"He's lying!" Ron said fervently over his shoulder as Sirius ushered both
him and Malfoy into the house. "Harry! Watch out, he's here to kill you!"
Malfoy just silently walked where Sirius led him, for once in his life keeping his mouth shut. His jaw was clenched, and he gave Ron murderous sideways glances. Harry followed behind them all at a distance, confounded that either of them could have found where he was.
He suddenly felt very unsafe and caught himself up with his godfather, his best friend, and his worst enemy, and closed the front door behind them. The moon was setting, and the sky was getting lighter with the dawn.
Sirius sat them down at the kitchen table.
"God, you're Sirius Black!" Malfoy suddenly exclaimed. Sirius silenced him with a threatening glare.
"Ron," Sirius said, turning away from Malfoy, "explain yourself right now."
Ron gulped at Sirius' expression of accusation towards him, but began his story.
"I was at my hotel room two nights ago, and, well, I was scared for Harry because of everything that had happened that day, so I decided to try to find him... I mean, if I could find him, surely a bad bunch of wizards could find him too, and I'd be able to warn him! So I went to Tom, and he said you went to your girlfriend's house, which I thought must be Hermione, but realized you probably wouldn't have told him where you were staying." Ron was still out of breath but was explaining himself very quickly. "So I was trying to think of where Sirius could go to be safe.... since only a few people are his friends."
Malfoy swallowed, and looked Sirius up and down, as if reaffirming that it was who he thought it was.
"So I took the Knight Bus to Hogsmeade," Ron continued, "and checked the cave, and you weren't there, And then I went to Fin Alley to make sure you hadn't gone back there. Then I thought about Lupin, and knew you trusted each other. I found out where he lived, and I showed up a few hours ago. I didn't know Harry was here, and didn't want to knock since it was so late, so I thought I'd wait until morning... and then this git just showed up," he said looking at Malfoy, "and I knew you were here, Harry."
"Now you," Sirius said to Malfoy. "How did you get here?"
"I saw you leave two nights ago," Malfoy drawled, "on your broomsticks, so I decided to follow you. I wanted to see what Potter and Granger were up to with a strange man. You flew low, so I kept high above you on my broomstick. I lost you when I flew into a cloud. It was right around that muggle town, so that day I walked around the main street, looking for some clues. Then, I saw Lupin and followed him home. The dog he was walking turned into you," he looked at Sirius. "And you started talking about Potter, and I knew I'd found him. I stuck around the house all night, and then Weasley was sneaking around the back garden..."
"But why were you even following us in the first place?" Sirius asked.
Malfoy didn't say anything.
"There!" Ron said. "See, he won't tell you. That's because he's going to kill Harry!"
Harry had to admit, Ron's story made much more sense. Of course his friend was trying to find him; why would Malfoy follow them?
Sirius seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Harry.
"Well, guess what, Draco Malfoy," Sirius said. "You get to stay here with us, where we can keep an eye on you." Malfoy looked as if he'd rather have a root canal.
"Can I stay too?" Ron asked.
"Of course," Harry answered. "Come on," and he beckoned for Ron to follow him up the stairs. Hermione was waiting at the top in her nightgown.
"Ron Weasley!" she scolded. "How dare you follow us here!"
"It's a good thing he did," Harry said, walking to their room. "Malfoy's downstairs."
"I know, I heard everything," Hermione said, following Ron and Harry. "But still! What if someone followed Ron?"
"Nobody followed me," Ron sighed. "I took a Knight Bus... nothing can follow that!"
"Still," Hermione pouted, determined not to be wrong.
"Still, Malfoy found you anyway," Ron retorted.
When they were done bickering, Harry suggested that they go down to breakfast. It wasn't as good as the morning before; Harry and Hermione knew why. While they poked at their cereal, Lupin emerged from the basement, looking dreadful. Malfoy, at the other end of the table, ate silently, and tried to ignore his former professor's curious stares. Harry noticed that Malfoy was much more civil without his goonies there to help him. Sirius took Lupin into the next room and, Harry suspected, explained everything that had happened the night before.
That week was awful. Lupin looked terrible, and spent most of the time in his room. Sirius was in charge of cooking, which left Harry, Hermione, Ron and Malfoy to fill the time. Sirius kept Malfoy's wand with his own so that he wasn't a threat to Harry. If he tried anything, Hermione and Ron would be right there to alert Sirius, so Harry didn't feel like he was in danger.
Sirius told them not to leave Malfoy alone, which made that week no fun at all. Malfoy kept his mouth shut for the most part, being outnumbered and without a wand, but would never pass up an opportunity to insult Ron or Hermione under his breath.
Ron, especially, hated this new arrangement, and was constantly trying to talk to Harry alone to get away from Malfoy, but Hermione would complain and they would bicker and Malfoy would tell them to shut up, and Harry would silently agree. Night time was the only time the trio had each other to themselves. Malfoy slept in Sirius' room, while Ron slept on an inflated mattress in Harry's and Hermione's room. Ron tried to get Hermione to switch places with him, and Hermione scolded him about manners, so Harry switched with him for one night.
A week after they arrived, Harry received a letter by owl during lunch. Harry was about to open it when Sirius snatched it from his hands.
"It's from Hogwarts," Harry said hastily, "it's okay."
To his relief, Sirius gave it back without opening it. Harry stuffed it in his pocket, and a few minutes later said he had to use the restroom. He put the lid down and sat on top to read his letter.
As he expected it was from Dumbledore, but the message wasn't an encouraging one.
Harry, It is important, now more than ever, that you return to the Dursley home immediately. I know you feel safe with your friends, but the safest place is at your muggle family's house. I will not force you, of course, the choice is yours. I hope you will make the correct one. Albus Dumbledore
Harry reread the letter, and thought for a long moment before ripping it in half, and then in half again. He was about to throw the pieces away, but put them in his pocket instead, to make sure nobody found it. He wasn't going back to the Dursley's, and he especially didn't want Hermione to know that Dumbledore wanted him there.
Hermione and Ron had to wait until that night to ask what the letter was about. Malfoy had been around them all day so they didn't have a chance.
"It was nothing, just a note from Dumbledore," Harry explained.
Hermione looked worried. "What did it say? Are you in danger?"
"No," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "He just told me to be safe."
"And that's it?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Just be safe?"
"Why didn't you let us see it, mate?" Ron yawned, climbing into bed.
"I couldn't let Malfoy see it," Harry said, putting his hand in his pocket to make sure all the pieces were still there.
The next morning an owl arrived with four letters from Hogwarts. The book list was nonexistent; instead, there was a small note explaining how library books would be duplicated and passed around to each student, due to the money shortage.
With only four days left until they could ditch Malfoy at King's Cross Station, Harry, Hermione and Ron were slightly happier than usual. Hermione, Ron and Malfoy each had to get their belongings, so Lupin took them on the Knight Bus to each of their houses. Harry was left alone with Sirius.
"Why do you think Malfoy came?" Harry asked his godfather over lunch. "Do you really think he would have killed me?"
Sirius looked like he'd rather not talk about this. "Well..."
"Because we, Ron and I, I mean, we were in Diagon Alley that first day, and right before we went to the scaffolding, we met Malfoy."
Sirius was very interested in this. "How far before the scaffolding?"
Harry waved his hand, "That doesn't matter. The thing is, he told me he wouldn't even have to kill me... that somebody would do it for him."
"He could have been trying to trick you," Sirius said. "If he thought you weren't looking out for him, then it would be perfect."
Harry took a bite of his sandwich. It just didn't make sense.
"If you're doubting Malfoy's motives, you know that means that Ron..."
"Ron isn't lying!" Harry said suddenly. "But Malfoy isn't acting normally at all. I thought it was because his friends weren't here with him, but maybe he was really just curious and really thought that Ron was sneaking around that night."
"Maybe both of them are innocent," Sirius suggested.
That night, Harry lay awake while Hermione slept next to him, and Ron's light snores came from somewhere near the floor. Harry couldn't sleep at all, so he gingerly got up from the bed, and silently left the room. He went down to the kitchen to get a drink of water, and was surprised to find Malfoy sitting at the table with his own glass.
"What are you doing down here?" Harry asked incredulously.
"I can't stand being around you all day and then Black all night," Malfoy scoffed. Harry got himself a drink and sat down.
"Aren't you afraid to be with me alone?" Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"No."
"Well then why can't you just tell them to let me go home? I'm sick of this place! I never should have followed you." He looked honestly fed up with Lupin's house and the company there.
"Why did you follow us?" Harry asked.
"Why do you stick your nose in everyone's business?" Malfoy retorted. When Harry didn't answer, Malfoy said, "Because you're curious... that's all I was."
"You were just curious, then?" Harry asked.
Malfoy hesitated. "Yeah."
"I don't believe you." Harry said. "I want to know what would make you so interested in me and Hermione all of a sudden?"
"What do you want me to say?" Malfoy hissed. "That I wanted to kill you? That I was going to murder you in your sleep? Believe me, I'm not the one who's going to be doing that at this rate."
"What do you mean?"
"Why would I kill you a week before my 16th birthday?" Malfoy said, his eyes narrowed at Harry. "I wouldn't get anything! If you really want the truth, I'll tell you! I followed you so that you wouldn't get killed before my birthday. I came to..." Malfoy dropped his gaze, "to protect you..." he chuckled slightly, "and I never thought it'd have to be from the Weasel."
Malfoy just silently walked where Sirius led him, for once in his life keeping his mouth shut. His jaw was clenched, and he gave Ron murderous sideways glances. Harry followed behind them all at a distance, confounded that either of them could have found where he was.
He suddenly felt very unsafe and caught himself up with his godfather, his best friend, and his worst enemy, and closed the front door behind them. The moon was setting, and the sky was getting lighter with the dawn.
Sirius sat them down at the kitchen table.
"God, you're Sirius Black!" Malfoy suddenly exclaimed. Sirius silenced him with a threatening glare.
"Ron," Sirius said, turning away from Malfoy, "explain yourself right now."
Ron gulped at Sirius' expression of accusation towards him, but began his story.
"I was at my hotel room two nights ago, and, well, I was scared for Harry because of everything that had happened that day, so I decided to try to find him... I mean, if I could find him, surely a bad bunch of wizards could find him too, and I'd be able to warn him! So I went to Tom, and he said you went to your girlfriend's house, which I thought must be Hermione, but realized you probably wouldn't have told him where you were staying." Ron was still out of breath but was explaining himself very quickly. "So I was trying to think of where Sirius could go to be safe.... since only a few people are his friends."
Malfoy swallowed, and looked Sirius up and down, as if reaffirming that it was who he thought it was.
"So I took the Knight Bus to Hogsmeade," Ron continued, "and checked the cave, and you weren't there, And then I went to Fin Alley to make sure you hadn't gone back there. Then I thought about Lupin, and knew you trusted each other. I found out where he lived, and I showed up a few hours ago. I didn't know Harry was here, and didn't want to knock since it was so late, so I thought I'd wait until morning... and then this git just showed up," he said looking at Malfoy, "and I knew you were here, Harry."
"Now you," Sirius said to Malfoy. "How did you get here?"
"I saw you leave two nights ago," Malfoy drawled, "on your broomsticks, so I decided to follow you. I wanted to see what Potter and Granger were up to with a strange man. You flew low, so I kept high above you on my broomstick. I lost you when I flew into a cloud. It was right around that muggle town, so that day I walked around the main street, looking for some clues. Then, I saw Lupin and followed him home. The dog he was walking turned into you," he looked at Sirius. "And you started talking about Potter, and I knew I'd found him. I stuck around the house all night, and then Weasley was sneaking around the back garden..."
"But why were you even following us in the first place?" Sirius asked.
Malfoy didn't say anything.
"There!" Ron said. "See, he won't tell you. That's because he's going to kill Harry!"
Harry had to admit, Ron's story made much more sense. Of course his friend was trying to find him; why would Malfoy follow them?
Sirius seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Harry.
"Well, guess what, Draco Malfoy," Sirius said. "You get to stay here with us, where we can keep an eye on you." Malfoy looked as if he'd rather have a root canal.
"Can I stay too?" Ron asked.
"Of course," Harry answered. "Come on," and he beckoned for Ron to follow him up the stairs. Hermione was waiting at the top in her nightgown.
"Ron Weasley!" she scolded. "How dare you follow us here!"
"It's a good thing he did," Harry said, walking to their room. "Malfoy's downstairs."
"I know, I heard everything," Hermione said, following Ron and Harry. "But still! What if someone followed Ron?"
"Nobody followed me," Ron sighed. "I took a Knight Bus... nothing can follow that!"
"Still," Hermione pouted, determined not to be wrong.
"Still, Malfoy found you anyway," Ron retorted.
When they were done bickering, Harry suggested that they go down to breakfast. It wasn't as good as the morning before; Harry and Hermione knew why. While they poked at their cereal, Lupin emerged from the basement, looking dreadful. Malfoy, at the other end of the table, ate silently, and tried to ignore his former professor's curious stares. Harry noticed that Malfoy was much more civil without his goonies there to help him. Sirius took Lupin into the next room and, Harry suspected, explained everything that had happened the night before.
That week was awful. Lupin looked terrible, and spent most of the time in his room. Sirius was in charge of cooking, which left Harry, Hermione, Ron and Malfoy to fill the time. Sirius kept Malfoy's wand with his own so that he wasn't a threat to Harry. If he tried anything, Hermione and Ron would be right there to alert Sirius, so Harry didn't feel like he was in danger.
Sirius told them not to leave Malfoy alone, which made that week no fun at all. Malfoy kept his mouth shut for the most part, being outnumbered and without a wand, but would never pass up an opportunity to insult Ron or Hermione under his breath.
Ron, especially, hated this new arrangement, and was constantly trying to talk to Harry alone to get away from Malfoy, but Hermione would complain and they would bicker and Malfoy would tell them to shut up, and Harry would silently agree. Night time was the only time the trio had each other to themselves. Malfoy slept in Sirius' room, while Ron slept on an inflated mattress in Harry's and Hermione's room. Ron tried to get Hermione to switch places with him, and Hermione scolded him about manners, so Harry switched with him for one night.
A week after they arrived, Harry received a letter by owl during lunch. Harry was about to open it when Sirius snatched it from his hands.
"It's from Hogwarts," Harry said hastily, "it's okay."
To his relief, Sirius gave it back without opening it. Harry stuffed it in his pocket, and a few minutes later said he had to use the restroom. He put the lid down and sat on top to read his letter.
As he expected it was from Dumbledore, but the message wasn't an encouraging one.
Harry, It is important, now more than ever, that you return to the Dursley home immediately. I know you feel safe with your friends, but the safest place is at your muggle family's house. I will not force you, of course, the choice is yours. I hope you will make the correct one. Albus Dumbledore
Harry reread the letter, and thought for a long moment before ripping it in half, and then in half again. He was about to throw the pieces away, but put them in his pocket instead, to make sure nobody found it. He wasn't going back to the Dursley's, and he especially didn't want Hermione to know that Dumbledore wanted him there.
Hermione and Ron had to wait until that night to ask what the letter was about. Malfoy had been around them all day so they didn't have a chance.
"It was nothing, just a note from Dumbledore," Harry explained.
Hermione looked worried. "What did it say? Are you in danger?"
"No," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "He just told me to be safe."
"And that's it?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Just be safe?"
"Why didn't you let us see it, mate?" Ron yawned, climbing into bed.
"I couldn't let Malfoy see it," Harry said, putting his hand in his pocket to make sure all the pieces were still there.
The next morning an owl arrived with four letters from Hogwarts. The book list was nonexistent; instead, there was a small note explaining how library books would be duplicated and passed around to each student, due to the money shortage.
With only four days left until they could ditch Malfoy at King's Cross Station, Harry, Hermione and Ron were slightly happier than usual. Hermione, Ron and Malfoy each had to get their belongings, so Lupin took them on the Knight Bus to each of their houses. Harry was left alone with Sirius.
"Why do you think Malfoy came?" Harry asked his godfather over lunch. "Do you really think he would have killed me?"
Sirius looked like he'd rather not talk about this. "Well..."
"Because we, Ron and I, I mean, we were in Diagon Alley that first day, and right before we went to the scaffolding, we met Malfoy."
Sirius was very interested in this. "How far before the scaffolding?"
Harry waved his hand, "That doesn't matter. The thing is, he told me he wouldn't even have to kill me... that somebody would do it for him."
"He could have been trying to trick you," Sirius said. "If he thought you weren't looking out for him, then it would be perfect."
Harry took a bite of his sandwich. It just didn't make sense.
"If you're doubting Malfoy's motives, you know that means that Ron..."
"Ron isn't lying!" Harry said suddenly. "But Malfoy isn't acting normally at all. I thought it was because his friends weren't here with him, but maybe he was really just curious and really thought that Ron was sneaking around that night."
"Maybe both of them are innocent," Sirius suggested.
That night, Harry lay awake while Hermione slept next to him, and Ron's light snores came from somewhere near the floor. Harry couldn't sleep at all, so he gingerly got up from the bed, and silently left the room. He went down to the kitchen to get a drink of water, and was surprised to find Malfoy sitting at the table with his own glass.
"What are you doing down here?" Harry asked incredulously.
"I can't stand being around you all day and then Black all night," Malfoy scoffed. Harry got himself a drink and sat down.
"Aren't you afraid to be with me alone?" Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"No."
"Well then why can't you just tell them to let me go home? I'm sick of this place! I never should have followed you." He looked honestly fed up with Lupin's house and the company there.
"Why did you follow us?" Harry asked.
"Why do you stick your nose in everyone's business?" Malfoy retorted. When Harry didn't answer, Malfoy said, "Because you're curious... that's all I was."
"You were just curious, then?" Harry asked.
Malfoy hesitated. "Yeah."
"I don't believe you." Harry said. "I want to know what would make you so interested in me and Hermione all of a sudden?"
"What do you want me to say?" Malfoy hissed. "That I wanted to kill you? That I was going to murder you in your sleep? Believe me, I'm not the one who's going to be doing that at this rate."
"What do you mean?"
"Why would I kill you a week before my 16th birthday?" Malfoy said, his eyes narrowed at Harry. "I wouldn't get anything! If you really want the truth, I'll tell you! I followed you so that you wouldn't get killed before my birthday. I came to..." Malfoy dropped his gaze, "to protect you..." he chuckled slightly, "and I never thought it'd have to be from the Weasel."