Title: A Waltz of Days Past
Author: Silver Sun Chime (silversunchime@yahoo.com)
Disclaimer: After three chapters of saying the same thing, you have to be pretty stupid to not know by now.
Rating: PG-13
Category(s): Romance, Angst
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione (Others will be mentioned throughout the story)
Warnings: Homosexual relationships, strong language, mentions of rape, and sensuality
Summary: Four years after the fall of Voldemort, Harry Potter seemingly is living the perfect life. He is to be wed to his long-time crush Cho Chang, and has a large amount of Quidditch contracts in his possession. But when formal archenemy Draco Malfoy shows up at his doorstep battered and bruised, Harry realizes how empty his life is, and how it could improve.
Notes: Hello, I'm practically dead, but I gotta get this chapter out! I've had major writers block because for some reason chapters on Draco are harder to write then Harry. And I've been uber busy with school cuz it's hard and I don't pay attention like I should! So… yeah… It's been another super long wait… but here it is!
Thank You's: * - Oh my GOD! I cannot believe I wrote that! That was totally retarded of me! Thank you for pointing that out. I am very grateful. I don't wanna sound like someone who can't get their facts straight… so thank you! Hi – Thanks! Didn't really get the chapter out soon…Magic-Elf– Oops… sorry, I did. I promise the next chapter will come out sooner. Insane Person : S – Ah! You love it? Thank you! The whole pinning was totally spur of the moment! I needed to fit in Harry's feelings for Draco somewhere in the chapter. Gotta make it clear that he's not completely out of Harry's heart. Rowenna – Yeah, Cho and Harry don't have any real dynamic in the story, but there are explanations. The first one I cannot say right now, and the other one is that I don't like thinking about Cho and Harry together… but it's part of the story. Fuzzytuss - Thanks, hope you didn't mind the wait. Ooh and thanks a bunch for putting me on your favorites list! It means a lot to me!
Chapter Four: Hard Knock Life
The hotel room was a dreary hellhole. At least in Draco's opinion. It just happened to be the cheapest accommodation in the entire building, the wooden floor creaked with every elegant step he took, the bed sunk considerably close to the ground, and the piping leaked at every given opportunity. But, alas, the mediocre room was all the once wealthy Malfoy could afford.
Draco had been released from the hospital a month prior. He and his physical therapist, Doctor Hart, had become friends during Draco's grueling sessions. He offered the former Slytherin the opportunity to lodge momentarily at his rather colossal apartment (Doctor Hart's wife was a successful lawyer). Draco enjoyed his short residence with the married couple, however, he yearned to find Harry Potter, and wasting your days in another individual's home is no way to go about it.
He left the apartment, after attaining decent amounts of money through, what Draco thought a degrading job. He spent nearly a month saving enough Euro to escape the comfort of the living quarters, to begin his search for his old flame, working shifts as a waiter. Draco hated it, striking conversations with rude masses, living by pathetic, selfish tips left by the customers, the title of waiter meant nothing more then endless frustration. And thus, a monumental revelry occurred as he stepped back into the world of the wizard.
Diagon Alley was the first location the enthusiastic Draco visited. The hustle and bustle of the streets sent waves of utter happiness down his spine. After withdrawing a large amount of galleons from Gringots, he marveled at the most advanced models of brooms, grinned ear to ear at the local potion shop, and stopped by at Ollivanders, to acquire a replacement wand. As Draco's aristocratic features presented themselves to the old wizard, he had never seen such shock in his life. A look of horror contorted old Ollivander's face, a burst of sudden questions leaked through his eyes, shining brightly.
"My, my! Young Malfoy? I-I never thought I'd see the day! My god! You're no ghost, are you? But you must be! That Harry Potter boy proclaimed he saw you die! Just vanish from sight, for four years! But then, you don't appear as any ghost I've seen before!" The man's mouth gushed a blur of words and questions, all messily escaping his lips. Draco sighed; hoping no explanations would be needed.
"Can you just, be quiet?" Draco snapped, a headache forming due to the progressing stream of inquiries. Mr. Ollivander closed his mouth at once, his eyes wide, startled from the loud demand. "I'm not a damn ghost! I've been gone for four years, not dead, but now I'm back! Just forget about the period of my absence! It doesn't matter! Just rejoice or whatever about my being here! I simply came here for a new, nice wand, but no, you have to shove all of these questions down my damn throat!"
At that point Mr. Ollivander expressed a taken aback quality. He had simply been curious; it's not every day a supposed dead-man just waltzes into your store.
"I apologize, Mr. Malfoy, it was not my place. You must be immensely exhausted." The interrogation had ceased, though the scrutiny carried on through the man's tired, aged eyes. Draco warily nodded. For a brief second, their eyes locked, and Mr. Ollivander's eyes seemed to ask, Why were you gone? Why did you suddenly come back, after such a long time? The blond answered with a glare. With a shift of the head, the wand maker reverted his eyes.
"Now, you said you came looking for a replacement wand? Do you… by any chance remember what magical elements your wand was constructed of?" The old man said this at a rapid pace, only quickly glanced at Draco, not wanting to stir another outburst from the young man.
*****
After experimenting with several wands, most of which created quite a mess at the shop; Draco sauntered out of the shop with a new wand, more elite and of better quality then the one previously owned. Traveling from shop to shop, Draco purchased new robes, and briefly amused the idea of buying a moving figurine of Harry Potter battling Voldemort, in an immature, completely false nature.
Though there were the occasional gawks, it seems no one but the old coot Ollivander even recalled a Draco Malfoy. His pride was hurt and his feelings were hurt. Although it would have annoyed the hell out of him, he had hoped at least a meager amount of people would shockingly point to him, gasping out, "It's him! It's Draco Malfoy! The boy who disappeared!" However, no one did. Laughing bitterly, Draco assumed the general public brushed him off as the boy who cheated on Harry Potter and then died.
"What a wonderful way to be remembered. I feel so loved." Draco muttered, a sarcastic tone blaring from his voice. Should've just stayed in the muggle world. Would've had enough money to support myself, anyway." And with that upsetting, final consideration, he strode away from Diagon Alley, the likeliness of him returning slim.
And thus, Draco Malfoy, former muggle hater, rented out a small, drab hotel room, complete with torn wallpaper, and a broken TV and miniature refrigerator. He didn't enjoy it, but until he was capable of affording something better, he was stuck in quite possibly the worst living conditions he had ever lived through.
"All for you Harry, cheers." Draco said, dryly. He drained the shot of vodka within seconds, sarcastically celebrating his new home. Things would get better, or at least he prayed improvements would soon arrive. For one who once lived in such luxurious, enormous surroundings, as a mansion, cherishing a dump was quite a difficult task. " Yes, things'll get better or I'm drowning myself in a toilet…"
*******
Things were moving slowly for Draco. Nothing progressed; not a single occurrence of hope took place. A constant debate waged in his mind, to stay here, or live with wizards. He was miserable, but he did have friends here. In the wizarding world, no one would care about him. In their eyes Draco Malfoy would be a stupid, silly little boy whose lost his way.
At nights, when not working, Draco would drown his sorrows with any alcohol he could get his hands on. He wasn't addicted to the drink yet, just enjoyed the comforting buzz it occasionally produced. Most of the time, Draco drunken state would become a depressed wreck. At bars, he would simply cry, weeping about the unfair qualities life had bestowed upon him to the bartenders.
On one such particular night, Draco met a friendly man named Derek. A very handsome man, he had stunning baby blue eyes and a muscular physique quite obvious through his clubbing outfit. He was kind, and listened to every word Draco managed to gasp between sobs.
"A-and… I'm so lonely! I don't want it to be this way anymore!" He cried. Derek patted Draco's back as he quietly began hiccuping.
"Poor lost boy…" Derek whispered, his strange raspy voice barely reaching the blonde's ears. "Draco, why carry on? Why not end it all?" Draco promptly looked up, sobering slightly.
"W-what? You mean as in kill myself?" Draco paused as his companion nodded. "I can't. I mean, I've thought of it. But I would never act upon those terrible thoughts." Derek sighed, and called to the nearest bartender.
"Hey, get this man another beer! God knows he needs it." Draco silently thanked Derek, chugging the glass, and his sober mind ebbed away once more. His thought went a blur, a feeling of practically loosing control of his body consuming him. The last thing he remembered was Derek's voice echoing, "So, baby, wanna do something fun?"
A/N: Well, I actually finished this chapter! Was that a good cliff hanger? I hope so. I swear to god I'll update the next part quicker. My writer's block sort of just went away. Just wanna say that I'm really unhappy with chapter 2, so that's going to change. I think the whole at the hospital part is very weak, and not very well written. Anyway, REVIEW, please! I'll cry if you don't! Please? You'll get cookies… and, um, you'll get to own either Draco or Harry! Your choice! Yay! So… um… review!