CHAPTER SIX: THE LEAKY CAULDRON

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does... etc., etc. No money is being made from this fan fiction. I only own the plot (and maybe not, if someone somewhere around the world had thought of the same plot before me).

A/N: Okay. No one has reviewed yet. If no one reviews this chapter, I will discontinue it! Just kidding. I cannot help myself. But please please please review this chapter!! It's okay if it's negative... just please review it so I can make it better, or keep it up! I know I'm a very sad case... :( But I'm happy making fan fiction! But I'm sure that my next fan fiction (angst/tragedy) will be much better! I promise. Please check it out. It'll be out after I finish this piece of fan fiction.

Dedications: Still no reviews! So I guess I'm very very lonely...!

By the time Draco finished his story, --which was finished in the space of about three minutes--his eyes were glistening. But he held back the tears. No way would he cave in front of his enemy—although Harry did not seem to be an enemy anymore since he was actually showing signs of kindness.

"So... he just... left you there?" Harry asked.

"Well it's not like he was wrong, was it?" Draco said nastily, glaring at his hands.

"He was." Harry said. "You're his son, too."

"I still left her to die did--" Draco was cut off by the sound of approaching footsteps and panting noises behind him.

The two turned around and caught sight of Ron coming toward them, limping slightly under the weight of the three brooms.

"There you go, princes!" Ron said, annoyed that he was made the fetch dog. He dropped Harry's and Draco's brooms on the ground, leaning on his own for support.

"Go on, Ron." Harry said, picking up his own broom. "We'll follow you out. Lead the way."

Ron stared at Harry reproachfully, but carried on in front of them.

"Don't you dare tell anyone about this, Potter." Draco told Harry as they followed Ron, broomsticks in hand.

"Why not?" Harry asked. "Is this why you've been such a git your whole life at Hogwarts?"

Draco said nothing about the latter question but answered Harry's first. "Because it's private, Potter."

"But it would explain a lot."

"A lot of what?"

"You know..." Harry looked for the right words. "Why you've been such a complete... asshole these six years."

Draco shot him a glare of pure venom but kept his mouth shut.

"That is the reason, right?" Harry asked.

Draco didn't respond to that. But Harry was positive that he saw Draco nod very slightly. He thought he also saw a tiny glimmer of a smile on his lips.

When the three of them reached the cobblestone walk, they mounted their brooms and took off for the Leaky Cauldron.

The night was late, it was about two in the morning already and all three were weary from all of the late night searching.

Good thing it was cloudy. The trio flew above the clouds most of the time, only going below to check on their progress. It was chilly, especially while accidentally flying through the clouds, and coming out damp and dripping slightly.

If they continued any longer, they might have to consume quite a few goblets of Pepper-Up Potion once they got to the inn.

"I think we should also save a room at the Leaky Cauldron once we get there and save Hermione." Harry told the two, who were flying behind him: Ron right behind, and Draco behind Ron. "It's been a long night, and we definitely need strength for the return journey. Or else we might fall off our brooms!"

Ron and Draco nodded.

The rest of the journey to the Leaky Cauldron was quiet. No one talked, and the only sound was the whipping of cloaks and the whispers of the wind.

In the silence, thoughts raced through Harry's mind about what he had just found out about Draco.

Harry had not known that Draco had had a sister. Although he suspected that it would be too tragic for him to discuss. Harry now saw Draco in a newer, brighter light. Was this why Draco was so bitter and malicious? And he blamed himself for his sister's death. How that must be haunting him...

But Lucius Malfoy was wrong. And still is. Why had he blamed Draco? Was it truly because he had more fondness for his daughter than his son?

Every so often Harry glanced behind him at Draco. He never seemed to change his position. He just stared down at his broom handle, a thoughtfully miserable look on his face. He never saw Harry look at him.

Finally, after about three hours in the air, the three spotted the Leaky Cauldron below them after their slow descent below the clouds.

Slowly and steadily they made their way earthward and landed solidly on the cobblestone street outside the Leaky Cauldron. They saw the sun rising on the horizon as they made their way inside.

Tom the bartender was still at his post behind the bar, wiping the last bits of crumbs and drops from it. Harry, Ron and Draco looked around and saw only two people: one who was sipping what looked like black coffee, and one who was drinking a Firewhisky and smoking a pipe. None, of course, looked like Hermione.

"Excuse me," Harry beckoned Ron and Draco to follow him to the bar. "Tom?"

Tom looked down at Harry and his eyes widened. "Mr. Potter! How good it is to see you! What brings you here at such an early time? And in the middle of the school year, I say?"

"We're..." Harry hesitated, thinking about what words he could use so that Tom could help them, but also not giving enough information just in case Tom was in on Hermione's kidnapping.

"We're looking for someone." Draco stepped in. "We believe she... uh... stayed here for the night. With some other man."

"She has brown hair." Ron added. "Brown and slightly curled."

"Ah..." Tom thought for a moment. "Yes. I believe I saw such a couple. But they only stayed here for about ten minutes to have a drink. The lady wasn't really talking, though. She was only making soft muffled noises."

Harry's shoulders sagged. They were gone. How could they find Hermione now and rescue her? He missed her badly, and was very worried about her.

"I guess we're gonna have to spend the night here." Harry told Ron and Draco. "A room... with three beds, please?" Harry told Tom.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Potter." Tom said, leading them up the stairs to room 23. The twenties and up seemed to house three beds, maybe even more. "That will be twenty seven galleons for one night."

The three looked in their pockets, looking for nine galleons each. Ron was one galleon short, but Harry only had exactly nine. Draco, though, had more than enough and paid for Ron's one missing galleon.

"Th-thanks..." Ron muttered meekly to Draco.

Draco just nodded, staring at the ground.

"Will you two lighten up?" Harry asked as they entered the spacious room.

Harry and Ron immediately crashed on the bed, exhausted. But Draco crept into the bathroom and shut the door, locking it.

He still could not believe what he had done. Harry was the only person out of his family who he'd told about what happened to him, and why he was protecting himself with a layer of pride and self-confidence. Harry Potter of all people! But if kind of felt good to get that off of his chest after seven years of inner torture.

Draco slid down onto the floor and dropped his head into his hands, pulling at his silver-yellow hair frustratedly. Why had he done that? Why did he confess, confide his innermost sorrow to his archenemy? Draco groaned softly and clung even more tightly to his hair.

Meanwhile, outside in the bedroom, Harry was dictating everything Draco had told him about his sister to Ron. He knew that it was wrong and blamed himself severely for his loose bearings on the information, but somehow knew that Ron would finally understand and come to accept Draco slightly. Maybe they'd even become friends, but that was not entirely sure.

As Harry's narration came to and end, a look of guilt washed over Ron's face. He swallowed and asked, "He had a sister?"

Harry nodded.

Inside the bathroom, Draco could hear nothing but his own breathing. He pulled back his head and thumped it against the door, angry with himself. He had shown too much emotion by telling Harry the story. Now Harry would think he was weak, lowly.

A knock came at the door. "You okay, Malfoy?" It was Ron.

When did you start caring? Draco thought, but answered "Yeah, yeah..." in a hoarse voice.

"Alright..."

After a few more minutes, Draco got out of the bathroom and saw that Harry and Ron were already asleep in their own beds. He lay in his bed for a while, contemplating. It wasn't so bad... telling Harry the truth. If felt sort of... good. Draco didn't know why, but he kind of felt like he, Harry and Ron were slowly becoming... friends? Maybe. Who knew?

A/N: How'd you like that? I think it was the longest chapter... maybe, I don't know... the words just "flowed" out of me! Please read and review! Is my writing getting better? There will be no more talk of sex, or making out or anything of that kind. But there will still be cursing, bad words, and insulting, don't worry. Rated R is not going down the tubes.