Never Be Afraid

Chapter Two

Rubbing my eyes, I sat up. Scratching the back of my neck I squinted at my surroundings. Suddenly and without warning, a flood of emotion overcame me so intensely that my eyes closed in shock.

I shook my head and stood up. Either a good night's sleep really helps, or this old woman knew her magic. I was guessing it was the latter. Not even a good night's sleep could set and completely heal a

fractured arm. The old woman was sitting in a kitchen chair, sipping some herbal tea with a very overpowering scent. I began to fold the blanket I had used, starting to feel somewhat of an invalid and slowed my folding process.

"Ah, You're up." She said glancing up from her tea. I gave her a short nod in reply. "You know. I think you're looking a lot better today." She said with a knowing smile. "With thanks to you, of course." I said, "Thank You." "Ah It's nothing no one else wouldn't have done." She said waving a deeply lined hand, her peach nail polish glimmering in the light. Light was pouring in through the old windows, curtains drawn. In such bright daylight, her little cabin looked magnificently cheery.

"Do you need to contact someone?" She said suddenly. "I'm not meaning to be rid of you. Not by any means! I'm in no hurry to empty my house- my granddaughter will be

stopping by, I just thought you may need to contact someone?" She asked. "I do, if it's not too much trouble." I replied coming around the side of the sofa awkwardly to meet her in the kitchen. Rolling her eyes she stood up. "Are you this polite at home, boy?" She asked rhetorically with a sly smile. "By the way, We didn't get very far in the way of introductions last night. My name is Loretta Brown." She thrust her hand at me in a somewhat business-like nature. I shook her hand while saying my own name. Loretta nodded and opened a drawer, fumbling around until she came across a quill, parchment, and an inkwell. She set the items down on the table. "Go on and write. I'll fetch Ashes."

"Professor Dumbledore-

I'm not quite sure how to word this. I'm currently...Out of my home. I don't know for how long...and well, you're the only one that I could think of to help me.

I'm currently at a witch by the name of Loretta Brown's house. I'm not sure what to do. If you could owl me back, please, I'd really appreciate it.

Draco Malfoy"

With a small shudder, I rolled up the parchment. If father knew that I had written to Dumbledore... "Here we go!" Loretta re-entered the room with a shiny, inky black owl on her arm, flapping it's wings erratically. With a laugh, she took my parchment and attached it to the owl's leg and was about to draw her arm back to launch it, when it launched itself out the window in a black blur. She shook her head. "Ashes is yet a baby. I must remember that."

"Anyway. What's your story, kid?" Loretta eased herself slowly with a sigh into her chair. I leaned against the counter. "I have no story." I said simply. "Sure you do. Every bloke's got a story. From the queen of England to the lowliest bum on the street. I know you've got to be somewhere in between." Loretta grinned at her own joke. I opened my mouth to continue, when a girl rushed in the door at top speed barely muttering "Hey Gram.".

Immediately, she made her way to a cabinet and triumphantly extracted a bag of Doritos, staring straight ahead. With a small grunt of achievement, her eyes darted around as she stood and closed the cabinet with her foot. She tugged the bag open, plunged her hand in and extracted a chip. Smiling, she bit off a triangle. "So what's up, Gram?" She asked, eyes still darting around the room in an unorganized fashion. "Draco. I'd like you to meet my granddaughter Jacqueline." Loretta announced clearly amused. "Wha?" The Dorito paused mid-flight to her mouth. "Gram..." Jacqueline said slowly. "Why didn't you tell me that there was someone here?"

"Well, you didn't seem to really mind." Loretta replied cooly. "There was no way I could have known!" Jacqueline whimpered. "You know that, Gram!". "Guess it just slipped my mind, watching the whirlwind of a show and all..."

"Gram! Usually I don't have to mind my manners..." Jacqueline said, this time directed at Draco. "Where are you, Was it Draco?" She asked. "Yes, I'm Draco." I said moving forward and shaking her hand. "I'm Jack." She said with a pointed glare at her grandmother. "I'm sorry. I'm not usually so...barbaric." She smiled, clearly embarrassed. "It's fine..." I assured her. "So, what brings you to my Gram's house. It's not usually the hang out of choice for most." Jack was not forgiving her grandmother this easily. "Um...Well..." I fumbled. How do you explain something like that?

"He's the son of a close friend of mine." Loretta said. "Isn't that right, Draco?" "Uh...Yeah." I said squinting at her. "I thought you two might get on well. So I invited him over." She continued with an encouraging nod. Skeptically, Jack narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?" I nodded furtively, and then realized that she couldn't see that. "Yes." I vocalized. Jack cocked the bag of Doritos at me in a peace offering. I selected one and thanked her. "Ugh. I feel so embarrassed." Jack made a face.

I was about to assure her again that it wasn't that big of a deal when Ashes flew back through the window. His wings flapped so rapidly that Jack was holding her black hair down so as to not be ruffled. "That bird..." Loretta muttered as she held out her arm as a perch. He landed less than gracefully, and she removed the parchment as he dug into her shirt pocket for a treat. "Oh please, help yourself." Thrusting the parchment at me with one hand, she fended him off her pocket with the other.