Draco's Escort Service -Two-

Chapter Two

So it was that Harry Potter stood on a largely barren road on the outskirts of London with a broom in his hand and a large sword strapped to his back. He also wore a pack and a long black cloak.

It was dusk, and cloudy, so it wasn’t long before a broom dropped out of the sky and disclosed Draco Malfoy. He hopped off his broom, light as a feather, and the two old enemies observed each other through narrowed eyes.

Malfoy looked different than when he was younger. He seemed taller, leaner, and more muscular. His platinum hair was longer, brushing his shoulders and draping over his forehead to nearly conceal his grey eyes. His face was as coldly beautiful as ever. He wore an outfit obviously inspired by Quidditch. Black breeches with leather trim tucked into high black boots. His emerald green shirt had leather patches at the elbows and over that was slung a hooded cape, though the hood was thrown back at the moment. His hands—encased in black leather gloves—gripped his broom.

“Potter,” he said finally with no inflection.

“Malfoy,” Harry said in the same tone.

“Going to Hogwarts, then?”

“Not exactly.”

Malfoy cocked a brow at him, but said nothing.

“I need to go to Norwich. Or near there, anyway.”

“Dangerous region, that,” Malfoy said carefully.

“I’ll pay you double whatever you and Lupin agreed on.”

“Triple.”

Harry scowled, knowing Malfoy did not need the money. He was simply being a typical ass.

“Fine,” he snapped.

Malfoy shrugged and stepped over his broom. Harry kicked off on his own and for a fleeting moment felt the old indescribable joy of flying. Thank God that ability hadn’t deserted him.

They headed toward the northeast and it almost immediately turned into a race. Soon they were hurtling side by side over treetops and hills, bushes and ponds. Harry could not seem to maintain a lead and they passed each other several times until Malfoy motioned to him and halted.

“It can get a bit dicey ahead. Stay low.”

Malfoy sped off again after delivering that cryptic warning. Harry hurried after him and they both maintained a height of no more than two meters from the ground. The ride was uneventful for the greater part of an hour, thus Harry was unprepared when his broom was suddenly yanked out from under him. Harry went flying—sans broom—and landed hard in a patch of heather.

He lay still for a moment trying to regain his breath. Malfoy’s face appeared above him.

“Alive, Potter?” Draco asked curiously. Harry glared, but got to his feet.

“You might have mentioned ‘dicey’ meant the broom was likely to be torn from my hands,” he snapped. He stalked back to get the broom, face flaming with the realization that he couldn’t simply Accio it back into his hand.

Malfoy hovered.

“It doesn’t. Sometimes it shoots you straight up. Or sends you into a spin. Or flips you upside down. Sometimes nothing. It’s unpredictable.”

Harry was actually somewhat surprised at the rational response. He had expected catcalls and hilarity. Harry mounted and they started off again.

The next time, Harry was prepared. The broom suddenly bolted sideways three meters, but Harry barely shifted position. He glanced ahead at Malfoy, who was fighting his own battle. The broom made three full forward flips, looking like a fan blade for a moment. Malfoy miraculously stayed on and brought it under control. Draco could really fly, Harry had to admit. Malfoy looked back over his shoulder at Harry, nodded curtly, and proceeded. When they reached an unknown landmark, Malfoy shot higher into the air without a word. Harry assumed the danger was past and joined him.

They flew until the darkness was complete and it was difficult to see even large landmarks. Malfoy drew back to fly beside Harry and made a chopping motion. Harry followed him to the ground.

“The moon won’t rise for awhile. Once it does we should have enough light to see by, if you want to go on. Have you eaten?”

The question was cursory. Harry knew Malfoy didn’t care, but he seemed determined to treat Harry like a normal client.

“I’m fine,” Harry said, looking around. They were in a hollow through which a small stream flowed. Harry knelt near the bank and washed his hands. He stood and glanced at Malfoy while drying them on his cloak. Malfoy had removed cloak and pack and was stretching the kinks from his shoulders.

Harry followed his lead and yanked off his own cloak. He slung his pack on the ground and unbuckled Gryffindor’s sword. Malfoy turned at the thunk. Harry suppressed a sigh of relief. The bloody thing was heavy. He sat cross-legged on the ground and let his head sink to his chest, pulling and releasing his neck muscles with one hand. He was glad they had stopped.

ooOoo

Draco looked at Harry, slumped on the ground like a tired shadow. He didn’t look like the hero of the wizarding world. Practically a Squib. The werewolf had mentioned Potter’s loss of power. Draco wondered if Harry thought it was worth it. Sure Voldemort was gone—but the cost… it was unimaginable. Perhaps it was easier for Potter, who had lived as a Muggle for the first eleven years of his life.

Draco shook his head. Regardless, it was awful, but at least it couldn’t have happened to a better person. If Draco could have requested anyone lose their powers, Harry Potter would have been top of the list. The bastard could still fly, though. Draco had been holding his own, but it hadn’t been easy.

Potter stayed where he was, head bowed in a Zen-like state. Draco pulled a waterskin from his pack and took a long drink before he walked over and refilled it from the stream. As he passed Potter, the dark head raised and Harry watched Draco without speaking.

Draco stoppered the waterskin as he stood and watched a sliver of moon cresting the horizon. He sighed. It was going to be a long trip if they couldn’t even speak to each other. Not that he really had anything to say to the Chosen One, but it was annoying that he couldn’t even give him a good insult. How would Potter fight back? Stinging Hex? It was sad.

When the moon was nearly clear of the horizon, Draco shrugged on his pack and topped it with his cloak. Potter rose without comment and did the same after buckling the sword on first. Draco stepped over his broom. He wondered if he should warn Potter—they had some dangerous terrain to cross and hours yet left to fly. It wouldn’t be an easy trip. He pictured that stubborn glare Potter always threw at him and knew it would be a waste of breath.

They took off into the night without a word.

Draco felt something… off. He slowed, having learned the hard way never to ignore a premonition. He hadn’t been this far east in a long time and wasn’t as familiar with the dangers.

He gestured sharply to Potter, who slowed without question. At least the spill Potter had taken had taught him to pay attention. Malfoy slowed further. His strange feeling had grown to real trepidation; he stopped and dismounted. Harry did the same and still he didn’t ask questions, which was fine with Draco, because he didn’t have any answers.

Draco set his broom on the ground and gestured to Potter to stay back. Draco walked forward cautiously. Six meters, then ten, and then a gaping chasm opened at his feet, stretching away in the moonlight like the mouth of hell. Draco could feel something calling to him—pulling at him from below. He frowned and returned to Potter.

“This is bad,” he said without preamble. “I’ve seen something like this once before. It’s a magical canyon with something nasty—and hungry—at the bottom. I don’t know what because I never cared to get close enough to find out. It will try to pull us down by any means.”

“Can’t we go around it?” Harry asked. Draco shook his head.

“Now that it has a fix on us, it will follow.”

“A canyon will follow us?”

Draco said nothing. Apparently, Potter had been quite sheltered from some of the nastier magic that had cropped up in the past couple of years.

“What’s to keep it from following us if we manage to get across?” Harry continued.

“The forest on the other side,” Draco admitted. “It has something of a reputation.”

“A bad reputation, I suppose?”

“You’re the one that wanted to go this way, Potter. A trip to Hogwarts would have been a piece of cake.”

Harry sighed explosively. “I don’t have any choice. How do we cross?”

For reply, Draco slung off cloak and pack. Potter wasn’t going to like the answer any more than Draco did.

“By doing the unexpected. Give me your broom.”

Potter wordlessly handed over his broom. Draco cast a few spells and bound the two brooms together before he lashed his pack to the front of the tied handles. He did the same with Potter’s pack, placing it to the rear. He levitated the contraption to check the balance. Harry looked far from pleased.

“You expect us to ride together?” he asked flatly.

“I’m not thrilled with the idea, either, Potter. But this thing will pick us off like flies over a toad-infested pond if we try to cross alone. This way, our abilities will be combined. You will, of course, need to follow my lead. Even with both of us working together, it won’t be easy.”

When the brooms were secure and Draco was satisfied with the apparatus, he looked at Potter.

“Make sure that sword is strapped tight and won’t fall out of the scabbard if we end up upside down.”

Harry frowned, but tightened the sword. When he couldn’t delay any longer, Draco stepped over the brooms.

“Let’s get this over with,” he said resignedly.