Hey guys and welcome to my story called Stranded in Time. Here's a bit of a summary for you.
Summary: Even as the war's pace starts to quicken, Draco Malfoy finds himself unable to do the task at hand. Will he be able to receive help from one of the least likely sources, or will he run away from them and himself? As young romance starts to blossom, he will find himself in a situation where there's no turning back. DM/HG Time travel piece.
With no further ado, here is the first chapter of Stranded in Time:
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Draco's Decision
Draco Malfoy struggled on the ground, trying to desperately to build the strength to disapparate. He grunted and tried to pull himself up into a standing position, using all of his remaining strength. In the end, after a few long minutes, he managed the task. He stood up straight and quickly fell back over.
"Ahh!" he yelped as his knees buckled beneath him and he fell back onto the ground. For a 17 year old boy, now man in the wizarding world, he was stranded and helpless. He also was on the run, and no one could help him. He tried once again and failed, falling back with another yelp. The sound must have attracted someone who was nearby, because he could hear footsteps echoing down the end of the alley.
He pushed himself into the shadows and tried to hide, but to no ado. The young woman had seen him and was hurrying towards him. Draco immediately recognized the face of a girl he had terrorized his whole life; Hermione Granger. He drew out his wand carefully, but upon noticing who he was, Hermione had quickly disarmed him. He was now alone, friendless, and weaponless.
"Give it back Granger!" he roared angrily and tried to stand again, but his knees would not allow him.
"Don't be a prat Malfoy, you can't even stand!" she yelled and glanced around her surroundings.
"We're alone, take me in and get it over with," he said in a defeated voice and collapsed against the stone wall of the alley, breathing hard. Hermione hesitated, then took off her scarf and walked over to Malfoy, handing him the scarf.
"Wrap your arm in it, your bleeding." Malfoy did so very quickly, as the cut hurt a lot.
"Why are you helping me? You hate me, and I'm a death eater," he said. The only way to try and get out of being captured and brought to Azkaban was to keep Granger talking.
"I'm not leaving you here like this, you're a mess. You're coming with me to Headquarters," she said uneasily. She raised her wand and out flew a patronus form of an otter, which ran off out of the alley and out of sight. She seemed satisfied because she pulled a crate towards her and sat down upon it. She used her wand to start a fire. Its warm crackling flames brought warmth to Malfoy's body and he instantly felt relief.
"So tell me, tell me everything. How you got here, who did this to you, and where your precious master is," she said lightly. Unfortunately, she called the shots, because she had the wand and the power to call anyone to take Draco in straight away. But she was giving him a chance, something no one had ever done before.
"You want the whole story?" he said and she nodded. He sighed and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes and relieving it.
"I guess it all starts at Hogwarts and the choice I had, or could have had, I suppose. Dumbledore was sitting there, wandless and alone, while I was there, behind me my plan in full action. Now all I needed was to kill the man and run, right? Well I guess I almost lost my nerve, and I saw myself being a murderer and I knew I couldn't do it."
"And then they came in, bursting through those doors and I lost it. I couldn't kill anyone and I had made the biggest mistake of my life and I couldn't fix it. So then Snape came, and killed Dumbledore, and I knew everything was my bloody fault!" he said and stopped to breath hard, but then resumed his story almost immediately.
"We fled that night; Potter was in hot pursuit of Snape, because I think he was hidden under an invisibility cloak and saw everything on the tower. When we got into Hogmeade, we disapparated to…" he stopped, looking at Hermione suspiciously.
"Go on, we have longer to wait. Don't worry, I didn't turn you in."
"We disapparated to the Dark Lord's Manor for a meeting. He wasn't very pleased and I think he was going to do me in. Anyways, the next morning Snape woke me up early and told me we were going. We left and didn't say goodbye to any other death eater, or tell then where we were going. And we've been on the run for 2 months now."
"What happened to Snape?"
"I'm not sure, one morning I woke up and he wasn't there, but I had to keep moving, so I left without him. And then…And then I met my father, and you would know he wasn't pleased. He beat the crap out of me and dumped me here, and now I'm Azkaban bait."
"No you aren't, don't be an idiot!"
"Don't you call me an idiot, you filthy little mudblood!"
Hermione gave him a death glare and said, "I'm putting my ass on the line for you, and this is how you repay me. I could have turned you in, or worse, left you here to die. So be a little grateful!" she barked at him and they sat in silence.
The minutes ticked by. Hermione seemed very bored while Draco was struggling to get his wand. Hermione sighed, picked it up and pocketed it. Finally, a noise in the alley disrupted his thoughts. Out of nowhere came Harry Potter and the werewolf Remus Lupin.
"Let's go, side-along apparition, hurry up," Lupin said in a hushed whisper.
"Wait a minute, where are you taking me?" Draco asked suspiciously. Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed his arm.
"Hold on to my arm tight Malfoy, let's go. One, two, three," Potter counted down and Draco suddenly had the urge to let go, but he didn't, he was attached to Potter's arm. He had the normal sensation of being pulled through an elastic tube and when the feeling stopped, he was on a cobbled London street, in front of large houses that were blaring Muggle music.
"Read this quickly and memorize," Lupin said and thrust a piece of paper into his hand. He just had enough time to read the words, "The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located in Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place," before the piece of paper burst into flame.
"Don't even think of running, we have a secret keeper, you won't be able to tell anyone. Think of what you have just read," and as he did, a giant house loomed in front of him. The party of people walked up the walkway and Lupin knocked hard on the door. A woman's shrieks could be heard but were quickly quieted as a plump woman threw open the door.
"Harry, Hermione, Lupin! You've returned so soon! And who is this?" the woman said quickly, ushering them inside.
"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," he sneered at the woman he knew to be the Weasley's mother. He shook the woman's out stretched hand and collapsed onto the floor in a heap.
"My goodness, dear me! Let me get chair," she said and waved her wand, "and some potions," she waved her wand again, "and get you cleaned up." He sat on the chair and downed a few potions, instantly feeling his strength come back to him, while the woman cleaned his cuts and scrapes.
"Ouch!" he said and the woman grabbed his left arm and pulled back the sleeve. She jumped back in horror at the sight of the Dark Mark.
"It's alright, Molly dear, we're sorting it out. Yes, we know he's a death eater, he's Draco Malfoy, and he's wanted everywhere. Calm down, we're figuring it out." Harry and Hermione had left the room, but Hermione returned quickly, Ron's arm snaked around her waist protectively.
"I think you owe Hermione a thank you," Ron said sharply. He seemed very angry about something, and Hermione was looking at him nervously.
"Thanks, mudblood, and is there anywhere where I can wash my hands, after your filth touched them?" he sneered and smirked at Ron who was now glaring at him with his fists clenched in the air before him. Draco put a grimace on his face and reached for his wand, but it wasn't there. His face quickly dropped into that of worry as he furiously searched his pockets for his most treasured possession.
"Looking for this?" Hermione said in a nasty voice. She was flipping his wand between her fingers with a nasty grin on her face.
"Give it to me Granger," he said in a quiet, dangerous voice. He extended his hand and glared at her sharply. Ron was shaking his head as she handed over it over to him. Draco did his best to control his temper and prevent himself from Avada Kedavra-ing Ron's head to space and back, and pocketed his wand.
"Where to?" Draco said in a light voice.
"Wherever we can get rid of you," Ron said grumpily. Hermione sniggered and pointed Draco towards a set of stairs, which supposedly led to the kitchen. Draco followed them all the way down to the end, Hermione and Ron in tow behind him.
When he first entered the kitchen, his first idea was to run as far away as he could. What looked like the entire Order was sitting there in old, rickety chairs deep in conversation. The people that he had learned to fear were now welcoming him into their meeting house, and he had to know why.
As soon as he entered, heads turned and the whispering immediately stopped. People stared and tapped their neighbors and whispered something or another and then stopped to stare more. Draco noticed some people he used to know at Hogwarts and families he used to know at the Ministry. He did his best to put a smile onto his face while he stood there uncertainly.
"Malfoy, welcome to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, or my house, whichever you please," Harry said lazily. It was obvious he was trying his best to be a nice and welcoming host to these people, especially Malfoy.
"Um…Thanks," he said uneasily as he noticed the death glare he was getting from more than one person. He twitched nervously as Lupin offered him a seat, which he casually sunk into.
"Look what the cat dragged in," said a big, beefy man in a deep threatening voice. Draco was taken back at the man's sudden voicing in the matter. He didn't know how this was to be dealt with; all he knew was that this was his only shot.
"Now, now, be nice to the boy, he is still a student," said Professor McGonagall, newly instated headmistress of Hogwarts, waving a quill in the air at the man.
"He's 17 years old, a man, and this is too be dealt with like he is a man," the man said once again.
"I quite agree," said another man, which looked to Draco like a Ministry official. Then Draco locked eyes with the Minister himself, Rufus Scrimgeour, a man who looked like an old lion. Draco had only seen him once before, when he had run an errand for his mother at the Ministry, and he had talked business to the man. The Minister was surveying his behavior oddly, with an odd glint in his eye. Harry was giving him nasty looks every once and a while.
"I say we give the boy a say. What have you got to say for yourself? What's your story, young man?" Scrimgeour asked, directing Draco directly. Draco kept his head up during his retelling of his story, and when he finished he finally dropped his head. Most of the Ministry officials were jotting down notes, the Order members were now huddled together whispering, and the Minister himself was sitting opposite of Draco and studying him.
"Something wrong, sir?" Draco said, emphasizing the word sir.
"No, no, my dear boy, nothing at all. Knew you'd come around, is all, knew it once I met you," he said in a pompous voice. Draco had no idea what he was talking about, and he told the man so, and while he explained it to him, the chairs around him filled in.
"Are you ready, Mr. Malfoy, for what awaits you?" the Minister asked certainly, after having a whispered conversation with Professor McGonagall.
"Yes, sir."
"You are to stay here the rest of the summer. You are to talk to no strangers. You are not to leave. You are not to do magic. You are to return to school," he said and Draco cursed, " as Head Boy," he finished. Draco stared at him, mouth gaping, and shock overtook him. He wasn't going to be arrested, he was returning to Hogwarts as Head Boy!
"What's the catch?" he said suspiciously. The Minister chuckled lightly and waved his hand, and in walked Hermione. Draco scowled at her, but she just smiled sweetly.
"Don't miss a trick, do you boy? This girl here, Ms. Granger, volunteered to be your keeper. As Head Girl herself she'll be able to be with you at all times. We expect you to be a valuable member to the Order. That is, if you are willing to switch sides. We can protect yourself and your mother so expertly."
Granger, his keeper? His mother and him protected? Switching sides? He was very confused and didn't know what to think. But did he really have a choice? He was finally given a second chance in life, and he was about to take it. Little did he know, he was making the best decision of his life.
"Yes, I agree."
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A/n- Well, how was that for an intro? Good? Bad? Like it or not? Send in a review please and I'll update soon.
Krista
