The Malfoy at Masons
Harry whistled the entire ride to the facilities. Passengers around him on the trolley sent him annoyed or worried looks. Harry merely smiled back.
For some odd reason he was very excited to meet the man who had once attempted to help him and wizen him up to the Wizarding World.
As the gloomy building loomed into view, memories of his temporary incarceration there hit him with a sudden fury. It was disturbing how no one had questioned the case of an eight-year old being imprisoned with adult, violent in some cases, male criminals. Regardless of the crime, it was definitely still unsettling that no one said anything.
Harry frowned slightly at the grim-faced guard at the entrance of the prison. He had absolutely despised that man for the brief period he was imprisoned there. The man had been a complete bastard, most likely continued to be so. Harry remembered how he almost killed the man by strangling him, earning the scar on his face and the short-lived title "Scarface".
He smiled slowly and darkly. The man growled lowly as he recognized Harry's face, but he let Harry and Marner pass without causing a scene or any problems.
I wonder if he was demoted.
Harry took a moment to look at the gray, barred, and dreary facility. It reminded him of a documentary he had once watched that described the concentration camps in Germany. Harry shuddered slightly. The inmates at Sirkins had been forced to watch it several times, and the guards subtly threatened them with the same treatment.
They were all sick bastards!
Marner, who had been murmuring to himself since they stepped off the bus, stopped speaking to himself and turned to Harry.
"I can't believe I let you drag me here to help you find the supposed relative of a supposed Dark Family, a family who are believed to be in the same league with the very man who killed your parents, and who tried to kill you, if I had heard the judge correctly! Didn't you even attempt to listen to the man?" Harry had barely nodded before Marner went on. "The family is obviously a bad lot. He said that they have been tied to every single Dark Lord in the past seven centuries, including the one who is living right now, the one who-."
"Please Marner, don't go into your "long sentence" mode! It's terribly hard to understand you. And it's unbelievably irritating!" Harry said ducking as the man swung his hand in Harry's direction.
"Harry..." He snarled. Harry sighed.
Marner should really be used to this by now. He's going to go home, take a hot bath, and bring me stuff in the morning as always.
"I know Marner that it's a bit unexpected and crazy, but I have this-."
"-nagging feeling." Marner finished for him as they approached the entrance. "I'm fully aware of that 'feeling' of yours... Harry- just be safe." He laid a hand on Harry's shoulder a made as if to depart.
"Wait, what! You're not going in with me?"
Marner was not one to leave him alone for too long. He was like an overprotective lioness and Harry the cub.
Marner shook his head. "No, I have to run home and check on something."
That's a lousy excuse for wanting to bathe. If he even wants to bathe.
Harry narrowed his eyes. He knew that it only took two seconds of looking Marner's eyes to see the truth, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. He could not force another person to bear their mind to him like an opened book. He refused to misuse his powers. He decided to let Marner have his secrets, this time.
"But I will be back in exactly two hours to pick you up." He turned and started off. With only a small nod to the guard, he disappeared in the distance without looking back or saying a word to Harry.
Definitely strange.
Harry stared for a moment or two in his wake before shaking his head and heading into the main building.
The place was painted a terrible shade of gray-blue. Harry suddenly felt the need to vomit. His old, terribly large, prison uniform, the one he had been forced to wear during his brief stay at Mason, had been the exact same colour.
"The man who decided the color-scheme for this place should be drawn and quartered." Harry murmured under his breath.
"I hate to agree with a muggle, but I have to there," said a snarky voice from the other side of the, otherwise empty, waiting room. "But, I would say, it's a pretty idiotic thing to do, talking about murdering someone while standing around in a muggle-prison."
Harry momentarily and pointedly ignored the person. He's probably some loony.
Harry had an unpleasant feeling in his stomach, but he attributed it to the horrific paint color of the room bringing back bad memories.
He walked to the abandoned welcome desk and rang the rusted bell that typically called the lazy people to their posts.
"Oh, so that's how it done! Trust the muggles to come up with such simple and yet dumb ideas." The voice for the corner said.
Harry ignored the person once again as the person asked a question. Harry drummed his fingers against the counter as he waited for the person on call to come. But suddenly something struck Harry and sent a chill down his spine.
"Muggle", where have I here that word before - from the judge and the paper. What does it mean again?
Harry took a seat, facing away from where the person's voice was coming. The person continued to talk, though Harry didn't listen. He raked his brain for a translation. It was one of those funny wizard-words. Harry hated when he tried to remember something and it was stuck in the back of his mind. It was almost as if his brain was playing tricks on him.
"Impudent muggle! How dare he ignore me! Doesn't he know who I am?"
Do wizards always talk to themselves? Harry had barely thought about his question before he realized his own stupidity.
His magic pulsed through his body, ready for an attack by the wizard.
How can I be so dumb as to focus on a stupid word rather than the person who said it! Only wizards would use that word! I was sitting in a room with a wizard without noticing it! He could have attacked me!
He was getting a headache from his brain trying and failing to comprehend his own stupidity.
"MUGGLE! ANSWER ME!" The wizard's yelling caused an immediate reaction in Harry. He lost control of his magic and threw a small bolt of power at the wizard.
Realizing what he had done, and expecting a fight, Harry stood and met his opponent.
A silver-blond haired boy stood a few meters away, shaking with a stick in his hand and bluish force field around his body. The smell of over-pressed clothes and slightly burnt skin filled the room.
The boy, seemingly around Harry's age, snarled something and whipped his wand in Harry's direction. There was a crack, and the beam of orange light disappeared before it had completely left the boy's wand. The boy began firing different colored beams, sparks, and other light figures at him.
Harry was confused. He had never fought with magic before. It was certainly strenuous. And all he could do was block. He realized soon that he was definitely at an advantage with his speed and agility. He was barely working up a sweat by running and dodging around the office. The wizard on the other hand was furiously sweating.
He decided a tough minute or so into the fight that he had had enough. If he could not stop the lights, he could stop the source of the lights. He sent out a pulse, and the boy's stick flew to him.
"WHO ARE YOU!? HOW CAN YOU DO WANDLESS MAGIC?"
Harry growled. "SHUT UP, will you!"
The boy instantly went quiet from the power in Harry's voice. Harry too was surprised but guessed that it had something to do with his pulse.
"Excuse me, gentlemen," Said a cool and obviously irritated voice from behind Harry, "but this is waiting room, not a rugby stadium. Please do not yell."
Harry quickly stowed the boy's wand in his pocket. He did not want to get arrested for having a dangerous weapon in his hands in public. He turned to meet the lady with, what he hoped was, a charming smile.
For a moment, he forgot what he had to say the woman. As she gave him an inquisitive look, and a questioning, almost searching, look around them, he remembered what he needed to say.
"I would like-." Harry began.
"Name?" She demanded rudely.
"Whose?" He asked aggressively.
She jumped slightly from his tone. Her eyes narrowed and then went wide from recognition. She eyed him warily, almost in fear.
"The inmate you wish to see. I do not need your name."
Harry opened his mouth, but then remembered the wizard standing behind him. He could be making a big mistake if said the Malfoy name out loud. He was not going to risk the wizard hearing who he was going to visit.
He took the chained pen and wrote the name on a slip of paper before sliding it quickly across the counter to the woman.
She read the paper with an odd look on her face. She nodded slowly. She gave him a pass to clip onto his shirt, a piece of paper, and pointed to a door at the other side of the counter. As she made to leave, she got up left without assisting the other guy.
What about the wizard?
Harry turned and looked behind him to find the boy he had fought with gone. He shrugged his shoulders and went through the door the woman had opened for him.
The halls all looked the same as when he was carried through them. The prisoners were just as deranged as before. They beat against the cells, yelled, screamed, cried, laughed, whistled, and stomped their feet as Harry passed by. Harry did nothing to provoke them, merely looked straight ahead of him.
The guards stared at him, most of them knowing his face or at least the scar that went across it. They made no attempt to make communication with him, and he preferred it so. There was whispering amongst a few of the officers as he passed them. Harry gave a brilliant smile and waved at them, without watching their reaction to him.
The cell was at the end of the isolation cells in the basement of the establishment. Harry had been in one of these cells when the nurse was sexually harassed by the officer.
Harry suppressed the bile rising in his throat. He gestured to the guard who had been following him from a distance. The man opened the cell with the number on the piece of paper given to Harry.
The man held the cell door for Harry. "Just call when you're finished." And he closed the cell door behind Harry. Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck spring to life.
I wonder if they do this for every visitor.
The cell was dark just as it had been for Harry. There were no windows or cracks in the walls. There was no slot underneath the door for light to come in. It was a rich and dangerous darkness. Harry was sure he was hearing his own heart beat echoing off of the walls, almost as if three people were in the room.
The lights suddenly flickered on. Harry blinked slightly at the sudden bright intrusion. A figure lay on a bank built into the wall. Just as I had.
"Draco, is that you?" asked the figure.
Harry took a few steps forward. "No, it's-." Harry's magic pulsed suddenly to life. Something was moving swiftly behind him. With the lights flickering, Harry immediately thought of the electricity of the building and thought of the possibility of controlling it.
Someone gave a wild scream. He whipped around, prepared for an attack and was tackled to the ground.
His magic immediately gripped his attacker and yanked him or her away from Harry. Harry stayed on the ground and eyed his surroundings. His magic pulsing and sent an offensive strike at his attacker.
The lights went out, but a bluish light bolted from the ceiling to his hand and then to the aggressor. I'm a conductor for electricity… interesting.
There was a shriek, an oddly familiar shriek. Harry recognized it instantly, and the lights flickered back to life.
"You again!" He growled standing up. He focused on the spot where the scream had originated and the bluish light of the electricity was dying down.
"Give me back my wand." The voice demanded. The guy reappeared in the corner where Harry's magic had thrown and electrified him. He stood as dignified as a rabbit in a snake-pit. Harry resisted the urge to laugh, but a smirk was inevitable.
"Harry Potter? What are you doing here?" Harry turned back to Marcius Malfoy as he spoke.
The resemblance the thin, pale inmate had to the guy Harry had just thrown into a wall with his magic was impeccable. He gasped slightly. His curiosity peaked immediately.
"You're related to him?" Harry asked, gesturing to the guy behind him without looking at him.
Marcius laughed. "Didn't you learn that it is impolite to answer a question with a q-."
"HARRY POTTER!" The guy screamed from behind Harry. He charged forward and, standing one meter away from Harry, studied him as one would an item of interest at a museum.
"Shut. Up." Harry said softly but in a voice that just emitted danger. The other Malfoy took a few steps back.
"My question, Harry?" Marcius said moving to the edge of his bed.
Harry was getting a headache and his powers pulsing through his veins like a raging storm were not helping at all. He took a seat next to the inmate without asking for permission. "I have some questions." He hated being vulnerable and open, but he knew he must.
"I have some too." He said with a bright, uneven smile.
"What is going on here?" The other Malfoy said with barely restrained detest which was obviously directed at Harry.
Harry ignored him for the time being. "I need information about the Wizarding World."
Marcius lifted one eyebrow. "Then, you've come to the wrong person."
Harry shifted slightly in his seat. "But I've heard about your family-."
"No good things, I've sure." Harry felt demurred slight from his grim comment but he kept speaking.
"I know that your family dates back to the Middle Ages-"
"Our family originated during the Holy Roman Empire when the warlock Aguis Tylus murdered his mother and brother, changed his name, and became Octavius Malfis." The other Malfoy said with a snarl. "Not during the Middle Ages. We were already a feared name th-."
"Draco, tais toi!" Harry was not able to understand what Marcius had said, but he was able to guess.
"Look, I'm not here to get a history lesson on your family. I need your help."
"And information about the Wizarding World." Marcius added.
Harry slowly explained his situation with that Albus Dumbledore character. Marcius sat back listening silently. He stopped Harry two or three times when Harry had said something unclear. Harry felt a bit relieved to tell someone about his troubles. But somehow, despite him being a complete stranger, Harry felt that he could trust the man. Maybe, I trust him because he tried to help me...
"... So, I'm here. Can you help me? What is with this Dumbledore guy?"
Marcius scratched his head with a small chuckle. "I can't really give you an unbiased interpretation of Dumbledore ideals or actions."
Harry's eyebrow rose as if to ask "why not?" His curiosity was certainly peaked.
Marcius smiled again. Harry had to look away as his stomach clenched. Why do I get the feeling that something is wrong here. "Well, everything that I have been told about Dumbledore came from sources who, in no stronger words, detest every breath Dumbledore takes."
"Our father." The Draco Malfoy said. Harry registered the fact that they had the same father swiftly.
"Why-."
Marcius cut his question off. "That's not a hard question. I'm sure you have been informed that our family has been a Dark Family almost since our very origin." Harry nodded affirmatively. "Well, Dumbledore comes from a relatively powerful, old family. Much like the Potters, your family. The Dumbledores have been always considered a Light Family."
Harry took a moment to reflect. "So the families hate each other because one is Light and the other is Dark?" Marcius nodded slightly. How dumb.
"As for Dumbledore's manipulation... I'm not at all surprised. Yet, I had wondered once or twice why he would allow the Boy-Who-Lived to go through such things as prison without interfering. If I had been in his position, I would have tried to remove you from the muggle custody and have you under my supervision as soon as possible."
Harry had never even considered that. That would have been the smart thing to do. Perhaps, he wanted to punish me for the things that I have done.
"But I can't really give you advice on what to do about him. I've been in this prison since I was about 16 or 17." He laughed. "I can't remember now. But it has been nine or ten years. I really have not been following the political scene in the Wizarding World. Every now and then, my mother or Draco will come to give me updates and make small talk."
"Why are you here?" Harry asked. The Draco guy snorted loudly and answered for Marcius.
"The name Malfoy means nothing at all in the Muggle World, but in the Wizarding World, it means a lot. So, our father thought it would be better to imprison Marcius in Muggle World, where no one would be able to use him politically against our father."
"Why he did not just change my name and obliviate me, I will never understand!"
"Your own father imprisoned you!" How terrible! "Why don't you just... break out? Use your magic"
He laughed slightly. "This little device keeps me invisible to the Wizarding World and blocks my powers." He said pointing to an eerily familiar silver band on his leg.
Harry gasped. He could not get out a single word. Finally, he managed to whisper, "Why?"
"I refused to join his merry group of killers and bow down to the man who they worship as a god."
Harry understood suddenly. "The Death Beaters and Vollemott."
Marcius threw his head back and laughed heartily.
"Death Eaters and Voldemort!" He corrected. Harry merely shrugged his shoulders.
"I came to you because I don't like the idea of this Dumbledore, or anyone at all, controlling and manipulating my life. I'm required to have a guardian, but the ones I am able to choose from all have connections to Dumbledore. The only family that is free from Dumbledore's reigns is yours, the Malfoys."
Marcius went paler. "You can't be thinking about choosing my father as your guardian! He would hand you over to Voldemort in a beat."
"That's true. But there has to be some law or rules about protection... or?"
Both Malfoys looked at one another in something akin to shock.
"That's right, but it still is not safe enough. Wizarding laws hve too many loopholes to benefit the rich and powerful, of which our father is both. I would not suggest you carrying through with that idea. It's better to be under Dumbledore's control, than to be handed to Voldemort on a plate like a stuffed bird!"
"There's where I need your help. Despite what you say, you know more about the Wizarding World than you care to say. You can be there to help me."
"What does he get out of this?" Draco Malfoy said.
Harry smiled causing the boy to back up; he would have asked that same question.
"I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I'm in a locked room 21 hours of the day." Marcius said with a frown. "Try as I might, I will not be able to break out, or use magic."
Harry smiled and gestured to the band. His magic poured forth from his finger. The very air seemed to be electrocuted by the force Harry threw into his magic. He used electricity too, but was more inclined to use unfamiliar forces.
He didn't realize how hard it was to destroy the annoying thing. When it had irritated him, he had not been able to do anything to alleviate the nuisance. He had never tried to destroy it. He was sure that even though he did not destroy his, he would be able to destroy someone else's.
He poured more and more magic into what he was doing. Marcius was stunned by Harry attacking his band, but he remained perfectly still. Harry was sure that it was not causing Marcius any pain. Slowly it began to change before their eyes. The band turned slowly from silver to a milky-white. Harry felt beads of sweat slipping down his forehead.
Finally, the band slowly disintegrated right before their very eyes. There was a stunned silence.
As Marcius made to thank Harry, the magic in the air flared. Harry and Marcius were thrown away from one another with an explosion of light. Harry landed on the floor next to the other Malfoy. His head hit the floor hard, but not hard enough to knock him completely unconscious. With his powers, he did what he could to dull the pain, but he noticed that he had over-used his powers by removing the band.
He felt someone pull him off of the ground. There was a hustle as someone went through his pockets. Harry was stunned and could not do anything to thwart the person. He merely brought his hand to his pocket. He tried to open his eyes.
"Harry!" Harry recognized that voice immediately.
"Marner..." And then there was darkness and the silence that it brought.
"Well, that's Harry for you." Harry awoke at the use of his name. It was Marner.
"Does he always do things like that, blindly without thinking about the consequences?" Someone asked. Marcius Malfoy, Harry assumed.
"No, sometimes I wonder if he has the ability to see into the future. And then there are times like now, when I wonder how he's managed to get along this far with only a few beatings and scratches!"
"I have to wonder if his family dropped him on his head!" A voice said snidely. Harry growled mentally.
"I would be careful with what you say to Harry Potter about his family, or you might just end up in the same position as they are."
"And where are they?"
"Dead, murdered by him. Why do you think he was put in the croaker?"
"Harry Potter murdered someone!"
"Your world really doesn't know what Harry did to his family. I thought the judge was lying." Marner said astounded.
"Our world is ignorant to many things, Harry's just one of the most dangerous." Marcius said.
"I'm not dangerous." Harry murmured attempting to open his eyes.
He had a headache that was to be reckoned with.
The room was instantly silent as Harry announced that he was awake.
"So, you do live." Marner said sarcastically. His face was full of worry as he loomed over Harry.
"Of course I live, you idiot. I'm too young and pretty to die." Harry said trying to sit up.
Marner snorted. "If you say so." Harry slipped and fell back into the bed like a limp doll. "Hey, slow, take it slow. Do you want to end up in the hospital on your first day of freedom? I know you love the male-nurses like I do, but you can see them when your healthy too, you know." He laughed.
Harry growled. "When I get better, you are the first on my revenge list."
"Since when have you made a revenge list?"
"Since I met you, and you've been moving from second to third place and back again ever since."
"Well, it's good to be first one someone's list!" Marner said, putting a wet towel over Harry's face.
"Just, shut up."
"Yes, Mr. Boy-Who-Lived!" He shook with laughter.
Harry made a mental note to embarrass him as much as possible whenever he got chance.
"So, how do we go on from here?" Harry heard Marcius. "I can't go walking the streets now that I've escaped. And I cannot just go waltzing up to father asking for charity. Could you imagine that?!"
"You can stay here with me, if you need to." Marner said. His voice laden with something Harry could not describe. He laughed mentally; it was hesitant but wanting at the same time. My dear Marner is smitten!
"That's a very nice offer, but I must-."
"No, I think Marner is right." Harry said sitting up slightly. "Until the heat dies down, you should stay here."
"Harry, lay down!" Marner was back to mothering him
Harry shot him a look that made him take a step back. Harry took a good look around him. They were in a shabby apartment. Harry had always assumed that Marner was a typical gay guy just without the mannerisms. He had no lisp, no stereotypical walk, and didn't dress effeminately, minus the cloud of cologne that followed him from time to time.
His apartment was no better of a sign that he was gay than his disposition. He had beer bottles on the table, a television on the sports channel (which Draco Malfoy was enticed by), worn furniture, dingy walls, and other telltale signs of a bachelor pad. There was nothing brightly coloured, fuzzy, girlish. There wasn't even anything outrageously masculine to hide the fact that he was gay.
Weird.
Harry took that all in with a slightly raised eyebrow and a nonchalant shrug at the end.
He roughly removed Marner's mothering hands with a death glare and sat up on the dingy couch.
He sat and he thought.
If the Wizarding world was in any way clever, they would have detectors of some sort to tell them that someone used magic somewhere, especially if someone broke one of their band things.
He turned to Marcius, who continually cast coy looks at Marner, rolled his eyes, and coughed slightly into his hand.
"So, Marcius," Marcius jumped ever so slightly, "you will stay here." The man opened his mouth to argue, but Harry was not finished. "You are an escaped, magical convict. The best place for you to hide is at the residence of a non-magical law official; no one would expect that." He dismissed anything the man was going to say with a wave of his hand.
He turned his attention to Draco, "Do you know of any magical words ("Spells!" The blond yelled, insulted.), whatever, that can block people from knowing where we are?"
Draco smirked at him. "Of course, I'm very knowle-," Harry cut him off.
"Good, get to working on that."
Draco smirked menacingly. "You freed him, Potter. It's your neck they will be after."
Harry narrowed his eyes and stood up. He did not tower over the guy, but it did have an intimidating effect on him. "I was not the only one to use magic if I remember correctly."
Before Draco could respond or retort, Harry turned his attention back to Marcius, "How do wizards track magic?"
The man clicked his tongue as he understood where Harry was going with his argument. "They track all underage wizards' wands until they reach adulthood, and all wizards with a criminal background." He threw Draco an apologetic look. "They can also trace huge eruptions of wandless magic along with that of magic with a wand as well."
Harry sat down again. "So it's highly possible that they already know about the explosion, also that I was there because I used my powers, signed my name and people recognized me, and that I freed you as you are obviously not there anymore." Marcius blinked in surprise but nodded nonetheless. "And since that dunce used his wand against me, they will think that he was in on the gig, and we together broke you out." Draco opened his mouth but closed it instantly as he realized what position he was in.
Once again Marcius nodded in astonishment. "SO," Harry continued cleaning dirt from under his nails and pretending not to see the exchange of looks at the depth of his analytical abilities. "They will most likely be monitoring Draco under the impression that they will find me and you."
"So how am I supposed to cast spells that hide where we are, by the time I do that they will have already locate-."
Harry interrupted him again, this time snarling. "I was getting there." Instantly he cooled, his magic pacifying him thoroughly. "You can tell me how you do it with a wand, and I will do it myself. They won't be able to trace it until it is too late, or if I use too much power."
Draco nodded stiffly and pulled out his wand. Which he took from my pocket when I was unconscious, the blinking ponce!
"Hmm. Do you think it would be quicker if you do to Draco what you do with me?" Marner said suddenly and curiously.
Harry looked at him. They nodded in unison, understanding their mental connection.
The Malfoys looked at the two of them in confusion, Draco in slight aversion.
"What Marner means is 'mental communication'." Harry explained.
Marcius inhaled sharply, and then shook his head in astonishment. "A natural Legismens Master. Unbelievable, or believable as I'm starting to figure out." He smiled. "If you were trained, you would be one of the most mentally, impenetrable wizards in the world."
Harry smirked at him. "This is why you are here."
Draco was not easily persuaded into giving Harry free range within his mind. After several minutes of being convinced by his brother in English and in French, Harry slowly accepted that the Wizarding aristocracy spoke French just like the English used to, Draco hesitantly agreed.
Harry hoped that the connection could be built just like his with Marner. Harry had made the connection with Marner in a desperate time. He was close to being raped and beaten to a pulp in the bathroom. He knew that Marner would help him, but he had (at that time) no way of getting him alone and talking to him. So when they had been at a close proximity, Harry simply willing his magic to allow him to talk to Marner mentally and tell him of the guys' plan.
The results had been hilarious. Marner nearly fell out of his seat. Harry had already shown him that he had magical abilities, but Marner was not expecting telepathic abilities as well.
Draco crossed his arms in defiance and waited for Harry. Harry could practically feel Draco's fear, the worry and the curiosity. Harry rolled his eyes to hide his own doubt. He had no clue what to do, and how he should carry out this magical act.
He walked slowly up to Draco, ignoring the defensive flinch the boy gave when he stood a foot away from him. "You ready?"
"Just do it, Potter." He sighed. Harry wondered briefly why exactly the boy was agreeing to this, what exactly he was getting out of it. The suspicion made him hesitate slightly before he proceeded.
He placed his hands on the opposite sides of Draco's head, and, ignoring the shivers of discomfort that went through both of them; Harry willed his magic to allow him to communicate mentally with Draco.
He felt his skin tingle as his pulse sprung to life. Never before had he felt his magic so strong and so under his control. It was glorious. If he didn't have a task to do he would have enjoyed it longer.
Draco inhaled deeply and opened his eyes in amazement. Harry felt his breath hitch slightly as he felt his magic call forth Draco's, and they met in an array of colors, feelings, memories, sounds. The nice feeling remained for a few moments before suddenly disappearing.
Like two previously caged and ravenous animals, Harry's magic and Draco's magic pounced on each other and seemed to be willing to fight to the death for absolute dominance. Harry figured it had something to do with the defensiveness of Draco's magic.
"Relax," Harry commanded. Draco sighed angrily and apparently complied after a few moments. Harry closed his eyes, getting lost in the feeling of active magic.
Harry was not sure how long they stayed there in that position, Harry with his hands on both sides of Draco's head. There came a point where Draco's magic became so weak that Harry no longer actively used his magic.
Draco's magic then receded within him. Harry could feel it retreating, almost like an predator in defeat. Harry's seemed to linger as if to check for errors or to show dominance.
The feeling of content and magical expansion into each other and their surroundings returned.
Wow. A slightly distant but familiar voice echoed in his mind. Harry agreed with it without hesitation.
You can say that again.
In a flash, both of their eyes flew open. Draco slumped slightly like a puppet cut free from its strings. Harry, almost slumping over himself, reacted immediately and held Draco up by his shoulders.
He guided him slowly to the nearest couch, which had somehow slid towards them to meet them halfway.
"I didn't say anything out loud, Potter." Draco murmured gutturally as Harry lowered him onto the couch.
You didn't have to. Harry thought with a grin.
Draco jumped violently, giving Harry an unnecessarily hard shove away from him. Draco gave a brief shout as he tumbled forward with the momentum he used to push Harry.
Harry took a hard fall onto his bottom. He noticed immediately how weak he also felt. Normally his reflexes were quicker and more prepared for things like stumbles, falls, and tripping.
After he unsteadily righted himself, he noticed how devoid the room was of life and how destroyed the room was. Paint was pealing off of the walls in clusters. The beams in the ceiling were showing their brownish wood. The furniture, except the piece that Draco was sitting on, was destroyed beyond recognition.
"Hello?" He called out.
There was a moment of undisturbed silence.
Draco barely stirred on the couch. Harry walked out of Marner's living room to see that both Marner and Marcius had disappeared. The telly in Marner's bedroom was on. Harry toned out the newscaster's annoyingly nasal voice until he subconsciously caught the newscaster saying the date.
His mind went blank.
He stumbled back into the living room, feeling for the first time an extraordinary hunger and absolute fatigue that plagued his body.
Draco lay strewn over the couch, no longer in the slight sitting stance that Harry had left him in earlier.
"Malfoy! What day did you go to visit your broth-?" Harry's voice broke just has it had moments before.
Draco lolled him head in Harry's direction, looking rather annoyed. "Potter, what nonsense-." His weak and unused voice said volumes to Harry.
"Malfoy, shut up." Harry collapsed exhausted onto the couch next to Draco.
Malfoy looked up at him slightly worried. Harry noticed for the first time that the windows gave witness to the nighttime life in London.
"We've been out for a week." Harry stated slightly in agony.
"Not- possible- no food- water- die." Draco slurred.
Perfect bloody way to die. Harry wasn't sure which one of them thought that as he was sure they both were thinking it. He agreed nonetheless before he passed out.
.
.