12 Grim Old Place

Chapter 7
Date Started: 03-02-07
Pairing: Slight HarryxGinny if you look at it like that. Future DM/HP
Disclaimer: Yep. Don't own them. Wish I did...but nope. The idea wasn't even mine. It was Yami Bakura's. I had thought of something like this... but my idea was a lot stickier so I knew deep down I'd never write it. XD http://hp.adult-fanfiction.org/authors.php?no=1296771786

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Draco had found himself locked up in a bathroom. His eyes looked around and it was utterly horrible. It was hard to imagine someone living in this place. Then again... The way Snape talked about it, people only lived in here for possibly a day at a time. So perhaps they only slept here... and went about their business. He slowly stepped closer to the sink and turned on the water. It worked. Though, that wasn't really surprising. He had seen Potter cut on the sink anyway...

He moved his hand under the steadily warming water, taking a deep breath. He couldn't keep doing this. Fighting with Potter. It would be pointless and he'd go insane from the tension. Potter didn't seem to mind, though. He felt completely useless.

He wanted to kick something but knew better than to do that. He was a Malfoy. They don't do things like that. He'd just have to keep acting cool and indifferent. He was just like his father. Seeking to be close and gain acception of some half-blood. It was disgusting that his father would sink so low as to venture away from the old families and take someone like Tom Riddle as his 'Lord'.

Draco hated it but there was nothing he could do. His father was in jail and mother was killed. By that pathetic half blood. If he had to follow another half blood to survive, then he couldn't possibly bring more shame to his name than his father. He would not call Potter his lord and fall to his knees before him. He at least had more pride than that.

He jumped when there was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal none other than the wizarding world's savior. Harry bloody Potter.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, sod off, Malfoy." Harry snorted, green eyes narrowing. "Turn off the sink if you aren't using it... and I need to use the bathroom."

Draco turned his head to look behind him. Potter couldn't possibly mean... in here...

"If you don't want to get out I'll just go with you there..."

Flinching, Draco turned and opened the door wider and slipped past the other boy, ignoring the slight warmth he felt as he brushed past.

***

Clothes were thrown everywhere in the small but sun-lit room. A Chudley Cannons poster had been knocked off the wall on accident and was laying on the floor looking completely rumpled. Ron was cursing under his breath and Ginny was sitting there on his bed, smiling at him. If it were anyone other than Ginny so cleared amused, Ron might have thrown a few punches.

"What are you looking for, Ron?"

"Nothing. Just don't talk to me. I need to concentrate."

Ginny raised a brow but didn't say anything further. She'd come to learn long ago of her brother's oddities.

Soon enough Ron seemed to find what he was looking for, though Ginny couldn't see what it was since he had turned and stuffed it in his bag. He turned around.

"Are you finished packing?"

"Since last night." Ginny said proudly.

Ron stared at her for a little while longer before securing his bag and going to sit beside her to pull on some socks. Once done with that he reached for his shoes, tieing them tightly so they wouldn't fall off. Ginny smiled and watched before hopping off the bed.

"I'll go tell Mum that your finished." She announced before turning from the room and heading downstairs.

Looking around the room, Ron sighed before cleaning up, or at least in his mind cleaning, and closed the closet door and drawers, rehanging the poster using a well placed wingardium leviosa spell.

He grabbed his bag and headed downstairs, somewhat surprised to find his dad standing in the dining room.

"What's on, Dad?"

"The Ministry is monitoring the floo network. I'll take you to King's Cross and we'll walk from there." Arthur said with a nod before motioning for Ron to go on. "Ginny's already in the car."

Ron headed out, shrugging and grabbing a crumpet from the table to eat as they went.

***

Harry sat in the main room, staring blankly at the red and orange flames. If only they would turn green. Ron'd be here and he wouldn't be so bored. He wasn't about to go search for Draco to cure his boredom. That would only result in another arguement. Right now, he didn't feel like it. He didn't think he could take it. Just thirty two days and he'd be able to hex Malfoy senseless. Draco looked better when he was laying still, lips faintly parted, blonde hair just falling whichever way it felt fit. He looked peaceful when he wasn't glaring or yelling.

Harry heard a car stop at a house close, listening to the sound it made when traveling from the pavement onto the concrete driveway. He sighed, his eyes remaining fixed on the fire. Where was Ron?

The door opened to the house, but Harry didn't really pay much attention to it. A couple other members of the Order had came by looking for McGonagall. Harry didn't know where she was and the people left. Snape and Lupin were off somewhere else. Somewhere not likely to be public due to both of their current status in the world.

"McGonagall isn't here."

"Why would we want to see her, Harry?" Ginny said with a smile as she walked into the room, Ron and her father following close behind.

Harry jerked his head up and felt himself suddenly feel weightless before jumping up and going over to them. "I thought you were coming by floo powder?"

Arthur raised a hand and shook his head. "Ministry started watching that sort of thing this morning. I have to be going. Got to get back to the Ministry..." Arthur said with a faintly sad look before reaching for Harry's hand and giving it a shake. "We'll talk later, Harry. You two be good." He hugged each of his children, much to Ron's discomfort and headed back out of the house.

Harry smiled ecstatically and looked from Ron to Ginny.

Ron raised a brow. "Miss us, mate?"

Harry sighed heavily. "You have no idea. You'll never guess who's here..."

***

Draco was pouting, in some bedroom that he wasn't sure of who's. It could really only be one person's. If it wasn't that person's then it was mostly likely to be vacant. It might belong to the werewolf. If Lupin didn't live in here, which it really didn't look like it. Then no one did. Surely Potter would have more sense than to sleep somewhere other than in here. It seemed extremely odd that anyone would want to be anywhere in this house but Harry did seem at ease here. He supposed it had to do with the wards placed on the house.

Surely Voldemort didn't know about this place. Then again, he was just like any other half blood except he wasn't afraid to torture or kill people that he wanted as followers. Everyone feared him. No one respected him. It was maddening that someone like him existed. Sickening that something half human would even be considered alive.

He sighed and slumped back onto the bed who's coverings smelled slightly like something that Draco couldn't quite put his finger on. It wasn't bad, he supposed, just nothing like what he'd ever smelt before. It was just odd. He rolled over and groaned into one of the dingy pillows.

If one were to ever think about what a caged animal must feel like, surely Draco was experiencing just that. He hadn't been outside except that fleeting moment at the end of the drive. It had been nice to see sunlight without the restraints of a window. He hadn't been shopping since the last Hogsmeade trip when he was at Hogwarts. When he could easily pretend that everything was normal. When he could forget that he was expected to kill the headmaster under a half-blood's orders. He could forget for a moment that he hated Harry Potter and that his family was in danger. He could forget the horrid thing that marked him for the rest of his life as a betrayer.

He sniffed, tucking an arm under the pillow for added support, sighing heavily in the dark air. He wondered for a brief moment about when the darkness would finally come. When he would be able to hide in it and cry for his mother and hate his father without worry of losing the cool and collected Malfoy face. When he could just be Draco and not the heir to the Malfoy name. If he ever had children he would teach them the same, but he would teach them not to be like his father. To love a half blood more than his wife. His father was truely horrible.

He turned his head, burrying his face into the cotton of the pillow's case, trying to force himself to feel anything but the burn behind his eyes that signaled the threat of tears. He clenched his hands into fists to the point that his knuckles grew white from the pressure.

It wasn't fair. His mother had done nothing but support his father and love him with all her heart. She was every bit the kind and beautiful wife that people could envy and everyone loved. She was perfect in every aspect of what she did. Only to be shot down by the man she supported. His father wouldn't have stopped Voldemort from killing her even if he wasn't in prison. He probably would have felt pride that his wife died at the hands of his master. Disgusting.

When Draco finally sat up, his hands felt sore and cramped and he knew without looking that his eyes were red. It went without saying that he had probably cried and not fully noticed. He hadn't cried since that night in Hogwarts in the bathroom when he felt so lost and hopeless. He knew even then that he couldn't do it. He didn't want to do it. He wouldn't do it. Even if he had to sacrifice everything. Dumbledore was the only one that could have beaten Voldemort. Now Dumbledore was dead and the wizarding world might as well forget it.

Their only hope was Harry bloody Potter. That was just as sickening as everything else. Harry Potter was no great wizard. He was a lucky little pathetic boy who never had to work for a single thing in his life. All he ever did was be in the right place at the wrong time.

***

Ron looked between shock and disgust. Malfoy... in the same house as him... both of them staying here. Ginny didn't seem to care either way. She wouldn't bring herself to hate Draco like he hated her.

"Harry... you can't..." Ron all but whined.

"I already have, Ron." Harry said, looking a little sad. "I know that he-"

"He tried to kill Dumbledore!" Ron pleaded.

"I saw him, Ron! He wasn't going to do it! He wouldn't! He was sad and his family was at risk but he didn't do it!"

Ginny shook her head.

"But Harry... this is mad! Malfoy! In your house! You've gone bloody mental!"

"No, Ron... I haven't... I... I can't really explain it fully... but I know Malfoy wouldn't have done it!"

"But Harry...!" Ron groaned, rather loudly.

Ginny elbowed Ron sharply in the side and he let out a strangled sound. "Let go of it, Ron. Harry trusts Malfoy. That's good enough for me. Stop acting like Malfoy is going to destroy the world. There is worse things going on that Malfoy sleeping in this house."

Ron frowned, slowly looking back to Harry, pleading silent again. When Harry didn't stop his frown, Ron submitted. "Fine... but if he does anything, Harry, I'm jinxing him."

Grateful, Harry smiled and nodded once. "Thanks, Ron..."

"Right. Hey, Harry... How are you gonna tell Hermione?"

Harry slumped. He'd forgot about that.

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A/N - I...really don't have much to say. :o
Ron is a git. I hate him and yet... I still love him muchly. I actually RP Ron over on GJ. XD I RP Malfoy too... and Harry... o_O and Snape. I'm busy.
I had planned to have Hermione pop up in this chapter... but I hadn't got to it... This chapter was pretty much completely void of any of the older characters... Except a snippet of Arthur.

Anyway... Love the reviews! They keep me motivated. :D