body?!"
"Hey! Watch it!" came an indignant cry from the ground.
"Yep, it was."
Draco saw an opening to another side alley and turned down it. This one was quite a bit narrower and crooked. The side alley led into another alley and then into yet another. As he quickly rounded a corner he collided with something very tall and very solid.
The man gave a surprised yell, but was very quick to make a grab for Draco, however, he was not quick enough. His fingers closed around Draco's sleeve, but it wasn't enough to hold him. Draco managed to wrench his arm free and fled, but he wasn't quick enough to avoid the auror's wand. In and instant he was knocked to the ground and before he could react he felt a pair of large hands grabbing his arms and hauling him up.
"Got you!"
Three more aurors trotted up to where the captured Draco stood glaring up at the man who kept a steely, almost crushing, hold on his shoulder. Draco didn't even struggle as he knew that it would be utterly useless. Even if he was able to break the death grip that the auror had on him he would never be able to outrun the range of the aurors' wands. It was over; he was caught.
"Finally." One auror said as they approached.
"What are we to do with him now?" Another asked. "Do we take him to the Ministry?"
"No," replied the auror who held Draco, "the Minister wants us to take the boy back to Michael's house. They'll deal with him there. Come on, you." The auror proceeded to take Draco's upper arm and pull him roughly down the alley. "And don't you dare try anything because I won't hesitate to hex you." As if to emphasize his point, the auror waved his wand menacingly in Draco's face. Draco said nothing but merely glared back as he struggled to keep up with the man's long stride.