IT'S PART 2! WILL WE FIND OUT WHY MALFOY HAS LEFT HOME??!

last line of prev part: malfoy paused. "I have a room in my flat. If you can help me pay the rent," he said.

PART 2-

Harry blinked. Was this a trick? it had to be. your arch-enemy doesn't just had out accommodation to you like that. he gripped his wand tightly. Malfoy's eyes flickered to it but he remained still. "what makes you think I would trust anything you have to offer, Malfoy. i can't even trust this flap-cab with you in the driving seat. do i look thick to you or something? I'm not about to just hand myself over to the mercy of you, your father, or any other of Voldemort's loyal little gang. so why don't you just cut the act and piss off now?"

Malfoy glared at him, almost luminous with rage, his mouth drawn into a thin, painful little line. his cheekbones stood out harshly against his naturally slim face. 'he looks a bit gaunt, actually,' Harry thought suddenly. and come to think of it, sure Malfoy was thin, but didn't he usually have a bit more bulk than this streetlight was letting on? Malfoy opened his mouth and abruptly started to speak. his voice was soft and dangerous, and it was clear that every fibre of his body was literally radiating with anger: "yes, that's right potter. think what you like, everyone else does. I'm going to grow up to be lord Voldemort's little lap dog just like my dear old dad, and when i get married, i think I'll have a son. i think I'll beat him into submission until he does exactly what he's told, and then punctuate these scenes with the ironic grossly charming scenes of affection in public. and then, when my master calls, because i could never ever think for my own bloody self, I would take my son, before he was even of age, and I would try to force the ugly, permanent stain of the Mark onto his arm."

Malfoy paused. Harry considered him, and lowered his wand a fraction of an inch. "roll up your left sleeve."

And Malfoy did.

It was unfinished, this Dark Mark. Harry had seen it whole on the arm of professor Snape, so he knew what it was meant to be. this one was just the head of the snake. but it was not neatly burned into the skin so as the be smooth and precise. this half-'mark' was raw and angry looking, like a large and intricate wound from a compass applied the worst way imaginable to the skin. and with such deathly pale skin as Draco Malfoy, it was impossible to miss.

Harry lowered his wand. "where is this flat?"

Malfoy levitated Harry's gear onto the 'flappers' with a wave of his hand and was instantly back to being business-like, as if by blocking the past ten minutes' events, he could pretend they had never happened. "in London of course. it's easier to hide in a big city. it's in the muggle part, of course, father always hated to go there, and i had Dumbledore make the flat itself unplottable, obviously. he's the secret-keeper. of sorts. i can tell people i want to tell where it is, but no one can force me, not even with veritaserum."

"Cool!" said, Harry, rather stupidly. he swallowed. "the idea, I mean. I didn't know it could work like that."

"Whatever." Malfoy raised an eyebrow at him expectantly, and Harry mounted the broom.

The flat was quite large, but Malfoy obviously didn't think so. Harry wasn't surprised he found trouble fixing the rent; this rather swanky flat (tho evidently nowhere near the standard a Malfoy was used to) was situated just off Old Bond St. As Malfoy had said, there were 2 bedrooms. Harry's was about the same size as the room he'd had with the Dursley's, with an unmade double bed, a tall empty wardrobe, and a writing desk which was currently supporting the weight of a large cage, the home of Malfoy's eagle owl, Archimedes. There was a small bathroom with a shower, loo and basin, and an impossibly tiny kitchen which considering it was being rented by a guy was surprisingly spotless. the area in the middle of these doors was serving as a sitting room-type area, with a long brown corduroy sofa, and a similar armchair. there was no carpet, only a small TV with a bent aerial. obviously, he didn't know what Malfoy's room was like, but Harry had a feeling it was probably bigger than his. They stood extremely awkwardly in the sitting room area. Harry was lugging his trunk and broom, Malfoy had Hedwig's cage tucked under one arm. he was thankful that it was empty.

"no magic here, of course, I'm not 17 til next November 13th," said Malfoy, oddly apologetic, "but you lived with muggles anyway."

"right," said Harry, heaving his stuff into his new room and trying not to comment when Malfoy removed his own owl's cage and replaced it with Hedwig's. there was another uneasy silence. perhaps malice had been better than this unexpected truce that they found themselves in, both acutely aware that they were both homeless and at each other's mercy. Malfoy because he was desperately lacking the finances to remain under this roof, and Harry because if Malfoy kicked him out he would be alone once more. both of them, being searched for by Lord Voldemort and his Death eaters.

"so... how much is the rent?"

"£250 a week. housekeeping included though."

"bloody hell, that's steep." Harry had never imagined that owning your own place would set you back quite so much.

"£125 each now though."

"Yeah."

"So. ....I'd better go then. my shift's not meant to end until 7am. see you in the morning Potter."

"Right."

"Oh, and Potter?" Malfoy paused as he opened the front door. "If any muggle girls call by in the night, you know, before I'm back, let them in will you? brunettes. tall. I know them, so.. catch you later." and with that, Malfoy had left the building, folks.

TO BE CONTINUED...OOH BRUNETTE MUGGLE GIRLS EH? DRACO'S SUCH A LADIES' MAN, LOL!